《Impractical Magic》 Impractical Magic Chapter 1 I wasn''t a delinquent by choice... I came from a broken family which led me to being a delinquent. Every time someone pisses me off, I pick fights with them. Almost every few months I get a bruise from my fights but my parent''s never seemed to care, all they seem to talk about is money this, money that. Ever since I was born they already treated me like nothing, my aunt tried to take me in but my mother said to her that she should go mind her own business and slowly I lost contact with her. Dad was quite an ass too, sometimes when he got drunk, he would beat me for no reason at all... Because of that. I spent most of my time outside, hanging out at net-cafe''s with some fellow rejects reading manga ,watching anime or playing some games only coming home to eat and sleep. At school my so-called friends were taking lunch money away from kids, I didn''t like bullying anyone anyway so I just leave them like that. It''s not like someone would go and pick a fight with me anyway because I was known at the school as a gang boss which is hella cringe and is just some baseless rumors spread by a paranoid schizo. Only getting into fights just because I was with the wrong people at the wrong time. While walking home, I saw someone standing near our house. He looked somewhat shady with his cap on, so I just passed by him quickly and didn''t bother to take a look at his face. From staying outside for so long I could tell by experience that he is bad news, constantly looking left and right for people while checking if it is clear. After passing him, he said something. I clicked my tongue. I wasn''t fast enough... what a hassle. "Hey, kid can you give me some money? I''m a bit short." I told him "I don''t have any..." which is obviously a lie. "Come on kid, even just a little change would be fine."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. I shouted at him "Go screw yourself old man!" and turned to walk away. After a few meters, my vision went dark. It took me a few seconds later to realize that my face is having a romantic moment with the pavement and that somebody had hit me from behind. "Little shits these days talk back to their elders." Little shit? I heard that asshole. He thought that he knocked me out because I wasn''t moving at all and then I felt a hand creeping into my pocket. "Whoa! Nice phone, this could sell as a second-hand!" [Thief] Nice phone? What are you a retard? That phone is at least three generations back and I brought that second-hand too with six months'' worth of my crappy allowance! By now squidward could practically buy that crap with just his spare change! {1} Soon after he checked my other pocket... "And you said you don''t have cash, heheheh." [Thief] Damn! I should''ve stuffed my winnings from betting in counter-strike in my socks. This asshole is getting cocky. When he started to leave I suddenly stood up and kicked him from behind, as he fell I proceeded to mount him and beat his ass up. "Whose the little shit now!" "Aww! Damn kid!" [Thief] While punching his face, his hat came off and that was when I realized that I was royally screwed. Two days ago I was watching TV, there has been a breakout from a local jail. There were at least six suspects that had escaped some were charged with theft, drugs and even murder. As I was thinking of that, I heard a loud (Bang!) my body felt heavy and I fell on the side. Not knowing what had hit me, the guy I was punching was helped by another man. There... I looked at them one was holding a gun... "What happened?!" [Gunman] "I don''t know. I thought that I had knocked him out." [Thief] "Did he see your face?" [Gunman] "Yeah..." [Thief] After talking to each other, both of them looked at me, the one with the gun pointed it at me and said: "If only you had stayed down!" He then started shooting (Bang! Bang! Bang!) While saying "Dammit-dammit!!!" It was those two guys who were charged with murder... I can hear screams in the background and see them run off. Again my vision darkens, this time I was sure that this would be the end... References {1} Refers to a Spongebob meme where Squidward was asking for money https://youtu.be/8_wdh1eNV94 Impractical Magic Chapter 2 "Huh? Something is wrong... Why haven''t I disappeared yet?" I muttered to myself is this what people experience when they die? Kind of sad if I could say so myself. After this. I will most likely go to hell for all the things that I''ve done but still... I don''t want any of that happening to me... If only my parents were normal and loving... Then I might have had a different view in life... Well, as they say... in the end you can only repent, right? Just then I was blinded by a flash. I lifted my hands to cover my eyes and I saw a nurse with her cap on. Staring at me while writing something on paper. So I''m alive huh? I tried to talk but couldn''t speak, she might have noticed that I was trying to speak to her so she stopped writing and leaned over to me. Hmm? Why is she stroking my head? Did I get shot in the head? For some reason her hand felt big... this nurse... has huge hands... and then she left. Hey! Don''t leave me here, I was trying to talk to you! A few minutes later, she returned with two people one was a woman and the other a man. The woman has golden hair, is she a foreigner? Then the guy must be her companion. Did they mug these foreigners too? Damn those low lives... If these people came to visit then are they the ones that had saved me? The woman started to shed tears and went to hug me... She might''ve been just happy that I was alive. Yes-yes, thank you for saving my life... That is what I wanted to say. Still, it seemed like I couldn''t speak did the gunman shoot my voice-box or something? I hope not... Then, the woman picked me up... I was like what the hell?! You should not carry an injured person like this! Much less from someone recovering from a gunshot wound!! Slowly she moved towards the man while carrying me. There was a mirror on the side of the room so I took a quick glance "WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUU?!!" I shouted with all my might, the hell?! I... I... looked like a baby?!If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I-AM-A-BABY?!! (Uwahh-uwahh!) I was looking at myself crying and the woman holding me began to panic and started shaking me back and forth. Lady! Lady! This is not how to calm a baby! Ugh... stop... stop... I''m getting dizzy... stop shaking me already... When I shut up she stopped doing it, ugh... So this is what babies felt like when being rocked to sleep, they pass out from the dizziness, what an unpleasant experience... I thought sarcastically. After staying in the hospital for a week, the couple took me home. They might be the parents of this child, but if I''m inside this body then... does that mean that I was reincarnated? Woo-hoo! I guess?? Weeks and months pass by I slowly began to understand their conversations. The woman who has golden hair is my mother. Her name is Michelle and the guy who is my father is Steven. It took me around three years to be able to talk, I still stutter most of the time, but that isn''t what bothered me... It was around last year when I came to notice it... "Happy Second Birthday Angelica!" [Michelle/Steven] Angelica? Wait... aren''t I a boy? They had always called me baby so I didn''t know my name. Since being a newborn my head feels so fricking heavy that I cannot even look down while I lay in my crib. While straining myself I then stared down... what I saw was frightening... I screamed like a little girl. It was then that I realized that "I WAS" a little girl... I asked myself "God... if you are ever there, I know that I''ve sinned but why would you punish me like this... I might have preferred to go to hell than be a girl... No... scratch that..." I have been reincarnated and have loving parents what more could I ask for? Staying in the house for a long time. I then found out that my father was a farmer and my mother was a housewife, obviously... Growing up inside this house, there isn''t any electricity... do we live in a rural area? At 8 years old I can freely move outside the house, there was a boy who was my friend, his name is Blake. I was with him every day since I had nobody to talk to and he seemed to enjoy my company. Slowly I began to notice that my chest started to develop... In my 12th year, I thought I was going to die... I woke up at around midnight and felt a burning sensation in my stomach. I had already eaten so it can''t be hunger... When I lit up the candle, I saw blood all over me. "Mother! Mother!" [Angelica] "Angelica?!" [Michelle] "What happened is there an intruder?!" [Steven] Steven quickly entered my room with his pitchfork, it seemed kind of lame really... "Mother... Father... I''m bleeding! It hurts!" [Angelica] Both of them looked at me dumbfounded. Hey! Your daughter is bleeding out! May I have your attention, please! Michelle looked at Steven and waved him off. Steven has this "Oh! that..." look on his face and he hurriedly left... That night Michelle told me that I have had my... first period... women were forced to feel this kind of pain monthly?! If this hurts this much, then I don''t want to know what childbirth would be like. Brrr... I get shivers all over while thinking about it. Because of that women have earned more of my respect... Impractical Magic Chapter 3 Ahh sweet 13, no... not exactly sweet as it would sound. On my 13th birthday, the village was attacked by a monster, a dual-headed wolf. Ever since I got reincarnated, I have never really paid much attention to the word monsters and just dismissed them as stories to scare the children. The incident ended without any fuss and the monster was killed, even though no one died, it raised a problem for the village. But seeing one up close and firsthand truly was terrifying, if it weren''t for Blake I might have been a chow down for the beast. With that Blake, helped me train with a sword. On my 14th birthday, the village recently started training us for self-defense. Training with weapons and magic; training with weapons is easy since I already had some experience from Blake. The problem lies in using magic. Our teacher only knows novice magic for healing minor cuts and wounds also a novice attack spell like ?Fireball? With magic, there are a lot of elements like fire, water, wind, and earth magic. Although you can combine two to make a new element or to make them stronger, for example, fire + wind = lightning and water + earth = poison, and the list goes on. Now then, my problem... It seems like I have a low capacity for magic and if possible I shouldn''t use it at all... and just rely on my sword-fighting skills. In one instance I tried to cast ?Fireball? at first I was fine, but in my fourth shot, I lost consciousness. Casting magic seems to drain energy and casting it over and over gives me a headache...This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. With training, I have now increased my limit, for now, I can cast ?Fireball? up to eighteen times, but my energy pool doesn''t seem to exceed that limit which sucks. Shame... I want to make a magic like that of a nuke, heheh just kidding as if there was a spell like that. You will know when you are at your limit when you start to get tired really fast, even more so if you feel like somebody is hammering you on the head. They say that I should''ve learned magic at a young age to train the body, where I carelessly wasted my time doing nothing... If I have known about magic at an earlier stage, then I might be rocking right now spamming spell after spell. My chest also seem like they have been growing at an incredible pace. I once started touching them, out of curiosity of course and they are indeed soft as they say but... touching yourself really feels kind of weird. Michelle even saw me by chance while I was doing the mega milk pose with the grin and all, so I got scolded big time. Now, I am 15 years old. I grew my hair out and tied it with a ponytail, managing long hair for girls is a serious business... a lot of times Michelle helped me out, but if it was me I''d probably cut it around shoulder length to be manageable. Michelle said that I should be proud of my hair. Yeah... tell that to a guy who''s stuck in a girl''s body... Hmm... speaking of body my breasts grew up to be around D-cup. I wish that it wouldn''t get any bigger than this as it will give me back and shoulder problems... Around this time most of the guys at the village are ogling at my breasts or my butt... sometimes I also see Blake sneaking a glance or two during our practice... Now, I know how women feel when being stared at... Impractical Magic Chapter 4 I was training with Blake in the forest to hone my skills with the sword. "Hyah!" [Angelica] "Hahah! You swing like a girl." [Blake] "That''s because I AM a girl!" [Angelica] "Heheh." [Blake] Blake laughs at me like an idiot as I was trying to slash him from left to right. He dodges with grace, even if I use my excuse of being a girl, the sword was indeed heavy AF. Who in their right mind would let a girl swing a two-handed claymore? I would''ve preferred using a cutlass or gladius for their weight and lenght. The first time I picked up the claymore. It was really heavy and I could barely lift it up and when I swung it, it flew off my hands missing Blake by an inch... Even now, sometimes when I swing it, the momentum forces my body to go forward. "Come on angel you can do it." [Blake] Blake edges me on, he had the habit of teasing me by shortening my name. Hahh... the irony... me being a devil in my previous life, I would''ve just smacked him in the face right about now. "Don''t call me angel!" [Angelica]This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Would angie suffice?" [Blake] "Ugh! Bake!" [Angelica] "Hey, now... that isn''t funny Angelica..." [Blake] "Says the one who started it!" [Angelica] Blake and I met at a young age. I saw him once being bullied by a group of kids, he was crying his eyes out because they teased him with the name "Bake" as in baking a cake. I defended him from the kids on an odds of 2 VS 5, and even though we won, both of us went home covered in mud and bruises. After that we became friends, I guess you can call me a tomboy back then. Defending the little crybaby Blake. He now grew up to be an amazing guy, handsome face, great smile, good with the sword "What kind of a guy wouldn''t be good with his sword heheh." I snickered, also for being tall at 185.6cm. When I was young, I thought that I had the height advantage... boys really grow up faster than girls at a certain age; now I''m at 170.9cm. If I wasn''t a guy I might have fallen for him already lol. When we finished training we washed our faces in the nearby river, wiping the sweat off my neck. I noticed him looking; "You little sneak." I thought, then decided to tease him a bit. "Do you want to borrow my towel?" [Angelica] "Wah... no..." [Blake] Heheh, he gets easily flustered which is funny and annoying at the same time, like some typical anime protag. "You know. I''m fine with you using it." [Angelica] "No it''s alright, it''s alright!" [Blake] "It must be because of my sweat huh..." [Angelica] While I showed him a dejected expression, he immediately snatched the towel and wiped his face with it. He''s taking his sweet time burying his face into the towel... "Quit, sniffing it." [Angelica] "Eh??" [Blake] He''s so easy to read... Then, we heard screams coming from the village. I stood up and so did Blake, we both nodded at the same time and then darted towards the village. Impractical Magic Chapter 5 While running, I spoke to Blake. "Isn''t it too sunny for a monster attack?" [Angelica] "I don''t know..." [Blake] Monsters. Shy and timid little shi... ehem-ehem... creatures. It''s rare for them to attack a village in daylight because they know that people are awake and active. They will most likely prefer to attack people who are in forests or caves since it will be easy for them to corner us or at night when we cannot see them. The only time when monsters chose to attack the village in broad daylight is if it''s either; powerful, large (size), in groups, or just plain dumb. That''s why Blake and I are worried... When we got to the village what greeted us are not monsters, but... humans... "Knights?!" [Blake] We were both stunned at what we saw, knights attacking and pillaging the village. Why are they attacking? I don''t know... there isn''t even any strategic importance for a small village like ours, then we saw mister Gilford the town elder. Being dragged out of his home. As the knight dragged him, he struggled and was muttering something. Then the knight cut him down... blood splatters as his lifeless body fell on the ground making a pool of blood. I gasped for air while covering my mouth. Blake looked at me as he heard me gasp, my stomach churned, I wanted to vomit. I wasn''t used to seeing people get killed especially by another human... When I saw that, I realized that my parents are in danger, without thinking I ran to the village towards our house. "Angelica!" [Blake]This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Blake shouted at me, but I didn''t stop. At twenty meters we encountered a knight, who wore full plate armor and a helmet, complete with a visor. Holding a cutlass with one hand and a small round shield in the other, I dashed towards him. He attempted to slash me horizontally as I close the distance, just before the cutlass would hit me I slid down below him. Without changing my speed, I made a 360* turn as I was sliding and used the momentum of the turn to exert more force on my strike. I made a diagonal slash with all of my might. The knight lifted his shield to block my attack, but the claymore had hit with such force that it destroyed the shield cutting it in half. My hands started shaking from the recoil of my attack. The recoil was so intense that it made my hand numb and I nearly let go of my sword... Then, I remembered the knight, a fatal mistake... My back is now turned against the knight, when I came to look, the cutlass was already slashing in an arc towards my neck... suddenly it was deflected by Blake. "Are you alright Angelica?!" [Blake] When he spoke, I came back to my senses. "Y-yeah..." [Angelica] I''m really thankful that Blake is there. "Let''s attack him both at the same time." [Blake] At Blake''s signal. We both initiated our attack simultaneously, we dashed towards the lone knight and Blake strikes the left while I strike on the right. The knight unable to defend himself from our attack due to my hit earlier, just braced for it like a turtle trying to hide in its shell, even though we failed to eliminate the knight, we somehow managed to knock him out. Our friends in the village were giving the knights a good fight, but since we were not well-trained our stamina and experience may be lacking. Also, the knights wore full plates while we and the villagers only wore cotton or leather. "Blake! Angelica!" A fellow villager shouted at us, they seem to need help. Blake looked at me, I showed him a smile. He nodded as if he understood what I was trying to say. Of all the villagers that I know Blake was the most experienced and can fight evenly without any armor. He left my side to help them, while I took the fallen knight''s cutlass, the claymore is too heavy and would just hinder my movement, I then ran to my home. I entered the house and shouted "Mother! Father!" nobody answered... it was dead silent... I walked slowly and silently up the second floor so that if someone were to ambush me, I would be able to hear their footsteps. I checked if there were any bloodstains or bodies, but nothing... did they manage to escape? As I was about to exit the house and rendezvous with Blake, a large figure was blocking the door... it was a knight... Impractical Magic Chapter 6 The knight was standing behind the door, it was open. Did he get inside while I was searching upstairs? "How lucky I am to get a girl all alone." [Knight] "..." [Angelica] "The silent type huh... don''t worry, you won''t be silent for long kekeke." [Knight] This knight has no helmet on, is he an idiot? Or just overconfident? He lets out a sinister laugh while staring at my body, this is the type of scum that I don''t want to meet. "Why are you knights attacking this village?" [Angelica] "Ohhh! So you can talk after all~" [Knight] "Answer the question." [Angelica] "We just came her for some fun." [Knight] "Fun?" [Angelica] "Since this is a rural village, no one would probably care if it were to suddenly disappear right? People would just think that this place got attacked by monsters or raided by a band of thieves." [Knight] "You assholes..." [Angelica] "Yes, get mad~" [Knight] I clenched my fist, these guys decided to wipe out our peaceful village just for fun? Don''t bullshit me! What are we some game to be hunted?!Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Who gave you that order?" [Angelica] "That... would be me~" [Knight] He bowed to me as he said that and he left one eye open to see how I would react. I lifted the cutlass as I prepare for an attack, he showed me a smirk. Our house is quite small, he will have problems moving with his armor and also his sword which is long. This is why I picked the cutlass, just in case I needed it to fight indoors. He''s not moving... we looked at each other, waiting on who will strike first. Every second felt like an eternity. "Don''t keep me waiting little girl~" [Knight] He tries to provoke me, but I ignored him. Looking for gaps in his defenses, the only place I can attack is his head and his joints. I stepped forward and then lunged at him. His eyebrows raised up, was he surprised? You thought that I wouldn''t make the first move, didn''t you? As I closed in on him, he readied his sword. He tried to slash me, but the blade got stuck in the wall disrupting his stance. My movement was quicker with the cutlass, then I slashed the gaps of his armor from his kneecaps to his elbows. "Arrrgg!!" [Knight] The knight shouted in pain, then wobbled and got down, he supported himself with one knee as if he were being knighted. But something feels off... my attack just now... it didn''t feel like it had cut into his flesh, but he clearly showed signs of pain, as I was about to give the finishing blow... "Wait-wait-wait!! I''m sorry I was rude! We''ll leave the village please don''t kill me!" [Knight] "No can do... what if you brought reinforcements with you." [Angelica] "I''ll give you gold so please spare my life!" [Knight] Does he think I will just let him go if I got some money is he an idiot? He will certainly bring more of his friends here in revenge and by then we are truly fucked. "No, you will die, because of your crimes." [Angelica] I never planned on killing anyone, but if it is for the safety of the village... then killing the knight''s leader might make them stop... or disorganized. "Higghhhhhh!!" [Knight] When my slash came the knight screamed in fright, in a split second... He caught the blade with his hand?! I tried pulling it away, but it just won''t budge. Since I was still holding the sword he pulled me closer and then punched me right in the stomach... I leaned forward and then blanked out. "Kekekeke..." [Knight] Impractical Magic Chapter 7 Moments later... I had recovered from my blanked state, my body is lying on the floor. When I open my eyes, I saw the knight''s face up close, then... I realized that he was on top of me. "Oh you woke up~" [Knight] "Get off me bastard!!" [Angelica] "This is much better than violating you when you''re unconscious." [Knight] "Wha..." [Angelica] "Didn''t I tell you that I''m going to have some fun with you? It would be a shame if I just killed you on the spot without tasting you first heheheh~" [Knight] My eyes widened at his remark, this guy really planned on violating me. "H-how?! I-I slashed you!" [Angelica] "You mean this~" [Knight] He showed me the part where I had slashed, it was covered in chain mail... even his palms. So that''s how he managed to get hold of the blade.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Did you really think that I would be that stupid?" [Knight] He deliberately got his sword stuck by the wall so that I would attack him and faked his injury to lower my guard. I also realized that the gauntlets could also be used as weapons... I got careless... I was dancing in the palm of his hand. "No! No! Let me go!" [Angelica] "Oh, don''t worry I won''t kill you after this. I won''t even let other men touch you, besides me, that is kekekeke." [Knight] He laughs then licked his lips, I get shivers down my spine. Fear gripped me, this is the first time that I''d felt really scared; the thought of a man violating my body and doing whatever he pleased. I struggled as he pinned me down. His left hand bound both of my hands above my head, while his right hand stroked my thighs. Slowly his hand crept into my skirt. "Help! Help! Someone he..." [Angelica] "Shut-up!" [Knight] He slapped my face and tried to kiss me after, but I kept my face to the side. After failing to do so, he just licked me from my neck up to my cheeks. My heart is filled with horror, I don''t want this... I really don''t want this! Now, I felt his hand pulling down my underwear, my right arm broke free from his hand. I began to retaliate by punching his body over and over, but my blows won''t get through because of the armor. I still kept on hitting him even if my fists started to bleed, unable to do anything. Tears started to fall down my cheeks and then I saw a flashback, Michelle... Steven... Blake... "Blake..." [Angelica] Why am I calling his name? I don''t know... "Don''t tell me you''re already broken? I still haven''t done anything yet~" [Knight] "... Blake..." [Angelica] I covered my eyes and started to cry, as I fell into the pit of hopelessness. I heard a voice... Impractical Magic Chapter 8 "Hyah!" There was a loud impact. When I opened my eyes the knight was thrown off to the other room and a hand held me up. "Thank goodness you''re safe..." The person in question hugged me very tightly. I can feel the warmth radiating from his clothes. I am still in a state of shock so my processing power was slow, I looked at my savior. It was Blake... I cried as he held me to his chest. When I finally calmed down he leads me outside and that was when... "You fuuuuuuuuucccckkkk!!!" [Knight] The knight recovered from the hit and he lunged towards us gripping a dagger. Blake, shoved me to the side, to prevent me from being stabbed. The knight tackled Blake and they both fell on the floor. During the clash, he got stabbed in the shoulder while protecting me. The knight was on top of him, exerting his weight to stab the dagger deeper into Blake''s shoulder... while Blake used both of his hands to force it out. "Aa-ack!" [Blake] "You disturbed me from my enjoyment. I''m going to kill you slowly and painfully." [Knight]If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Blake is in pain. At first, I was going to cast ?Fireball? to attack, but with Blake being in close proximity to the knight the resulting explosion will take both of them out, so I avoided using it. I got up and tried to punch the knight again, this time on the head since he was busy taking on Blake. "Damn bitch!!" [Knight] (Pak!) "Ugh!" [Angelica] The knight got pissed at me for hitting him and swiped at me using his gauntlets. I fell a few feet back and my jaws hurt like hell. I could taste the blood in my mouth. Blake and the knight were still fighting, there I saw the cutlass within arms reach. I reached for it and started to run towards the knight to decapitate him. He heard my footsteps as I approached and saw me swinging the blade. He raised his arm just in time to protect his head. Then... when the cutlass hit the knight''s gauntlet, the blade shattered, hurling sharp metallic projectiles at his face. The largest of the projectiles made a cut to his right cheek. He backed off while covering his face. "You! You piece of shit!" [Knight] Why did it choose to break at this crucial time, was I too strong on exerting my swing, or was it already this weak from being used too much? I checked Blake, who was unconscious beside me. "Blake! Blake!" [Angelica] He isn''t responding despite me shouting at him. His breathing was shallow... he has already lost so much blood from the wound. I used the healing magic ?First Aid? three times to close it, tiredness quickly spread throughout my body. Different magic needs various amounts of energy, while I can cast ?Fireball? eighteen times. Healing magic eats four times the amount... The knight was enraged at me because of the wound I had inflicted on him. "This time, I''ll make sure you''re unconscious, after that we''ll take you to the hideout and drug you till you break!" [Knight] I stood up, with my knees shaking. I pointed the now half-broken cutlass at the knight. Here, I will make my final stand protecting Blake... Impractical Magic Chapter 9 With all odds stacked against me, I hardened my resolve. No second chances! This is do or die! I used the fastest attack I could muster. I dashed towards him, as he swung the dagger towards me, I retreated a step back. He misses by an inch and the dagger sliced through the air, cutting a few strands of my hair. The golden strands scatter in the air like leaves being blown by the wind, but my eyes are locked on target... The head of the knight! There was an opening!! "Hiiiyaaaahhh!" [Angelica] (Clang!) Still... the knight easily caught the broken blade... Is this the end? "Haven''t you learned your less- Yahg!!" [Knight] Unable to finish his sentence, the knight screamed as he let go of the blade. He held his hand as if it was in pain. I looked at him, his hand is burned and the chain mail is melting with an orange glow.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Something glowed below me, I stared at the glowing object. It was the broken cutlass, enveloped by a crimson flame. The color of red, yellow and orange flickered letting out a glow that was dazzling. The flame was brushing on my hand, but I wasn''t hurt. I touched the blade, my hand wasn''t burnt... Is this a magic sword? No... this is not the time to think of that... our lives are on the line here... I attacked the confused knight, he tried to parry my slash, but like a hot knife, through butter, it cut through the dagger. I can see the surprise on his face as it did that. Next, I slashed upwards to his torso, sparks fly as my sword cut into his armor. The area where I had hit melted the armor and his flesh burned to a crisp cauterizing the wound, that it didn''t even let a single drop of blood drip out. With the smell of burnt flesh, the knight lifelessly fell before me. My feet finally gave way and I sat on the ground. Holding onto the broken cutlass that was glowing so radiantly, my head started to hurt and my vision blurs. "Angelica!" "Angelica!" Again I hear voices... two shadows approached us from the outside and I finally lost consciousness... Impractical Magic Chapter 10 When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the ceiling and then looked at my surroundings. Beside me was Blake sitting on a chair sleeping. Hmn.... am I bedridden? What happened to the village? Father and Mother; I wanted to ask Blake, but he was sound asleep. Should I wake him? No... I''ll let him rest. Not wanting to disturb him, I moved out from the other side of the bed and tried to walk, but as I stood up my knees felt numb then gave way and I fell. The crashing sound woke Blake up and he was surprised to see me there lying on the floor. "Angelica?" [Blake] "Morning Blake..." [Angelica] "Angelica!!" [Blake] Looking at each other like a comical stint, Blake jumped out of his chair and hugged me. Hey-hey don''t get carried away. "I thought that you would never wake up!" [Blake] "Huh?" [Angelica] "Uhh sorry! You might not know it, but you were sleeping for a whole day." [Blake] "A day?" [Angelica] Blake helped me up and sat me down on the bed. He''s overreacting it''s only been a day, I would be surprised if it was a week or so. "What about... father... mother?" [Angelica] "Don''t worry, they''re both fine." [Blake] "The village?" [Angelica] "Not so much..." [Blake] "So... how many of us died?" [Angelica] "Eight out of fifty-nine..." [Blake] "I see..." [Angelica] Of the fifty-nine people in the village eight have died, five were teens and three adults... I better pay respect to them when I recover... "Can you stand?" [Blake] "I just need some exercise." [Angelica]The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. As we talked I moved my feet back and forth as I simulated walking. After checking that the numbness is gone, we both left the room. As Blake and I were moving downstairs, I heard someone speaking loudly. "I apologize! If we were only a bit earlier then the village might not have been attacked." "No-no it''s alright, you don''t have to apologize." When we got down. There was a person kneeling in front of mother and father, the person was a woman. She had silver hair with a ponytail that is tied near the base of her head and she has silvery eyes, wearing what looks like breatplate and a skirt. "Angelica, you''re awake?!" [Michelle] "Hi, mom..." [Angelica] Michelle and Steven hugged me at the same time. When they finished, the woman approached me and suddenly knelt. "I apologize to you for not coming sooner." [Woman] "Ah-eh..." [Angelica] I stuttered. I was surprised by her sudden kneeling and then apologizing, I didn''t know what to say. "Um... as my parents said it''s alright." [Angelica] "No! I heard that you were nearly assaulted by someone!" [Woman] Who told her that?! I hope nobody gossips about that in the village... If they do I''ll lock myself in my room... "If only..." [Woman] "Kate, it''s fine." [Michelle] "B-but your..." [Woman] "Kate!!" [Michelle] Michelle raised her voice, it made the girl shudder and not finish her sentence. This is the first time that I heard mother shout like that, so the woman''s name is Kate... "Pardon my rudeness." [Kate] "I was the same... I apologize..." [Michelle] With that, they both bowed at each other. We then see her off and before she left, Kate gave me something and said that it was a present from her. "Mother, who is that person?" [Angelica] "She''s Kate, a friend of mine and your father''s." [Michelle] "Why did she give me a present." [Angelica] "She is one of your godmothers." [Michelle] "Ahh..." [Angelica] So that''s why she''s really concerned about me and my parents, but she doesn''t have to kneel... The next day, the villagers were all working together to rebuild the village. As a girl, I was excluded from hard labor. The only thing they let us do is either wash the dishes, do laundry or cook some food. Which I really find boring, when I went out to get some fresh air, a group of villagers went up to chat. "Morning Angelica." "Good morning." [Angelica] "Did you see how your dad fought the knights?" "Dad can fight?" [Angelica] "You didn''t know?!" They told me that Steven fought the knights using his pitchfork, he used it like a trident stabbing the knights, shoving them up and throwing them like hay. So doing farm work has its benefits I guess... And Michelle uses tactics to corner the knights. If I remember correctly, mother likes to play that game which is similar to chess in my world. We immersed ourselves in the stories of battle until some adults scolded us for slacking off. When I got back to the house I asked Michelle and Steven what did they do with the knights. Michelle said that the ones who died were picked up and burned somewhere, while the ones who ran are either captured or are still being searched for... I asked Steven where they put the broken cutlass. "Cutlass?" [Steven] "Oh! The one you were holding?" [Michelle] "Ahh yes, that one." [Angelica] "We threw it out." [Steven] "WHY?!" [Angelica] I was surprised that they threw out something so valuable, is it that easy to come by? Is it cheap? If so I''ll buy one using my lunch money. "Is it important?" [Michelle] "It''s a magic sword!" [Angelica] "Uhm... Angelica, there is no such thing as a magic sword..." [Steven] "Eh??" [Angelica] Impractical Magic Chapter 11 There, I learned from Steven, that there were no magic swords in this world. Although there are monsters that look like weapons and are able to cast magic. You can also use materials to make weapons, like a crystal sword for example, but they aren''t magical and are mostly just for looks and are not very durable. Should I do some experiments with those materials? So what is that thing then... could it be magic? But... how did I invoke it? As our teacher taught us, there are two types of magic, one is cast the other is invoke. Cast is a method that you read out words regarding the spell either out of your mouth or inside your head, spells or magic that is cast are quite powerful, but the downside is it takes time. The other is Invoke, in which the names states it can be used immediately, the cons of this is its somewhat weak output... I took out a knife from the house for an experiment. Outside, I was staring at the knife so intensely, minutes passed by. I look like an idiot... nothing is happening... I remembered those shows where they used their mind to bend a spoon, will it bend the knife if I think hard enough? Lol.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I have to remember... that feeling... Slowly... at the tip of the knife, a small flame is starting to appear, I smiled and then... "Angelica! Let''s train!" [Blake] I was startled by Blake when I looked at the knife again, the flame had already disappeared. Good job Blake! You just have to go and ruin my concentration... Blake looked at me as I was staring at the knife, my smile disappeared just like the flame... "A-Angelica e-even if I dd-do tease you, yo-you mustn''t t-think that way!" [Blake] Blake suddenly dropped his claymore, then quickly snatched the knife away from my hands while stuttering. I frowned at him. What''s the big idea?! "I-I get it! I''ll stop calling you names!" [Blake] I was clueless as to what he was saying, but since he wouldn''t tease me with names anymore, I guess that''s fine. The second day I tried doing it again, this time in a place where no one would see... Concentrate... I see a small flame. As I let out an "Ahh..." suddenly the flame surrounded the whole knife, it burned my hand as I held it. From the sudden surge of pain, I quickly let go "A-aw u-ugh..." it was very painful... I checked my hand, it had a first-degree burn... I used some Healing magic to fix it up, but boy that scared me... I thought that it wouldn''t heal... Again, I concentrate. The flame only enveloped the blade, but when I try to touch it, it would still burn me... My head started to feel like its being used as a punching bag, so I ended my experiment there. Impractical Magic Chapter 12 After a month, I can now touch the flame without getting burned, but I didn''t know that it would be that hard. Good thing, that I did it right the first time... At noon Michelle asked Blake. If he would like to have dinner with us. In the dining room, we sat at a rectangular table that could seat four people. Blake and I are on one side and Michelle and Steven is on the other. While eating Steven posed a question. "Where are the knives, honey?" [Steven] "They seem to be missing darling..." [Michelle] "Is that so." [Steven] "Are the children doing pranks again?" [Michelle] "Angelica, do know anything about the missing knives?" [Steven] Blake shot me a weird look, a second later I stomped on his foot under the table.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. (Stomp!) "Yeh-ouch!!" [Blake] "?!" [Steven/Michelle] "Is that the wind? What knife mother, father?" [Angelica] As I said that, I tilted my head to the side while showing a smile with my eyes closed, while still stepping on Blake''s foot. Hahh... sorry Blake. During my practice a month ago, I used plenty of knives. It''s not like I never planned on returning them. It''s just that... they melted... If I put in too much power, the flame turns into a blaze. Even if I can touch the flames, the melting metal would still burn me. Also with that much power being used, I instantly become drained and almost fainted a couple of times. Somehow... my head is starting to get used to the pain, but it would still hurt like hell. Imagine having a hangover and not being drunk, does it sound fun? No... The next day, mother found a whole new set of knives, she hugged father happily for some reason and they had some lovey-dovey time that night. Well, there goes my lunch money... 2nd Month. Invoking the flame is easy, turning it off is another thing... I still haven''t found a way to turn off my power. When I use it, it doesn''t stop until I''m drained or I let go of the knife. Contact with my hands seems to be the reason; so for now... if I ever want to stop using it, I''d just drop the knife on the floor and then, pick it up again. This routine is giving me back pains... In the second week, I finally managed to control my power. It was all thanks to Blake, I remembered when he suddenly asked me to train with him and I lost my concentration. All I had to do was just stop focusing and it''ll turn off on its own. Impractical Magic Chapter 13 In the 3rd month. Most of the criminals that attacked the village have now been captured, also in that month, I was experimenting with how to efficiently use my power. If I was planning on using my newfound power more often. I better lower how much energy it soaks up, while not compromising its effectiveness, because if I easily get tired of using it; then... it would defeat its purpose. So that I can spam it as much as possible and not be life-threatening. In the 4th month of training, I managed to master my power. Now I''ve made it more efficient by only enveloping the edge instead of the whole blade. Think of it as a lightsaber. I got the idea from an online game I was playing in my old world, I forgot the whole name though, but all I remember is it has the word "Star"{1} in it. Speaking of which, Blake''s hairstyle somehow resembles one of the protagonists of that game although the hair color was black.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "That was amazing Angelica!" [Blake] "Now, what should I call this magic?" [Angelica] "Why not call it enchanting?" [Blake] "That has a nice ring to it." [Angelica] "Heheh." [Blake] Blake claps as he sees me perfecting it, ever since the knife incident. I asked Blake, to tag along and watch me practice. He was really amazed at how I could do it, I tried teaching him, but he says that he just couldn''t do it... Next, I moved on to the claymore. As I thought... it was somehow difficult, the longer edge of the claymore means more energy is needed to keep it on. I might just stick with a gladius if that is the case, at least I managed to improve it drastically by only enchanting it just before the strike hits. Which posed another problem... Since I would only enchant just before an attack, people can see my attack patterns clearly and make a counter based on that, which leaves the question... should I leave it on or not? No... I will only enchant if there is a need to. It isn''t a problem for monsters though since most of them have little to no intelligence. References {1} Refers to a game called Phantasy Star Portable 2 Impractical Magic Chapter 14 The adults asked us to cut down some trees to make firewood for the upcoming winter season. "This is tiring..." [Angelica] "Want to rest for a bit?" [Blake] "Good thing you have good stamina." [Angelica] "You just have to know what angle to hit, it makes it much easier you know." [Blake] "That''s easy for you to say~" [Angelica] "Then you should depend on me more." [Blake] "You''ve already saved me a dozen times. If you keep that up women will surely fall in love with you." [Angelica] "All, but you..." [Blake] "What was that?" [Angelica]This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "..." [Blake] Blake muttered something, but I didn''t hear what it was... "Alright. Let''s try this." [Angelica] "Try what?" [Blake] "This!" [Angelica] I enchanted the ax''s edge then struck the nearby tree and it fell. It cut the trunk like it was nothing, but there was a problem... the tree was burning... "Wah! Angelica what have you done?!" [Blake] "Uh! Water! Water!" [Angelica] Good thing we were cutting trees beside the river. If we weren''t I might have burned the whole forest down tee-hee. "BDP! There is a BDP nearby!" A fellow villager that was also cutting down a tree shouted to warn us, there was a BDP in the area... Blake and I readied our weapons and so does the others. BDP is a term that I used to describe an ogre. Big, Dumb, and Powerful (BDP) ever since I used that term, the people in the village also started using it for no reason. Is it that popular of a word? We hid behind the trees, moments later the ground begins to shake and in the distance. A figure three meters tall had flabby skin and has a face that looked like it was hit with a baseball bat. Lugging around a huge wooden club, correction... a huge damn tree! They are the kind of pests that the village has to be wary of. At most, it would be a good idea to take them out while still far away from the village, because if they ever rampage, then you know what will happen. We crept closer for an ambush. Impractical Magic Chapter 15 We needed to get closer as much as possible and instantly inflict a fatal blow. Even though they are dumb, once you get their attention, then off to the tenderizer you go... The adults were busy rebuilding the village, so the perimeter is somewhat loose. I''m having second thoughts about whether we should attack it. There may be a chance that some of us may die... "A few meters more..." [Angelica] (Snap!) The ogre looked back, and one of us stepped on a branch. Our eyes meet and the ogre let out a loud roar. Some of the guys fell on their butts and some ran. "Get in the forest!" [Angelica] "Everyone! Get inside the forest!" [Blake] Contrary to popular belief, it is much better to run into the forest if an ogre were to chase after you. From their size, the trees will prevent their movement. If you run into an open field, then you have to be an athlete in order to outrun them. There were four of us left to confront the ogre, well I wouldn''t blame them. Who wouldn''t run from a big ass monster with a tree as a weapon? Even I myself ran the first time I encountered one... "Let''s surround it." [Angelica] "Who will be the decoy?" "I am." [Blake] "Alright." We all came to an agreement and initiated our strategy. The best way to defeat an ogre is to surround it first, someone has to be a decoy to get its attention while the others attack it.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The decoy also has to dodge its attacks while keeping the ogre''s focus on him, a slight misstep here will surely be death. The attackers have to inflict as much damage on the ogre as fast as possible, a long drawn-out battle will not favor us. Blake picked up a rock and threw it at the ogre''s head. It hit with a (Clunk), and the ogre roared at him. Gross... I could smell its breath from here. The two that were with me used ?Fireball? a bad idea... an ogre is very resistant to fire attacks and because of its flabby skin the fireballs just bounced off. On their second volley, the ogre returned the fireball at us baseball style... it hit the ground behind the villager that casted it, then it exploded knocking him out. "Get him out of here!" [Angelica] "H-how about you?!" "We''re fine! Just go!" [Blake] If there are any people who are down or unconscious. The ogre will focus on them first, hitting them even if they are already dead. Such a ruthless monster, it will make sure that you are as flat as a pancake, before leaving you alone... Again, Blake and I engaged it. Because it is just the two of us, we have to split being the decoy and the attacker. I made a somersault as the ogre swung the club below me. Rolling in the air and then landing on my feet, while Blake slashed the knee. Blake used slash it wasn''t very effective... {1} oh wait... The slash needs to be stronger, the flabby skin is like armor. We did it again, this time I was the one attacking. I enchanted the claymore and hit where Blake slashed earlier, the ogre slumped back keeping us in its sights. "Tired yet?" [Blake] "No, I''m pumped." [Angelica] We smiled and laughed and the ogre roared at us as if it was complaining. The ogre''s movement went slowly because of the wound. Both of us attacked at high-speed, the ogre can barely keep up with our movements. Slashes rain down on the ogre. The wrists, kneecaps, arms, and back are being cut as fast as the eye can see. The ogre with its head down knelt supporting its body with the club, reminiscent of a knight that is kneeling with his sword. Blake, distracted it from the front, while I circled behind. Blake''s strike was blocked by the club. I ran on its back, the nape of the neck is exposed. I shouted a line from an anime opening {2} as I slit its nape. Blood rained like a fountain and the ogre fell with a (Bam!) As I landed. Blake showed a cocky smile and I gave him a V-sign. References {1} A reference to a Pokemon move {2} Reference to Attack On Titan Opening Theme Impractical Magic Chapter 16 [Blake] I was a child from a simple family, my father retired from being an adventurer after meeting with my mother. Living in this small village with a population of around fifty. Thirty-two adults, eight teenagers, and ten children. Raised by my parents to be well-mannered, I was a passive person. My mother was a baker and because of that, the other kids bullied me by calling me names. "Hey! Blake what do you bake!" "Bake! Bake!" "Blake go bake us a cake!" With their harassment, I just cried till they leave me alone. I couldn''t fight because they were five of them. This almost became a daily occurrence. Then... (Smack!) I focused my attention on where the sound came from, one of the kids was smacked on the head by a girl. The girl was tall and had short gold-colored hair, wearing a cotton shirt and brown shorts, you may mistake her for a boy, but her voice will reveal it otherwise. The kid was holding his head, using his hands. Boy, that must have been painful... "Hey, stop picking on the kid." [Girl] "Who are you to say that to us?!" [Kid 1] "Do you want to fight too?! [Kid 2] "Oh good, I needed some practice!" [Girl] A fight then ensued, the girl was punching the kids that bullied me. "Damn, my punch is weak." [Girl] "Hold her!" [Kid 3] "Got you!" [Kid 4] But they overpowered her... I don''t want to see her getting beat up, but her face showed that she was enjoying it; what a weird person...This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "You thought you were safe!" [Kid 5] The fifth kid, punched me even while I wasn''t doing anything, I countered him with a punch to the stomach by reflex. "So you can fight too huh?" [Girl] The girl was talking to me, she really is having fun. "Hey! Don''t just stand there, help me out!" [Girl] She yelled out as she was being held and beaten on the ground. I didn''t really want to fight, but the girl after saying that she needed my help, my body moved on its own. We proceeded to fight the kids on a 2 VS 5. Even though we won, we still got beat up. Our clothes were covered in mud and there were some bruises here and there. "What''s your name?" [Girl] "... Blake..." [Blake] "Ahh... so that''s why..." [Girl] I swear that she is going to laugh after hearing my name, but... "That''s a nice name." [Girl] She didn''t laugh? Afterward, she took me to their home to get us washed. "Angelica?! Why are you covered in mud and where did you get that bruise?!" Her mother was surprised to see me and her, but after showing her a smile. The mother just scratched her head. So the girl''s name is Angelica... After that we became friends and the bullying stopped, every day we would talk to one another. "Hahh... this place is so hot, I wish there was an AC here." [Angelica] "AC??" [Blake] Angelica, sometimes speaks of weird things from time to time, did she read that in a book? As we grew older. Angelica still wore shorts despite being at the age of 8. "Why haven''t you worn a skirt yet Angelica?" [Blake] "Because I don''t want to." [Angelica] "But most of the girls in the village wear skirts." [Blake] "Sooooooo?" [Angelica] It was hard to talk to her about it, so I secretly conspired with her mother Michelle to make her wear a skirt. "Why doesn''t Angelica wear a skirt?" [Blake] "Because she didn''t want to." [Michelle] "But the girls at the village were talking about her being a tomboy behind her back." [Blake] "That... may pose as a problem..." [Michelle] "Also, I want her to look more feminine." [Blake] "Was that the only reason?" [Michelle] "... Yes..." [Blake] She has seen right through me... "Alrighty then." [Michelle] "Huh?" [Blake] "I was also worried about her. Always wearing boys'' clothing, even now as her bosom starts to develop..." [Michelle] "Then you''ll make her wear it?" [Blake] "Yes, but that''ll be our little secret hihihihi." [Michelle] She held her palm to her mouth as she laughed like that, which is kind of scary... The next time I saw Angelica, she was wearing a white dress. I was captivated by her, the skirt seems to be dancing with the wind. "Sigh... Why would mother force me to wear this..." [Angelica] "She might just be worried about you." [Blake] "Why?" [Angelica] "She said that she wants you to look more feminine because the girls called you a tomboy." [Blake] "If that''s what you say so... but still I''m not used to wearing it..." [Angelica] "But it is chilly right?" [Blake] "Yeah..." [Angelica] I kept on praising her and from that day onward, Angelica started to wear the dress every day. Impractical Magic Chapter 17 [Blake] At ten years old. My father started to teach me swordsmanship, he told me as a man, I should be able to protect a woman or something like that. Angelica, saw me practice once and asked if I was practicing kendo, whats kendo? Also, she said that she saw it in anime, kendo, and anime? Angelica still says some weird things from time to time... On my 12th birthday, my father bought me a real sword. When Angelica saw the claymore, she inspects it and said in a surprised tone "This is real?!" Why shouldn''t it be? "Your parents are so cool!" [Angelica] "Heheh thanks!" [Blake] "But, why a real sword?" [Angelica] "For monsters." [Blake] "Monsters? There is no such thing as monsters Blake." [Angelica] I told her the reason, but she wouldn''t believe me... speaking of which Angelica, hasn''t stepped out of the village yet. Maybe that''s why she hasn''t seen one. On Angelica''s 13th birthday a monster breached the perimeter, it was a dual-headed wolf. Dual-headed wolves are easy to take out, but their jaws can tear people in half. Good thing that this is a lone wolf, if it were a pack, the village might have sustained casualties.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. When Angelica first saw this monster, she was terrified. Showing fear to a dual-headed wolf will most likely make you a target as an easy prey. It dashed towards her and lunged, as it was in midair I managed to cut it in half by the jaw, I was glad that Angelica wasn''t hurt. "All this time you''ve always protected me... Now it''s my time to protect you..." [Blake] "Blake..." [Angelica] The day after. Angelica asked me if I could train her with the sword. She said, she wanted a gladius, but the nearest city is a four-month journey from here. So ordering weapons may take some time. At first, she wasn''t able to lift the claymore, her movements were slow and easy to dodge. Because of her clumsiness, all the injuries she sustained were self-inflicted by her... still... she persevered. On her 14th birthday. Angelica took novice magic lessons, the teacher only knew novice magic like ?First Aid? and ?Fireball? I wanted to join her, but my body wasn''t able to cast it... Her 15th birthday came, she had grown up into an absolute beauty. Every time she passes, we never fail but notice her, her swaying hips, that long golden hair moving as if being supported by the wind and her bosom which can fill a whole hand... I touched it by accident during our practice so that wasn''t intentional. Her learning is quite remarkable, you wouldn''t think that she was inexperienced in handling a sword two years ago. With her form and elegance with the sword. Moving gracefully like a dance, I''ve been even more captivated by her. I was thankful that I''ve become this tall. During our childhood, she was taller than me until I became nine. Now, I have a medium build from my training, my voice had changed and my hair grew out that almost made it problematic during our practice. Impractical Magic Chapter 18 [Blake] Angelica and I were training in the forest, sometimes I tease her for being a tomboy because when she sits, she mostly forgets that she wore a skirt and her underwear would be visible. I also picked up the habit of calling her names, when I do that, she pouts which looks cute. After calling her names she also called me Bake. I do hate it, but even though she says it, she doesn''t really mean it. We finished our practice and went to the river to wash away our sweat. There, I saw her getting refreshed as she splashed the water on her face. This woman beside me covered in sweat was wiping it with a towel. The way she wipes herself looks somewhat erotic that I can''t keep my eyes off of her. She glanced at me "Oh crap she saw me looking" I immediately looked away. "Do you want to borrow my towel?" [Angelica] "Uhh... no..." [Blake] Did she think I needed the towel? Doesn''t matter though when I get home I''ll take a bath. "You know, I''m fine with you using it." [Angelica] "No, it''s-alright, it''s-alright!" [Blake] "It must be because of my sweat huh..." [Angelica] After denying her offer. She got depressed... what to do, what-to-do?! Think! Blake! Think! I snatched her towel and quickly wiped myself with it. As I rubbed my face the smell of her sweat lingered it is somewhat sweet... "Quit sniffing it." [Angelica] "Eh??" [Blake] She read my mind...If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. We both heard screams coming from the village, Angelica stood up first and so did I. Then, we ran to the village. Angelica asked on the way if there is a chance that it is a monster attack. I thought no because it is very unlikely for them to be active at this time of day. When we got to the village, what caught my eye first is the people who wear full-plate armor. Knights... why are they attacking? Are they rouge? If so... this is dangerous... we saw the town elder get killed right in front of us. I heard Angelica gasp and gave her a worried look "This is bad." is what I thought and then. Angelica suddenly ran out of cover. "Angelica!" [Blake] I shouted at her, didn''t she hear me? I noticed her running towards their house, so she was worried about her parents... Well, my folks can take care of themselves, I''ll try to help her as much as I can. We saw a knight. Angelica, dashed using her fastest speed, the knight tried to slash her as they came into contact. She then slid down to evade the attack "That''s too risky Angelica..." she made a full turn as she slid bringing the full force of the claymore down on the knight''s shield. It broke, but there isn''t any follow-up attack? There Angelica sat on the ground her hands were trembling, she must have hit too hard, if I did that too my hands would also become numb... The knight broke his right arm from the attack, but he still tried to attack Angelica. I had managed to block it just in time. "Are you alright Angelica?!" [Blake] "Yes..." [Angelica] She seems to be fine. "Let''s attack him both at the same time." [Blake] At my signal, we both attacked the knight. Mine was on the left while Angelica was on the right because the knight had a broken arm, he just took it like a man and we knocked him out cold. "Blake! Angelica!" A villager shouted at us, they needed our help. Angelica looked and smiled at me wryly... she is anxious about her parents. I don''t see any more knights so I nodded, she left the claymore and picked up the cutlass. There seem to be only a few knights remaining, are we winning? "Push them back here!!" I heard somebody shouting, I realized that the voice belonged to Angelica''s mother Michelle. I also saw Steven squaring off with four knights. "Darling! Don''t let them cross this line!" [Michelle] "Yes, honey!" [Steven] "Die!!" [Knight 1] "Hah!" [Steven] "Wah!" [Knight 1] "It''s still too early for you to fight me." [Steven] "What is with this freak?!" [Knight 2] He scooped a knight wearing full plate armor like they were some hay... Steven rallied the villagers, their morale is up. While Michelle, seems to be strategizing, at this pace we can win this. As their numbers thinned out, I went back to get Angelica. "Help! Help! Someone he..." Near their house. I heard a scream, it was Angelica''s voice... Impractical Magic Chapter 19 [Blake] When I heard it. I sprinted with all my might. At the doorway, I saw Angelica lying on the ground, while the knight is on top of her. Things were scattered everywhere... "Blake..." [Angelica] She''s calling my name. Seeing her in that state made something inside me boil. Tears flow down her face, as she repeatedly called for my name. The feeling of her despair radiated through me. "Don''t tell me you''re already broken, I still haven''t done anything yet~" [Knight] "... Blake..." [Angelica] I picked up the shovel that was beside the doorway because I cannot swing my claymore in this tight space. After hearing my name one last time. I let out my rage, I had used my most powerful swing. I didn''t care if my hands went numb or hurt from the recoil. I just want to get this bastard off of her, it hit the damn knight with such force that he was thrown off into the next room. I held Angelica''s hand and helped her up, her clothes were all crumpled, her hair was a mess and tears flowed down her cheek.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Thank goodness you''re safe..." [Blake] I hugged her very tightly and held her head to my chest, she started to cry... her sobbing echoed throughout the house. As I caressed her hair, she started to calm down. She looked up at me and had teary red eyes, I wiped the tears off with my finger. As we were about to walk outside... "You fuuuuuuuuucccckkkk!!!" [Knight] The knight, let out a roar as he lunges at us with a dagger in hand. Angelica was on the path of the dagger. Wasting no time, I pushed her away so she wouldn''t get stabbed. The knight not stopping managed to stab me in the shoulder as I shielded Angelica from behind. Pain surged throughout my body, the force of the lunge made us fall. Now, the knight was on top of me, forcing the dagger deeper and deeper into my shoulder. "Aa-ack!" [Blake] "You disturbed me from my enjoyment, I''m going to kill you slowly and painfully." [Knight] I wanted to shout at Angelica to run away, but the pain was overwhelming. Angelica, screamed as she punched the knight on the head over and over, the knight got pissed at her for hitting him so he swung his arm and hit her. The gauntlet of the full plate hit Angelica''s cheek and she fell a few feet back. The knight then took the time to stab the dagger even deeper. I couldn''t feel my warm blood anymore from my hands, my consciousness is fading... "Blake! Blake!" [Angelica] That voice... after hearing it, something hot flowed inside of my body, it''s like the feeling of someone hugging you and sharing their warmth. I opened my eyes, my vision is somewhat blurred, but I was sure that it was Angelica who was beside me using Healing magic. She stood up, her back facing me, raising a broken sword towards the knight. I want to say "No... run! Just run!" but no words escape my mouth. As Angelica charged at the knight, I lost consciousness. Impractical Magic Chapter 20 [Blake] That night, I woke up inside my room. "Angelica?!" [Blake] I shouted her name and ran downstairs, where my parents were conversing with Steven and Michelle. "Oh! Blake, you woke up." They stopped their conversation when they saw me. My father Garret spoke first as he saw me by the stairs. "Where is Angelica?" [Blake] "She''s in the other room resting dear." My mother Aurea answered upon hearing my question. "What happened to the knights?" [Blake] "They''ve been taken care of." [Garret] "And the village?" [Blake] "Some houses were burnt down and there are a few who have died..." [Aurea] "Was it you that rescued us?" [Blake] "No, it was Angelica''s parents who got to you first." [Garret] Michelle gives a slight bow when I glanced at her. "You were both unconscious, luckily it seems the knight you were fighting was already dead." [Michelle] "After that, I carried both of you here." [Steven]If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "I-I see... may I go to where Angelica is?" [Blake] "You don''t have to ask permission for that." [Steven] "Thank you." [Blake] I came up to her room and before entering, I took a deep breath. I opened the door slowly, there she was sleeping on the bed. I took a chair by the mirror and placed it right next to her. Looking closely, this is the first time that I saw her sleeping face. Her hair was untied but was combed, her face showing a serene expression while sleeping peacefully. She had been changed into a new set of clothes. And her pinkish lips... before I knew it I was already drawn to her face. Her hot breath hit my face, the rosy smell of her hair and her soft smooth skin. I touched her face... our lips were now a few millimeters apart. I stopped before I even manage to kiss her. "What the hell am I doing..." [Blake] I had nearly made a blunder, I left the room to clear my head. The next day she still hasn''t woken up... when I had gone outside there was some people helping rebuild the village, they weren''t familiar faces. My father told me that some of them are friends, fellow adventurers? But others seem like knights to me. Leaving it at that, I went back to where Angelica was sleeping. As I sat there, I fell asleep. (Crash!) I was snapped out of my sleep when I heard something crash, Angelica was there on the ground looking at me smiling wryly. "Angelica?" [Blake] "Good morning Blake..." [Angelica] "Angelica!!" [Blake] In my excitement got up from my chair and then hugged her. I felt relieved I thought that she wouldn''t wake up, she asked me about her parents and the villagers when I told her about the details. Being saddened, she kept her head low. We talked about what had happened with the knight, Angelica was still somewhat confused about what had exactly happened, so I never delved any deeper than that. When she said that it was fine for her to walk. I escorted her downstairs, and we saw a woman talking to Michelle, but to me, she looks like a woman only a few years older than her. Her aura, exuded that of a trusty friend and her conversation with Michelle seems to show respect. When Michelle and Steven finished talking to Angelica the woman came up to her and knelt. Angelica was surprised that she even stuttered, the woman kept apologizing to her for not being early to protect our village. Likewise, Angelica said that it was alright. The woman was starting to get a little sensitive so Michelle scolded her. When the woman left, Angelica and her parents moved back to their house after it was repaired. Impractical Magic Chapter 21 [Blake] Three days after the attack. Angelica hasn''t come to me for practice. I''m starting to get worried about her so I went to her house to check, I saw her outside, her back facing me. I shouted to get her attention. "Angelica! Let''s train!" [Blake] When I got closer I noticed that she was holding a knife. After seeing me she looked at the knife again, this time with a sad face. Was it because of the knight? Is it that traumatic for her? Crap! I better change the mood. "A-Angelica e-even, if I dd-do, tease you, yo-you must t-think that way." [Blake] I dropped my sword and quickly snatched the knife from her, she frowns at me without saying a word. Is she mad at me? "I-I get it! I''ll stop calling you names!" [Blake] After hearing that her frown disappears, which really scared me. Everything was fine after a month, she comes to practice, then she leaves in the afternoon. I wonder what she was doing. While I was walking around the village, Michelle saw me and asked if I wanted to have dinner with them, of course, I quickly agreed. We all sat at a rectangular table I was beside Angelica and Michelle then Steven was on the other side. What a bliss I thought. It has been a long time since we have eaten together.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. While we were eating Steven asked a question to Michelle, on something about missing knives. When they came to ask Angelica I looked at her doubtfully, after taking a sip of her soup. Suddenly I felt a sharp sensation on my foot. "Yeh-ouch!!" [Blake] "?!" [Steven/Michelle] "Is that the wind? What knife mother, father?" [Angelica] She stepped on my foot while acting like it was nothing. "Awwwwww!" What did I do?! After dinner, I asked Angelica. "What are you doing with all those knives?" [Blake] "I''ll tell if you can keep a secret." [Angelica] "I''ve been your friend since we were kids! You should''ve at least had some trust in me right?!" [Blake] "Okay then..." [Angelica] Now our routine, after practicing with me in the morning, in the afternoon I watched Angelica practice her magic, it was quite different. I hadn''t seen that kind of magic before. She told me that this is what she used to defeat the knight; using her magic she surrounds the knife with a hot flame, and it seems that she can touch it without getting hurt. She then showed me a demonstration of its power by cutting a boulder instantly and effortlessly in half. I don''t want to be on the receiving end of that... Month after month she practiced until she can finally control it, now instead of the whole blade, she managed to only cover the edge. There wasn''t any flame but the edge was glowing bright red, like when it was being forged. Angelica said that it was like a laser sword or something... "That was amazing Angelica!" [Blake] "Now what should I call this power?" [Angelica] "Why not call it enchanting?" [Blake] "That has a nice ring to it." [Angelica] "Heheh." [Blake] I applauded her, she was really amazing. I''m glad that she liked my suggestion. Angelica tried to teach me how to invoke it, but as usual, I wasn''t able to conjure any magic... Impractical Magic Chapter 22 [Blake] Winter is just near the corner. The adults asked us to fetch some firewood in the forest because they were still busy repairing the village. "This is tiring..." [Angelica] "Want to rest for a bit?" [Blake] "Good thing you have stamina." [Angelica] "You just have to know what angle to hit the wood, it makes it much easier you know." [Blake] She only has to hit it on certain parts to cut it faster... "That''s easy for you to say..." [Angelica] "Then you should depend on me more." [Blake] Saying it with pride I puffed my chest. "You''ve already saved me a dozen times. If you keep that up women will surely fall in love with you." [Angelica] "All but you..." [Blake] "What was that?" [Angelica] "..." [Blake] That kind of stung. Didn''t she hear me? Or is she just playing deaf? I just disregarded it and continued chopping down the tree. "Alright, let''s try this." [Angelica] "Try what?" [Blake] "This!" [Angelica] A second later I saw Angelica enchanted the axe and cut the tree trunk, she did cut it swiftly, but the tree was burning... "Wah! Angelica what have you done?!" [Blake] "Uh! Water! Water!" [Angelica] Whoa, this is the first time I saw her really panic so this is quite a sight to see. I hurriedly took a bucket and got water from the river. After that Angelica didn''t use her magic. About an hour or so one of the guys with us shouted that there was a BDP. BDP is a word created by Angelica to describe ogres, since the people in the village thought it was cool they began to use that term whenever an ogre appears. Apparently, it''s so very popular that Angelica became annoyed by it.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The villagers also thought up SBT. Small But Terrible (SBT) to call the goblins, there are more, but I don''t want to go over them. Our weapons at the ready we stalked the ogre. Ogre''s huge humanoid-type monsters, almost always carrying a club for a weapon. The club can be anything as long as they can swing them be it a rock, tree, or even monsters... They have great strength and if you ever get caught in its hands they will either tear you to shreds or squeeze you till you pop. When we got closer, somebody accidentally stepped on a branch. The ogre heard it and roared, the roar made the ground shake and some of the guys fell. When they recovered, some began to run. "Get in the forest!" [Angelica] "Everyone get into the forest!" [Blake] It would be useless if they have fear while confronting it, they would be too scared to concentrate on fighting and the formation may fall. So it would be best if they ran rather than stay. In case to minimize the casualties... Only four of us? Can we do this? While thinking about it Angelica started the strategy. "Let''s surround it." [Angelica] "Who will be the decoy?" "I am." [Blake] "Alright." All our roles are set. We then engaged the ogre I got its attention by throwing a rock at it, luckily it hit its head with a *clunk* it roared at me, it has saliva mixed with it. What the hell has this thing been eating?! The guys with Angelica shot out a ?Fireball? as a pre-emptive strike. They should''ve just used their weapons, the skin of the ogre is flabby so it has good fire resistance plus the fat would absorb the impact and the ?Fireball? will not explode. "Stop!!" [Blake] I tried to scream at them, but they let out a second attack. I can see it slowly with my eyes, the ogre waited for the Fireball and returned it with its club to the caster. Luckily it missed, but it exploded behind him and made him unconscious. Angelica quickly said to get him out of here, ogres in order to be certain that you are actually dead they will smash you to bits. We covered their escape by attacking the ogre, switching the roles with only the two of us will make this easier. Angelica made a frontal assault, while I went to the side. The ogre swung its club and Angelica dodged it by doing a backward somersault. Looks like it''s light blue today huh... I unknowingly slashed the ogre''s feet. My blow was light, damn you light blue distraction! This time the ogre attacked me and Angelica struck the place I hit earlier while enchanting her sword. Her slash let out an arc of red light and hit. The smell of burnt meat fills the air, it smells disgusting... She cut about half of the knee, it slumped a step back. Angelica started to pant heavily. Is she tired from enchanting? "Tired yet?" [Blake] "No, I''m pumped." [Angelica] Oh! She was just excited when she smiled, and I laughed. Her smile shows how she was enjoying this... As we became lost in our laughter the ogre roared at us. "What are you jealous?" I muttered. While it''s wounded, we took the chance to deliver the finishing blow. The ogre couldn''t keep its balance so it cannot match our movement, attacking at high-speed releasing a flurry of slashes. Blood danced around us. The ogre nearly fell like a tree, however it managed to support itself with its club. It''s head now within the reach of my blade, I planned on splitting it in half. But it managed to block my strike. One of the main weaknesses of the ogre is their nape, head, and heart. Because they are the most exposed parts without the flabby hide. Angelica then ran on its back and shouted something that I didn''t understand before slitting its nape. She jumped off and blood bursts from its nape like rain, it hit the ground head-first. Angelica was now walking towards me. I wiped my nose with my thumb and smiled, she showed me a V-sign. Impractical Magic Chapter 23 Winter, haah... the season that I hated the most... Where snowfall is a daily occurrence. At night, freezing winds envelop my room. I had to wear thick clothing even indoors... at least that solved the skirt problem. It has been so long since I wore shorts, now it feels kind of weird... In the morning, we have to get the snow off the roof and paths which is very tiring. Piles upon piles of snow stacked up at one another, also the river is frozen solid so it was hard to fish. I was standing beside the window watching the snowfall. In my old world, I lived in the tropics, so this kind of weather is somewhat new to me. "So, what do you want to talk about?" The person who asked was Blake sitting on my bed illuminated by a candle. You might think, why is there a guy on my bed at night, well I asked him to come to talk about a particular subject. "Blake..." [Angelica] "W-what is it?" [Blake] He tensed up. Does he know what I want to ask? "I want to..." [Angelica] Blake stood up and suddenly held me in his arms. "Blake? What are you?!" [Angelica] "Wah! Sorry!" [Blake] What is he doing?! "I''m sorry I forgot that this is your first, sorry I got excited..." [Blake] Ahh, so that''s it... I guess, even I would misunderstand if a girl called me out to her room at night.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Blake... that isn''t what I want to talk about..." [Angelica] Realizing his mistake, Blake removed me from his embrace and took a step back. The light from the candle reflects his reddish face, after another step he trips and fell on my bed. For the misunderstanding, I''ll let it slide for now. "... I want to become an adventurer." [Angelica] "Do you know how dangerous that occupation is?" [Blake] "Yes... that is why I wanted to talk to you about it." [Angelica] Blake stares at me while he covered his mouth with both of his hands. He really is concerned about me. "... Have you discussed this with your parents?" [Blake] "I would, only after I''ve heard your opinion." [Angelica] "Are you planning to go alone?" [Blake] "I was hoping that..." [Angelica] I couldn''t say it. I don''t know what he''ll say if I asked him to come, will he turn me down? Say that he doesn''t want to leave? Am I only forcing him to come? Is he fine leaving his family? These thoughts fill my head. "If you wanted me to come, I''ll follow you anywhere." [Blake] "Thank you..." [Angelica] I breathed a sigh of relief, and after that, we discussed it with my parents. "Do you really want to be an adventurer?" [Steven] "Yes, father." [Angelica] "Ever since you took a liking to wielding a sword, I knew that you would someday leave us." [Steven] Michelle and Blake are silently listening to our conversation. "There are many hardships that an adventurer will face. You can be tricked, killed, turned into slaves, or worse..." [Steven] "Steven!" [Michelle] Michelle was already at her wit''s end when she heard those, she hit the table with both of her hands. Tears flowed down her face, she held my hand. "Angelica! Isn''t the simple life here good enough?!" [Michelle] "Mom..." [Angelica] I can''t look at her. Her eyes showed fear and reluctance of me to leave, she wanted me to stay... "Umm... Mrs. Michelle." [Blake] Michelle looks at Blake. "I will go with her. You can rest assured that I will protect your daughter." [Blake] "You will not abandon or leave her?" [Steven] "Yes." [Blake] He said that with determination. My parents can only look at one another. For some reason. Blake, right now, looked very cool. I might fall for him, joke. "To make sure that you wouldn''t leave her. You have to do something for me." [Michelle] "What is it?" [Blake] "Marry, Angelica." [Michelle] "Mo-mother?!" [Angelica] "Heheh, I was just joking." [Michelle] She teased me while wiping away her tears. "Ugh... Angelica... Honey..." [Steven] Father spoke to get our attention. As we both looked, I saw Blake who was in a daze and was about to fall. (Bam!) "Blake!" [Angelica] Impractical Magic Chapter 24 The other day, we finished talking about our plans with Blake''s parents. Since Garret himself was a former adventurer, he was very delighted about our announcement. He said good things about being free to do what you want, sleeping outside in the wilderness, and looking for treasures in dungeons and ruins. Contrary to my parents, Blake''s dad seems to cheer him on. But... the thing I remembered was Garret whispering to me "My son, even though he is reliable, he''s still inexperienced. Please take care of him." thinking about it, makes it hard for me to sleep. Why do our parents like setting us up? I get that Blake and I were close, but still... For the whole month of winter. We''ve prepared for our journey. Food, money, and equipment. Since traveling during winter is a no-go for us younguns, we just decided to go when it''s spring. After some time... spring came. Both of our parents see us off. "Both of you take care!" [Steven] "Remember to always send letters." [Michelle] "Thank you, father... mother..." [Angelica] "Be careful out there." [Aurea] "Come back here famous!" [Garret] "Heheh I''ll try dad, thanks, mom." [Blake] We then set out for our journey. The duration is about four months, for the nearest city of Cagban. For some reason, they say that horses were expensive. I haven''t seen any in the village, maybe perhaps because we lived in a rural area? So we had to walk, that''s what made it take so long. If we had transport it can probably be as short as a month. For our journey, we traveled light because it would only hinder our movement if we were over-encumbered. Oh, I wish there was no weight limit lol. Every day, we move from dawn till dusk, while exterminating a few monsters along the way. Those that we''ve killed for the day become our meal to save our supply, you wouldn''t think that you can actually carry about four months'' worth of food right? At night Blake and I slept beside each other, one guard while the other slept. But Blake, stayed awake most of the time, and I kind of felt sorry for him.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Once in a while he''ll yawn due to lack of sleep, I asked him to let me switch, but he just said: "I wouldn''t be able to see your sleeping face." I elbowed him in the stomach. He better not do anything weird while I was sleeping. In 2 1/2 months, our food supplies ran out, so we hunted for food. I should''ve bought more seasonings for this, the taste of monster meat is crappy but still edible. When I thought about it, traveling is hard, games only make it look easy. I wonder if we collect monster parts can we sell them to make money or use them for weapon upgrades and maybe get some pokke points {1} while we''re at it. But since we didn''t know what part would sell, we just abandoned the idea... In the third month, we managed to get a lift from a traveling merchant, whose route is also Cagban. The old man agreed to give us a free ride if we protected his cart. I was right that with transport it was faster, it only took a week instead of a month to get to the city from where we were. Well, I think we can go with that strategy, if we weren''t able to buy transport for ourselves, then we''ll just tag along with people who had them and guard them for free. At the entrance, before we part from the merchant. "Wait! Miss!" [Merchant] "Hmn?" [Angelica] He put his hand on my shoulder while giving me something that looks like a rock. "Umm... may I ask what is this?" [Angelica] "That''s a magic crystal imbued with the water element. Haven''t you seen one before?" [Merchant] This is a crystal? But it looks like a normal rock to me though... "I cannot take something like this..." [Angelica] "I-Its alright, think of it as thanks." [Merchant] "But... how do I use this?" [Angelica] "Hand it over." [Merchant] I gave him the magic crystal. He pointed at a clear field and concentrated after that water gushed out. "W-wow..." [Angelica] "To use it, you just have to concentrate." [Merchant] "But my magic capacity is low..." [Angelica] "Hahah don''t worry about it, magic crystals have their own energy storage. Although its use is only limited, it will recharge on its own." [Merchant] "What about the magic? I still haven''t learned water magic." [Angelica] "Magic crystals, start out with no magic at all. In order for them to have magic, they should first have to be imbued." [Merchant] "Imbued?" [Angelica] "Like people putting magic onto the crystal, but for now, it can only retain one particular magic and that magic cannot be changed nor removed." [Merchant] "Oh! I see!" [Angelica] "This technology is still in its infancy, so only a few people use it." [Merchant] I can use this to supplement my low magic capacity. Such a wonderful piece of technology! "I''ll be setting up shop in this city, if you have time you can drop by and I''ll teach you more about it." [Merchant] "Thank you! What is your name good sir?" [Angelica] "Jose, well then goodbye." [Jose] "Again, thank you very much!" [Angelica] "Hahah! With pleasure!" [Jose] I bowed to him as he walked away. Then he handed something to Blake, it looked like a potion bottle. After whispering something to Blake, he refused to accept it with a red face. Hmm... what could that potion be? References {1} Pokke Points, is a point/cash system in Monster Hunter Impractical Magic Chapter 25 Cagban is a city of around three kilometers in diameter, the buildings are made from mud bricks similar to those that I see in videos from the middle east, and the streets are brimming with activity. Children playing, merchants selling their wares, and people walking around. Blake asked the guard where the adventurers guild is, and the guard said that it was beside the marketplace. At the adventurers guild, we saw people armed to the teeth. Some wore heavy armor, some light, and even a few used robes. We got to the register and filled out an application request for adventurers. They only collect simple information like name, age, specialty, race. "Umm... what is this race thingy?" [Angelica] "Aren''t you a human?" [Clerk] "Ahh sorry, I came from a rural village." [Angelica] "I see... my apologies, there are different races like elves that have long ears and live long lives, dwarfs beings about half our height but strong and are good at smithing, and demi-humans which are a mix of part animal and humanoid." [Clerk] Wait... so this world has different races? I wonder when I''ll meet one. It makes me excited, I want to see those animal-like human girls heheheh. "Angelica, you''re making a weird smile..." [Blake] Oh, no my inner degenerate is leaking out. "..." [Angelica] Blake and I finished filling out both of our forms at the same time, then we attended a seminar for rookie adventurers. As new adventurers, we are given starting equipment, although we have to return them after getting our own or replacing them if they were badly damaged. The clothing and weapons seem to be of good quality. An adventurer card for receiving rewards/quests that also provides a 15% discount on inns and items except for clothing and weapons.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. In order to make the card, we had to do a blood ritual to sign a contract. I get shivers, it is like making a contract with the devil. It is said that, if we ever die the card will teleport to the guild, where we last took our quest. So that''s how they identify if you were dead... We were also told that the card also holds a record of the number of rewards that you have, that you can exchange for real money. Wow! So this is somewhat like an ATM card?! Better not lose it then. Adventurers are ranked in numbers 1-10, one is the lowest, and ten is the highest. So we are AR1? Reminds me of Monhuns ranking system. {1} Quests should only be taken from the guild, personal requests aren''t counted to increase the ranks. There are also what they consider as side quests, even though it has smaller rewards you can take two at once, even with the main quest for a total of three (1-MainQ + 2-SideQ) When we finished up, we headed straight for the inn as it was already dark. The long journey gave us a beating, we took a room for two because taking one for each is pricey. Also, we don''t have that much money. The room looked like those of a semi-private hospital, good thing that it has its own bathroom. "Blake." [Angelica] "Yeah?" [Blake] "I''m taking a bath first." [Angelica] "O-ok." [Blake] I took my sword and enchanted it. It made a hissing sound as I dipped it in a bucket of water, letting off some steam in the process. Having this magic is such a useful thing. Huahhh... the water feels great. Oh! Do they have soap here?! A basic necessity. Now my skin feels very smooth, I took some of my clean clothes from my bag and wore them. "Blake you can take the bath now." [Angelica] "Yes!" [Blake] He hurriedly entered the bathroom. I waited for him to finish to talk about all the things that happened today. For some reason he''s taking his sweet time, I guess everyone needs a good bath sometimes. It has already been an hour and he still hasn''t finished? I couldn''t wait for him and felt sleepy, the feeling of lying down on the bed is good. It has been a long time since I slept on one... after that, I had a good night''s sleep. The next day, we got back to the guild to take our first quest. We took an extermination quest on an insect infestation, the insects have been destroying crops at a nearby farm. Also, an insect attacked the owner''s daughter, so the farm owner wanted them to be exterminated as soon as possible. "Since this is rank 1, it should be easy right?" [Angelica] "Yes, insects are easy to exterminate, but you should avoid mobs." [Clerk] "Are they dangerous?" [Blake] "Not quite, since they only eat crops." [Clerk] "Wasn''t a child attacked?" [Angelica] "It might be because she got too close, if you leave the insects alone they''re relatively harmless." [Clerk] "We''ll take it then!" [Angelica] Now that we''ve got the quest. We went to the market to get some supplies. References {1} Monster Hunter Ranking, Hunter Rank 1 (HR1) Impractical Magic Chapter 26 While walking along the marketplace, I saw a shop that had the word "Weapons" etched on its sign. Suddenly I unknowingly grabbed Blake''s shirt and pulled him inside. Inside... was a treasure trove of weapons! Weapons of different sizes, types, and magnificent designs. There were those that you would usually see in games, inventory set around the middle ages. There are also those that even looked unwieldable! Great swords that even I wouldn''t be able to use, even if I trained myself to death. There are also Longswords, wouldn''t the blade break for being that thin? There''s also maces, bows, katars, daggers, and even shields that have blades on the side and there''s even more! Ahh... I''m in heaven... Blake tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to face him. He then proceeded to wipe something off my face, is that sweat? No... it came from my mouth. Was I drooling?! Blake then showed me a wry smile and so did the shop owner. Ugh! Damn it! That was so embarrassing! When I came to, I looked at the price of the weapons. What is this?! Even the cheapest one is around the price of six main quest rewards for our rank! We then left the shop, I was a bit disappointed... then, I saw Jose moving some stuff inside a building. Is that his shop? I better say hello. "Jose!" [Angelica] "Oh! How nice of you to drop by, but I''m still not finished moving my things." [Jose] "It''s alright. I just came to say hi." [Angelica] "Shopping with him?" [Jose] "Yes, we''re buying some supplies for our quest." [Angelica]Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Ah good! I was about to put the potions on the shelves, If you help me I''ll double your discount." [Jose] "Really?!" [Angelica] "Really-really." [Jose] In twenty minutes we finished helping Jose. We brought ten medium healing potions, and as promised he gave us an extra discount of 15% plus 15% from our adventurer card so we had a total of 30% on each potion. Before we leave Jose was having a little chat with Blake. I wonder what do potions taste like? We don''t even have those in the village. By the way, to distinguish different potions healing potions are colored red, while energy potions are colored blue, although there are other potions with different colors I don''t bother on learning them for now. "You sure, you still don''t want it?" [Jose] "Uhh..." [Blake] While I was busy in thought Jose, brought out the same potion the other day to Blake. "Come on, just two drops from it is enough to give someone the stamina and predatory trait of a mountain lion!" [Jose] "I told you, we aren''t like that!" [Blake] Blake''s cheeks flushed red. "A stamina potion? How much?" [Angelica] "Angelica we''re leaving." [Blake] "Hey! Blake?! Wait!" [Angelica] Blake held my hand and pulled me out of the shop. "Heheh, come again!" [Jose] As Jose said that, I heard a (Kuh) from Blake, he seemed really frustrated. I can somewhat understand the frustration, him being a melee fighter always dodging and moving about could certainly take a toll on his stamina but Is that potion really that expensive? If he wants it, I''ll purchase it for him in secret, this is beneficial to our party and fighting strength after all. The said farm is about a three-day walk from here. Good thing that it is near the city''s vicinity, so transport was plenty. We hitched a ride with another group of adventurers. They even asked me to join them, but I turned them down because they had a rank of AR3, all the way to the farm Blake was glaring at them, was there something wrong? We arrived at the farm at dusk and stayed there for the night, the farm owner was very nice, he even cooked some of his produce for us. "So, where is the cave?" [Blake] "Inside the forest north of here, most of the insects are crawlers." [Farm Owner] "Crawlers?" [Angelica] "Insects that weren''t able to fly." [Farm Owner] "How was your daughter?" [Blake] "She''s bitten on the knee, luckily it wasn''t serious. Please exterminate those insects as soon as possible." [Farm Owner] "Understood, we''ll head out at daybreak." [Blake] "Thank you." [Farm Owner] Impractical Magic Chapter 27 We explored the cave, it was dark and had numerous tunnels. It reminded me of the catacombs, after wandering for some time we saw no insects... Do they stay in the deeper section? I hope not, we might run out of torches. If possible, I wouldn''t want to use magic as a source of light, only to tire myself. How many hours or minutes has it been? Inside the cave we can hardly make the time, we needed the sun to judge the time of day. After walking for a long time, Blake and I decided to take a rest while making a campfire. It was hard to start a fire because the deeper we go, the more the moisture increases. Good thing that I can enchant as it can act as an alternative fire starter. Also, it was getting harder and harder to breathe, the air was thin and without oxygen the fire would be put out. "Hmn..." [Angelica] Did we fall asleep? The campfire was out, it was dark and cold. I hear a rustling sound nearby. Then felt something caressing my hair. "Blake, don''t mess with my hair." [Angelica] "Mmn... what?" [Blake] Blake groaned. "Blake, I said, stop it!" [Angelica] "Angelica. What are you talking about?" [Blake] Did he wake up just now? Then, whose... touching my hair? I managed to grab the thing that was touching, it felt like a wet water bottle. It has this plastic feeling to it and was wet, but... something feels awfully wrong, it seemed to have hairs... I let go of it, my hand trembled as I reached for the torch that was tied around my waist. When I lit it, a thing about the size of a human was standing on its hind legs. Rubbing and licking its hairy forearms, my hair stood end on end, I screamed. It was a FUCKING HUGE cockroach!! Aren''t insects supposed to be smaller?! When I waved the torch to scare it away, I saw more insects surrounding us. I''m scared of only a few insects in my past life. Now... I''m freaking terrified of them!! I never knew that there were insects this huge! I grabbed the sword, my thoughts are going into full overdrive {1}. The only thing that kept repeating in my head is "Exterminate! Exterminate!" ~~~Blake~~~Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. When Angelica lit the torch, there was a giant insect right in front of us cleaning itself. I also saw a dozen or more of the same species behind it. She was so terrified that she screamed. She took out her sword from the scabbard and enchanted it immediately, but... she doesn''t seem to be able to control it. The sword''s flame was brighter than the torch and it covered the whole sword. Now that the area was well-lit, the insects weren''t in the dozens, but are about 30 to 40 or even more, with different shapes and sizes. I can see Angelica''s eyes swimming from left to right. Angelica, then charged into the mob as she was screaming. Cutting them down one after another in quick succession, I then followed suit. "Angelica! Conserve your energy!" [Blake] "Hya!" [Angelica] "Angelica!" [Blake] "Exterminate! Exterminate!" [Angelica] I can''t get through to her, if she keeps this up, she''ll faint from exhausting her energy. After the battle, we managed to eliminate the insects. I wouldn''t call it exterminate though... it was more like we massacred them in just under two minutes. As the clerk said they are indeed small-fry. Angelica sat on the ground that was stained with insect fluid, her clothes were also covered with them... "Angelica?" [Blake] "Hihh?!" [Angelica] As I called out to her, she suddenly pointed the still-enchanted sword at me. I can see the blade wobbling slightly... "It''s alright. See no more insects..." [Blake] I lifted my arms up while looking around to make her believe me. She lowered the sword, small tears fill her eyelids. She stood up and ran towards me while letting go of the sword, at the same time the place became dark again, and I caught her right in my arms. "Uwahh!" [Angelica] "It''s okay. Calm down, calm down." [Blake] "I don''t want to take any insect extermination quests ever again!!" [Angelica] "Why did you pick this first then?" [Blake] "I thought that... the insects were just little. (Sniff-sniff) I didn''t know that there were those that are that big!" [Angelica] "There-there." [Blake] I stroked her hair to calm her. When she calmed down, I lit a torch and checked how many we had killed. The headcount was around 47 we can sell the feelers for money, but Angelica destroyed some of them, so there are only about 29 left. I put them all in the bag. When I tried to let Angelica carry one of the bags, she goes "Eeek!" she really doesn''t like insects, doesnt she? Well, it is refreshing to know that my fearless childhood friend has something that she''s afraid of. When we were leaving the cave. I''ve got my hands full, the right hand holding the torch, at my back a bag full of insect feelers and at my right arm... Angelica, who was clinging very tightly. I can feel her breasts pressing hard against them... feeling that softness after every step, my fatigue seemed to disappear. Also, when walking to the exit. Any sound quickly startles her, when she hears a sound she looks left to right while gripping tightly on my arm and checking then touching her hair from time to time. Ahh... again this softness, it''s even softer than a cotton pillow. As we got back to the farm. Angelica asked the farm owner if she could use the bath. He asked, "What for?" Angelica glared at him. He seems to get the idea after looking at her clothes... In her bag. Angelica took out the magic crystal that Jose gave her and quickly went into the bath. The bathroom was just beside the dining area. While I talked to the farm owner about what had happened, we could hear Angelica from the bath. "Uwahh! It touched my hair!" [Angelica] With that our first extermination quest is complete. References {1} "Mind Fuck Warning" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yer73i66uv0 Impractical Magic Chapter 28 A few weeks had passed since their first quest. Now, Angelica and Blake are ranked at AR2. Here, we see our heroine trying to learn some wind magic at Jose''s shop. "Focus." [Jose] "..." [Angelica] A small gust of wind fills the room, the papers stacked on the table flaps as the wind passed by and the dust encircles Angelica, like a mini tornado. "There, just a little more." [Jose] "Hahh..." [Angelica] Angelica, dropped on the floor, panting heavily. The wind stops and scatters the dust. "I guess that''s it for today." [Jose] "Thank you for the lesson." [Angelica] I left the training room after thanking Jose. At the counter, Blake was waiting for me. After finishing our first quest. Blake and I, always took on extermination quests with two side-quests, with that we managed to increase our rank quickly, but we still have problems making money.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. We used the money for our lodging at the inn, to buy our food. The most costly for now is my fee for magic lessons and buying potions, even with discounts they''re still expensive. I wished that Jose knew some apprentice healing magic. That way, we can somehow save some money... Jose only knows fire, wind, and water magic. Water magic has little to no use to me. Wind, on the other hand, has a lot of uses in combat and out. I wonder what its effects will be if I enchanted it. If we had a magician, we''ll only need to restock if our magician cannot cast any more spells. Also having a magician will make fights easier, they can cast offensive, supportive, and healing type magic. Maybe we should put up a request at the guild? The three types of magic are Offensive, otherwise called attack magic, or magic used to inflict damage. Supportive or what we call buffs and Healing magic which as it says healing. "How was practice?" [Blake] "Very tiring. I still haven''t grasped it." [Angelica] "Soon you will. The only problem I see is you quickly lose focus." [Jose] "I''ll take that to heart." [Angelica] "So... shall we go to the weapon shop?" [Blake] Blake seeing me a bit depressed invited me to go with him. "Ahh! I nearly forgot!" [Angelica] We have finally saved enough money to buy our own weapons, again the sight of these weapons is candy to my eyes. I picked a gladius, while Blake took what looks like a jian. It''s like a longer gladius, heheh it seems like we had a pair. We left the weapon shop, my happiness couldn''t be measured. After leaving a request at the adventurers guild. We went back to the inn to rest. Impractical Magic Chapter 29 Next day. We''ve received a notification from the guild. At the adventurers guild, we waited for the said person, before picking a quest so that the new member has their say if they wanted to party with us or if the quest is ok with them. An hour has passed... "She''s late..." [Angelica] "We should wait for a couple of more minutes, it might be rude for her if we suddenly left." [Blake] We referred to her because when we got the notification, some details are written about the said person. Class magician, race human, sex female. Specialty, regular level supportive magic, and apprentice level offensive and healing magic. "Rude for her? What about us? We''ve been waiting for her, for over an hour!" [Angelica] "..." [Blake] "I''m sorry! I''m late!" A girl barged into the guild, looking left to right seemingly in panic. Her hair is blue around shoulder length, sweat poured down her forehead, her whole cape and uniform were wet from her sweat. Also her rod? cane? staff? Whatever that thing she''s holding.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Oh... no... they left..." She looks depressed, her shoulder drops down and so does her head. She starts to walk unsteadily from whence she came. I again looked at the paper. Human check, magician check, female check... Before I got her attention. Blake was already waving her over. When she saw Blake waving I can see sparkles in her eyes, in a flash she suddenly got to where we were. Too fast! "Thank you very much for waiting for me!" She kept bowing over and over as she apologized. Then she stopped bowing when she saw me. "Is there something on my face?" [Angelica] "Uhh?! N-nothing at all!" She started shaking and fidgeting all of a sudden. As I thought something is wrong. "Blake, I''ll go to the bathroom." [Angelica] "Oh, okay." [Blake] "Ah? eh?" In a panic, she looked at me and Blake back and forth. I left the table to wash my face. In the bathroom, there was nothing... maybe it''s just me. As I exited the door, I saw the girl kneeling as if begging Blake. Blake seems troubled as some adventurers started to glare at him... I moved towards them when the girl saw me she clasped her hand as if praying. "P-please! Let me join your party!" I glanced at Blake, he had a wry smile... This girl, begging while kneeling in front of me... with her puppy-like eyes, tears slowly started to form... I sigh... I don''t like making people cry, even in my past life. Unless it was a fight. "Hahh... you can tag along..." [Angelica] "T-thank you very much!" She stood up from her kneeling position and suddenly grabbed my hand. Her grip was light to not hurt me, while her butt moved left to right. Is she a dog? Dangerous-dangerous I wanna tap it. "What''s your name?" [Angelica] "Uhh! M-maria!" Maria huh... a very fitting name for a healer, is she a saint? Joke. "Well Maria, let''s do our best." [Angelica] "Y-yes!" [Maria] "Welcome to our party." [Blake] "Thank you!" [Maria] Impractical Magic Chapter 30 We picked a quest with Maria. Hmm, let''s see... since we have a magician, we can now move on to the harder quests. "How about this?" [Blake] "Orc extermination quest?" [Angelica] "Yeah, with this we can also take two side quests, for collecting their weapons and ears." [Blake] "O-orc?" [Maria] "Is there a problem?" [Blake] "No, please go on." [Maria] There is an orc settlement being established two weeks from here. The settlement, while still small should be dealt with quickly, the orcs breed like rabbits. Once you leave them be, soon a group will go knocking on your door. I do hope that the orcs here are not like those from what I''ve read, violating and impregnating women... thank you doujinshi''s, now I''ll have nightmares... But the rewards are even better, it''s like taking two main quests at the same time. The three of us set out accompanying a merchant. A two-week trip became three days. The merchant was nice, he even gave us a small reward for helping him ward off some monsters. Unlike the others who are cheeky and creepy, one even said that he''d give me money if I let him touch me. Our quest took us to a dense forest I really like these kinds of places. In my old world, all I see are skyscrapers and concrete stretching out for miles on end.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Outside the forest we set camp. Blake had gone inside to get some materials. "We better be wary of orc scouts." [Maria] "Orcs have scouts?" [Angelica] "Yes, before expanding their territory they scout the area." [Maria] "I didn''t know that orcs are that smart." [Angelica] "Orcs are like humans, even though our physical features are different. We have the same societal structure." [Maria] I''ve learned a ton from Maria. Her knowledge about orcs is amazing. She said that orc settlements are similar to villages, they follow a chieftain as a village leader is to ours. If the orc leader held a large territory, they get the title of orc lord. Their army is called a legion. If they had both land and an army, they are called an orc king. They also know how to make houses, tools, and weapons. They can virtually use all the weapons we have, from bows to siege weapons. But due to their nature, they cannot use magic which is their main weakness. When Blake, got back we settled down and shared some stories. Maria was a scholar from a nearby city, and to how she became an adventurer. She said that it was her dream. Then Blake and I told her about our travels and adventures. She really likes listening to our stories, her eyes shining with delight. Before we slept as per Maria''s instructions we put out the fire, it was cold, but the moonlight made visibility ok. Dawn came... "Angelica! Maria! Wake up!" [Blake] "Hmuhh... Blake, it''s too early yet." [Angelica] "Mother, just a few more minutes..." [Maria] "..." [Blake/Angelica] Still a little drowsy, I heard the sound of metal clashing from the distance. Blake and I checked the place while bringing the still-sleepy Maria along. At the meadow, we saw people in clad armor and adventurers fighting a group of orcs. Their numbers are... in the 100''s... "That''s?!" [Maria] Maria is now fully awake after seeing the number of people and orcs battle. "That orc armor..." [Maria] We saw the armor that the orcs had worn, it was somehow a little good in quality. "Do you know something about the orcs Maria?" [Blake] "Those orcs are scouts from a legion!!" [Maria] Impractical Magic Chapter 31 The battle is in a disarray, and the formation of the knights and adventurers is breaking from the assault. "We need to help them now!!" [Angelica] Blake, gripped my hand before I was able to leave. "Blake, let go!" [Angelica] "Angelica! Can''t you see that they''re outnumbered!" [Blake] I bit my lip. I know that Blake is just concerned about my safety. "We can take them on! We have Maria as support!" [Angelica] "Even with h.." [Blake] "Right, Maria?!" [Angelica] I interrupted Blake and glanced at Maria, she was frightened. She trembled while tightly gripping the staff with both of her hands. "Make your decision! People are dying!" [Angelica] When I said that, the fire in Maria''s eyes lit up. Despite being scared she has the will to help people. "I''ll help!" [Maria] "Thank you..." [Angelica] "We are going to get ourselves killed." [Blake] Blake unsheathed his jian. We also readied our weapons. "Maria, use your most powerful attack magic, then Blake, we''ll flank their vanguard. Maria, once we cut them off, support the adventurers and knights. [Angelica] "Got it." [Blake] "Roger!" [Maria] We have begun our attack. Maria used ?Flame Thrower? separating the humans from the orcs. We caught the orc scouts off guard and eight died in the fire. As we came from behind. Blake cut down five of them. He had some trouble because of their armor. "One... two... three... four..." [Angelica]Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I, on the other hand, had cut them down easily. I''m glad that I have this power. Like a knife through butter, their armor melted and their flesh cut. "W-what is that magic?!" [Maria] Maria, exclaimed as she saw my slashes drawing a crimson arc. The edge glowing beautifully. In a mere second, we had already dispatched 20 or so orc scouts. Maria, healing the wounded. Blake and I double-teamed the orcs. We managed to reform the formation, the orc scouts retreated before we can start a proper counterattack. After the fight adventurers came to greet their saviors. "Who are you?" "Just a fellow adventurer that came to help." [Blake] "Thank goodness, support finally came!" "Did the adventurers guild send you?" "We came here from a request for an orc settlement extermination." [Angelica] "Ahh..." One of the knights sighs upon hearing that. "So the news still hasn''t spread yet..." "News?" [Maria] There, we heard the information about what had happened. At first, there was a report of a settlement near the city of Suitan. The guild dispatched some adventurers to take care of it, but... the extermination party never returned. A few days later the guild sent more people, but nobody came back, because of that the guild became wary and contacted the kingdom knights. They sent an exploration party the size of 30 into the forest. Among those 30 people, only four returned, with a grim look on their faces. The survivors said that what they encountered wasn''t a settlement... it was the camp for the advancing orc legion scouts. Before the news reached Suitan it was already too late. The city was quickly overrun, and most of the populace is either enslaved or killed... The remaining survivors, desperately went to nearby cities to warn them and ask for help. By this time two cities had already fallen Suitan and Dalio... then I remembered something "W-what direction did the legion come from?" [Angelica] "The north..." "Ahh..." [Angelica] As if a heavy weight was lifted off of my chest. Our village Libang is just south of Cagban. "How large is the legion?" [Maria] "Probably in the thousands." "Thousands?!" [Blake] "How were they able to mobilize that many orcs?!" [Angelica] "I don''t know... they just came out of nowhere." "For now, even if we pushed back the scouts. Their main force will be arriving soon." "We should retreat." [Blake] "Yes and help barricade the city as long as the legion is still far away." "Do you have any transport?" [Angelica] "Sadly no... the horses were killed during the ambush." "Damn" [Blake] "Then, a two-week travel then?" [Angelica] "We can march for a week and a half." With only a bit of rest, we stopped for a few hours, then resumed walking. We arrived back at the city of Cagban. My feet had blisters from marching too long, good thing we have some people who knew how to use heal and we have an ample stock of potions. News of the legion, quickly spread some people fled the city. While others armed themselves, with three days left to spare before the legion arrives. The city mayor sent their quickest couriers to nearby cities for support and to warn them of impending danger. In two days we have completed the defense of the city, we just hope that support will come soon. Shops and merchants that stayed, were very cooperative, they loaned out their inventory for the attack. Also in that time, I''ve learned how to use wind magic, but still don''t know what it will do if I enchanted it... Impractical Magic Chapter 32 The day has come... far away at the plains we see a column of orcs. These orcs are different from what we have fought until now. They look buffed, experienced and well-armed. Compared to those we see in Libang, those only seem like small fry. Almost all carried large axes or cleavers. Even from far away, we can hear them marching, their marching sounds very similar to the opening of hellmarch {1}. They follow the beat of their war drums. On the opposite side. Are us humans, knights, and adventurers. Numbering at around 700+ while they are 4,000? Hard to guess how many they were... this isn''t sparta {2} right? Oh, the 700 that fought bravely against the legion of 4000 or something orcs, up to their last breath. I better stop being pessimistic... From our lines. I can see a few people trembling, some even said "This isn''t a good idea..." or "I should''ve left the city earlier." I was beside Blake, we were in the same line near the back. Because we are ranked AR2, the people with the most experience are moved to the front. Meanwhile... Maria is right behind us, being a magician, they must best be protected. Here is the setting of our formation. At the front we have the knights who are our vanguard, behind them are adventurers of the warrior class with their different weaponry at the middle are archers and at the far back are the magicians. Forming a giant triangle. At the sound of the enemy horn. The orc legion halted their march.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The war drums stopped. It became so silent, that you can hear the birds chirping from far away. "Archers! Ready your bows!" "Magicians! Begin casting!" The orcs, seem to be ordering their side too, but I cannot understand what they were saying. Again, at the sound of their horn, warcries filled the battlefield. The orcs started running like maniacs. Their feet thundering through the plains. "Hold!" 400 meters... "Hold!!" 300 meters... "Send them Hell!!" At 200 meters the battlefield is bathed in a variety of colors. Red, White, Green, and Yellow. I do wish that Green was Black... {3} ~~~ Offensive Spells Red the color of fire, area spell ?Firestorm? a fiery tornado that uses the surrounding air as fuel to keep itself ablaze. Being near it can suffocate you to death, if not it will devour you with its flames. White the color of ice, area spell ?Permafrost? ice that spreads in an area, if it comes into contact with skin. It will make that part break like glass when struck. Green the color of poison, area spell ?Toxic Bane? a poison cloud, so deadly that even a whiff of it will surely bring you to death''s doorstep. Yellow the color of lightning, area spell ?Lightning Storm? a barrage of lightning bolts striking randomly at a fixed area, getting hit by it will sear you to a crisp. There are also other elements like earth and wind. ?Earth Spike? Sharp spears of earth, pierce from underground impaling those that are above. ?Vaccum? Devoids the area of oxygen and replaces it with carbon monoxide. I guess it''s similar to poison, but not as deadly and can be used to weaken foes. ~~~ Most of these area spells are leveled at either Expert or Master, but because of their power. It needed to be cast. Unlike lower spells around Novice and Apprentice level which is a no-cast. And lastly, arrows rain upon the orcs who survived the barrage. The knight who was at the front raised his sword and shouted. "Charge!!" References {1} A Red Alert 2 theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBOD8qeCBuc {2} Reference to the movie 300 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrIbxk7idYA {3} Reference to RWBY Impractical Magic Chapter 33 Running towards the orcs with weapons at the ready. (Bam!) Rung out of the frontline as the orcs and knights collided with their weapons and shields. While we stand guard against those who will pierce the defenses. Even though magicians are good at attack and support magic, once they are locked in close combat, they are sitting ducks. Because of the clash, it is hard for them to target the orcs without risking friendly fire. So that job is left to the archers. The only thing they can do is to either continue bombarding those from afar which is very draining or support those at the front who needs healing and supportive magic which is dangerous. I''m thinking about what we should do if we were about to be wiped out... As I was thinking of that, something fell from the sky. It was a big boulder the size of a car, it hit some magicians knocking them down like they were bowling pins... "Catapults!" [Blake] We saw them far away flinging those boulders at us, one hit a building and made a huge hole in it. The magicians begin to scatter in panic. "Everyone!! Let''s focus our attack on the siege weapons! The faster we take them out the better!" [Maria] They rallied at Maria''s call and began exchanging fire with the catapults. "Incoming!!" While Maria and the others were in the middle of their cast. A boulder was going to hit them. "Blake! Up!" [Angelica]Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I called out to Blake, this is what we do when there is an opponent that is larger than us. Blake leaned on the ground and then I step on his back then jump using it as a spring. I did a barrel roll as I cut the boulder in half. Its two halves missed the magicians. "Now!!" [Maria] They fired one after the other. It hit the catapults and destroyed all of them. Blake and I can hear cheers, but the battle still isn''t over... A group of five orcs managed to break through. Blake took two down and the three were taken care of by the adventurers. The weapons and armor that the shops had loaned us are high-class. It made fighting a breeze, but that doesn''t make up for skill and experience. From the barrage and assault, we inflicted a thousand casualties on the orcs. 34 from our side instantly died at the frontlines from the clash... We switched places from those at the front, they badly needed some rest. Once we got to the front, we can clearly see how chaotic it was... I see people dying near me. Some were decapitated, others were cut in half or became crushed... cut down... I nearly puked what I ate last night, I was so nervous of the upcoming battle that I wasn''t able to eat breakfast. I do hope that not eating won''t affect my performance. It was hard fighting the orcs. The ones we fought in Libang don''t even dodge or counter, these guys are a pain in the ass. They''re smart enough to dodge, instead of defending from my slashes. They saw me kill only two of their kind and they had already devised a way to counter me. It''s good that Blake, helps me bait them. I really need to train more with the sword, instead of always relying on my power... "Eagle Sight! Point Barrier!" [Maria] Maria used her support magic on me and Blake. Why is Maria on the frontlines you say? No, she isn''t. She''s in the middle of the triangle formation, where the archers were. ~~~ Supportive Spells ?Eagle Sight? Improves the visual ability, good for spotting gaps or weaknesses in the opponent. ?Point Barrier? Lowers the damage of physical attacks, for a few seconds or after a few hits, but does not defend against magical attacks. ~~~ This is the downside of magic... While offensive magic had great range, support and healing magic had a short range, it''s the worst tradeoff. Who was the dumbass, that made its range so short?! They should''ve at least invested their time to increase its range even a little! We''ve been fighting for over fifteen minutes non-stop. It felt like it''s been over an hour. I was happy that this world has energy potions, as long as I have them, I can use my power for as long as I want. But nothing can cure fatigue... they are slowly thinning our numbers out. 270+ had already died, and the morale is quickly falling... "The city!!" One of the adventurers became alarmed when he saw some orcs entering the city. They''d flanked us. "My pregnant wife is in there!!" That adventurer ran while shouting that line. A few other adventurers followed him into the city. We left the line in order to help those in the city. Impractical Magic Chapter 34 ~~~Blake~~~ The city was like a ghost town. Most of the shops are closed, and people hid inside their residences. The streets were almost clear that we can even see the other end of the city. What broke the silence was screams, mostly those of women and children can be heard. Their screams bounced between the alleyways and corners which basically made it hard for me, Angelica, and Maria to pinpoint where they were. Angelica took a sidelong glance at me, she''s really worried about the city folks. Is it because of what happened to our village? That''s what I liked about her always helping and defending others. As we made a turn to a corner, something flew outside the alley and fell in front of us. It was the adventurer that came to his wife''s rescue, he had a large wound on his chest... and some of his internal organs are dangling... "Maria! Heal him!" [Angelica] "..." [Maria] "Maria?!" [Angelica] "His wounds are too severe... there''s nothing I can do for him now..." [Maria] "P-pplease... prote... ack!" While speaking, he spat out blood as Angelica held his hand. "Pro...tect m-my wi-fe..." "I will..." [Angelica] His lifeless hand fell on the floor, and as it fell there was a nearby scream. Angelica quickly dashed to where it came from. Her reaction speed was so quick that she left the both of us instantly dumbfounded. ~~~Angelica~~~ I followed the sound of the scream. While moving I can hear metal... it was a familiar sound of armor clanking. As I followed it, I came upon the pregnant wife, she was down on the floor, her skirt covered in dirt. She fell from running from the orc, it held up a huge cleaver dirtied with blood. "No!!" The woman screams as the orc raised its cleaver. As the cleaver fell, I managed to get in between them. Orange sparks fly, as I had cut the cleaver in half, its blade flew and bounced harmlessly to the side. The orc raised and looked at its destroyed weapon seemingly dumbfounded. "Die!" [Angelica] Before it could even react, I had already taken its head. "T-thank you..." "..." [Angelica] I helped her up, and at the same time, Blake and Maria came. "Maria, please heal her wounds..." [Angelica] "Y-yes..." [Maria]You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. A green aura covered the wound, the scrapes on her knees and the wounds on her hand disappears. While we escort the woman, we heard another huge noise. After that, we felt a strong gust of wind. It was near Jose''s shop. As we got to the shop. Jose and some adventurers were outside combating orcs with magic. He used ?Air Blast? on a group of orcs, they flew like plates being thrown at a wall. Their armor clanged as it hit the wall''s surface. ?Air Blast? apprentice level wind magic. Its effects are a strong gust of wind like a back blast but directed at the front. Sometimes the blast is enough to make you deaf for a few seconds. "Petty orcs. You are of no match for me!" [Jose] "Jose!" [Angelica] "Well isn''t it the missy and the boy. Oh, you brought some people with you." [Jose] Jose, gestured at his shop when he saw the pregnant woman. Inside his shop, were people huddled together. Men, women and children, all cowering in fear... "Why are they here?" [Blake] "I offered them shelter of course!" [Jose] "..." [Blake] We looked around the shop. A few shelves are empty, some opened... almost half of his products are gone. Mostly potions, but he doesn''t seem to mind. "Is it fine if we leave her here?" [Angelica] "Yes. There''s still room for me to spare." [Jose] "Can you take care of all of these people?" [Blake] "Kiddo. I may not look like it, but I was an adventurer back in the day." [Jose] "So that magic of yours isn''t just for show eh." [Blake] "Do you want to be used as an example?" [Jose] "No thanks." [Blake] Jose crosses his arms while nodding with a wide grin on his face. At least he has the confidence to take on the orcs... He glanced at me and gave me two magic crystals. This time, it actually looks like an actual crystal, slightly transparent one colored leaf green and the other fire red {1} these are of high quality. I stared back at him in puzzlement. "One has a ?Heal? of Expert level, capable of healing the serious of wounds, but it can be only used two times. The other contains offensive magic. ?Meteor Storm? I forgot how they rated my magic, but they probably said it was around Master to Grand Master level." [Jose] "G-grand Master?!" [Angelica/Maria] Maria and I stuttered. Grand Master... who is this person really?! "Heheh. Use it over a large field of most enemies, and make sure that no one is caught up in it. Its coverage area is about 400 meters." [Jose] 400 meters?! That''s even bigger than the city! "A-are you sure you want to l-lend this to us?" [Angelica] "Yes. Just bring the other back." [Jose] "Other? isn''t it two?" [Angelica] "The one with ?Meteor Storm? will most likely shatter on use due to its power." [Jose] "I-I see..." [Angelica] My hand trembles, holding something this powerful is dangerous. Why does this person trust me with something so... but why has he lent it to us just now? It may have been better if he gave it to us earlier when starting the attack. No... it was probably that the orc formation is spread out when we started and if used it would just be a waste. "You might think that. Why is this guy giving me this thing? That''s because you have the same look in your eyes, of my previous lover." [Jose] "You had a lover?!" [Angelica] "Oy! Old man, she''s too young for you." [Blake] Blake, gritted his teeth as he threatened Jose. "That''s not what I meant ohohoho! She has the eyes of a protector." [Jose] "Protector?" [Angelica] Jose pushed my back. "There are still people outside who needed help." [Jose] "Can we leave Maria here too?" [Angelica] "E-eh! M-me?!" [Maria] "I want you to heal the people who helped defend this place. Also, Jose''s shop is full of energy potions, so your energy supply is endless." [Angelica] "Alright..." [Maria] Although I feel a bit reluctant leaving Maria here. She is a great asset when it comes to magic. Blake and I glanced at each other and nodded. "Jose! I''m borrowing a few of your potions!" [Angelica] "That''ll be on your tab!" [Jose] "That is if we get back alive!" [Angelica] "Heheh." [Jose] We left the shop to clean up the city of orcs. ~~~Meanwhile~~~ The battlefield is covered with corpses of both orcs and humans. "Sir! The frontline is crumbling!" "Tsk!" "Order a retreat! Fall back to the city!" "Yes, sir!" References {1} Refers to Pokemon game versions http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/39700000/Pokemon-Fire-Red-and-Leaf-Green-pokemon-world-and-pokemon-games-39743654-470-235.jpg Impractical Magic Chapter 35 The orcs that got into the city were only a few, about 200 or so. With very few in numbers, they were almost able to flank us undetected. We made a blunder of not leaving some people to guard the city. Only a few adventurers came to the city''s defense, but this is enough to push the orcs out. As long as the front lines hold till support comes, we can defend the city. Taking out the orcs here was easy, not being grouped into more or less than five at a time. They wouldn''t be able to use that tactic from the frontlines against me. At the same time, I was testing how to enchant with wind magic, and as expected I need more time to get the hang of it. When I enchant the iron gladius. Air seems to encircle it, it can be a decent electric fan... I noticed that I can fire off a ranged attack at the enemy, similar to the wind magic ?Air Cutter? which is at regular level. ?Air Cutter? Invisible blades of wind moving at high speed, cuts down unarmored opponents and inflicts blunt force damage to armored enemies. I also noticed that the gladius felt weightless and my attack speed has increased by threefold, but the downside is it didn''t have the cutting power of the fire enchant... and because my speed has increased so drastically, it easily throws me off. I better train with this, when the battle is over. In order to use enchant, I first have to learn even just the Novice level magic, but I still try to learn up to Apprentice because of the usefulness of spells and when I am unarmed. I abandoned the idea of learning Regular level magic because they needed to be cast, unlike Novice and Apprentice which is a invoke only or no-cast. You only need to learn them and invoking them is as easy as breathing. Also, the spells at Regular level, eats out a huge chunk of my energy, so I find no use for them. Currently, I''ve learned Fire - Apprentice Level Wind - Novice Level We see three orcs huddled together. "Good, they''re in an open area." [Angelica] "Angelica, you''re not planning on..." [Blake] I smiled at him and raised my hand, with a snap of my fingers an explosion had occurred to where the orcs were. Their body parts scattered everywhere like confetti "Oh baby a triple!" {1} I had used the fire magic ?Explosion? its level is at apprentice. ?Explosion? Makes a targeted area explode, but its range is limited by sight and it had a delay before the explosion depending on the distance. So it''s useless when far away or in places like the desert, because of mirages and in the dark where you couldn''t see, but this can be offset by using fire magic or a torch as a light source. ?Explosion? is one of my most favorite spells. I''ve managed to learn it after leaving the village, it was really good timing that a wandering magician went to our village. Its effectiveness lies in how much energy you put into it. Even with little energy, its explosive power is that of a small hand grenade. Plus, very spammable despite being at Apprentice level and if you lower it further, it can be used as a flashbang.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I don''t really have to snap my fingers when using that magic, it''s just that, it became a habit. It reminded me of a cool dude from an anime in my old world, whenever he snaps his fingers, explosions would occur. {2} "Too bad their armor and weapons are destroyed..." [Blake] "There are a thousand more outside if you want." [Angelica] "I don''t plan on dying anytime soon, thank you." [Blake] Even with this kind of atmosphere. Blake can still joke around, well at least this is better than being pessimistic. Orc equipment can be sold for money or refined to get precious materials like iron or steel. But due to their low quality, they are cheap, still... I hear that a few adventurers farm for their equipment. Others use them because they liked the design. The sound from the explosion has drawn nearby orcs, this can be a good baiting tactic. Let them come to us then. One by one like moths attracted to candlelight. They came, I should''ve done this earlier... Blake and I easily took them out. A few were smart, but they still died. Blake is really good at piercing their defenses. He can cut at the gaps of their armor with ease. If it were me, I might have broken or dulled my gladius by now. I wish I was as good as him. Slowly the corpses of orcs begin to pile up into a wall. Then we saw a few guys from the frontlines. "Hey, what happened?" [Angelica] "The line has collapsed, there was an order of retreat." "How many are left?" [Blake] "We were unable to count, due to the confusion, during the retreat..." This is bad... if the orcs weren''t stalled at the plains. Then they''d move into the city and I won''t be able to use the magic crystal that Jose gave us. Should we abandon the city? No... there are still too many civilians, a few wouldn''t be even able to travel far... "How many orcs have the frontlines taken out?" [Angelica] "Almost half of them, the magicians really did their part in the barrage." "Still at 2000 strong huh." [Angelica] "Can''t we bombard them with magic, while inside the city?" [Blake] "That would be great, but..." "But?" [Angelica] "Three-fourths of the magicians are already killed." "How?! Weren''t they at the far back!" [Angelica] "The orc king has emerged on the battlefield... he rode a war rhino and charged at us. He trampled knights and adventurers, some of the magicians were unable to outrun him." It was a good idea to bring Maria all along. She might have been killed in the encounter if we left her there. "The orc king... If we managed to kill it, will the legion back off?" [Blake] "They will most likely pillage the city and then return to their homeland. Also killing the orc king is neigh impossible, he solely attacked alone as he charged." Whatever the outcome is. We still have to kill the rest of the legion... "How many orcs are packed in a 400-meter area?" [Angelica] "Almost all of them, why?" "I have an idea, but first we have to lure them." [Angelica] "Isn''t that even more dangerous?" "Well, it''s better than dying without even trying right?" [Angelica] "What''s the plan..." There we discussed the strategy to lure the orcs. Using what was left of our fighting force, we started the operation. References {1} A video on youtube when a kid killed three people in COD "Call Of Duty" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6PbdJiAK84 {2} Refers to Roy Mustang from FMA "Full Metal Alchemist" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J425TVq-SUs Impractical Magic Chapter 36 This strategy will decide the outcome. We currently have fought our way out of the city, while also drawing out the orcs. We are just 100 meters from the city. At the city''s edge, we stationed the magicians on top of the roofs of buildings, so that they wouldn''t be reached so easily. The archers are with us, despite being archers, when they ran out of arrows they fought with knives and daggers. I''m impressed by their ability to quickly switch from ranged to melee, they are also really good at fighting at close range. If we ever manage to live I wish I could train with them, their ability at dodging attacks is so fluid and precise, are they secretly the thief/assassin class? Lol. Our vanguards the remaining knights this time were outnumbered by the adventurers. They really took a beating on the frontlines, such a hazardous job... I wonder if they had hazard pay? We numbered in the 270+ the enemy 2000+ Thankfully the orc legion was dumb enough to stay in formation because they had decreased in numbers, they are now spread out widely. They cover about 600 meters, but that''s futile, as I can still get most of them. I recommended the phalanx formation. The knights at the front, beside them, are adventurers using swords, daggers, axes, etc and behind are the adventurers that used spears, pikes, and tridents. Ironically it was very effective "Thank you 300!" {1} I shouted. Slowly the orc legion crept closer and closer. We took out those who were scattered that got too close and the magicians at the edge of town fired off their barrage, funny enough. Jose, was also participating, but why doesn''t he use Meteor Storm? Is it because of old age? Anyway, I''m glad that he''s helping us. This time we had no magicians to cast on healing and support magic, so we had to be extra careful, but we brought a lot of potions with us. Blake and I are just near each other at the front. Gosh, it''s so messy here, with blood splattering all over the blasted place... luckily there were no casualties. Just a few meters more... Then... we saw it. The orc king... charging with his trusty steed... Thrice the height of the average orc, big bulging muscles that would put all the other orcs to shame. Proudly showing the battle scars all over its body. Riding an armored rhino and wielding a huge cleaver, the size of a tall man. If I had a thing to say about what it looked like. It looked like the damn HULK!! {2} "Well, shit..." [Angelica] "Shit indeed..." [Blake] I can see most of the guys trembling at the sight of it. It must have been a terrible foe... After seeing Mr.Hulk I immediately used the magic crystal, housing the spell ?Meteor Storm? I heard that he likes targeting magicians, does he make an exception for girls? Maybe not... With that, I lifted the fire-red crystal. It made a bright red glow, like being shone on by a spotlight on the lighthouse. After the red glow shot out into the sky, at the same time, the crystal broke with the sound of shattering glass. Let the magic begin! The sky quickly turned dark, covering the rays of the sun. From there, hundreds of huge fireballs lit up the sky as they fell, they didn''t seem like meteorites though... more like projectiles coming from a fire catapult. Anyway, the fireballs fell engulfing the field into a hellish inferno. The orc legion tries to scatter, but it was already too late. Screams of agony and the sound of fireballs roaring and then exploding, filled the battlefield. We all stared in awe at this spectacle. In 30 seconds the fireworks had ended. The sky returned to its clear blue state.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The smell of burnt flesh fills the air. Most of the guys covered their noses from the smell, I was quite used to it by now from my enchant... The orc king seemed to watch it too. When he saw that nearly all of his legion is wiped out, he stared back at me and glared. Did you not like the performance? Sorry, we don''t do refunds... I could feel its killing intent all the way from here... Because of fear I had to use the crystal early, a few of the orcs weren''t able to enter the spell''s kill zone. They numbered in the 400''s? With a loud warcry, the orc king charged. While his cleaver pointed at me, I pissed him off really badly... "E-eh!?" [Angelica] "Woman get behind!" "Angelica! Run!" [Blake] I was moved to the far back of the phalanx formation. I can still see him glaring at me, his rhino expelling smoke from its nose, it''s like a steam locomotive when it does that. I have a bad feeling about this... "Protect the woman!" "Don''t let it get past us again!" "Yeah!!" My fears were realized when the orc king did not slow down his charge. As his rhino hit the phalanx formation, it was like a train had just derailed... those at the front flew... As the rhino crashed the orc king jumped off at the same time. At that moment, he landed only a few feet behind me. In an instant, he makes a horizontal slash. "Get down!!" An adventurer had pushed me down. I saw his upper half flying into the air, blood still spewing from it, that image will forever be burned into my mind. By the time I was able to collect my thoughts, the orc king was already making a downward slash, I''m going to get cut in half... game over for me... "Angelica!!" [Blake] Blake deflected the huge cleaver, it landed just a few inches from us, while it was stuck in the ground. Blake makes his counter-attack, but he got kicked and flew like a chess piece being thrown. "Blake?! Damn you!!" [Angelica] I grabbed my gladius, this time, the orc king had already recovered his cleaver from the ground. He will use a two-handed strike, he really meant to kill me. I enchanted my sword and cut his cleaver, from the blade up to its guard right in front of him. The cut portion of his cleaver flew behind me and knocked down a knight who held a shield "Sorry!" I whispered to myself. As I went for the kill, he managed to grab my left arm, which held the sword. He looked at the sword at first, then back at me. He lifted me up while I was struggling, I heard a crack. "A-ah!!!!" [Angelica] The orc king squeezed my arm with such force, that it popped the arm like a water balloon. He also broke some of my bones... without the strength to hold onto the sword, I let go. Its crimson edge disappeared as it left my hand, the orc king smiled and punched me in the stomach before releasing my arm. I spat out blood, flew then fell and rolled like a rag doll. It hurts so much that I nearly fainted... I managed to stay conscious because I wanted to know what had happened to Blake. There I lie on the grass, its prickly leaves make my back itch, then... I felt someone touching my sides. Hey! To do this to a dying woman, do you have no shame?! When I tilted my head, it was Blake. He was searching for something, then he took out a greenish stuff from my bag. It was the magic crystal... its green light enveloped my body. It feels very warm... he was healing me. I got up, and all of the visible injuries that I have received were gone, but my clothes were a mess. Mixed with my blood and those of orcs, dirt, and mud. "Are you alright Angelica?!" [Blake] "Yes. Thank you for healing me, Blake." [Angelica] "Can you fight?" [Blake] "Do I look like I can''t?" [Angelica] I acted tough, but still, a few parts of my body was aching from the pain. From my reply, Blake''s worried look disappeared. I then picked up a cleaver from a fallen orc, it was surprisingly light despite its appearance and design. We see the orc king, tanking the adventurers and knights. When the orc king saw me he had this "What the fuck." look on his face, you should''ve made sure that you''ve killed me. "Time for round two." [Angelica] I lifted my hand and gestured at him "Come at me, bro." The orc king''s eyes turned blood shot and he charged at me and Blake. Surprisingly, body language was easy to understand wherever you go. With that, we start round two of our bout. References {1} Again to the movie 300 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrIbxk7idYA {2} Nuff said. https://ewedit.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/thor-3-trailer-20.jpg?w=669 Impractical Magic Chapter 37 Now charging at us. I told Blake what we''ll do. "Blake, I''ll try to weaken it, make sure to finish it off." [Angelica] "Can we do it?" [Blake] "If you manage to kill it, then you can ask me anything for a reward." [Angelica] Blake, smiles. He seemed to be looking forward to it. The orc king is going to attack us unarmed? He really is the hulk... I wonder if he would say "Hulk, smash!" while pounding us to dust... "I''m still not quite used to this, but here goes nothing..." [Angelica] I enchanted the cleaver with wind enchant, it felt as light as a feather. I then fired off a ranged attack. The orc king. Realized that something was coming, braced for it, raising his arms. A few amounts of blood scattered. He didn''t even flinch... Blake and I made our assault. I got to the orc king first. He tried to do the same tactic, again by grabbing my arm, but it was different this time. With my attack speed increased by threefold, I slashed him all over his body. I wasn''t used to moving my arms at this kind of speed and because of that some of my attacks aren''t hitting where they were supposed to... but I can quickly do a follow-up, to make up for it. But damn, hitting him is like chipping wood from a tree. He flinches from time to time, which is a good thing, some of my blows are getting through. Blake strikes chopping off two of its fingers in the process. A few adventurers and knights were helping us, while the others disposed of what was left of the legion. Still... it managed to fight us off, picking up and throwing people or stomping on them. Its greenish skin now mixed with the shade of purple, the orc king fell. Blake jumped onto its shoulder and stabbed his jian into its eye socket. It tries to grab him, but the hand stopped close to Blake and dropped dead on the floor. With the orc king taken out, we can hear cheers, but the battle is still far from over... The orc king was able to nearly wipe us out, everyone was already exhausted from the fighting, and it is starting to affect our combat ability... 204 is what''s left of our forces, while 319 is the number of orcs. Most of the experienced adventurers are already dead, so fighting them became even harder. They were cutting us down little by little, we couldn''t even muster up the strength to run... "This is hopeless..." [Angelica] "At least we fought till the end right?" [Blake] Blake and I fell on the grass, our exhausted bodies couldn''t fight anymore... all the potions we had were used on the wounded, but they soon died fighting due to the lack of stamina... There was a sound of a horn being blown in the distance... is it from the orc legion? "The cavalry!" "Uhg I must be hearing things..." [Blake] "Me too..." [Angelica] "Support finally came! Everyone! We can win this!"This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. While lying down, we leaned to where the guys were pointing at. Up the slope, people numbering in the thousand all riding on horseback. Were thundering towards the legion ranks and as the orcs saw them they tried to flee barefoot, but they were caught up to and then killed. A magician went up to us to mend our wounds. I thought that support wouldn''t come... That night there was a celebration for the defeat of the orc king and his legions, but those of us who survived weren''t in a party mood. The reason why support came late was that the rally was slow and they doubted if their numbers will suffice to defeat the legion. Well, we managed to defeat them, although because of that a lot of people died for it... At the bar of the inn, we were staying at, the atmosphere was heavy. Some of the people that fought with us are drinking, I could hear them talking about their friends that had died... I see some familiar faces, but some were drinking alone... they seemed to be lost in a daze, looking at the mug for a few seconds before gulping it down in one go... Others scowl at the support, for if they would''ve come earlier the number of casualties might have been reduced, they fought amongst themselves. I can see others crying in the corner or dead drunk on the table, their mug spilling alcohol on the floor... Blake, Maria, and I were seated by the counter, the barista wiping the other side where someone had puked on. "Angelica..." [Blake] "What?" [Angelica] "Isn''t that enough?" [Blake] "..." [Maria] I had already drunk four mugs of alcohol, but it still wasn''t enough... I''ve seen too much death than I could take... Maria was on my left. Even before I started drinking, her head was hung low, up until now... I know that feeling... the feeling that you could''ve done something to help, but weren''t able to, due to the circumstances. Blake isn''t drinking anything, he was just waiting for me to finish. I started to get dizzy so I stopped drinking. Blake, supported me as I walked unsteadily; Maria, followed us to our room. The room that we rented was for three people. It had a double deck and a single bed. Blake laid me down on the lower deck bed. In a few seconds, I fell asleep... I woke up in the middle of the night. "Blake? Maria?" [Angelica] That''s odd where are they? I got up and went to the bathroom, to take a leak. When I opened the door, the scenery suddenly changed, and I was suddenly transferred to a battlefield. There... I see. Blake was being cut down, his arms and legs getting separated; I tried to call his name, but no words escape my mouth. I also saw Maria, getting stabbed by a group of orcs, they proceeded to stab her even after she fell on the floor. After seeing that scene I realized that I was having a nightmare. I opened my eyes and it was morning, I checked the upper bed. Blake was sleeping soundly, but Maria wasn''t there... "Ugh!" [Angelica] My stomach churned, and I covered my mouth, but some vomit already fell on my clothes. I hurriedly went into the bathroom and unloaded the contents there. "Angelica?" [Maria] Maria called out to me. When I glanced at her, I immediately averted my gaze. She was taking a bath and was naked. While sitting on the wet floor. I closed and locked the bathroom door, just in case Blake wakes up, so he wouldn''t see her. Maria went beside me and started rubbing my back. I was thinking why Maria hadn''t locked the door, was she expecting something or just forgot to lock it? Looking at her I can see that she is clueless, so I just left it there. "Umm... Maria..." [Angelica] "What is it?" [Maria] "Can you put on a towel?" [Angelica] She was still naked while rubbing my back with her hand, even if I diverted my gaze. It seemed like my eyes were being attracted to a certain part of her like a magnet. My male curiosity is getting the better of me. "We''re both girls so it''s alright, right?" [Maria] "Ahh." [Angelica] Then, I was hit with a realization. I forgot that I was in a woman''s body. "H-hey! Maria stop!" [Angelica] "Take it off, I''ll wash it in the laundry later." [Maria] She forcefully removed my clothes leaving my underwear on. As she did that, I saw her body in full view, a slim figure with average-sized breasts and... there was no hair... "Angelica! Your nose! Nose!" [Maria] I used my index finger to check my nose, it has blood on it. I then covered it with my hands, very dangerous... this is all too stimulating... Maria, then covered her mouth when she saw something. I followed to where her gaze is and it came between my thighs. Taking a closer inspection, there was a wet line appearing in the center of my underwear... "A-Angelica, a-are you..." [Maria] "Uwah! Don''t look! I need to pee!" [Angelica] "S-sorry!!" [Maria] She turned back. I sat on the toilet, it took me a few seconds before I finally let it out. Hahh crisis averted... When I open my eyes. Maria still had her back turned to me, dem curves... and dat ass... {1} "A-are you done?" [Maria] "Yes~" [Angelica] "?! Y-your nose is bleeding even more!" [Maria] "I know..." [Angelica] Ahh, such bliss... References {1} http://i.imgur.com/aqmZf.jpg Impractical Magic Chapter 38 It had been four weeks since the attack. Life in the city is slowly returning to normal. In the first week, we had to clean up the place of corpses. If we leave them be, the smell of decay will linger. There was also a risk of spreading disease. It took the second week to burn them all and collect all of the equipment. We managed to make a great deal of money from it, but we donated it to the people and families of those who perished in the fighting. In the third week, people started to return and lastly in the fourth week, they began the repair of the damaged buildings. There was a huge drop in adventurers at the guild due to the attack. The guild was having a hard time issuing quests and we accepted any quests assigned to us. We are now ranked at AR3 even though we have just attained AR2 before the orc fight. A lot of people didn''t take their promotions because they still couldn''t take on high-ranking quests. From that, we received a ton of rewards from the quest, which pretty much covers all of our expenses. I''ve mastered the Apprentice level wind magic in just four weeks. The only hindrance was learning how to use it. At the same time, Maria was also teaching me Apprentice level Healing magic. She wanted to teach me Support magic, but I turned her down because support magic uses too much energy even at the Novice level. It was also very hard to learn... This is what I''ve learned from magic. Offensive magic - The easiest to learn and understand; you could compare it to an elementary school teaching from my world. Healing magic - Is somewhat hard, but it''s still understandable, similar to high school-level teaching. Supportive magic - I don''t even want to learn this. I tried to learn one Supportive spell at the Novice level but after a year, I was still unable to invoke it. Its difficulty is probably around college level. Well, I guess if I could learn Supportive magic and combine it with my enchantment ability, I would''ve probably been too OP heheh. Wait... did I just get nerfed?! Meanwhile, Blake used the money he gets to pay for his sword training. I heard that his mentor is really good at swordsmanship. I also remembered that I wanted to learn dodging maneuvers from the archers. Can they train me for free? It''s not like there was an instructor on dodging though...Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Maria is with me learning different kinds of elemental magic from Jose. It seemed like Jose has taken a liking to her and took her in as his apprentice. Well, to begin with, it''s not like I was talented in using magic. For now, I was learning Water magic at a novice level. I had originally planned on combining my Fire and Wind enchant to create a Lightning enchant. From what I heard from Jose and Maria, combination magic is around the Expert level... so I have to discover it on my own... They were really amazed at my enchanting power. Jose stated that in his whole life, this was the first time that he has seen it. Even others said the same thing when we fought off the legion. "Imagine as if you are pouring water into a glass." [Jose] The magic crystal is getting wrapped in a reddish glow. "..." [Angelica] Then, the low-quality magic crystal lets out a cracking sound. I failed my attempt to imbue it, these crystals don''t come cheap... I asked Jose recently how to imbue magic crystals. For now, it isn''t going smoothly. I''ve already cracked more than a dozen of them. Imbuing is hard, but I need to learn it to make up for my lack of energy. Jose said that the hardest to imbue are magic crystals of the lowest quality, because of their roughness. I asked him why wouldn''t he let me imbue the high-quality ones and he just said. "If you fail at imbuing high-quality magic crystals. It would not only result in a crack. There is a risk of it getting out of control and then suddenly unleashing its power, which is very dangerous." So it''s like upgrading huh... "To imbue the crystals, you need to have a clear mind." [Jose] "But how do you clear yours, Jose?" [Angelica] "Hmm, good question..." [Jose] Jose rubs his beard at my inquiry. He lets out an "Ahh" as if he just had an idea. "Have you ever done purification before?" [Jose] "Purification?" [Angelica] "It''s the cleansing of body and mind." [Maria] "How do I do that?" [Angelica] "You need to bathe yourself in water." [Maria] Ah, so it''s similar to my old world huh? "There isn''t a cleansing basin here though." [Jose] "Oh! There''s a lake outside that provides water to the city. You can use that." [Maria] "Do I have to wear some ceremonial clothes too?" [Angelica] "It''s just a simple purification, it''s not like you''re purifying something evil." [Maria] "No cosplay for me then." [Angelica] "Cos-play?" [Maria] For once I wanted to try cosplaying in a miko costume. Hmm, I wonder... how would I look if I had worn one? "It''s somehow a little chilly huh." [Blake] "Uh." [Maria] "Says the one who has the torch!" [Angelica] We went to the lake around midnight. The still water reflected the moon''s surface; moonlight illuminated the surroundings, but it was still dark. I asked Maria to come with me, but she was scared of the dark so we also brought Blake along as a guard. It would be bad if bandits caught sight of two women walking outside the city at night... monsters aren''t an issue because they stay away from the city as far away as possible. "Let''s set up here." [Angelica] "Alright." [Blake] "Okay." [Maria] I brought out the things I need from my bag: spare clothes, underwear, and a towel. Then, I placed them behind the tree, near the water''s edge. "Blake" [Angelica] "Yeah?" [Blake] "No peaking." [Angelica] "Do your best!" [Maria] "Thanks." [Angelica] Blake frowns while Maria''s eyes sparkled. Impractical Magic Chapter 39 I took off my shoes and dipped my toes in the water. It''s freezing... Slowly I walked. The reflection of the moon became distorted by the waves that I have created. I stopped when the water line was at shoulder level. I looked up at the moon. I lifted my hand forming a cup, scooping some water in the process. The moon''s reflection appeared as the water steadied. It looked like I was holding the moon in the palm of my hand... I could feel the cold breeze. The sound of nature fills my ears; the wind passing by, the creaking of the trees, and the splashes of water by the shore... This is much more calming than in the city. ...Clarity... Remember that feeling... the flames that cut armor like butter... glowing in a beautiful radiance... The flame that warms me... and the same flame that burns my enemies... ~~~Blake~~~ Angelica walked into the lake. Each step she took, brings her to deeper water. She stops and stares at the moon. Lifting her hands that was filled with water and holding it like a cup, looking at it intently. Her eyes sparkle from the reflection of the moonlight. She turned so elegantly that the waves she created made a perfect arc, then she floats on her back while she held the magic crystal. Angelica, seemed like she was sleeping on the water... ~~~Maria~~~ Angelica, floated for a while then the magic crystal in her hand started to glow a faint red. Slowly intensifying, until it outshines the moonlight, its light circling around her.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Afterward, there was a blinding flash. I raised my arm to shield my eyes, the light slowly retreated back into the magic crystal. "It didn''t crack?" [Blake] "She was successful." [Maria] ~~~Angelica~~~ "I did it? I did it!!" [Angelica] Wah! I nearly sank from my excitement. "You did great!" [Maria] "Really?" [Angelica] "Yep, it was a beautiful form." [Blake] I returned to the shore. Maria, greeted me with my towel in her hand while Blake gave me praise. I scratched my head in embarrassment. "We need to test it out." [Angelica] "Isn''t it successful?" [Maria] "I still don''t know if other people can use this." [Angelica] "Can I do it?" [Blake] "No... you might get burned..." [Angelica] "Maria can heal me then. Right, Maria?" [Blake] "Ugh yes!" [Maria] "See?" [Blake] "B-but..." [Angelica] "Angelica... Do you trust me?" [Blake] "..." [Angelica] "Because I trust you." [Blake] This guy... is saying some dangerous lines, it''s making my heart jump a beat! The next day. I requested a sword to be forged for Blake. One that is similar to his jian, it cost a bit more, because I had to pay for the materials and services of the blacksmith. In a week the blacksmith had completed the sword. I went to the shop to inspect it, at its pommel, there is a socket, big enough for the crystal. I inserted the magic crystal since it''s of low quality, it looked like a normal rock that''s colored red. Jose said that as the quality increases, the magic crystal becomes more transparent. Also when a crystal is successfully imbued, it will inherit the color of its elemental property. The ones that Jose lent to us is slightly-transparent. According to him, pure magic crystals are rare, but it will be "possible" to contain his, Meteor Storm spell and that it could be used three or more times without it breaking. Plus it has a great amount of energy stored. Pure magic crystals look similar to either diamond or glass. Since it automatically recharges in a day. If I paired it with my enchant which only eats a tiny bit of energy, would it be possible for the enchantment... to be on permanently? But... if they are rare, then that must mean that they are also... very expensive... In order to differentiate magic crystals from a rock or jewel, a simple trick is used. Magic, when used near the vicinity of magic crystals make them resonate. The more powerful the magic, the harder it will jitter. This has been used by the nobles and their guards as a warning system, for detecting magic being invoked or cast, but they were unable to use the imbuing method because it is somewhat new and has just recently been discovered. I exit the smith''s shop. "Should I put this on gift wrap?" I thought. Then, I remembered something... It was Blake''s birthday today, I need to buy him a present, but is this sword enough? Ah! I''ll go to Jose and buy that! Impractical Magic Chapter 40 "Hello!" [Jose] "Good morning." [Angelica] Jose immediately greeted me as I entered his shop. He''s with Maria, who is reading a magic book. "What brings you here?" [Jose] "I want to buy a present for Blake. It''s his birthday today." [Angelica] "Oh, it''s his birthday?" [Maria] "Let''s see... I have some good quality magic crystals here." [Jose] "No, not that one. I wanted to get the stamina potion." [Angelica] "Stamina? O-oh that! I''ll get it in a sec." [Jose] "Stamina potion?" [Maria] "Yes, since we fought the legion, we cannot keep on fighting due to fatigue." [Angelica] "Ahh, I see." [Maria] "With this, the boy would truly be happy." [Jose] "I-Isn''t that?!" [Maria] Jose brought out the potion, the bottle has a good-looking design. Well since it''s expensive, it should be. When Maria saw the potion, her face suddenly became red. "Thank you, but... I was planning on buying two of them..." [Angelica] Jose''s eyes widen in surprise. Maria had nearly let go of the book she was reading. "Is there something wrong?" [Angelica]If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Uhh! No-no-no." [Maria] "You sure are brave missy. Alright! Since I was planning on giving the boy one for my gratitude. I''ll give the other for free, as a gift." [Jose] Maria is flailing her arms. Jose seemed delighted. "Really?!" [Angelica] Jose handed over the potions and I put them in my waist bag. As I was about to leave. Jose said something. "You''ll have a long night ahead of you." [Jose] "Yes! We''re going to party all night long!" [Angelica] I exclaimed happily. Before the door of Jose''s shop closed, I saw Maria dropping the magic book with her mouth agape. I went back to the inn to prepare a surprise for Blake. ~~~Maria~~~ I was studying for a spell when Angelica entered Jose''s shop. She was holding a sword in her left hand. It had the magic crystal embedded in its pommel. Jose and Angelica both exchanged greetings. Then I heard from her that it was Blake''s birthday. "Oh, it''s his birthday?" [Maria] Jose showed Angelica some magic crystals. Should I give Blake a present too? But Angelica said that she wanted something different. Jose hurriedly left to get the potion she wanted. "Stamina potion?" [Maria] "Yes, since we fought the legion, we cannot keep on fighting due to fatigue." [Angelica] I guess from moving too much they do get tired, especially Angelica. Since she uses both enchanting and physical attacks. Jose, emerging from the basement has this potion in hand. "I-Isn''t that?!" [Maria] That isn''t a stamina potion!! "Thank you, but... I was planning on buying two of them..." [Angelica] Not just one but two?! Jose and I looked at each other, we were both surprised. "Is there something wrong?" [Angelica] "Uhh! No-no-no." [Maria] I waved my arms. One potion is already enough to last them a week! Could they be really this active?! Should I move out and rent my own room at the inn? I may be disturbing them, but they seem to be fine with me sharing the same room. Wait... does that mean that it''s fine for me to watch?! No-no-no... or maybe the three of us could... Argh! What in the world am I thinking?! Jose gives the potions to Angelica and she puts them in her bag. As she was about to leave... "You''ll have a long night ahead of you." [Jose] "Yes! We''re going to party all night long!" [Angelica] She said that while glancing back at us with a wide smile on her face, just before the door closed. My jaw dropped. The book that I was holding fell on the floor with a (tick-tack) When her silhouette disappeared. I picked up the magic book and dusted it off with my hand. "You have a verrryyyy unique friend." [Jose] "Ah?!" [Maria] "Oh-ho-ho-ho." [Jose] As I was dusting it. Jose spanked my butt. This perverted old magician... Impractical Magic Chapter 41 I was waiting for Blake at the inn. For some reason, even Maria hasn''t come back yet. At this hour she should be here having a chat with me. I took a bath to refresh myself. It was already dark outside, so I lit a candle on the table and sat there. I could hear footsteps, I was sure that it was Blake''s because he has this rhythm in his steps. When he got to the door. I heard it unlocking with a (clack) and then he entered. ~~~Blake~~~ I was tired I when got back to the inn. What awaited me was... Angelica, sitting by the table looking at me. Her face was illuminated by candlelight. "Welcome back." [Angelica] "Ah... yes." [Blake] There''s something different about her today... "So... how was your training?" [Angelica] "Difficult as usual..." [Blake] "I... see..." [Angelica] She stood up and was walking towards me, with her hands behind her back. In any case, I observed her movement and prepared for a possible attack. It wasn''t rare for doppelgangers to appear in cities since they could blend in with humans. She stopped at a certain distance from me. I gripped my scabbard when I saw a sword''s pommel sticking out behind her. From what I can tell, that isn''t her gladius... As I was about to unsheathe my jian... "Happy Birthday! Blake!" [Angelica] She presented the sword in front of me. Surprised I received it. I forgot that it was my birthday today. I cannot believe that I had nearly cut her down... I unsheathed her gift. It was a jian similar to mine, at its pommel, I saw the magic crystal that she had imbued. "Well?" [Angelica] "Thank you, this is a wonderful present." [Blake] "Oh! I still have more!" [Angelica] "More presents?" [Blake] Angelica took something out of her waist bag. It was two potions and those potions were... "Angelica, this..." [Blake] Not only one, but two... "I wanted to make you happy..." [Angelica] Looking up at me with a beautiful smile, while holding onto the two potions close to her chest. I then embraced her. She smelled nice... did she take a bath? "B-Blake?" [Angelica] "You are the best present of all!" [Blake] "Wait... why me?" [Angelica] "Aren''t you giving yourself as a birthday present?" [Blake] "Hah?" [Angelica] She slowly pushed me away and stepped back. "Don''t tell me that you didn''t know what that potion is?" [Blake] "I-isn''t this a stamina potion?" [Angelica] "Well, I guess you could say that..." [Blake] "Then this is..." [Angelica] She froze... I think she gets it... ~~~Angelica~~~ In order to start a conversation. I greeted Blake. Why am I getting tense all of a sudden? "So... how was your training?" [Angelica] "Difficult as usual..." [Blake] "I... see..." [Angelica] Our conversation is starting to get awkward. I stood up and walked to him while hiding the sword behind my back. I just hope that he would like it... As I walked towards him. He gazed on me... did he discover that I would surprise him? I''m getting some cold sweat for some reason... When I got close I showed him his gift. A jian almost identical to his, but at the pommel, there was the magic crystal. He inspects the sword and smiled at me. "Thank you, this is a wonderful present." [Blake] "Oh! I still have more!" [Angelica] Remembering the potion, I got it out and showed it to him "Angelica, this..." [Blake] "I wanted to make you happy..." [Angelica] With a smile, I looked up at his face to see his reaction. Suddenly he embraced me.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "B-Blake?" [Angelica] I''m glad. He was really happy with my gifts. Since it''s his birthday I''ll spoil him for now, letting him hug me. I can hear his breathing, is he sniffing me? Then he spoke. "You are the best present of all!" [Blake] "Wait... why me?" [Angelica] I don''t get it. "Aren''t you giving yourself as a birthday present?" [Blake] "Hah?" [Angelica] I put some distance as I collect my thoughts. "Don''t tell me that you didn''t know what that potion is?" [Blake] My focus went to the potion. "I-isn''t this a stamina potion?" [Angelica] "Well, I guess you could say that..." [Blake] "Then this is..." [Angelica] Looking at it closely, the design has this heart shape with a symbol on it. My mind went haywire, I overclocked the processors in my head, but the cooling just couldn''t keep up! A cold breeze hit my back. I glanced to where it came from, it was from the window. My body automatically moved by itself. "Angelica! Don''t throw that out! That thing is worth about two quest rewards of our rank!" [Blake] "I-Don''t-Freaking-Care!!" [Angelica] Blake tried to restrain me, but still, I managed to throw them away. From the window, we heard glass breaking... "Wah!" [Angelica] "S-sorry!" [Blake] I squirmed. Blake, while restraining me had his hands in unusual places... realizing this he let go. I dashed to my bed and covered my face with pillows. "Uwahh! That was so embarrassing!" [Angelica] Jose and Maria saw me too! Have they also thought of the same thing?! I want to disappear!! "Angelica..." [Blake] "What..." [Angelica] "I''ll forget about it, so... cheer up." [Blake] "Now, I feel even more sorry for myself!" [Angelica] While replying to him. I still kept my face covered. Then I felt a depression on my side. "You know..." [Blake] He sat beside me. "You said that. I can say any request if I killed the orc king right?" [Blake] "..." [Angelica] "Can I sleep with you?" [Blake] I jerked and nearly hit the pole of the bed. "Please?" [Blake] "... Okay..." [Angelica] What am I saying?! My heart is thumping like crazy! Am I actually now becoming a real girl?! As a man inside a woman''s body, being done by a guy, I don''t even want to think about it... Also didn''t the girls say that it hurts the first time? Blake crept closer and I turned my back on him. I don''t want him to see my face. Huh? He just lie there? Isn''t he going to do anything? One hour... two hours... have passed, I couldn''t sleep... "Blake?" [Angelica] Is he asleep? I turned my head to check. When I did, I saw him looking at me. Eyes wide open... staring deeply into mine... I can feel his breath... "Angelica." [Blake] He started the conversation. To my surprise, I blinked twice. "We haven''t slept like this since we were kids." [Blake] "Ah?" [Angelica] Ahh so he was thinking of that time huh... well we do used to sleep together like this. Sometimes I sleep at their house and he sometimes slept at ours. "Ouch!" [Blake] "Why didn''t you say that earlier you, idiot! I nearly misunderstood it!" [Angelica] I hit him on the head. We went silent for a moment, but a second later we burst into laughter. That night we talked about all kinds of things till we became drowsy and fell asleep. The next day... ~~~Maria~~~ I''ve slept in a different room at the inn to let Blake and Angelica have their quality time together. "I guess they should be finished by now." [Maria] I opened and then peeked at the door of our room, to get some of my stuff for a bath. What greeted me was. Angelica, clinging on to Blake whose giving her an arm pillow. They were both sleeping snugly in the bed. Half of their bodies are covered by the sheets. I went to my bed and took out my spare clothes. As I did that Angelica, woke up with a yawn. "Good morning." [Maria] "Hmm... good morning Maria." [Angelica] "I see that you had a wonderful time last night." [Maria] "T-this isn''t what it looks like!" [Angelica] She looks at me and Blake back and forth. "It doesn''t seem that way to me though fufufu~" [Maria] "Maria!" [Angelica] I teased her a little, then she suddenly stood up. In my fear, I ran into the bathroom and immediately locked it. "It was all a misunderstanding!" [Angelica] (Bang! Tok! Bam!) She kept banging on the door while telling me that everything was a misunderstanding. After a while, I can hear her sobbing from the other side... "Uhhh..." [Angelica] "There-there..." [Blake] I finished taking a bath. When I got outside Blake was comforting the sulking Angelica. There, they told me what happened. Looking back at it. I kind of feel bad for her... "I a-ah... I''m sorry..." [Maria] The small tears in her eyes make her look like a small animal. "Ma-Maria?" [Angelica] I held her head to my chest and stroked her golden hair. ~~~Angelica~~~ Maria hugged me. She smelled so nice... despite me being a man myself, it''s very different and this soft sensation... "Um, Angelica?" [Maria] "I''m fine now." [Angelica] I smiled at her, with this I can die happily. "Wah?! Blood-blood!" [Maria] Looking back at Maria''s chest. There formed a red line going down the middle of her clothes between her chest. It''s like someone had used a red marker and drew a semicircle on both mounds and a line in the middle. "Muh... I just took a bath." [Maria] "Why don''t we both go then?" [Angelica] "You sure do act like an old man..." [Maria] "Well, maybe I am kekekeke." [Angelica] "For a second there. You seemed creepy, you know..." [Maria] I am a man. Although not that old, I shall enjoy myself teasing her. By the afternoon we''d already cleared the misunderstanding with Jose and are now preparing for testing. "So how do I use this?" [Blake] "Try to imagine a flame covering the sword." [Angelica] "Okay." [Blake] Blake, closed his eyes to concentrate. Slowly the sword begins to resonate and a tiny flame appears at its tip, then... It... BECOMES A RAGING INFERNO!! "Wahh?!!" [Maria] "Too-strong! Too-strong!!" [Angelica] Blake threw away the sword, but the flame still goes on. The surrounding vegetation around the sword starts to burn. "Why isn''t it stopping?!" [Blake] "Why did you throw it?!" [Angelica] "I just thought that it was the same as yours!" [Blake] He thought that if he threw it away like what I did, it would cancel off. I took out the magic crystal containing the water spell ?Gush? At the same time Maria, used the Novice level Water magic ?Spray? Our spells hit the sword. It emits steam as it was hit, but the fire just keeps on going. "Blake, stop the fire!" [Angelica] "How?!" [Angelica] "I dunno! Try holding it!" [Angelica] "What if I get burned?!" [Blake] "You said that you were going to test it right?" [Angelica] "Kuh..." [Blake] He walked near the sword. "If it burns you, we have healing magic right here, so don''t worry!" [Angelica] "Geez! Thank you for the encouragement!" [Blake] Blake tries poking it with his finger then quickly retracted it, before it could even touch the grip. There shouldn''t be any fear of burns or scars because Healing magic can fix them up in a jiffy. "You can do it, Blake!" [Maria] "Go for it!" [Angelica] "Hmm... amusing..." [Jose] "Jose?!" [Angelica] I was surprised. Jose popped out of nowhere, he just stood there beside us playing with his beard. Very sneaky; I wonder if he does this all the time. "Jose, you know how to stop it right?" [Angelic] "Frankly he just needs to think of not using it. Or he just lets the crystal drain its power. If not, then you have to break the crystal." [Jose] "You heard him, Blake!" [Angelica] Blake grabs the sword. "It... doesn''t hurt?" [Blake] It seems like the flame doesn''t harm the user, will it also not harm us? The flames dissipated. "Good job Blake." [Angelica] "Amazing." [Maria] "Thanks..." [Blake] "Can you make that magic for me too?" [Jose] "Why?" [Angelica] "I could see some other applications for it." [Jose] "Like what." [Angelica] "Cooking for example. Instead of using firewood, you can use the magic crystal for cooking." [Jose] "Doesn''t that sound dangerous?" [Angelica] "Well, we can research it together, to make it safer right?" [Jose] "You will use my magic for such impractical applications?!" [Angelica] "Heheh you worry too much. I''ll be sharing you the revenue, also when I obtain some high-quality crystals I''ll leave them up to you." [Jose] "Deal!!" [Angelica] Impractical Magic Chapter 42 My job became easier when Jose started to help. By now, I''ve imbued a dozen magic crystals and turned them into a stove. These are to be sold later. Although I only do it at the lake, because it was hard for me to concentrate here in the city. How come Jose can do it? Could it be from magician training? Because I''ve imbued at the lake a lot of times it sprouted the myth of a priestess appearing at the lake in the middle of the night, accompanied by bright lights, playing and swimming around in it. If you were to witness it, great luck shall befall on you... I facepalmed when I heard about it, people of this world really... A lot of things happened during this month. Now, I''ve learned how to control my wind enchant. It had more effects than I thought. First, when I fire off ?Crescent, by the way, I called it Crescent because it''s cool if I could name my own moves! I mean how come only spells and sword strikes have their own names, so unfair... anyway... ?Crescent? A wall or a blade of wind-shaped like a crescent. Depending on how much energy you put into it, it gives it different effects. If you pour more energy it becomes big and slow well, not that slow. If it''s big, it will have a wall-like crushing effect via blunt force. This is really hard to stop once it gets going. Its drawback is it''s very draining to use and it travels at maybe around 20-30/kph since it moves very slowly you can judge where its path is, so it''s easy to dodge. If you use less energy it becomes smaller but fast and also sharp. Similar to the ?Air Cutter? spell, but with better area coverage its speed is at 90/kph. The drawbacks is it needed to impact something for it to dispel. I usually countered this by shooting it upwards. Mostly useful against flying enemies. ?Bladestorm? - Similar to Crescent, but with even lower energy, projectiles fired in quick succession. I copied this move from a game character that I used to play in my handheld, the name was dissidia {1} and the guy uses a really long thin sword {2}. My limit right now is I can only fire off seven slashes. Its drawback is it only inflicts minor wounds. While my wind enchant is in effect, aside from making my weapon weightless it increases my attack speed depending on the energy consumed. At full power, my speed is increased by six times, at low three times. I only used the 3x speed, because it makes my screw-ups less and is economical in terms of energy saving. At 6x speed. As I''ve said before, it was hard to land a hit to where you wanted them to. Imagine if you''re playing time crisis {3} that is sped up six times. Is it easy to aim? The attack was really hard to follow with my eyes and I''m not used to moving that fast. The drawback... only my hands and arms benefit from the speed... Maria has now learned offensive magic up to Regular level on all elements, except for sub-elements which are at Expert level.Stolen story; please report. For now, it seems that she is bottlenecked at Healing and Support since there is no one that can teach her. She''s trying to learn Expert level magic via self-study as we speak. Blake was amazing from training with his mentor. His swordsmanship skill had dramatically increased. When we spar, even with my wind enchant. He could still keep up with me even at six times of my speed! Deflecting, blocking and even dodging them. What''s more, he isn''t even breaking a sweat and looked like he was just playing with me. I was really jealous of him. I said to him that with my enchant he would be unstoppable. Blake shrugged it off and said something humble like "You have more talent than me." Or "Don''t belittle yourself so much." I really look up to him, he grew up this fast... the little crybaby who used to hide behind me, now stands on the stage above me... ~~~Meanwhile~~~ An old man sitting on his bed reading a paper. Flipping to the next page, his eyes widen. At his sight is a hand-drawn picture of the people who had saved the city of Cagban. In the corner that was slightly blurred was a drawn picture of a young girl with a female magician and a male swordsman beside her. The article says "While fighting with the orc legion, an inventor lent her aid with magic crystals which helped in the saving of the city of Cagban." He gestured to the man standing by his side. "Howard..." "... Yes?" [Howard] "Get me to Cagban city." "But sir! You are still in need of rest." [Howard] "Howard... from this age I wouldn''t be able to recover even if I wanted to." "Sir..." [Howard] "Would you take me there?" "May, I ask why?" [Howard] "I wanted to meet someone." "I''ll bring that person here then." [Howard] "What if that person says they don''t want to come?" "Then I will force them to." [Howard] "Don''t... just don''t... If you do it like that... then I might as well go there myself." "My apologies... I will bring them here without fail." [Howard] "And how will you do that??" Three days later... ~~~Angelica~~~ A person entered Jose''s shop accompanied by two knights behind him. He had introduced himself as Howard and said that I was invited to somewhere... It was very shady as he does not want to disclose the location so I try to come up with excuses for not coming, then he showed me a letter. "What is this?" [Angelica] "The invitation." [Howard] "Umm sorry, I''m quite busy at the moment..." [Angelica] "That can wait." [Howard] Who is this guy really... and what is with this invitation? I don''t want to come with him, he might be dangerous. In my past life, I''ve heard of people saying some stuff and it was all lies just to kidnap the person. Speaking of which... I am the only one who was able to enchant using my imbuing methods. "Is something the matter Angelica?" [Blake] "This guy says that I was invited somewhere, I said that I didn''t want to come, but he still..." [Angelica] "You! What are you planning?!" [Blake] Blake, unsheathed his jian its fire burning wildly... The man named Howard fell on his butt and the two knights moved into the front to protect him. The three of them were surprised when the sword suddenly lit up in front of them. "Do you know who you''re pointing your sword at you bastard?!" [Knight 1] "Are you asking for your execution!" [Knight 2] The door behind us opens. "What''s with the commotion?!!" [Jose] "J-jose?!" [Howard] "Ohh! Howard!" [Jose] "You knew each other?" [Blake] "Knew? We''re best buds." [Jose] "I can see the resemblance." [Blake] Blake says as he looked on to their huge foreheads. "Quit being sarcastic boy." [Jose] Blake sheaths his jian and moves beside me. The knights helped Howard get up and as he recovered Jose gave him a hug. "It has been a long time my friend." [Jose] "Ahh yes." [Howard] "How was the schedule? I thought that you were very busy?" [Jose] "Yes, but there was a request." [Howard] "Request?" [Jose] Howard gestures toward me. I handed over the letter to Jose who was reaching his hand. As he read it... "This letter is from?!!" [Jose] References {1} Final Fantasy Dissidia a game where all of the Final Fantasy main protagonists and antagonists fight each other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PhyK2oy5Z4 {2} A reference to Sephiroth''s moveset in dissidia {3} Time Crisis an arcade shooting game Impractical Magic Chapter 43 We are high up in the sky riding on the back of a dragon. You might be wondering how we came to this point. Well... back at Jose''s shop in Cagban. When Jose read about the letter, he said that it came from a very valuable person. I together with Blake, Maria, and Jose including Howard and his two knight escorts, went out of the city. "Wow!" [Maria] "Is that?" [Angelica] "Dragons." [Blake] Outside. Tied onto the trees were four dragons, with saddles on their backs. They were used for transportation. We boarded the dragons, but the fourth one doesn''t seem to have a rider... Howard said that, if I was the only one coming then that would be my ride. I said to him that I don''t know how to handle one. He just said that "Even if you don''t know how to ride it. It was trained to follow us." Wow, it even had autopilot how very convenient... So this is our sitting arrangement. Jose goes solo on the fourth. I was amazed that he knows how to ride one... Blake and I were riding with the knight escorts. Then Maria... was riding behind Howard gripping tightly onto him. Is she scared of heights? Meanwhile... Howard has this pervy face. When he makes that face, you might think that he and Jose are twins. "Wow, it''s breezy up here." [Angelica] "Angelica... Angelica..." [Blake] Blake called me, he was pointing downwards. "Oh! great view!" [Angelica] "Great view indeed." [Knight 2] The knight said who was riding with Blake. They were flying alongside us. Blake was flailing his arms and he was looking at me and down. That was when I remembered that I was wearing a skirt... It was flapping up and down showing my thighs... I pushed it down quickly with my left hand, then looked at them and pointed my right hand at them. "Oh, shi- dodge!" [Blake] "Ah?" [Knight 2] "Dodge dammit!!" [Blake] With a snap of my finger, an explosion occurred. They managed to dodge my ?Explosion? spell in time.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Angelica if you were planning on killing someone. Kill this guy when we land!" [Blake] "What did I do?!" [Knight 2] "Perverts!" [Angelica] I shot a ?Fireball? and it missed. Then an ?Air Cutter? spell, they''re good at this huh... I unsheathed my gladius. "We''re-sorry! Come on you apologize too!" [Blake] "Why should I?" [Knight 2] "Do you want the both of us to die?!" [Blake] "Stop playing around, you''re wasting time." [Howard] Howard scolded us. The journey will take three days. Maria said that without the dragons it will take us about 3 months to finish because the area we are trekking in is surrounded by mountains. I wish I had a dragon... We set up camp on the mountain. It was very cold up here, even with the tent and sheets. Jose and Howard were smoking some cigars outside. I, Blake, and Maria are inside the tent, having a chat. "Hey Maria, you seem to have an idea of where we''re going." [Angelica] "I''m still not sure though..." [Maria] "Where do you think they''re taking us?" [Blake] "Well, the Howard guy said that it will need three days to travel there. I think we may be going to the Angono capital." [Maria] "Angono?" [Angelica] "Oh, I forgot that you are both from a rural village, sorry. The capital of Angono is the main city of the Blackrock Republic." [Maria] "Why do you think we''re going there?" [Blake] "Well, there are clues..." [Maria] "What clue?" [Angelica] "Firstly, Howard. His clothes seem to be of high quality, but he said that he was just a servant. Despite being a servant, he was able to wear those clothes. That must mean that his master held a high position if you include the knight escorts it makes it even more plausible. Lastly the dragons... as it would already be difficult to procure dragons. It is even more difficult to obtain dragons of these breeds." [Maria] "Then your conclusion is?" [Angelica] "The one who invited you might be or most likely be a royal..." [Maria] "Really?! Then they want to sponsor my research?" [Angelica] "The letter only states that they wanted to see you." [Blake] "Maybe they are giving you an award for your exploits." [Maria] "That''s fine I guess..." [Angelica] I left the tent. I see one of the knights preparing a fire, but due to the wind, it was being put out. "Is something the matter?" [Angelica] "The damn wind is killing the fire." [Knight 1] "Thought so..." [Angelica] I leaned next to the knight and took out one of the magic crystals that we were selling. I gave it to the knight. "Try to imagine a spark lighting up." [Angelica] The knight tries just that and the fire started. I used to say concentrate, but if they had used their imagination, they find it much easier. "This is amazing!" [Knight 1] "Heheh if you''d like you can keep it." [Angelica] "But isn''t this expensive?" [Knight 1] "No, since I started producing them, the prices have started falling." [Angelica] "Are you sure about this?" [Knight 1] "Think of it as a gift. You are one of the first few people to have this kind of stuff." [Angelica] "I will treasure this thank you..." [Knight 1] The knight removes his helmet. Oh, he was a she... "My name is Regina nice to meet you." "Pardon me I thought you were a guy..." [Angelica] "That''s alright people misunderstood most of the time." [Regina] I apologized with a bow, she said that she was fine with it. I really thought she was a guy with her height and her voice, it somehow sounded manly... is she a tomboy? I better not ask. She also somehow resembles someone I know. "Umm... do you perhaps know of someone named Kate?" [Angelica] "Kate? Are you referring to my older sister?" [Regina] "You look a bit like her." [Angelica] In contrast to Kate. Regina has emerald-colored eyes and hair, she also doesn''t have a ponytail. "How do you come to know my sister?" [Regina] "She''s one of my godmothers." [Angelica] "Well, that''s odd... it''s rare for her to agree to that kind of thing." [Regina] "Speaking of which, what is her job?" [Angelica] "My sister is the current knight captain of the kingdom." [Regina] "Wow! I didn''t know that. What about you then and who is it that you served?" [Angelica] "We are part of the royal guard. We serve directly under the king." [Regina] "The king? How nice... ... ... wait, The King?!" [Angelica] Impractical Magic Chapter 44 At dawn, on the third day of our travel. "Ah! I see the capital!" [Maria] On the horizon. We saw the Angono Capital. It was a huge city fitting for a capital. Stretching at a ten kilometers radius, the city is located beside the shore with its ports. What''s surprising about the capital is the lack of walls. "There aren''t any walls?" [Angelica] "Year by year the capital is expanding in size, it would only be a waste of resources if they built walls one after the other." [Regina] "What about monsters?" [Blake] "Any monsters spotted within 5km from the city will be exterminated." [Howard] "Also, because this is the capital, the strongest warriors and adventurers are stationed here." [Jose] We lowered our altitude as we got nearer, the people below still looked like ants. The castle, reflecting the sunlight, caught my eye. This huge towering structure, I wonder how they managed to build it? "We''ll land on the castle grounds." [Howard] We landed on what seemed like a garden. As we walked, we saw some knights doing training. Others spar while others ran around with their bulky armor. "We may need to change you into appropriate clothing. Regina, please take the women." [Howard] "Understood, this way." [Regina] Regina led us to the changing room, while Blake and Jose were escorted by a servant. "I have always dreamed of entering this castle, I never thought that I''d be able to see what''s inside the castle." [Maria] "Me, too." [Angelica] Despite me saying that. I haven''t been to an actual castle in my past life since they arent''s present where I''m from, in which you needed to go to a foreign country in order to see one.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Regina knocked on the door and after a few seconds, it opens. The one that opened it was an old woman who wore mini-glasses, she had this strict like aura surrounding her... "Martha, these are the king''s guests, can you pick the clothes that are appropriate for their meeting?" [Regina] "Oh yes, may I see them?" [Martha] Maria went in first, then I followed. "Your highn?!" [Martha] "Highn??" [Regina] "My apologies I may have mistaken her for someone..." [Martha] Is she referring to me? "I''ll leave them in your care as I''m requested for duty." [Regina] "Ah, yes." [Martha] Regina closed the door as she left. "Now then, let''s get the both of you changed." [Martha] We finished dressing up. Maria wore something like a high school uniform, complete with a mini. I was surprised that there is such a thing in this world, maybe I am not the only one here. "You look so cute in your school uniform." [Angelica] "This isn''t a school uniform, this is a dress for meeting high-class people." [Maria] "Yeah-yeah, can I look under your skirt?" [Angelica] "There you go again with your antics..." [Maria] I wasn''t kidding. I really wanna see what''s under there, maybe my male psych is hot-wired to look under skirts since time immemorial. Also, from where I came from mini-skirts are rare. In our country even though it has a hot climate and we had no winter, people don''t wear them. Their logic is so screwed up... "Umm... Ms.Martha?" [Angelica] "Martha is fine, dear." [Martha] "May I ask what is highn?" [Angelica] "It was supposed to be highness because you almost looked identical to the first princess." [Martha] "Oh, you mean the one that was kidnapped?" [Maria] "Kidnapped?" [Angelica] "More than a decade ago the first princess was kidnapped during her visit to a nearby town, because the king''s beloved daughter went missing. He sent out a search party to find them, but even with that she was still not found." [Martha] "Did he just give up after that?" [Angelica] "No... did you know how big the reward is if they found her?" [Martha] "How much was it?" [Maria] "A land big enough for a town, that is if they do find her. He sent out and funded search parties every single day and even the reward stands up until now." [Martha] "That long?!!" [Angelica/Maria] "He had lost hope in finding the princess and because of that, his health had started to deteriorate..." [Martha] "But how did you meet the princess?" [Angelica] "I was her personal helper." [Martha] During our time with her till we finished changing. Martha told us a few stories about her interactions with the princess. At the hall, we meet with Blake. While Jose seemed to have gone somewhere. "Looking great." [Blake] "Thanks!" [Maria] I frowned. "You too my princess." [Blake] Hahhhh? What kind of pickup line was that? Try mine for size. "Why thank you, my prince, may I have a dance?" [Angelica] I bowed to him while slightly lifting both ends of my skirt, doing a curtsy. "W-wwwha..." [Blake] He''s speeches and blushes. Right back at you heheh. "Are you ready?" [Howard] "Yes." [Angelica/Blake/Maria] Howard opens the large door to the throne room. Impractical Magic Chapter 45 "I''ve brought her sir." [Howard] "And the other two?" [King] "She says that she will not come without them." [Howard] "I see..." [King] The King was old and weak from his complexion. With sunken eyes, huge eye bags, and ridges on his forehead. He directed his attention to me and spoke. "Are you the one who created this?" [King] He gestured to a servant and it showed the stove that I have made. "... Yes." [Angelica] "Can you weaponize it?" [King] "No." [Angelica] "A-Angelica..." Maria whispered in my ear. She''s worried about me lying. "Well then, you shall be executed for denying my order." [King] "?!!" [Angelica/Blake/Maria] We all drew our weapons. Don''t tell me that we came here only to dig ourselves a grave. "Guards seize them." [King] They came out of nowhere. They were so fast that I didn''t even have the time to react. Blake parried a strike just in time. We enchanted our swords. Blake used the fire enchant while I used the wind enchant. "Wahh?!" We looked back, Maria had a sword at her throat... Shit... No... we can still escape... "Drop your weapons or the King gets it!!" [Angelica]The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I pointed my finger at the King ready to cast ?Explosion? at max output. "Wonderful!" [King] The King clapped his hands. He''s not shaken? Is it a bluff? Does he have something that can nullify magic? These thoughts fly over my head. "It is as you said, Howard." [King] "Yes, sir." [Howard] This bastard!! I let go of the sword and pointed my other finger at him. If they try something I''ll kill him first as a warning. "Guards release them." [King] "But your Highness!" "I''ve seen enough." [King] The knight let go of Maria, her feet gave way and she knelt on the ground. Blake and I slowly backed away to get Maria. I kept my fingers at the ready just in case. "That was a joke, lay down your weapons, I''m only testing you if you''re genuine." [King] "Well, you certainly got our attention." [Angelica] I put down my hand and glared at him, while still alert. "That glare..." [King] "You thought that I wouldn''t get mad at you for threatening my friends? Just how crazy are you for doing some sick joke?" [Angelica] "..." [King] "We''re leaving." [Angelica] I turned my back to the King and started walking out with Blake and Maria. Even if my back is turned I am still very much alert. "Hey, you! Do not turn your back on his majesty!" [Howard] "I am sorry for my actions, please forgive me." [King] "Sir?!" [Howard] "It was a bad joke..." [King] "Please stay for a while." [King] I looked at Maria and Blake, they were shaking their heads. Even I myself wanted to leave as soon as possible. I am still suspicious of him and kept my guard up. That night we stayed in one room, we all slept with our weapons in hand. In case of any screwup, I thought of a plan for us to leave the country. "Damn I need to pee..." [Angelica] I checked if Blake and Maria were still awake and then left the room, they both seem to be asleep. Now, I start my little adventure in finding the lost toilet. The halls of the castle are cold and quiet, then I saw a knight guarding the entrance to a tower while peeking at a corner. "What are you doing?" "Hiiiihhhh?!" [Angelica] Oh, it is just Martha holding a candle lamp... that scared the hell out of me. "I uhh... need to go to the bathroom..." [Angelica] "Follow me." [Martha] Martha gestures to a room and I enter alone, inside I lifted my skirt and pulled dow, wait... why the hell should I tell this in detail?! After finishing my business I went with Martha for a chat. "I heard that the King became rowdy." [Martha] "It''s his fault, he joked about us being executed." [Angelica] "Executed?!" [Martha] "Judging from your reaction, I guess he rarely makes jokes or that he''s just really bad at them." [Angelica] "Could you forgive the King? I''ve never seen him that lively, since the disappearance of the princess." [Martha] "Well... any parent would be hit hard if their children suddenly disappeared." [Angelica] "Thank you..." [Martha] After our chat, I returned back to the room to sleep. "Huh... where did I sleep again?" [Angelica] Too tired to think, I just lay down on one of the beds. "These pillows are so soft..." [Angelica] The next day, when Maria woke up, she noticed Angelica burying her face in her chest. Impractical Magic Chapter 46 A servant came knocking at our room. "The King would like to have breakfast with you." We followed her into the dining hall. It looked exactly like the one in Harry Potter. For some reason, it felt kind of lonely. I, Blake, Maria, Howard, the King and his knights. Were the only people in this large hall. You can hear the spoon''s echo as it scoops the food from the plate. No one dares to start a conversation, is it etiquette to not talk during mealtime? "Ehem-ehem..." [Angelica] I just cleared my throat, then all their gaze fell on to me. What? Are you guys waiting for me to say something? Even the King has stopped eating, holding the spoon midway. Since it came to this I might as well say it... "I will forgive you for the prank yesterday, but please refrain from doing it again." [Angelica] "I understand." [King] After eating. The King wanted to have a private conversation with me. Blake and Maria were both worried that I might be taken, hostage. With some convincing, I managed to change their minds, but still... they cautioned me to be careful around him. The King sent away his guards in which they were reluctant to leave. Now, only the King and I were left at the dining hall. "This place isn''t suited for conversing with guests. Please walk with me." [King] "..." [Angelica]This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. He stood up and I followed him. "Tell me... why do you not want to turn your invention into a weapon." [King] "I don''t want the things that I make to be used to rob someone of their life." [Angelica] "Even if I present to you fame and fortune?" [King] "I''d just rather sell my stoves. That way I can accumulate them both, slowly but surely." [Angelica] "I like you, I rarely have this kind of normal talk." [King] "Normal talk?" [Angelica] "People are always afraid to say the things they wanted. Unlike you who was blunt." [King] "Since that prank of yours, my impression of you has lowered a bit." [Angelica] "..." [King] We went to a locked room, and as he unlocked it, he edged me to go inside. Inside is full of dust, there was stuff covered in sheets. From what I can tell they were a bed, table, wardrobe, and a painting hanging on the wall. The King went to the covered painting and pulled the cover, as it fell, I saw the painting of a girl. Blond hair, shoulder-length, crystal blue eyes. What caught my attention was the necklace, which is quite similar to my mother''s that is now hanging on my neck... "Pardon me I still didn''t know your name." [King] "Angelica." [Angelica] "Angelica, how old are you?" [King] What is his reason for asking about my age? "Sixteen, going seventeen this year..." [Angelica] "Did you know... my daughter went missing eighteen years ago." [King] Eighteen... if I add it up. This necklace, her face and eyes, also the year there is a possibility that my mother was the first princess... almost all evidence points to her, even the King has probably thought of the same thing. "..." [Angelica] "It seems my hunch is correct." [King] While piecing together the puzzle in thought I wasn''t able to answer. Why did mother not tell me of the kidnapping? Why didn''t she return? When mom was kidnapped did father rescue her? It seemed that father is really good at using the pitchfork as a polearm. If so, mother fell in love with him and decided to just stay with him is my only conclusion. "But that was all a lie. My daughter hadn''t been kidnapped..." [King] "If she hasn''t been kidnapped the-" [Angelica] "She had eloped with a knight." [King] "Eloped?!" [Angelica] "Heh, you too had the same reaction when your mother was surprised. Your glares are also identical." [King] "What do you plan on doing, if I am your granddaughter?" [Angelica] "Nothing." [King] If mother eloped then father is... "I cannot be forgiven for my sins in the past, but this time I wante- Ugh-ugh!" [King] "Hey?!" [Angelica] I caught him just in time as he was about to collapse. I shouted for help. Impractical Magic Chapter 47 The King collapsed and was taken to his room to rest. Howard asked me about the details and I told him what had happened. The three of us waited in our room for the news on the King''s health. "Where''s Jose? I haven''t seen him since we met with the King." [Maria] "He said that he''s going to meet up with someone." [Blake] (Knock-knock) "Is miss Angelica there?" "Yes, why do you ask?" [Angelica] "Your majesty wants to speak with you again." "I''ll be going." [Angelica] "Okay." [Blake] "Take care." [Maria] Outside his room, were two knights standing guard by the door. As I came nearer, they bowed to me and opened it. Inside, I saw Howard sitting in a chair by the bedside. When he saw me, he stood up. "Please tell him to rest after this. He''s already too weak." [Howard] He said that as he tapped my shoulder. I walked, then silently sat on the chair. "How was Elaine?" [King] "Pardon?" [Angelica] "Your mother." [King] Ah, so they were using an alias. Figures, if you dont want to be found the first thing you can do is change your name... "She''s fine, but she now calls herself as Michelle." [Angelica]Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "And Terrence?" [King] "Did mother have any othe-." [Angelica] "Elaine loved no one other than Terrence." [King] "Just confirming it... They are now content with living in a small village." [Angelica] "It seems that all of my worries are for naught." [King] The King breathes a sigh of relief while holding his head. It is as if a huge weight was lifted off of his shoulders. "Hey..." [Angelica] "What is it?" [King] "Can I ask a few things?" [Angelica] "Go ahead." [King] "This may sound rude coming from me, but I still don''t know your name..." [Angelica] "Alexis. Others just call me Alex." [King] "Is it fine if I called you grandfather?" [Angelica] His eyebrows raised at my sudden question, he was at first surprised but then his expression softened as he let out a smile. "It is alright." [King Alex] "Then grandfather... how did mother and father, got to know each other?" [Angelica] "Go to my desk and take out a green book." [King Alex] I did just that and brought it to him. He flips a few pages and handed it back to me. There I read the history of my parents, the entries aren''t dated... ~~~King Alex''s Diary~~~ Entry#? My first child is born, it was a girl. I and my wife named her Elaine, she was very adorable. Entry#? Elaine''s hair started to grow, she had her mother''s blond hair. After a month, she had opened her eyes, it has the same color as mine. ~~~ Apart from that were records of the kingdom and other irrelevant events. There are also entries of mother''s siblings here. Apparently, she was the oldest of the three siblings. She is the only girl and the two are boys, I skipped from reading theirs because I was only interested in my parents. ~~~ Entry#?? Elaine''s 15th birthday. On her coming of age, I allowed her to go and explore the city. Entry#?? After her birthday, she already wanted to go on out as much as possible. I realized that keeping her in the castle for too long may not be good for her health but I cannot let her leave without a guard, so in secret, I decided to make a lottery of whoever will be her personal guard from the promising knights. The one who was picked is someone named Terrence. ~~~ Dad is a one lucky bastard. ~~~ Entry#?? I''m having second thoughts if he was the right knight for Elaine, they seem to argue most of the time. Maybe I should''ve picked a female knight for a change, like Kate. She seems to also have a very promising career. Entry#?? Elaine wants to hunt down some monsters. Well, I''ve always told her stories of my youth, it''s about time she gets to experience it. Entry#?? During the meeting with my advisors, news came that Elaine''s hunting party had been wiped out by a group of ogres. The bodies of Elaine and Terrence were yet to be found and they are currently being searched for. Entry#?? Two days had passed and still no sign of them. I immediately ordered the extermination of all monsters, in the vicinity from where they had disappeared to. Impractical Magic Chapter 48 Entry#?? On the fourth day, they were found by the extermination party. Terrence was badly injured, but he had managed to protect my daughter from harm. He protected her with utmost care and that changed my impression of him. Entry#?? For some reason Elaine and Terrence''s attitudes have changed, they now both seem to get along together. Entry#?? Strangely enough my daughter has only been requesting, that Terrence accompany her. I told her, that as my daughter, I was only concerned about her safety and that Terrence alone cannot protect her. Entry#?? Elaine had started helping me out on my conquest to expand our territory. I''m amazed at her skill in ordering the troops, in my battles. I''ve never seen such minimal losses in our forces. Unlike my two other sons, who kept womanizing royals and wasting money and their precious lives. ~~~ Wow, mom was an RTS pro (Real Time Strategy) so her skills with chess weren''t just for show. ~~~ Entry#?? I''ve discovered that Elaine and Terrence had been sneaking out of the castle without my knowledge. I hired someone to tail them just in case, but they still managed to elude him. Entry#?? My daughter had reached her age to marry. I also met with a prince of another country, who had great power and had a wide territory. From meeting and getting to know him a bit, I would like him to meet and possibly marry my daughter. From that, I was sure that the future of my beloved daughter would be secured.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. When I told Elaine about the arranged marriage, she got mad at me. I said that she will be happy, still, she refused. When I scolded her, she glared at me and quickly left with a tearful face. Entry#?? Elaine had locked herself in her room, refusing to let anybody in. I asked Terrence to talk her out of it and she let him inside. It took a day for them to come out. My daughter looked dejected, but I''m sure that she''ll be happy once she gets married. Entry#?? Elaine said that she wanted to go into town, to buy gifts for her wedding. I let her go with Terrence, but they haven''t returned before dark. I thought something had happened and I ordered a search for them. Entry#?? When I checked in Elaine''s room. I saw papers scattered about, some were burnt and have read them. They were plans, on what transport to use and roads to watch out for, there isn''t any information on their destination. Entry#??? Day XX I''ve placed a bounty on Terrence for kidnapping my daughter. I should''ve known that they had a relationship, I ignored the signs... ~~~ I gotta give props to dad. He has balls for eloping with mom. ~~~ Entry#??? It had been a year since Elaine was taken by Terrence if something terrible happens to her I''ll... Entry#???? I wish that I could take back what I said to her. Because of that incident, my daughter had left me. ~~~Angelica~~~ The rest of the entries are about his grief on mother''s disappearance. I closed the book and looked up at grandfather. "What do you plan to do now grandfather?" [Angelica] "It may be an impossible request, but can you ask Elaine to forgive me?" [King Alex] "I''m sure that mother will understand..." [Angelica] "Thank you, Angelica." [King Alex] "You should rest so that you can recover." [Angelica] "Yes." [King Alex] I was about to leave but decided to return to him. "Is there more you''d like to ask?" [King Alex] Clueless about why I went back. I kissed him on the forehead. "Ah." [King Alex] He showed a smile, I bowed to him and slowly closed the door as I left. Impractical Magic Chapter 49 When I got back to our room, I talked to Blake and Maria that my mother was the first princess, at first they were surprised when they found out that I had royal blood. "Then, that power of yours... is it genetic?" [Maria] "I dunno... I haven''t seen anyone else use it." [Angelica] I shrugged at Maria''s question, if Jose said that I was the first to exhibit this kind of power then it might be true since he is somewhat of a well-experienced magician himself. "Are you going to be staying here?" [Blake] "No Blake, grandfather asked me to do an errand for him." [Angelica] Blake sighed in relief. Did he thought that because I was royalty, I will stay? "Don''t worry Blake, I like adventures more than being locked up and be pampered in a castle." [Angelica] He looked at me and blinked twice. My dear childhood friend is so easy to read... "So, Maria. I''m planning to travel a bit, do you want to tag along?" [Angelica] "Yes! I want to see the world with you guys!" [Maria] Uwahh she''s so honest, I want to kiss her. No, wait... I''m a girl! I can! "A-Angelica?!" [Maria] "You''re so honest, I couldn''t help myself!" [Angelica] I kept kissing her on the cheek. Heheh new exploit unlocked! It''s nice to have a woman''s body, female skinship ftw! Blake seemed like he wants some too. I know the best thing to do. "Wah! Mnmnf?!" [Blake]This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it I grabbed him by the shoulder and held him to my chest. He blushed, boys will be boys. I''m kind of jealous, I want to bury my face in someone''s chest too!! I asked the both of them to keep it a secret. If this spreads it may become a problem. The following day, we met up with grandfather in the conference room. There was a huge round table at the center, which reminded me of the one in camelot. {1} "I''d like to personally apologize to the both of you, for my behavior the other day." [King Alex] "I-It''s alright your majesty!" [Maria] "If Angelica''s fine with it, so am I." [Blake] "I thank you both for your consideration." [King Alex] Grandfather said that he''ll give financial support to me, but I turned him down. I don''t want to give him any more problems. He also asked if Blake and Maria wanted some compensation, they also refused the offer. "How about we start mining for magic crystals?" [King Alex] On second thought... "That will surely drive the prices down. I would be happy if low-class citizens were able to have access to it." [Angelica] "You really care for the populace like your mother." [King Alex] "Just send it to Jose''s magic and potion shop in Cagban." [Angelica] "Jose? Jose?! That bastard?!!" [King Alex] I just had a cold sweat. I''m getting bad vibes... "Anyone calling me?" [Jose] Just as grandfather finished his sentence. Jose, popped out of nowhere, well speak of the devil he better stop that. "Jose you imbecile! Why did you leave the high court without notifying me!" [King Alex] "Who are you, my parent?!" [Jose] "Kuh... Guards!!" [King Alex] "Not this shit again!" [Jose] "Stop it you, idiots. You''re showing your ugly side to the youngsters..." [Howard] As the guards were about to apprehend Jose. Howard called both of them idiots, we all stared at him in surprise. "Well, he started it." [King Alex] "Since you became King, you''ve turned into a dick." [Jose] "Who''s a dick?! You ass man!" [King Alex] Oh damn... shots fired!! "This isn''t the kind of reunion I''d like to see..." [Howard] "Umm..." [Angelica] "What is it?" [Howard] "Do the three of you know each other?" [Angelica] "The three of us used to be adventurers, or should I say, friends. Alex, only became King when he managed to score on the princess of this country, that was during our adventuring days." [Howard] Ahh... my family tree is this amazing yet confusing at the same time... We watched their exchange for fun, they were like the three stooges. Howard was massaging his forehead during the whole ordeal. ~~~???~~~ "How is my father''s condition?" "His health is slowly deteriorating." "Ah..." "It also seems that he has guest''s which he likes to entertain." "Entertain? Father wouldn''t act like that for no reason. Unless... it''s someone important... Investigate at once!" "Yes! My liege." References {1} A reference to King Arthur and his knight of the round table Impractical Magic Chapter 50 [Maria] "Huff-huff." A woman runs at full speed inside the castle, with her hand on the scabbard ready to do battle at any moment. Her eyes were like an eagle looking for its prey. Passing by the maids, commoners, and guards like a gust of wind. One of the guards greeted her, but she pays no heed and continued to run in between them. "Why is she in a hurry?" "Maybe someone slacked at their duties again." "O-ho, someone''s gotta get their butt kicked really good." The two guards talked about the woman, one answered raising both of his hands and shrugging like it wasn''t their problem. Finally, she reached her destination, standing in front of the door. She tried to open it, but it was locked. She knocked and knocked, unable to wait any longer due to the urgency, she decided to break it down with her sword. The woman moved back and started her stance, removing her scabbard from the belt and holding it with her right hand, her left gripping the hilt tightly. She took in some air and struck the door, it was cut in half despite being strong enough to receive multiple blows. "Ahh?!!" A female voice rings out as she cuts it. She thought that she might''ve hit someone. The next moment, her sword is cut, and mere inches from her neck was a sword. Its edge glowing in a bright crimson orange. "God... mother?" The one who spoke was a girl with long blonde hair. ~~~Maria~~~ It has already been a week since we came here. Jose introduced me to a few people he knew. He said that if I had wanted to learn Supportive and Healing magic at the Expert level, then those people would be able to teach me. But Jose knows how to use ?Meteor Storm? and it''s at the Grand Master level. He said that it is just a ?Fireball? spell which is invoked at the max output and is Multi-casted. Apparently, you can call a spell your own by being creative. Then I could make my own unique spell names if I can do multi-cast? Jose was going to teach me how to Multi-cast, but due to the invitation of Angelica, we weren''t able to proceed with my teaching. The King was really nice, every now and then. He lets us use the carriage whenever we decided to go to town. He also pays for our expenses, which we are reluctant to spend, but still, he insisted. But I think it is only due to Angelica being his granddaughter. If it is a mere guest, he would probably let them use their own money. Currently, I''m with Angelica eating breakfast in our room, a maid delivers our breakfast like this every day from a pushcart. Blake was still sleeping soundly in his bed. I once started looking at his sleeping face and Angelica caught me. It seems like she doesn''t mind though... and just smiles at me. Sometimes she also joins me in this spectacle and comments that she wishes she had a pen to write on his face. They were really nice, I haven''t had friends like these in the past... I was once a student at a magic school. One time, I met with one of my professors'' who''s a great magician herself. She told me stories about her adventures with her friends and how she enjoyed being an adventurer. I was a child at that time, so it sounded really amazing. After some time, I dropped out after only learning a few spells. When I became an adventurer I was overjoyed but was in for a rude awakening... Almost all of the adventurers that I had partied with are mostly mad at me for my lack of experience and I was told a lot of times that I was only dragging the party down. I was really depressed at that time. I had spent two months locked up in the inn without taking any quests and was literally penniless because no party wanted to take me in... I was about to lose hope.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Then... I received a request for a magician at the adventurers guild. After much thought, I wasn''t able to sleep early, it was only at dawn that I had managed to doze off. Only to wake up an hour late for our meeting. I ran and ran as fast as I possibly could. Sweat poured all over me, but I didn''t care. I opened the door to the guild with such force that it slammed loudly. From that, I managed to get unwanted attention, the stares of other adventurers and those people who wouldn''t let me join their party. Still, I shouted "I''m sorry! I''m late!" Nobody answered... their stares were like needles painfully stabbing into me... I gripped my staff tightly and was ready to give up... I slowly walked away. I can hear snickers and jeers at me as I take this walk of shame... And... as if luck had befallen on me. In the sea of tables, one man waved at me, in a glimmer of hope I rushed to his side. I apologized over and over. Then I saw a woman beside him, she was clearly mad at me. I unintentionally stared at her. She asked if there was something on her face, I quickly answered and shook my hands, but I hadn''t averted my gaze. "Blake, I''ll go to the bathroom." "Oh, okay." [Blake] "Ah? eh?" [Maria] Did I offend her by any chance?! She left for the bathroom. I stood there silently staring at the woman as she got inside. "Umm... Angelica isn''t used to being stared at..." [Blake] He said with a wry smile. It did offend her!! Wah-wah-wah! I knelt to the guy, and even though it was shameful, I still put up with it. The stares became even more painful... "I''m sorry if I offended her or anything. Please! Let me join your party!" [Maria] "I... uhh... need to know my partner''s decision first..." [Blake] He averted his gaze. No... please... no... The woman got out of the bathroom while wiping her face. She went back here. I, still in a kneeling position directed my body to her and held both of my hands up begging. "P-please! let me join your party!" [Maria] She glanced at her partner and sighed. Tears slowly form in my eyes. I''m going to be rejected... I''m gonna be rejected... "Hahh... you can tag along..." [Angelica] She... accepted? There, I saw the light in the dark. "T-thank you very much!" [Maria] That is how I met Angelica and Blake. They devised a strategy that made my role easier and more efficient. I haven''t felt this kind of enjoyment for so long! Then... we picked a quest for orc extermination. We all thought that it was a simple quest till we got to the place. At dawn they woke me up, there was a commotion nearby. We saw knights and adventurers fighting off the orc legion scouts. Orc legion scouts. I have read about them in books in my youth at the magic school, their drawn pictures are exactly the same, which made me shiver. Angelica wanted to help them and Blake stops her. He said it was suicidal to charge in there. "We can take them on! We have Maria as support!" [Angelica] "Even with h.." [Blake] "Right, Maria?!" [Angelica] Angelica asked me for a decision, I get various feelings of wanting to help, but I also don''t want to get them in harm''s way. "Make your decision! People are dying!" [Angelica] "I''ll help!" [Maria] At her shout, I immediately gave my answer. "Thank you..." [Angelica] "We''re going to get ourselves killed." [Blake] I agree with Blake, perhaps we may be killed here... but I put my trust in my friends! We began our attack behind them. Angelica, giving us the orders. I cast my Regular level magic ?Flame Thrower? which separated the orcs and humans safely. Eight scouts were easily felled from the fire. Blake had a bit of trouble taking them on, but Angelica was easily taking them out one by one. "W-what is that magic?" [Maria] She is shredding their armor like it was nothing. An orange glow covers the edge of her sword, each time she swings, a crimson arc appears. This is the first time that I saw her use this. We managed to save them in time. There, we discovered that the legion had already destroyed two cities and that they were in the thousands. When we returned to Cagban, we immediately ordered the evacuation and the readying of defenses. On the day of the attack. We were totally outnumbered, the legion was like water, and each time they marched it was like watching waves from the ocean. We fought until we noticed that some got into the city. A few of us left the front to engage them. As we got inside we saw an adventurer thrown, with a mortal wound. Angelica asked me to Heal him, but I couldn''t, my Healing magic is too low of a level to deal with these kinds of wounds... Angelica talked to the man in his last moments. When we heard a scream she quickly took flight, leaving the both of us. She saved the pregnant wife and we escorted her to the safety of Jose''s shop. Jose was a guy that they knew, they asked me if I can help protect this place and I agreed to it. While they were gone, we took out a lot of orcs because our magic really made a ruckus in the city. Also, I almost had an infinite amount of energy potions from Jose. Jose was impressed by my magic, he said that if it is possible he will take me as his apprentice once this is over. Angelica came back to the shop and said that the frontlines fell. We are going to do a risky move. By then, she used a thing called magic crystal. It had the spell ?Meteor Storm? in it that Jose imbued. With it, they almost wiped out the whole legion. They also fought with the Orc king. I was really worried when I saw them. Especially, Angelica, I wish I was there to support them. Yet they managed to defeat the Orc king. The rest of the events soon followed. ~~~ Now, back to our breakfast. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, they were knocking frantically. We find it weird that they weren''t saying anything as they knocked. Then it stopped, and I went to check it out... "Ahh?!!" [Maria] The door was suddenly cut apart, I screamed as it flew by me. The sound of it being destroyed woke Blake up. Angelica instantly reached for her gladius and cut the assailant''s sword. As she was about to cut them down, she stopped. "God... mother?" [Angelica] Impractical Magic Chapter 51 "Angelica." [Kate] "Why did you destroy the door godmother?" [Angelica] I questioned Kate about her action. "Say that again..." [Kate] "Why godmot... Yahh?!" [Angelica] She pounced on me! I can''t get her off! Seeing that Blake held his scabbard. I immediately waved him off. "Say godmother again!" [Kate] She said while snuggling her face close to mine. "Umm... godmother..." [Angelica] "Kyahh!! I feel so happy!" [Kate] Kate holds her body as she squirms, she looks really creepy when she does that. Did she really like being called godmother? "On topic why did you destroy the door?" [Angelica] As if being snapped out of it, she returned to her serious self. "Angelica. You are in danger." She said as she held my shoulders looking at me seriously. "She is?" [Maria] "Then we better get out of here." [Blake] I helped Maria up and Blake sat on his bed. "Why?" [Angelica] "Why?! You''re in this very castle that''s why! If the King discovered about you being..." [Kate] "He already knows." [Angelica/Blake/Maria] We all spoke in unison. "Eh??" [Kate] I told Kate what had happened and that grandfather, now only wants forgiveness. Maria, left to train her magic and Blake went back to sleep.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "So, has he also forgiven your father?" [Kate] "I... think... he does..." [Angelica] That part is what I wasn''t sure about though... "Hahh... I came here worrying about nothing..." [Kate] Kate sighs and facepalmed, seemingly relieved. "Speaking of which godmot-" [Angelica] "Kyah!" [Kate] "Kate..." [Angelica] "Uhh..." [Kate] She frowns, Kate is cute if she wasn''t all too serious and squirming like a weirdo while being called godmother. "What is your relationship with father?" [Angelica] "Re-re-relationship?! I don''t have a re-relationship with him!" [Kate] "You''re a bad liar godmother..." [Angelica] "Ky-" [Kate] She''s going to go, "Kya-kya!" Again if I hadn''t glared at her. Not only my family but also their friends have a screw loose... "I''m a friend of your father''s, we started out as knight trainees." [Kate] Oh, so it was her who is mentioned in the diary. Obviously... "We were best buds, your father, and I. We used to drink beer, fight monsters and sleep together." [Kate] "You what?!!" [Angelica] "N-not that kind of sleep together! Our barracks are unisex!" [Kate] "Isn''t that dangerous?" [Angelica] "What is?" [Kate] "How high was the pregnancy rate in the barracks?" [Angelica] "I said we weren''t like that!!" [Kate] She shouted as she protested, and huge teardrops began to form in her eyes. She''s going to cry... It''s so adorable! I wanna tease her some more! "Okay then... how did you come to know mother?" [Angelica] "It''s a requirement of course!" [Kate] Well, that was straightforward... Since they are the castle knights, they better have an idea of who they serve... "How come you and mother were close?" [Angelica] "I was part of her guard, but after some time, she only wanted Terrence to accompany her." [Kate] Did mother just remove her competition? No, she''s a nice person, she isn''t capable of doing that... ... ... right? Michelle''s image floats to my mind with a wide grin, scary... so scary. "Why are you trying to protect me then?" [Angelica] "One, I was a friend of your parents. Two, you are their daughter. Three, I''m your... kyah!" [Kate] She''s holding her face, smiling and giggling. I''m getting fed up with it... I''m gonna make her stop right now. "Kate..." [Angelica] "??" [Kate] I held her hands. "Marry me..." [Angelica] "Ehhhhhhhhhhhh?!!" [Kate] She jumped in surprise. "B-but we''re girls!!" [Kate] "I don''t care..." [Angelica] I stared deeply into her eyes, as I held her by the waist. Her face, now bright red, she couldn''t look me in the eye. "Uwah... uwahh..." [Kate] Her eyes started rolling in circles and she started foaming at the mouth. Heh, she fainted. (Pluck-klak!) I glanced at where the sound had come from. I saw Blake, staring at me wide-eyed. While he lie on his side of the bed. His sword fell to the ground. He picked it up while lying down, all the while without averting his gaze, and then returned it to its original position. After, he slowly turned his body to the opposite side facing away, without saying anything. I lifted the now-fainted Kate onto my bed and quickly left the room in a hurry. Impractical Magic Chapter 52 "Grandfather these are?" [Angelica] "Your mounts." [King Alex] Three dragons of the same species. Each come with different colors of Red, Blue, and Green. These guys aren''t Pokemon, right? {1} "We don''t know how to ride them." [Angelica] "Then let Regina and Kate teach you how." [King Alex] "Aren''t these hurricane dragons?!" [Maria] Maria''s eyes glittered when she saw the dragons. Maria is always like this whenever she sees something she likes or has interest in regarding what she had read in books. "Why are they called that way?" [Angelica] "You didn''t know?!" [Maria] Here comes Maria''s otaku mode... She should wear some shiny glasses when explaining stuff. "Hurricane dragons are born at the tropical end of the continent. They are named hurricane dragons because they live in a place known as hurricane valley, where 24/7 hurricanes rage on nonstop. Because of this, the dragons adapted by having much stronger wings and more stamina to counter the extreme wind! Also, because of staying for most of their lives in the valley, they seem to be able to gauge the changes in the wind no matter how little it is which in turn makes them very efficient at flying! They are known to be the fastest ones around and could also carry a decent amount of load! How did you even manage to get these dragons, your majesty?!" [Maria] She explained it way too fast! Even I wasn''t able to follow what she just said... "You have some... interesting friends... Angelica." [King Alex] "Heh... heh..." [Angelica] I smiled wryly... You''re the one to talk! I''ve been infected with your genes! "Good boy." [Blake] Blake caresses one dragon on the head. It''s letting him pet it, I went to another and petted it. Wow, they''re really docile, Maria went to the third one and... "Ahh?!!" [Maria] It picked her up using its mouth at the hood of her robe and slid her on its back. "Good dragon... nice dragon..." [Maria] Maria is shivering, I almost forgot that she is terrified of heights. Giving her a dragon might be a bad idea. "Maria, you can ride with me if you want." [Angelica]This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "I-I''m o-k..." [Maria] I sat on the back of my dragon. Blake was already on his. I heard the trainer speaking to grandfather. He said something about these dragons being born and raised together. How nice, they''re siblings. The dragons looked at each other and made some weird sounds. Are they communicating with one another? After they finished, my dragon looked back at me and smiled. Its smile was similar to that of the troll face meme... {2} "Hmm? May have just been my imaginatiooooooonnn?!!" [Angelica] The three dragons, suddenly flew at the same time, taking us with them. The trainer was unable to hold the rope in time. These guys are fast and I mean "really" fast! "Whoa? slow down." [Blake] Blake managed to control his easily and my dragon went in formation with his. Heh, I''m his wing woman. "How do you make this stoppppppppppppp?!!" [Maria] Maria, held tightly for dear life, as her ride whizzed passed us. Her dragon was like a jet with thrust vectoring technology. It does acrobatic maneuvers like it was nothing. "Oh fuck! Oh, fuck! OH FUUUUUUUUU!!!" [Maria] Maria cusses as her dragon dived down. I haven''t even heard her cuss before... I feel bad for her... ever since we came here, all she had was traumatic experiences... "We should help her..." [Angelica] "Yeah." [Blake] Like being in a dogfight we intercepted Maria. After sometime~ When we got back to the castle, Maria''s hair was a mess. She barfed the instant she got down... The next day, Maria "taught" her dragon. We could make a movie out of it, titled "How to teach your dragon a lesson!" Starring Maria and the poor beast. It''s funny though because afterwards, the other two dragons started to respect Maria too. Even though she hasn''t done anything to them. In a few days, Kate and Regina taught us how to fly them, but sometimes they had trouble keeping up with our speed. ~~~???~~~ Somewhere a person sitting on a sofa was conversing with his servant. "How was the reconnaissance?" "We''ve discovered that the King had a female guest, who was an inventor." "Inventor? What did she make?" "She made this." The servant revealed a small stove. "A stove? What''s so special about it?" "Try touching the fire my liege..." A hand touches the flame, and it was unharmed. "This is..." "The inventor seemed to have used a magic crystal." "Magic crystal? How?" Showing the magic crystal. The master raised a brow and he leaned over as it had piqued his interest. "It was recently discovered that you can input magic in them." "Do you know what specific magic is this?" "It is said that only the inventor knew how to invoke this kind of magic..." (Tch) The man clicked his tongue. "So it is a personal magic. What has he done with the inventor then?" "It seems like his highness is trying to build up a business relationship with the inventor, he even gave her and her companion''s hurricane dragons." "Hmf! Even I can provide something as cheap as that." The man on the sofa crosses his arms, revealing the expensive jewels that adorned his fingers and clothes in an arrogant fashion. "Certainly my liege has the power to do so..." "You flatter me~" "What is your next order my liege?" "I want you to get in touch with this so-called inventor. If you can, try to wave her over to our side. We can make use of that power if we can weaponize it." "There are rumors about her already doing it." "Oh?" "The inventor is said to have participated in the defense of Cagban from the orc invasion. It is said that without her, the defense of the city would have been for naught. The rumors of the said weapon that she wielded, were even able to cut thick armor as if it were paper." "O-ho, I want to know everything about this female inventor." "Yes, my liege. I will now take my leave." "I expect to hear great things upon your return." References {1} Reference to the color/element of the starter pokemons in pokemon games. {2} Reference to Trollface https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/trollface Impractical Magic Chapter 53 In the next two days, we''ll be departing back to our village of Libang. While staying here grandfather, had let me use the library for my research. I also spent time training my water magic and swordsmanship with Blake. Currently, I''ve been testing some stuff. It was hard for me to transition from Fire enchant to Wind enchant when attacking. I once tried to use Blake''s jian, which had the Fire enchant, but when I used it in conjunction with the Wind enchant, they canceled each other out. Blake almost always wins in our training. He''s become nearly unbeatable, which is good, but I''m slowly catching up to him as I get used to high-speed combat. Maria takes classes from Jose. She''s taught with higher-level magic, she also said that she will be taught how to do multicast. So this world has that magic huh, will Maria learn it upon reaching level 6? {1} After eating my breakfast I went straight to my grandfather for a chat. He really likes to have me as company. "Is that a new enchant?" [King Alex] "Yes... this is the Water enchant." [Angelica] While I was with grandfather I had shown him a display of how I do my enchants. By this time, I had already mastered the Novice level Water magic. The Water enchant covers the whole blade in water. As for its effects, I still haven''t found out because I had only just recently unlocked it and it is still quite unstable. I asked him if my magic is rooted within the family. Sadly, he said no, although there are some individuals who have unique magic. I had read about it in the library. Those people with unique or what they call personal magic are just a few in the world. Am I considered special then? There was also a magician that was able to stop time, is that person a maid perhaps? {2} But she was only able to use it for ten seconds which is a bummer. "You said that you didn''t want to weaponize that magic, yet you use it yourself." [King Alex] "I use it with good intentions." [Angelica] "What about that man who was with you? Do you trust him with that sword?" [King Alex] "Yes, he''s my childhood friend and without him, I may have died a couple or so times." [Angelica] "Do you like him?" [King Alex] "Hahh?!" [Angelica] I suddenly lost my concentration and the water from the enchant fell to the floor with a splash. Seeing that spectacle grandfather made a slight chuckle. "Where did that come from?!" [Angelica] "You like him." [King Alex] "I don''t!" [Angelica] "Your face is as red as a tomato." [King Alex] "Grandfather!!" [Angelica] Am I? Actually? ... "Hehe, you should be more honest with yourself." [King Alex] (Knock-knock) Just as grandfather was about to enjoy teasing me, a knock came from the door. It was Howard. "Sir you have a guest." [Howard] "I''ll meet with them at the guest lounge." [King Alex]Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "He also wants to meet ms. Angelica." [Howard] "... Who is he? I haven''t spoken to anyone regarding my meeting with the inventor." [King Alex] Certainly, this is weird, only he and a few people know about me being here. "Oscar... the retainer of prince Walter." [Howard] "I thought it was someone else." [King Alex] Grandfather frowns, it seems like this Oscar guy is bad news, he gestures for me to come. "People always spying on everyone all the time..." [King Alex] "Spying? [Angelica] I forgot that even in the medieval ages there are some spies that infiltrated other kingdoms to get valuable or secret information. Seeing that grandfather is this stressed, it may be just a normal or daily occurrence from him, I wouldn''t be surprised if we also had spies in other kingdoms. At the guest lounge. We met with Oscar, he was slightly skinny, tall, and is bald. Grandfather and I sat on the same couch. "My liege says that he was glad that you had managed to recover a bit of your strength, your highness..." [Oscar] "Does my son not have time to even visit me, yet he can send his retainers?" [King Alex] Son? Mother''s sibling? "My liege is very busy with th-" [Oscar] "He has always been busy! Busy for over six years!" [King Alex] Oscar was interrupted as grandfather shouted and struck the table with his hand. "Your highness, please understand that he already has a family of his own... Also, it''s his daughter''s 15th birthday." [Oscar] "He doesn''t even let me see my grandchildren anymore..." [King Alex] "..." [Oscar] Hearing that line Oscar was not able to say a thing. I could see the loneliness in grandfather''s eyes. "Angelica..." [King Alex] I held his hand to calm him down. Moments after he took a deep breath and sighed. "What other matters do you have." [King Alex] "I wish to speak with the inventor." [Oscar] "Go ahead." [King Alex] Grandfather seems to want to listen to what this guy has to say. If he doesn''t trust this guy around me, then I would also go and keep my guard up. "Privately. If I may." [Oscar] Grandfather''s temper shot up again, I can imagive a thermometer swelling then popping due to the stress. I looked back at him and shook my head. I told grandfather that it was fine for him to leave and that he shouldn''t worry too much. Grandfather and Howard then left me with Oscar at the lounge. "What is it do you have to ask." [Angelica] "My liege has heard of your great exploits and he wants you to utilize them for the good of all." [Oscar] He said that while playing with his hands which is like he is going to give me a good deal. I''ve seen lots like him and these are the kind of people who you would not want to be familiar with. "Utilize in what exactly?" [Angelica] "We''ve heard rumors that you have created weapons that can easily destroy armor." [Oscar] The moment he said weapons, I raised my brow. This conversation will not end well... "You do know that weapons and the word good cannot simply be mixed together right?" [Angelica] "We do not intend on using it for violence." [Oscar] "Even though you say that there will always be those who flaunt their superiority and those who will not follow orders." [Angelica] Even though the higher-ups may implement laws, there is always a chance that people, with lower ranks, will bully or harass others with this power. "Do you not see the good things this could do if we were to implement this? With those weapons, we can repel the orcs and even the undead easily!" [Oscar] "So, after we''re finished with them and have no other threat to fear of. Do you know what will happen?" [Angelica] "There will be peace and prosperity." [Oscar] "Wrong, there will be endless war and bloodshed." [Angelica] "Why is that so?" [Oscar] "People unite under one common enemy, imagine if that were removed. Strife will fill the land till there is nothing left." [Angelica] It''s like the U.S. and Russia during WW2 even though they were friends, once Germany got defeated, the Cold War followed soon after. "Well... that is only unless if there are various governing bodies." [Oscar] "You aren''t implying..." [Angelica] "Yes! To be united under one flag! One kingdom! Then, we could achieve true peace!" [Oscar] Is this guy a commi or something? "The other kingdoms wouldn''t simply hand over their authority." [Angelica] "That... could be taken care of." [Oscar] "By force and coercion?" [Angelica] "Heh, you are very wise despite your age." [Oscar] "Well, I do think like an adult." [Angelica] He glared at me and I did too so in kind. If I combined my age from my past life 19 and now 16 then I would be 35 years old. "Let us end our conversation here shall we?" [Angelica] "What do you think about fame and fortune?" [Oscar] Has he not heard what I just said? I''m not sure if he''s either deaf or stupid. "What is with royals? Are power and money all that they can think about?" [Angelica] "Why you little bit-! ... my apologies, let us have another conversation some other time." [Oscar] He tried to call me a bitch, yet he managed to control his rage, I applaud him for doing so. I stood up from the couch and before I left, I said "There won''t be a next time~" When the door closed. I could hear him cussing and yelling inside. References {1} Refers to Ogre Magi''s last skill in Dota, which can be learned upon reaching level 6. {2} Reference to Sakuya Izayoi a character from the Touhou series of bullet hell games. (which is actually true regarding the bullet-hell) I suggest to try it on easy difficulty so that you can still enjoy dyi... I mean playing. Impractical Magic Chapter 54 "How did it go?" [King Alex] "It was lovely~" [Angelica] "You really are my granddaughter! Hahahaha!" [King Alex] Grandfather tilts his head and laughs while holding his belly. He may have thought out how the conversation went through. "Is there any conflict within the family?" [Angelica] "None that I was aware of." [King Alex] I tried asking him about the current state of the family because his son seems to be dangerous... "Your son might be plotting something..." [Angelica] "..." [King Alex] Grandfather cupped his hands and leaned back in his chair, as he was deep in thought... "It is hard to imagine that my son will try to take the throne from me forcefully, but... that kind of scenario is present in other countries as well..." [King Alex] "Were you baring him from getting the throne?" [Angelica] "No, it may be because, for all these years, all of my attention was solely focused on getting Elaine back. They may have thought that I had neglected them." [King Alex] Now I regret telling him that... "I''m sorry..." [Angelica] "For what?" [King Alex] "This may add to your stress..." [Angelica] "Hahaha my child, I''ve always been stressed. Ever since I became king, there were nothing but problems. Thinking back on it, I should''ve just also eloped with your grandmother and tried to get away with it." [King Alex] Those are some dangerous words that he had just uttered. I even saw a few servants glancing for a second before continuing their work. "Heh, if you did that, then I might not have been born." [Angelica] I said to him jokingly to lighten up the atmosphere. "True." [King Alex] "Where is grandmother by the way?" [Angelica] "She... has already passed away." [King Alex] "I wish I could''ve met her." [Angelica] "She will have surely been delighted to see you." [King Alex] As he said that, I felt the sadness in his voice. Grandfather really seemed to have cherished grandmother... "Is her resting place nearby?" [Angelica] "If you ask Martha. She''ll gladly take you there." [King Alex] "Can it be possible to visit her now?" [Angelica] "Yes. I''ll also be going then, I have some matters to attend to." [King Alex] When Blake and Maria finished with their stuff. I asked them to come. The four of us rode the carriage, it took us up the hill overlooking the sea. The path to it was guarded by knights. There, we see a dozen gravestones. The hill is filled with white flowers that were dancing in the wind.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "These are the burial grounds for the royal family." [Martha] "So that''s why we see so few graves." [Blake] "It is such a privilege coming here. Thank you for taking us." [Maria] "It''s part of my duty, no need to thank me." [Martha] "These flowers are beautiful," I said as I took a close inspection of the flower. "Ah, those are called migration lilies." [Martha] "Such a beautiful name." [Maria] "It is said that the very first king planted them on this hill, to grant safe passage for his queen." [Martha] I knelt in front of my grandmother''s gravestone. I closed my eyes and offered a silent prayer. "You may not know me... but... I wanted to say thank you... for providing me with a loving family." [Angelica] We returned to the castle at dusk and are now resting in our room after we had supper. "Ugh! Why is this place so hot!" [Angelica] "Calm down Angelica, we might wake up other people." [Maria] "I have to agree with Angelica. It is indeed hot in here." [Blake] Despite sleeping on the fourth floor with wide-opened windows, there is no air gushing in. This was our problem every time we slept. We tried various stuff to counter the heat, and we slept with our thinnest clothing; not see-through lol! Took a bath before we slept. Still... after a few hours or minutes, you''d be woken up by the searing heat. "If only I had a..." [Angelica] Then it hit me... "Angelica?" [Maria] I picked up my bag that has a few magic crystals in it and a spare of clothes then went outside, because I was in a hurry I wasn''t able to answer Maria. "Martha, can I use the bath?" [Angelica] "But it''s currently closed at this hour." [Martha] "Please!" [Angelica] "Hahh... alright." [Martha] "Thanks a bunch!" [Angelica] I went inside and told Martha not to let anybody in. Inside, was a large circular pool, that could easily fit twenty people. It is shallow at the edge and goes deeper as you got to the center. I grabbed a few magic crystals and laid the bag down at the edge of the pool. Walking on the cold water that was usually hot in the morning till afternoon. Here I can be at ease... ~~~Blake~~~ Maria and I were waiting for Angelica to return, where did she go off to? We then heard a bit of commotion and running so we decided to come out. "Is it an attack?" "We still don''t know yet..." We saw two knights run past our room, they were talking about an attack? "You guys, where is Angelica?" [Kate] "She went somewhere." [Maria] "We need to find her quickly!" [Kate] "Why?" [Maria] "We may be under attack." [Kate] "What makes you think that we are currently being attacked?" [Blake] "With this!" [Kate] Kate showed us what seemed like a rock. It was a low-quality magic crystal and it''s resonating. "Sister!" [Regina] Regina runs to us. "How is the report?" [Kate] "The whole castle is in a state of alert, almost all of the magic crystals in the area is resonating!" [Regina] I checked my sword, it is indeed vibrating but was faint enough for me to notice. "We''ll assist you." [Blake] "The safety of the royal family and guests is the top priority, we cannot simply bring you along." [Kate] "Please let us help!" [Maria] "We can also fight." [Blake] Kate and Regina looked at one another. They nodded their heads. ~~~Maria~~~ For now, we''re tagging along with Regina. Kate had to leave us because she has to command the knights since she is the captain. We are searching for Angelica, but we still haven''t found her yet. We had managed to rendezvous with the King and he ordered her search. Both he and Blake had worried look on their faces... We caught the view of knights amassing outside the entrance of the indoor bath. Martha was standing outside frantically refusing to let them in. "You mustn''t enter! Someone is currently using the bath!" [Martha] "Please move, this is an emergency!" A knight was conversing with her. "What is this commotion?!" [King Alex] "Your highness?!" "Your majesty?!" [Martha] "Angelica is currently inside using the bath." [Martha] The people there were suddenly startled by the King''s voice. They immediately gave way to him. Martha, stiffened up as she was questioned. Kate went up to him and reported her findings. "Your highness, we believe that the source of the disturbance is coming from the inside." [Kate] I discovered that the magic crystal, once it got nearer to the magic source, the resonating intensifies. It is evident here, where most of the people present have them, it''s vibrating strongly. "Open it immediately! She may be the target of the attack!" [King Alex] "Understood! Men prepare for battle!" [Kate] Kate breaks down the door with a single strike. If she always does that I may get a phobia of opening or answering doors... We moved inside and walked past the changing room, we saw Angelica in the middle of the pool. There were five magic crystals, that floated all around her body. Each one of them gave a yellow-greenish glow. "Beautiful..." "?!" [Angelica] As one of the knights spoke Angelica, heard it and the magic crystals fell into the pool. She sat up revealing her clothes that had turned semi-transparent from the water, her underwear clearly visible. "W-what are you all doing here?! Martha, you let them in?!" [Angelica] Angelica quickly covered her top as she saw the mass of knights surrounding the pool. "Stop! Lookingggggg!!!" [Angelica] The attack turned out to be a false alarm. Angelica was just enchanting multiple magic crystals... I wasn''t surprised cause she also does that at the lake to make the stoves. We then went back to our room. Angelica was clearly upset by what had happened. Of course, I will too, if more than a dozen men saw me in my underwear... Impractical Magic Chapter 55 ~~~Angelica~~~ While I was enchanting the magic crystals, I heard someone. It disturbed my concentration, I knew that I told Martha to not let anyone in. When I stood up to see who it was. I saw knights by the dozens, staring at me. I''ve never thought that enchanting would make such a commotion in the castle. Kate apologized for barging in. She told me that it was an emergency so I forgave her. Afterward, she quickly dispersed the crowd to let me change. Kate, saw me in a bad mood so she thought I was upset because people saw me almost bare. I told her. What I was upset about is being unable to enchant the remaining crystals that I brought over. Those crystals were also quite heavy... "Hahh..." [Angelica] "Why did you choose to enchant at this hour?" [Blake] "Cheers! Here is the solution to our problems, behold! The crystal fan!" [Angelica] When Blake asked. I immediately brought out a yellow-green magic crystal. "Hahaha! Crystal fan..." [Maria] "You lack naming sense, Angelica..." [Blake] Maria, held her stomach trying to contain her laughter. Blake wasn''t laughing, but I could see that he was just holding back. I frowned and used the magic crystal at full strength, it then made a small twister. "Wah?! We''re sorry!" [Maria] "Stop-stop!" [Blake] By the time I stopped, all of our hairs were in a mess and so does the room with things scattered about. "So, this is what it was." [Blake] "The color is so pretty." [Maria] I finally managed to get their attention. To be honest I was kind of hurt by what they said... "This is able to generate winds at that speed for a small amount of time, but If used as a fan. It could stretch up for a whole day without needing to recharge." [Angelica] "Mind if I test it?" [Maria] "Heheh, go ahead." [Angelica] "Uwah... it''s breezy~" [Maria] Maria''s eyes shone, as she held the yellow-green magic crystal, upon using it she let out a refreshing voice as a breeze hit her face. I grabbed another crystal from my pocket and used it on Blake. "This is a great invention, I take back what I said." [Blake] His remark made me smile, I felt very happy that they both liked it. "You look cute when you smile like that." [Blake] "I-I''m not cute!" [Angelica]This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Blake''s right Angelica, you should smile more." [Maria] "Am I, not genuinely happy most of the time!!" I said in retort. "Hahahahh!" [Blake/Maria] "Muh..." [Angelica] That night we all slept soundly, in which each of us have our own crystal fan. Hmm... maybe I should change the name... ~~~???~~~ The sound of a metal cup reverberated when it hit the floor, its contents stained the expensive rug. "You what?!" [Walter] "She was against it my liege." [Oscar] "Did you try to sway her?" [Walter] "Yes, but it still didn''t work out..." [Oscar] "Shit... Did father offer her something greater, that would make her turn down even my offer?" [Walter] "There is one little thing..." [Oscar] "Enlighten me." [Walter] "While I was conversing with the both of them, when the King got angry she held his hand to calm him." [Oscar] "Are you saying that they are intimate with one another?" [Walter] "I do not know, but she does seem to care deeply for the King or it seems like she is trying to get close to him." [Oscar] "That damn whore, she thinks that she could use my father as leverage. I want her killed! Describe what she looks like!" [Walter] "Around 15-18 years old. Long blonde hair, golden eyes and a-" [Oscar] "Hold on... blonde hair?" [Walter] "Yes, she also has a necklace that looks somewhat expensive." [Oscar] "What does she look like? Can you draw her?" [Walter] "Here my liege." [Oscar] After some time. Oscar passes a somewhat well-drawn picture to Walter. "... Can it be? No... it''s impossible..." [Walter] "Shall I order the assassin''s?" [Oscar] "No... tail them for now and report what you find. You''ve done a good job, Oscar." [Walter] "Thank you my liege! I am very honored to hear that." [Oscar] Oscar then left. Walter, looks at the picture again and focuses on the necklace the girl was wearing. "Why now... sister... did you finally choose to take hold of the throne?" [Walter] ~~~Angelica~~~ The day of our journey. We''ve spent a whole day gathering what we need for our travel to Libang. The three of us are accompanied by Kate and Regina. While Jose will be returning to Cagban to attend to his shop. He will be escorted by Howard and his other knights. "Wouldn''t the castle''s defenses be reduced, if you were to escort us?" [Angelica] "Sister, shouldn''t you be staying there at the castle because you have duties?" [Regina] "It''s fine~ those guys can handle it by themselves. Also, why the heck are you coming? Didn''t royal guards have their own duties too?" [Kate] "I only want to see the person that made you the godmother of this child." [Regina] "You should refer to "That." person with respect." [Kate] "And why should I?" [Regina] "If the King heard you say that, even I wouldn''t be able to save you from execution." [Kate] I saw cold sweat run down on Regina''s face. "You still don''t get it? She is the first princess''s daughter. You do know that I simply wouldn''t agree to just be anyone''s godmother." [Kate] Regina''s mouth was agape as she stared at me. Then she pointed a finger at me and Kate back and forth. "Please, don''t stare..." [Angelica] "Ahh... sorry." [Regina] "Hard to believe isn''t it?" [Kate] "B-but how did you know it was her?!" [Regina] "I helped Terrace and Elaine elope of course." [Kate] Kate smirked and put her hands on her waist, as she arrogantly claimed. "You know... if the King heard you. I think he will more likely execute you than me." [Regina] "Regina''s got a point there godmother." [Angelica] Kate broke her stance, oh she is gonna cry... these sisters, have such a funny exchange. "Let''s go! Times are wasting!" [Blake] We got to the courtyard and our dragons are there on standby, they seem to be conversing with one another again. "Don''t try anything funny now." [Maria] Maria, leaned over as she pulled the reigns of her dragon near her head and glared at the other two. I felt a chill up my spine, is this killing intent?! Wait... is that a small wand she''s also holding near her face? I hope she doesn''t use avada kedavra {1} while we''re flying. The dragons seem to feel it too. In an instant, all of them made a column formation, like good soldiers in front of their superiors. "Good." [Maria] Maria''s so badass. I wanna be in her harem lol. "Is something the matter Angelica?" [Maria] "Uh... nothing..." [Angelica] And then we''re off. Our journey will take about five days to reach Libang, because we have the hurricane dragons as our mount, so traveling is faster than normal. Every time at dusk, we camp out for the night. Oftentimes we share stories with Kate and Regina, likewise, they also told us about their duties in the castle. After some time, we have finally reached our small village of Libang. References {1} Avada Kedavra the killing curse/spell in Harry Potter. Impractical Magic Chapter 56 We''ve arrived in Libang village. When the villagers saw us they happily went to greet us, especially the children. As expected, riding on dragons will draw us some attention. I saw some familiar faces, but Michelle and Steven doesn''t seem to be in the crowd. We talked to the villagers for a bit and played with the children. Soon after, Blake separated from us to meet with his parents. The four of us went to my house. I went and knocked on the door. The moment it opened, I jumped towards the person opening it and hugged them. "I''m home!" [Angelica] "Ahh... err... is that you Angelica?" "Eh?" [Angelica] A familiar voice fills my ear. I immediately release my embrace, it was one of the girls here. I forgot her name though because I rarely interact with her... and she''s pregnant... don''t tell me... dad got her preggo?! "Umm..." [Angelica] "If you are looking for your parents, they''re at the elder''s house..." "The elder''s house? Why are they there?" [Angelica] "You didn''t know? Ahh... I forgot, you already left when your father became the village chief." "Is it a custom or something?" [Angelica] "No it was decided by the villagers and they say that it is for the best." "I see..." [Angelica] Well, the elder''s house is situated in the middle of the village. If attacks like that happen again, then it would be easy for them to plan and prepare. At the elder''s house, I knocked. I''ll make sure to check first before hugging again so that I wouldn''t shame myself. I looked back. They all showed me wry smiles... Oh god, that is so embarrassing... Then the door opened. It''s like she hasn''t changed in two years, long blonde hair, wearing her usual apron when she''s cleaning. Even her face didn''t seem to age, it''s like we''re in a manga or anime, where you have those parents whose age is in the XX years old, yet they still looked so young! In my joy, I did the same thing again. "Mother! I''m home!" [Angelica] "A-Angelica?!" [Michelle] Michelle peeks at those behind me, she saw Maria, Kate, and Regina. "Pri..." [Kate] "Kate! N..." [Michelle] "Mother it''s alright... I already know..." [Angelica] Kate tried to greet mother by calling her princess. Michelle was about to rebuke her so I interrupted her. She took another glance and saw that they were wearing their knight armor. "Come inside. We''ll talk it over with tea..." [Michelle]Stolen novel; please report. "Thank you, princess." [Kate] "Your highness..." [Regina] "I missed you mother." [Angelica] "I''ve missed you too my daughter. By the way, who is this lovely young lady here?" [Michelle] "This is Maria, one of our party members and adventurer friend with Blake." [Angelica] "Oh, thank you for looking after my daughter." [Michelle] "Ah! It is alright your highness." [Maria] "In this house, it is prohibited to mention me in regards to royalty." [Michelle] "Y-yes! Your hi- ... Ms. Michelle!" [Maria] "Well, I guess that''s a start..." [Michelle] "Pardon us for the intrusion." [Maria] One by one we entered while showing respect. As I entered last, I gave Michelle a kiss on the cheek. Over tea, we told Michelle about what happened and how we came to meet grandfather. She had this worried look on her face, but I assured her and held her hand. "By the way, where is father?" [Angelica] "Steven? He''s out hunting with a few villagers." [Michelle] "So how is the village prin- I mean Michelle?" [Kate] "It''s good. Thank you for always sending knights to patrol every so often, we see little to no rogues or brigands." [Michelle] "It is because your telepathy is very convenient." [Kate] "Tele..." [Regina] "Pathy?" [Maria] "Oh, cra-." [Kate] "Mother?" [Angelica] "Hahh..." [Michelle] Michelle blinks as Regina and Maria interjected. Kate, then quickly covered her mouth with her gauntlet which made a loud impact sound. Kate, shows this pained expression and is about to cry, but is holding it in well. Gosh, that looks painful... Michelle sighs and stares at Kate. "Ahh! I''m sorry!! Huh? Why should I shut up? What do you mean? I''m not doing anything?" [Kate] The three of us looked at Kate seemingly confused. She was talking to herself, uh no... probably not... Michelle shakes her head from side to side as she facepalmed. "Mother... you have telepathy?" [Angelica] "... Yes..." [Michelle] "Can you try it on me?" [Angelica] Curiously I asked her. "Sorry... it seems like it doesn''t work on you..." [Michelle] "Then, is that why you kept it a secret?" [Angelica] Michelle nods as she shows a sad face. She might''ve thought that I may be disappointed if she were not able to communicate with me. "Does father know?" [Angelica] "He does..." [Michelle] "Well, that''s fine." [Angelica] "You aren''t mad?" [Michelle] "Why should I be? Everyone keeps secrets mother, including me..." [Angelica] "Wha..." [Michelle] I unsheathed my gladius and used my fire enchant. The gladius'' silver edge changed to a glowing crimson orange. "Maria, can you hand over my dagger?" [Angelica] "Here." [Maria] I held the gladius upright and the dagger over it, then dropped the dagger, it was cut cleanly in the middle. From the cut, you can see that it had melted from where it had made contact with the edge of the gladius. I lift my finger. "Angelica don''t?!" [Michelle] I smiled at her and touched the edge. It didn''t burn nor cut me. Michelle was really surprised about it. "Can I... touch it?" [Michelle] That somehow sounded erotic heheh. Then I let her, at first she retracted her finger before it even made contact with the edge. This reminded me of when Blake was scared of picking up his flaming jian. Kate and Regina also touched the gladius. Maria, refrained from doing it because she has already done it a lot of times. Yes. Maria likes to touch my sharp and hard gladius lel. "Can you also do this with our weapons?" [Kate] "I can, but... it''s difficult." [Angelica] Kate asks, but I won''t tell her for now, because I don''t want Oscar to bother me if they found out that it was that easy to imbue. Regina wasn''t surprised to see my enchant, she''s already seen it at the castle and in Jose''s shop from Blake''s jian. Even though they can touch it now before I tested it on Blake. Whereof which he got burnt and cut a lot... I''m sorry for using you as a test subject Blake... Then, there was a knock. "Honey I''m home!" [Steven] "Darling come inside there is a surprise." [Michelle] "You know that I love surprises!" [Steven] Steven opens the door to the living room and he saw all five of us... the moment he saw Kate and Regina with their armor. I felt him set his guard up and when he did that, I went to hug him. "So... have we been finally discovered?" [Steven] I told father the same thing, yet he''s still feeling tense. We''ve all decided to leave it at that. Then came the night... all of us girls will be sleeping in the living room. The elder''s house was really big and the space was plenty. "Mother, can you tell me the story of how you have met father?" [Angelica] "Me too! I want to hear your story." [Kate] "If it is alright with you your hig- Madam." [Regina] "Can I write it down? For reference?" [Maria] "Hahh... alright." [Michelle] We all huddled together in a circle with a candle as a source of light in the middle. Maria brought out some kind of diary and waited for Michelle to start. "Well, here it goes..." [Michelle] Impractical Magic Chapter 57 ~~~Michelle/Elaine~~~ Ever since I was born. Father gave me everything that I had wanted since I was his favorite. I guess you would consider me as a spoiled and arrogant girl back in the day. Doing whatever I pleased with no one to stop me, except for leaving the castle grounds. All of that changed when I became fifteen "Finally freedom!" I thought, but father would only let me out under one condition. It is only if I had a bodyguard, he then introduced me to a knight named Terrence. Everything was fine till we left. When we got to the city Terrence, became strict all of a sudden. He kept on saying that "You couldn''t do this, you mustn''t do that." And a lot of other stuff that it came to the point that I got really annoyed, so I escaped from him. I managed to get back to the castle with the help of the knights who patrolled the city. Afterward, Terrence got a good scolding from father, haha serves him right. Father summoned me to hear the side of my story. There, by the throne room. Terrence was kneeling in front of him, I went to father''s side and told him what happened. "Just because it''s your first time out of the castle, you acted like a carefree child!" [Terrence] Terrence suddenly made an outburst that it have got everyone in the throne room by surprise, including father. "If you only didn''t say. This, that, blah-blah-blah!" [Elaine] "I was only concerned about your safety!" [Terrence] Father massaged his forehead while he listened to our quarrel. "Hah... so childish..." [Terrence] "What did you just call me?!" [Elaine] "Silence!! Both of you!" [King Alex] "B-but father he..." [Elaine] "Terrence is right my beloved daughter. Even I would get mad if something happened to you, but please have some consideration for your guard and for me as well." [King Alex]Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Guhuh..." [Elaine] When father rebuked me. I saw Terrence smirking at me "Just you wait..." I said with a low tone of voice so that no one could hear. "And you Terrence..." [King Alex] "Huh?" [Terrence] "Since my daughter managed to escape from you and she risked her safety. I''m deducting 25% of your salary for this month." [King Alex] "Kuh..." [Terrence] I held my hand to my mouth and laughed silently as I stared at him. At least I got away with only a scolding hahahaha! ~~~ All of us were scared shitless when we discovered how evil my mother actually was... ~~~ "In order to not let this happen again, I''ll be increasing your guards Elaine." [King Alex] Since that day, our quarreling had become a daily occurrence. I hope that father would switch Terrence and leave me with someone who was less meddlesome. So I devised a plan... I asked a magician from the high court to teach me offensive magic. At first, the man refused, so I went to father directly to force the magician into it. I also asked one of his generals to teach me a thing or two about tactics. ~~~ "If I remember correctly, the name of the magician was Jo-se?" [Michelle] "Ahh..." [Angelica/Maria/Kate] The three of us let out an ahh, while Regina just looked sideways. Maybe she wasn''t a knight yet at that time, oh such a small world we live in... ~~~ Every day, I trained until I attained Expert level magic. Now, I can surely defend myself is what I had thought. I asked father if I can hunt some monsters and he was very happy once he heard that. He might just be happy because I''m keeping up with tradition. Now we''ve departed into the forest. I and Terrence are accompanied by a few knight recruits because father had gone to another kingdom for a meeting, so he brought the royal guard with him. I really wish that he came with us. So that I can show him how weak Terrence really is; as I defeat the monsters easily with magic in front of him. On our way there, I discussed the formation of the party. I made them do the diamond formation with me in the center. Terrence said that it should be the arrowhead formation and I should be at the far back. I rejected his idea and said to him that with my formation, they would be able to protect me easily as the center, otherwise with his formation, I''ll be exposed. The knight recruits also agreed with me and seeing that I have the majority he finally backed down. I can see that he''s pissed. ~~~ "Kate, Regina..." [Michelle] "Yes?" [Kate] "Your highness?" [Regina] "Before I continue. I just want to apologize in advance..." [Michelle] "You don''t have to princess." [Kate] "Umm... can I ask why?" [Regina] "No... I want to apologize, if you have any friends or know anyone who was with me during that time..." [Michelle] Michelle, bowed her head till it was the same level as the floor. We can see tears forming in her eyes. Both Kate and Regina frantically asked Michelle to raise her head. The atmosphere became tense as we somehow understood what she meant. (Gulp) I heard Regina swallow her saliva. Maria stopped writing to listen more clearly. After steeling herself. Michelle continued on with the story... Impractical Magic Chapter 58 We got off the carriage at the edge of the forest. In just a few minutes of walking, we already encountered a monster. It was a mutant bear since I requested for this hunt, I have the privilege of killing it. At the distance, I used ?Air Cutter? It didn''t damage the mutant bear. It just managed to take its attention, it then charged toward us. The recruits tried to stop the bear but still... it got past them. Terrence managed to decapitate it with a single strike. Even though I was grateful, I was still mad at him for stealing my kill. For two hours, even the knight recruits had a kill of their own. Only I was the one left and I started to get frustrated. After hunting, we took a rest. They cooked the animals that we have hunted, except for others that weren''t edible. I sat on the far side of the campfire. Terrence and those recruits were merrily eating and talking about how fun it was. While they were busy enjoying themselves. I took the time to escape, that way no one can hinder me from getting my kill of the hunt. "I''ll show you that I could hunt a monster on my own." [Elaine] I''ve managed to walk far enough, but I haven''t seen any monsters. It was really hard not knowing how to track them. And then, I saw a white monster. It was a small one sitting by the edge of a cliff, its back facing mine. I silently began casting ?Firebolt? it takes three seconds to cast, then I fired it at the monster. It struck it around the torso and then it leaned forward. "Yes!" [Elaine] I shouted. Then I saw something emerge from the cliff. It was a huge hand, it then plucked the ?Firebolt? off... It stood up with its back still facing me, as it turned I was gripped with dread. It was an ogre... what I hit was the lump on its head. Standing at five meters tall, it was only sitting on the edge. I''ve miscalculated... Unable to move. The ogre stared me in the eye. It picked up a boulder that is nearby and charged at me as it roared, because of my fear. I couldn''t even move my legs and just stood there. I will surely die if I didn''t do anything. "Earth Spear! Violent Gale! Flamechaser!" [Elaine] I used my Apprentice-level spells so I could instantly bring them to bear, but they didn''t inflict as much damage. The ogre quickly closed in, I know that I can''t dodge even if I tried, that''s the reason why I decided to be a magician in the first place... I wasn''t ready to die yet. I was scared... "Someone... somebody... I don''t want to die... I don''t want to die!" "Princess!" [Terrence] "Protect her majesty!" I heard a familiar voice, it was Terrence and the knights. They went to block the ogre with Terrence at the front.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "I will take it on, you guard the princess!" [Terrence] "Rog- Ahh?!" When we heard one of the recruits scream, we looked in his direction. Another ogre is holding the recruit by the leg and the next thing that happened is... (Crunch-munch-munch) It lowered the recruit to its mouth and ate him. The sound of his crunching bones echoed with every move of its jaw. "Kevin!!" A recruit screamed for his comrades'' name just as the ogre threw what was left of the recruit''s body. Only a single leg was left with the thigh pad and metal boot still on it... "Ahh?!" (Bam!) Another scream from the opposite side just before a loud sound silenced it. It was another ogre, it crushed the recruit with a huge club. Bloodstains scattered from where the impact had hit. "T-three ogres?!" "We''re all going to die!" "Do not falter! We can take them on!" [Terrence] Terrence tried to calm them, but the recruits still panicked. One by one they fell, and when only four of us are left the two recruits ran for their lives. Two of the ogres followed them. "Let''s run!" [Terrence] "B-but the knig-" [Elaine] "You said that you don''t want to die right?!" [Terrence] Terrence held my hand and lead the way as we ran. ~~~ Michelle stopped for a bit. I wiped her tears with some cloth and she smiled at me. I can see Maria''s hand shaking. Well, we all are... one ogre is already a bad foe to fight against, but two more... if the knights weren''t recruits, the outcome may have been different... Regina seems a bit different, she''s sweating all over. "I... I was supposed to accompany you on that day. I missed the carriage by only a few minutes..." [Regina] From saying that we focused our attention on her. So she was a recruit too at that time, she''s very lucky. "I''m sorry..." [Michelle] "..." [Regina] The mood was getting a bit heavy... I better say something. "Mother, please continue..." [Angelica] She looked at my face, she may have understood my intention and continued on. ~~~ Terrence and I managed to hide inside of a hollow tree. It is a bit cramped for two people, I was shaking very heavily. Nearby, we heard branches breaking as they were being stepped on. The third ogre was searching for us. From it, my shaking intensified that it made my equipment bump into the tree and was audible enough to hear. Once the breaking of branches stopped, my heart sank with the thought of the ogre might have noticed us. I felt Terrence hugging me tightly and whispered "It''s going to be alright... don''t be scared. I''m here for you." With that, I managed to calm down. His embrace provided me with a sense of security... Then we felt the whole tree shake. In a second the tree was uprooted, exposing us from the ogre. It was two of them. "Run princess." [Terrence] Terrence, quickly drew his spear as he moved in front of me. "N-" [Elaine] "I SAID RUN!!" [Terrence] He''s going to fight alone? He will surely die if I leave him, but I will only hinder him if I stayed... Any options will have the same outcome. Even if I stayed I will die if I run, there is also the chance that the other ogre is still out there, or the second ogre will go after me. If I''m going to die anyway I don''t want to be alone... I may as well die here with him... "Please put your trust in me." [Terrence] When he said that I could see in his eyes full of conviction. "I''m sorry!" [Elaine] I have said my goodbye and ran. The second ogre glanced, I was certain that it was going to run after me. It dashed for me and used the tree that we hid from as a club, then... (Bam!) "You''re not going to pass me! I''m going to protect her with my life!!" [Terrence] Terrence stabbed the ogre in the ankle and it fell. I was surprised at how he instantly did that. He may win this, no... he can win this. My personal knight... Terrence. I ran as far as I could and hid somewhere. I was lucky to not encounter any monsters on the way. It has almost been two hours since I went into hiding. When I went to look for him it had started to rain. While walking around. I heard something "So I''ll be dying of blood loss huh? Well, I guess this is better than being eaten or crushed to death." "Terrence!" [Elaine] I can hear him, but... where is he? "Uh... I''m starting to hear stuff too." "Terrence, where are you?!" [Elaine] "Get out, voice from my head, at least let me enjoy dying in peace." "You stupid idiot!! Don''t you dare die on me now that you''ve promised to protect me!" [Elaine] ~~~ "That sounded very much like him." [Kate] "I know right?" [Michelle] "Hahahah!" [Michelle/Kate] Mother and Kate laughed as they talked about father. Impractical Magic Chapter 59 I tried to use my ears to locate where he was "If only I know where you were..." I thought to myself. "I''m beside a stream." "Wha..." [Elaine] I was surprised, even though I had only thought of it, he answered me. I tried it again "Terrence, keep on talking." "That''s easy for you to say..." It was then that I discovered that I''ve had telepathy and told Terrence about it. While searching for him, we kept talking to one another. After some time I found the stream, there was blood flowing on the water upstream. "Damn..." [Terrence] "Terrence?" [Elaine] "Don''t come to me, princess." [Terrence] I didn''t like what he said. Cold sweat poured down my back, I had a bad feeling. Even though I was already running I picked up the pace. "Haven''t you ogre''s had enough?" My fears were realized when I heard him. He may have been heard by the ogre while we were talking. Then I found him. Lying on his back, his bloodied hand dipping the stream, where the blood had come from earlier... The ogre was walking towards him, its mouth dripping with saliva. "Surge! Earth Spike! Flamethrower!" [Elaine] I fired off spell after spell, but the ogre pays no heed to it as it kept on walking to Terrence. Ogres are known to focus only on one thing be it fighting, killing, or eating... "Run princess..." "No!! This time I won''t leave you!" [Elaine] I shouted at him If it''s our time to die so be it! "That''s?!" [Elaine] There was a sword stuck on the back of the ogre, so it was the third ogre that had attacked us. I began to cast my expert-level magic. The ogre picked up Terrence. I was scared that my spell cast may be too slow and might be too late, but if my concentration wavered now my casting will break.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "EARTH PILLAR!!" [Elaine] I prayed... "Please reach... Please!!" The ?Earth Pillar? had hit the back of the ogre with such force that the sword pierced through the front, like a hammer hitting a nail. It drops Terrence on the floor before falling by the stream. I went up to Terrence and helped him up. "Stupid princess..." [Terrence] "Idiotic knight..." [Elaine] "Thank you..." [Terrence] "Guhuh..." [Elaine] I hugged him and cried. ~~~ "That was amazing!" [Maria] "Continue-continue." [Regina] "Eheh..." [Michelle] Mother plays with her hair in embarrassment. "Next chapter please!" [Angelica] "We''re still not finished with this chapter!" [Michelle] Why did she suddenly get mad? ~~~ Along the way. I backtracked a bit to look for any potions that the knights may have brought with them but most if not all are either empty or shattered, due to the fight with the ogres. Terrence, warned me not to go too far for fear that we might encounter another monster, so I had stopped and helped him move to a safer location. That night we have managed to find shelter in a cave. Small enough to fit four people and narrow enough to make monsters have difficulty getting inside. "Argh!" [Terrence] "Sorry..." [Elaine] I mended Terrence''s wounds using my clothes as bandages. I was now regretting that I didn''t try to go and learn even a bit of Healing magic... "Ah..." [Elaine] "..." [Terrence] Terrence, patted me on the head while I was leaning in front of him. Even though he is wounded, he''s still worried about me... He tries to look at me but then looks away whenever our eyes meet. He kept doing this for a while, which was cute. "Heheh..." [Elaine] "Wh-what is it?" [Terrence] As I giggled, his face became red. I was going to use my ?Flame? spell to start a fire, but Terrence stopped me. If I made a campfire inside the cave, the smoke might suffocate us since this is a small space. I also can''t do it outside, because it was raining. "Take off your armor." [Elaine] "Princess?" [Terrence] His face is flustered. It''s obvious that I didn''t mean that. "If you leave it on you''ll catch a cold." [Elaine] "It''s fine." [Terrence] "I didn''t save you, only to lose you to a mere cold!" [Elaine] "And I didn''t save you, only to put yourself in danger again princess." [Terrence] "Elaine." [Elaine] "What?" [Terrence] "Call me Elaine... it''s a hassle if my personal knight always addresses me with formalities..." [Elaine] "Elaine..." [Terrence] "..." [Elaine] "Why are you being so silent all of a sudden?" [Terrence] "H-how would I know s-stupid?!" [Elaine] ~~~ Michelle is such a tsun... I can''t wait to know how she got to be a dere-dere. ~~~ He slowly took off his armor, I cannot even take my eyes off of him. There I sa- ~~~ "Kyahh!" [Kate] "Kya-kya." [Regina] Kate and Regina suddenly screamed interrupting Michelle, well they''re girls so I guess that''s fine... Anyway, why is Regina also going "Kya?" Is it like a family thing or something? These sisters... "Hahh..." [Maria] And here on the side is Maria. Holding her face with both hands while blushing... "Gyah!" [Angelica] In order to go with the flow, I also did the same, but they all cast a weird look at me. What? Did they know that I''m faking it? Or does it really have to sound like "Kyah?" Impractical Magic Chapter 60 "Ehem-ehem." [Michelle] Michelle coughs, then continues. ~~~ So... as he took it off, I saw the extent of his wounds. It was quite severe, with a fracture here and there, a broken rib, and a deep gash. Maybe from his armor, it must have been an impact type, possibly from the ogre''s club. My long skirt now turned into a short as I cut off the cloth to be used as bandages. Since my clothes are also wet I took it off and also the corset, leaving only the underwear left. I used my wet clothing to wipe the blood from Terrence''s torso. As I wiped the blood, I saw his well-developed body. From his training. The muscles were hard and it had these magnificent ridges. I stopped to look at this marvel and as I looked up. I saw Terrence, our eyes locked, this time I was the first to break away from my gaze. Cold air blew from outside making me shiver. "Are you cold?" [Terrence] "I-Isn''t it obvious?" [Elaine] "..." [Terrence] "..." [Elaine] He asked an obvious question, so I gave him an obvious answer without much thought, we then both became silent. "In our village." [Terrence] "Hmn?" [Elaine] "In our village. When camping out and we have no fire available, we huddled together in groups to keep ourselves warm during the night..." [Terrence] I wanted to ask him if it was a joke, I but sat next to him otherwise... The next day... "Mmn..." [Elaine] "Good morning." [Terrence] "G-good morning..." [Elaine] "Have you slept well?" He said. As I notice that I had used his arm as a pillow. "Yes... how are your wounds?" [Elaine] Getting up I checked for his bandages. "I''ve managed to recover a bit." [Terrence] (Blerrb!) "Hahahahah! Aw!!" [Terrence] "S-sorry!" [Elaine] He laughs at me when my stomach growled. I elbowed him on reflex by the wound...If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "I''ll go out." [Terrence] "Why?" [Elaine] "To go get breakfast." [Terrence] "Where would you get breakfast in this large fore- Ahh..." [Elaine] So he meant hunting for food, but I don''t want him to move, for it might reopen his wounds. "I''ll go instead." [Elaine] "No, there may still be dangerous monsters outside." [Terrence] "Please put your trust in me." [Elaine] "Hahh... just be careful, if it becomes dangerous run back immediately." [Terrence] I held his hand as I said that. With a sigh, he agreed, yet he was still concerned about my safety. I put on my clothes and he wore his. As I tied the lace on my back I saw him looking. Well... I''m not mad, I''ve already seen his body too. My clothes is still a bit wet, but not to the point that I''m uncomfortable with it. So I finally head out and after some time I have found myself a squirrel. "Earth Coffin!" [Elaine] ?Earth Coffin? encased the squirrel instantly, as it opened... "Ugh..." [Elaine] The squirrel was crushed flat, it was completely inedible. Slowly I''m starting to learn from my failures. I''ve already killed a bunch of monsters, but couldn''t get them back, because they were either riddled with holes or burned to ash... There are also times when some monsters managed to escape me. This time, I got a subterranean rabbit. I was lucky that it stuck its head out of its burrow and managed to decapitate it with an ?Air Cutter? spell. As I went back. I met Terrence on the way. He said, "I thought something had happened." Since I was out for too long he got worried and searched for me. It also opened his wound... when we got back I scolded him because of it. "Okay, time to roast you." [Elaine] "Elaine, wait-wait-wait!" [Terrence] "Hmn?" [Elaine] "You need to skin it first before you cook it." [Terrence] Back at the cave. I was about to cook the rabbit that I caught, but Terrence stopped me as I was about to put it in the campfire. Terrence brought out his knife and started skinning it. I looked away because it was kind of gross... After cooking it, we ate the rabbit. It lacks taste and needs some seasoning. I made some drinkable water using water magic. Magic is really a useful thing. On the second day, I redo the same thing, and Terrence skins the food. On the third day... "Uhh... good morning Terrence." [Elaine] "Hahh... huff..." [Terrence] "Terrence?!" [Elaine] When I went to greet him. He was lying there breathing profusely. "H-hot!" [Elaine] He has a high fever. I didn''t know what to do, I tried to talk to him, but he wasn''t responding. Terrence told me that a search party may be coming, so we should stay put. I wanted to go out and get some help, but it would only leave him unprotected. So I decided that it would be better just to stay. At night he started to shake, I moved him a little closer to the entrance by the campfire. I know that starting a fire may attract monsters, but this was an emergency. By the entrance, I had a 180* view of the outside. The fire got the cave well-lit, but it was hard to see further than five meters out because of the lush vegetation. During that time I was on total alert for any monster attack and was ready to use my spells at a moment''s notice. I kept Terrence close to me and the campfire as much as possible and never slept. By morning I was at my wit''s end and started blacking out. "They''re here!!" "Thank God..." [Elaine] Just as when I was about to lose consciousness, I saw a group of knights rallying towards me. They might have seen the smoke coming from the campfire and used that as a beacon. "Princess?!" "Terrence?" "Heal them! And use ?Cure? on Terrence immediately!! He is dying of infection!" "Yes, sir!" We were saved in time by the rescue party. I was told that if Terrence hadn''t been by the campfire then he may not have survived the night, which made me thankful for what I did. ~~~ (Knock-knock!) "Wah?!" [Maria] "Oh, it''s Blake." [Angelica] Blake suddenly knocked on the window and startled Maria who was near it. I led him inside. "You do know that it''s the dead of night right?" [Angelica] "Sorry... I just noticed the light from the window." [Blake] "Are you sure that you weren''t peeking?" [Angelica] "Why would I do that?!" [Blake] "Heheh... I was just joking. Come..." [Angelica] "Sorry for the sudden intrusion..." [Blake] Impractical Magic Chapter 61 It had been a week since the incident. As for the recruits who were wiped out... the investigation team just said that the ogre attack and due to their inexperience gave them no chance of surviving. So knight training became even harder... "Good morning Terrence." [Elaine] "Good morning prin-." [Terrence] "It''s Elaine. How many times do I have to tell you that?" [Elaine] "Allow me to correct myself... Good morning Elaine." [Terrence] "Mmn-mmn better." [Elaine] I smiled at him and he shyly looked away, this has now become a daily occurrence. Every morning when I open the door of my room he greets me like this outside. He comes with me wherever I go. When I go to mother''s grave, at parties in the castle and also during my magic lessons. When we got back. I''ve decided to learn some Healing and Supportive magic. So that I can heal and treat injuries whenever possible, because of what had happened I never want to experience that again... I''ve noticed that was getting difficult for me to go around the city in incognito, because of my extra knight escorts. From that, I requested father to allow only Terrence to look out for me. At first, he was reluctant, but when I told him that Terrence defeated the three ogres while defending me, he changed his mind. ~~~ "Wait, aside from Terrence aren''t the extra escorts supposed to be only two?" [Regina] Mother shows a mischievous smile. "Ahh." [Maria/Kate/Regina/Angelica] Blake just looked at us dumbfounded... he didn''t know how evi... cunning Michelle really was... ~~~ Since that day, I went out with him. Some of which are dates, but he doesn''t seem to know it was... I asked father if he could have his generals teach me more about strategies and formations. After learning and improving via trial and error I''ve managed to get the hang of it. I''d just have to factor in a few stuff to make sure that my plan would work. Like morale, numbers, terrain, weather, equipment, training, supplies, specialty and the type of enemy, we or they are facing. ~~~ Well, that was certainly a few... ~~~ My skills were tested when there was a threat against the kingdom. Originally, the Blackrock Republic was a small nation and because of that, other nations try to invade our territory. In the past, because of our small and weak presence. Negotiations weren''t possible and they just took us as small-fry. But as I''ve led our forces. We''ve managed to push them back and got a part of their territory too, until our kingdom grew and the attacks have ceased, that is for now... Now that our kingdom is big. Father, has gotten a lot busier, and also because of that, he has given me more guards in which I cannot simply turn down. It would be problematic if I was suddenly kidnapped and taken hostage by another country or kingdom. My strolls to the city became lesser as father became strict with my security, so I was almost always in the castle like before...This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Terrence, knowing the person I am, knew that I wouldn''t stay still... and so he helped me snuck out of the castle. During that time there wasn''t any restraint so I was able to fully enjoy the city while with him. He took me to places where people flocked like the market, there I saw people merrily doing their business. Selling their wares, I''ve also eaten at food stalls. I never knew that the food there was that delicious. Most of the food that I ate in the castle was prepared by cooks, I had already tasted most of them ever since I was a child. Now their menu mostly consists of the same food in a rotation of at least a month, so I am getting sick of eating the same stuff over and over again. He also took me to various shops like the magic store, where they sell potions and stuff, we got to enter a weapon shop too. I saw various weapons on display and it was eye candy. I felt like I wanted to clear the shelves and just take them home with me. ~~~ "Finally! I have found a connection!" [Angelica] I held mothers hands and that my smile was ear to ear. ~~~Blake~~~ If we talked about weapons. Angelica can go for hours chatting with them. She enjoys talking casually with her mother. "There were also greatsword''s on display, I wanted to wield them, but they were too heavy..." [Michelle] Michelle suddenly became gloomy after saying that. Angelica... gestured at her to come nearer. She whispered something in Michelle''s ear when she heard it their eyes lit up and sparkled. "The possibilities are endless!" [Angelica] "Right-right!" [Michelle] They are both jumping at the same while their hands are held together. They also hymn in unison. I wonder what it is that they talked about? Then... I saw them both drooling at the edge of the lip... They really are mother and daughter!! I just wryly smiled and looked around. Aside from Maria, who was already used to it. Kate also showed me the same wry smile, so she too knew about it huh... "Well back to the story." [Michelle] ~~~ We stayed for a bit and I kept on looking at a knife. It had this beautiful decoration on it, with a golden handle a violet gem at the pommel a red gem at the guard coupled with other smaller gems. I tried to reach for it but was stopped short by a dwarf. "I would like it if you''d remove your hood first before checking it out miss." It made a commotion within the shop, the other shoppers looked at us suspiciously. Well, I''m not mad, since we did look suspicious considering our get-up. We wore a hooded cape, he might''ve mistaken me for a thief. Terrence got in front of me to confront the dwarf. "Is there any problem?" [Terrence] "I was just asking if you can both take your hoods off." "Why? Is that a way you should treat a patron?" "Already heard of that excuse before. I have had my weapons stolen a couple of times so I''m not taking any chances." In a low tone, I called Terrence. "Terrence we''re leaving." [Elaine] "Yes." [Terrence] As we were about to exit. The door was blocked by a crowd. Their weapons at the ready. "You''re acting more suspicious." "Show your face, if you try to fight well make sure that you won''t get away unscathed." The people said as they started to threaten us. Terrence was ready to draw his spear at any moment. In order to defuse the situation, I removed my hood. "?!!" "P-p-princess?!" Terrence, seeing that I had removed my cover, he also went to remove his. "It''s her personal guard Terrence?!" "The one who killed a dozen ogres single-handedly?!" "I''m sorry! Please don''t execute me!" They all dropped their weapons and immediately gave way to the door, even as far as keeping it open for me. Somehow there was a rumor that Terrence, exterminated a dozen ogres circling around the city since he was the last surviving knight and my personal guard, they thought that he was that strong. "Whoa... It''s the princess!" "Also Terrence?!" The dwarf was frozen stiff at the counter. When we got outside there was an uproar. As I walked about a meter... "I-I''m sorry princess!!" It was the dwarf, he was holding something in his hand. "Please have this as my apology!" "No... you don''t have t-" [Elaine] He immediately took my hand and handed me a small box. What it contained was the knife that I had looked at earlier. I took it out, the gem shines as the sunlight hit it, it was really beautifully designed as I got to inspect it. The blade was made of mythril, aside from being strong it is designed also very well, making this an expensive item... In order not to be impolite to the dwarf by giving it back, I returned it in the box and slid it into my pocket. "Thank you." [Elaine] "Again I apologize for my rash behavior..." "It''s alright, you are just running your business." [Elaine] After I smiled at the dwarf and he blushed and made a bow. We started to walk away, but not far from them I could still hear people shouting. "The princess brought a knife from this shop!" "Is he a famous blacksmith?" "How wouldn''t he be? He had the princess at his shop!" When we got back to the castle. I got a scolding from father... Impractical Magic Chapter 62 When father discovered that I was sneaking out. He made sure to hire someone to tail us. If we had the time. Terrence took me outside in the afternoon, we manage to lose them at the market when I shouted that they were the princess. Since they were wearing hoods similar to ours. In an instant people flocked to him and we got away. For the time being, we hid at the pub. There I had my first taste of alcohol and also my first time getting drunk. Terrence carried me over to an inn. When I woke up it was already nighttime. "You sure have a low tolerance to alcohol." [Terrence] "S-sorry..." [Elaine] I tried to walk, but my head was spinning. When I tripped, Terrence caught me in his arms. "You still need to rest." [Terrence] We waited for it to subside and then left. "Hey wanna see something?" [Terrence] "See what?" [Elaine] "It''s a secret..." [Terrence] So I followed him and we went into the forest outside the city. The path was quite dense but decent enough to go through with some effort. "We''re here." [Terrence] I was speechless, what I saw was a beautiful sight. Even though my feet hurts from walking, it suddenly went away as I saw this marvel. We were at the royal grave site because the normal route was guarded. Terrence showed me a secret path through the forest. "Did you know that migration lilies bloom only at the end of each month?" [Terrence] "No... I didn''t..." [Elaine] As the migration lilies bloom, they release a faint blue light that was carried off by the wind. Filling the whole field with light. "It is said that the lilies got their name from this event, where the souls of the departed would be guided by the light of the lilies into the afterlife." [Terrence] "It''s so beautiful Terrence. Thank you..." [Elaine] I wish that I could stay here forever and enjoy this rare sight. I glanced at Terrence. When he noticed, he also glanced at me. As our eyes locked, I slowly moved my face closer to his. He isn''t moving away. "Is it alright?" I thought. "It''s okay..." [Terrence] I blinked twice. I forgot about my telepathy... as I heard of his assurance we kiss under the field lit by blooming migration lilies... When we got back to the castle, it was already midnight. Terrence escorted me to my room.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Would you like to stay for the night?" [Elaine] "E-eh?" [Terrence] "I was joking-joking~" [Elaine] His face lit red and I bid him good night. That was the start of our secret relationship. A few months after. Father, returned from his trip from another kingdom and I was eating breakfast with him. "Ahh, speaking of which I''ve met this prince. He has good humor and was very talented." [King Alex] "What are you saying, father?" [Elaine] "You''ve now reached the rightful age to marry and we have already arranged for your wedding." [King Alex] "That''s?! Did he agree to it?!" [Elaine] "Yes, you might not remember it, but you''ve already met him once at a party, but due to circumstances. He wasn''t able to stay for too long." [King Alex] "I don''t want to marry someone who I didn''t like." [Elaine] "If you are talking about facial features. I can say that he is handsome, he also holds great influence." [King Alex] "Neither of that interests me. I''d just rather marry a commoner!" [Elaine] "Stop being so selfish! All these years I''ve let you do what you want and because of that I had nearly lost you, but my single request you wouldn''t even grant it?!!" [King Alex] Everyone in the dining room stopped. They were all shaken by father''s voice, even I... I stood up and looked him straight in the eye, then left soon after. I locked myself inside my room. I''ve lost count of how many days it has been. I only let Martha and the other maids tend the room and bring me food. It was then that I heard that my marriage was nearing, from one of the maids gossiping outside the door and Terrence was training to be the next knight captain. So... that''s why he wasn''t able to come... Five days left... until my wedding... Then there was a knock on my door. It was father... "Elaine open this door at once!" [King Alex] "No!" [Elaine] "If you don''t, we''ll break this door down!!" [King Alex] "Try it! My spell is at the ready!!" [Elaine] "Terrence?" [King Alex] I heard father say his name. "Hah... alright, you go talk her out of it, but if she still persists..." [King Alex] Multiple footsteps retreated from the hall. Then came a knock. "Prin... Elaine." [Terrence] I unlocked the door, looked out to check, and let him in. Then I sat on my bed, he took the chair and sat in front. "Maybe you should agree to it." [Terrence] "You are the last person that I want to hear that from..." [Elaine] "..." [Terrence] "What about us? Us! Terrence?!" [Elaine] "What is it do you really want?" [Terrence] "What I want is..." [Elaine] "I''m just a knight with no royal background, are you sure that you''re fine with me?" [Terrence] "Didn''t you know that father was once an adventurer? When he got married to my mother." [Elaine] "That is different from now, for what we know is if he wanted you to marry the prince. Then... he may not have any expectations from me and when he realizes that his daughter had a relationship with a commoner..." [Terrence] "Still, we can say it to him." [Elaine] "Did you know what will happen if this comes out? The prince would be enraged and may choose to take over your kingdom. Also... if a scandal like this were to be heard by the populace." [Terrence] "So... you were just thinking about yourself, after all this time?" [Elaine] "It''s not tha-" [Terrence] "Out..." [Elaine] "Elai-" [Terrence] "I SAID GET OUT!!" [Elaine] He left without saying a word. I locked it and then leaned my back against the door as I cried. Fourth day... I got out and had breakfast with father. My eyes were still red from my crying the whole night. We ate and finished silently. After, father talked about how the ceremony would start and who will be the guests for the wedding. I don''t want to hear it... it went into one ear and out of the other... The third day... I steeled myself... no matter how much I prepare it was still painful... every night I cried. By the balcony I heard a chirp, there was a gryphon. I quickly pulled out my knife and assumed a defensive stance to invoke a spell. Then, I noticed that there was something tied around its neck. I slowly moved nearer, yet it doesn''t seem to be aggressive. I pat its head and it rubbed its face on mine. I undid what was fastened and the gryphon flew off. It''s a parchment, slightly crumpled and the drawing was what I can say is hideous, but I easily understood that the writing is from Terrence. It was a series of plans, on what route we should avoid, and places to stay over. Almost everything is off-road, but there was no destination... At the end, there was a note... It says... "Sorry if you thought that I was inconsiderate... the truth is I didn''t know what to do. This plan is set for tomorrow, we only have one shot at this and everything is all set. If you are still willing to be with someone like me I''d risk it all just to be with you..." -Terrence. After reading it I hugged the letter close to my heart... Impractical Magic Chapter 63 Second day before the wedding. I have memorized each and every detail of the plans, with a little improvisation, and filled in the blanks. Terrence doesn''t seem to know about the shifting of knights, their schedules, and secret checkpoints. Before I left the room, I leave the paper to burn in a metal jar as my room lacked a fireplace. Then stepped outside and initiated the plan. "Father, I wish to go and see the city one last time." [Elaine] "My daughter, even if you marry, you can still come to visit here whenever you want." [King Alex] "But father, I also planned on buying a gift for my fiance." [Elaine] "Well, it would certainly be rude if you don''t have a gift that you''ve brought yourself. Fine then... Terrence, please escort my daughter." [King Alex] "Yes, your majesty." [Terrence] I had lied to father about buying gifts to exchange for my wedding vows. I was really anxious whether he would agree to it or not because leaving the castle is only the first step in our plan. Thankfully he agreed without trouble. When Terrence and I got to the city there was already a wagon waiting for us. Inside were maps and some food, but... "Why is there only so little food?" [Elaine] "There has been a change of plans, because of the preparation for your wedding the kingdom has tightened and increased security. The other kingdom has also sent their knights for the security of the prince. So we plan on abandoning this in a few hours." [Terrence] "Where will we go?" [Elaine] "Let''s talk about that once we get out of here." [Terrence] "..." [Elaine] "Elaine..." [Terrence] "Ye-" [Elaine] Terrence hugged me and he spoke the words that I longed to hear for so long... "Elaine... I love you..." [Terrence] ~~~ "Kyah!!" [Kate/Regina] "Hearing stories like this is so wonderful..." [Maria] Kate and Regina were fangirling, well... I''ll let it slide for now... While Maria tried to hide her blushing face as if she had just listened to a nice fairytale... Then, I felt someone holding my hand and I checked who it was... It was Blake''s. Now, he was going to hold it up with both hands, don''t tell me that he''s going to confess?! I still haven''t even thought of an excuse yet! "Wah?!" [Angelica] I retracted my hand by reflex. In doing so we attracted some attention... "Ange-" [Blake] "Not now!" [Angelica] "Angelica!" [Blake] He held me by the shoulder, were now face to face. The others were just staring at us... I looked at Maria for help but she just shyly looked away. Then, Kate... what is with that weird assed face she''s making! And why is there smoke coming out from her nose?! Next is Michelle... she was silently cheering "Go-go-go!" Hey! Your daughter is going to get forcefully kissed! That is not how a good parent should act!! My last hope is Regina. She seemed normal and composed. Then she... smiles and goes into a trance-like state. She is petting something that is small and invisible... don''t tell me that she''s imagining on petting my children?! I returned my gaze to Blake. Oh shit... he''s really serious... Why is my heart racing?! Stop beating so fast, you stupid heart! You''re going to give me a heart attack!! He slowly leans forward and touches my back... I can feel his fingers digging into it... then he embraced me. "Stop moving." [Blake] "Hah... hahh..." [Angelica] As he whispered, I felt his hot breath hitting my ear, my breathing became erratic. Being this close, I was sure that he could feel my heartbeat. "Got it." [Blake] "Huh?" [Angelica] He moves away as he was holding something in his hand.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Ahh, it''s just a huge beetle... ... ... ... wah-wah-wah-wah-wah..." [Angelica] "?! Everyone restrain her quickly!!" [Blake] I stroked my hair over and over, a huge beetle the size of an apple crawled on my back without me noticing it. ~~~Blake~~~ "Ange-" [Blake] "Not now!" [Angelica] As we were listening to Angelica''s mother. A bug flew in from the window and landed on her back. I grabbed her hand so that she wouldn''t move, but it only startled her. I tried to tell her about it, but she stopped me before I was able to do so, did she think that I was interrupting her from listening? "Angelica!" [Blake] In order to get her attention, I shouted and held her shoulders. She stiffened up when I did that, she then started glancing at everyone in the room, did she already notice it? I slowly got near her, so that I wouldn''t surprise the bug and if possible reach and remove it. I''m worried that it may be dangerous. "Stop moving." [Blake] "Hah... hahh..." [Angelica] She started to squirm so I whispered for her to stop. I could feel her tense breathing and also her heart was beating very fast. "Got it." [Blake] "Huh?" [Angelica] I grabbed the bug by the back. Oh, it''s only a wood beetle. It isn''t dangerous, as I and the other kids used to play with them. "Ahh, it''s just a huge beetle... ... ... ... wah-wah-wah-wah-wah..." [Angelica] "?! Everyone restrain her quickly!!" [Blake] She''s showing the signs... "Ex-ex-exterminate!!" [Angelica] "A-Angelica calm down!" [Maria] Maria held her by the waist. She''s being shaken around by Angelica in the air... such strength... "Don''t let her grab a weapon!" [Blake] She''s trying to get to the weapon rack. This is bad if she manages to reach even one weapon the whole house might be burned down... "Please calm do- omf!" [Regina] "Why is she so strong?!" [Kate] Kate was being dragged over the floor while she held Angelica''s foot and poor Regina... got elbowed in the face as she tried to grab hold of her arm... Angelica glanced at something. There was a knife on a plate with a piece of small pastry left "Oh crap!" I thought. I went to stop her, but it was already too late. The instant she grabbed onto it, it lit aflame. Angelica, then randomly started slashing at the air and the girls got out of the way in the nick of time. This made me remember the after events of our first quest when we got back to the inn. Angelica was always on heightened alert and was quickly startled, then she saw a cockroach inside our room... She quickly reached for her gladius and began slashing randomly. In doing so she burned a few pieces of furniture at the inn and we have to shoulder the damages, even though that loan is already paid a long time ago. Yet her fear of insects still remains... I embraced her tightly and stroked her hair. While holding out her hand that was holding the knife, I was quite surprised that it didn''t melt, is the knife she brought high quality or just flame resistant? I saw small teardrops from her eyelids. "You okay?" [Blake] "Yeah..." [Angelica] She finally calmed down and sat close to me, our shoulders touching each other and her mother continued telling her story. ~~~ We got on the wagon and began our escape. Leaving the city wasn''t easy for there were checkpoints everywhere, but since there were a lot of visitors and spectators, they didn''t manage to check us out thoroughly. Though there were a few numb skulls that tried to extort money from us, once Terrence showed his face they just backed down and let us through. Showing himself also proved as a problem, the other knights knew that he was my personal guard. Once we''re out, we proceeded to go southeast. This route has little to no checkpoints, but the wagon broke down soon after because the road was undeveloped. Full of pot-holes the land was uneven and rocky, also monsters littered the area since only a few people use it. We used the horses that pulled the wagon as transport and rode till dusk. We released them and traveled a bit farther so that it would give those trackers a hard time knowing where we were. Making camp at night is a lot more difficult because we shouldn''t use fire. So eating, staying warm and having visibility is a problem, also the light and smoke will most likely give away our position to any search party or worse monsters... We got to a small town to resupply. Terrence said that he had already talked to some people and we just needed to pick it up. When we got to the storehouse, what awaited us were knights... "Princess, your father is worried, you should quickly return." "Terrence, we didn''t know that you''d try as far as to kidnap the princess." "He wasn''t kidnapping me, I came with him on my own free will!" [Elaine] Someone has sold us out, there were only a few who knew about the plan. At present, the knights numbered about 20 or so... "Don''t you ever think of escaping Terrence, we''ve already got the storehouse surrounded." "You would probably be executed after the princess''s wedding." There''s even more outside?! "Terrence, what are we going to do?" I looked at him worriedly. "Everything is going to be fine." He told me via telepathy, fine? why is that? (Bam!) "Bandits?!" "We''re under attack!" There was a commotion outside. Great, now we''re sandwiched between knights and brigands I thought. "I used Firewall to separate us from the knights." I just did what he told me and we exited through the entrance, we couldn''t possibly fight those twenty or so knights in that cramped space. A hooded bandit approaches us. I was about to use an attack spell just in case, but Terrence stopped me halfway. "Hi, there!" "Took you guys long enough." [Terrence] A familiar voice rings out. It was Kate. "You thought that it''s easy to leave the king''s side without notice?" [Kate] "You do have a point there." [Terrence] "Anyway talk later, we have to leave quickly, we only have a few people who are willing to help." [Kate] Two bandits brought a horse with them. Terrence and I hopped on and we quickly left the village, as we got farther the bandits scattered and only Kate accompanied us. "Why are they scattering?" [Elaine] "As a distraction." [Kate] "Wouldn''t they be in danger if they were caught?" [Terrence] "They knew the danger, but risking their neck for the princess is worth it." [Kate] Again, we were stuck in the forest and without food I was starting to get hungry. My stomach growled I''m pretty sure that Terrence felt it since he glanced at me wryly. I just hugged him by the waist and leaned on his back so he wouldn''t see me embarrassed. "We are near the hideout." [Kate] "In the middle of this forest?" [Terrence] "It is an abandoned mine that the dwarfs had left long ago." [Kate] "How did you know that?" [Elaine] "I''m a local here of course! How else am I going to know how to navigate through this thick forest." [Kate] We got to the mine and it was filled with children, mostly orphans and a dozen teenagers. Despite being abandoned, the place was very habitable. "Ahh, it''s Kate!" "Big sis is here?!" "Yayy!" Three kids happily flocked towards Kate, they seem to know her well. "Have you guys been good?" [Kate] "Yesh!" "Where were you big sis it was almost a week since we last saw you?" "I''ll tell you about it later, could you prepare us some supper?" [Kate] "Okay!~" "Who are they, big sis?" The two kids raised their hands and entered the mine. There was one that stayed and asked a question. "Friends of mine, this one is the princess." [Kate] "A princess?!" "Hello." [Elaine] The child hurriedly hid behind Kate, shyly peaking out from the side. There we met the abandoned children. Impractical Magic Chapter 64 These are the children who were abandoned or unwanted by their parents, they were either thrown out or left in the streets. Foraging for scraps in the trash just so they could fill their hungry bellies while relying on the town or city for shelter and protection despite some of them not having a roof to stay under. The children would rather risk the abuse and ridicule they get there than be outside because it was better than to be eaten by monsters, enslaved, played with, or killed by wicked people. Kate having felt sorry for them took care of the children. She renovated an abandoned mine where she used to play at into a beautiful home. Despite it being a mine, it was very spacious inside complete with kitchens, bathrooms and of course bedrooms. "Kate, can I ask you something?" [Elaine] "Yes?" [Kate] "Since this mine is in the forest, shouldn''t there be monsters here?" [Elaine] "This is near the vicinity of the town so the townsfolk clears the area once every three days. So the monsters are scared of going near the mines." [Kate] "What if a more dangerous one were to stray then?" [Elaine] "I had exterminated them myself, long before they could reach this place." [Kate] So that explains why the monsters are scared... they might''ve seen her one hit their own kind.. "Still... you can never be too sure." [Terrence] When Terrence said that, it scared some of the children. We stayed for a few days and I taught the children some magic. "Uwo! I''m doing it?!" "Nice-nice!" I was surprised that they were quick learners. Some of them are able to invoke it easier than others. While those who weren''t able were taught by Terrence and Kate, on how to fight using weapons "Speaking of which. Kate, why don''t you bring them here? They could live freely in the village." [Michelle] "I''ve thought of that but..." [Kate] "But?" [Michelle] "They say that it is their duty to find and help more children like them." [Kate] "I see..." [Michelle] "Why were you dressed as a bandit Kate?" [Elaine] "So that we could snuff out any traitors. The only ones with me are the most loyal to you princess." [Kate] Well, that''s a given... somebody is bound to sell us out anyway... In order to be sure Kate was our hidden escorts. I told Kate about my telepathy, she too was surprised when she found out. I said to her that I can relay messages to the children if they ever need anything or are in danger. We then left and kept moving farther and farther. A lot of months pass by that I have already lost count. We''ve gone by foot avoiding known roads or paths, and then staying at towns or villages for only a day there to rest and resupply. We mostly got our food from the wild, good thing that I brought over some seasonings. To act inconspicuous Kate, has to leave from time to time and report to father, so that is how we managed to get information on the search parties movements. We changed our names and then managed to reach this village of Libang, where I have given birth to you Angelica. ~~~Angelica~~~ "That is a great story mother!" [Angelica] "It isn''t that good really." [Michelle] "But I just had to ask. If you know how to use some magic, why didn''t you teach me?" [Angelica] "I haven''t used them for a long time and had already forgotten about the incantations." [Michelle] "What about supportive then?" [Angelica] "Did you forget? I tried to teach you about it, but you quit soon after." [Michelle]The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Ah, I remember now. I was learning it for almost a year and was still unable to use it, then quit. As we finished talking, Michelle went on and had a chat with Kate and Regina. Then led them to another room. "How did it go Blake?" [Maria] "Ha?" [Blake] "You went to your parents right?" [Maria] "Ahh that, they were really happy just to see me and we had dinner." [Blake] "Hahh... I''m sleepy..." [Angelica] "It seems like it''s way past midnight." [Maria] "Let''s go check my new room!" [Angelica] "A-Angelica wait." [Michelle] "Yes?" [Angelica] As Michelle came back, she managed to hear some of our conversations. "It is currently being used, you might wake her up." [Michelle] "Her?" [Angelica] "You had another child?" [Maria] "Mom?" As if on cue we heard a child''s voice, and then proceeded to glance to where it had came from. What I saw was a little girl about half my height. She was carrying a pillow covering her body. As she came nearer, she got illuminated by the candlelight. She had short black hair and white narrow animal ears which has a few black spots that were protruding from where a human ear should have been. There was also a tag of some sort on her right ear. Ohhhhhhhhhh! Finally a demi-human! "Ahh Mooly, did we wake you?" [Michelle] "Yes... are they guests, mother?" [Mooly] While still somewhat sleepy. The child named Mooly looked around. "These are my friends and your sister''s friends." [Michelle] "Sister is here too?!" [Mooly] As if snapping her out of it Mooly''s eyes showed a sign of excitement. "Mother don''t tell me... that yo-" [Angelica] "What are you thinking of my daughter?" [Michelle] "A-aw-aw-aw!" [Angelica] She probably knew what I was about to say, that she cheated on dad and then proceeded to pinch my butt. I''ll try to hear her explanation first. "We have found Mooly who collapsed near the village. She was badly injured with scratches all over her hands and knees. When she came to, she told us about her family and their caravan. They got attacked by monsters as they were en route to a city. When Terrence and the others checked where it was..." [Michelle] Mooly started tearing up. I see... her family brought her time to escape... "Because of that, we took her in as our own. Angelica, please treat her like a real sister." [Michelle] "Y-yes!" [Angelica] "When did it happen?" [Blake] "About three months ago." [Michelle] "That long..." [Maria] I got my handkerchief out and proceed to wipe her face. While patting her head, a slightly long tail appears from behind. It has the same color as her ears and wags left to right. "Um... can you put the pillow away, so that I can wipe the tears better?" [Angelica] "Okay..." [Mooly] Mooly smiles as she looks up at me with tears still present in her eyelids. Soooo cute! Must protec! When she lowered the pillow, it revealed a black choker around her neck with a small bell on it, and below that is... "Op-oppai loli!! Amf!" [Angelica] "?!" [Mooly] Oh shit! I suddenly blurted it out, I quickly covered my mouth with both hands. Mooly jumped back and immediately hid behind Michelle in surprise. Those things at that age, she''s very blessed. "Oppai?" [Maria] "Loli?" [Blake] Go-good! They didn''t know what it means! I''m safe hahaha!! "I-I''m sorry, I was just as surprised as you are." [Angelica] Now, I understand... the choker, ears, tail, and name... (Moo-ly) she''s a cowgirl! "Oh right, this is your first time seeing a demi-human right?" [Michelle] "Hey Blake, why aren''t you surprised?" [Angelica] "My master is also a demi-human herself." [Blake] "Wait... her??" [Angelica] This master of his, I wanna see what kind she was. I wonder if she has a nice body? "You''re making a creepy face Angelica." [Maria] "A-Angelica we only have a master, pupil relationship." [Blake] "What do you mean by saying that?" [Angelica] He waves his hands in denial. That isn''t what I meant!! "Maria, is this also not your first time?" [Angelica] "Well... in the magic academy. There are various races present studying magic." [Maria] "So I''m the only one?!" [Angelica] "Haven''t you seen one during your adventures?" [Michelle] "No, we have only encountered fellow humans so far..." [Angelica] "Hmn... that''s odd... there used to be a lot of them whenever I go." Michelle, raised a finger to her mouth as she seemed to remince something. Were demi-humans really not that rare? "U-umm." [Mooly] "?" [Angelica] "Y-You''re an adventurer?" [Mooly] "Yes, we are." I said while gesturing to the three of us. "You fight monsters?" [Mooly] "Yep, most of the quests we take are monster extermination quests." [Angelica] "Please take me with you!" [Mooly] When she heard monster extermination. Mooly showed a face of determination. "Aren''t you a bit too young to fight them?" [Maria] "Papa Steven taught me how to fight." [Mooly] "It still is dangerous." [Blake] "I''ll think about it..." [Angelica] I have had some second thoughts of bringing a child with us. It scared me a little because we might not be able to cover for her if we were to go into a rough fight with monsters. Mooly''s smile disappears as she looked down. It breaks my heart to see children this sad... but her safety is my only concern. "Alright then let us all sleep for now. We have more time to talk tomorrow." [Michelle] "Mother, could I sleep with Mooly?" [Angelica] "Your new room could fit all three of you, my dear." [Michelle] "It''s that big?!" [Angelica] We went up the stairs and to my surprise, it really is big, almost the same size of the one we stayed in the castle. "Blake, will you be sleeping here too?" [Michelle] "Uh, no-no-no I''ll be with my parents." [Blake] "Oh too bad... I wanted to see my grandchildren as early as possible." [Michelle] "Mother?!!" [Angelica] "Heheh, I was joking-joking~" [Michelle] The three of us slept together in the same bed, it''s big enough to fit five people, with me and Maria at the edge and Mooly at the center. ~~~Maria~~~ "Hahh... that''s the best sleep I''ve had in ages." [Maria] When I glanced to my left I can see Mooly''s cute sleeping face and there she was... (Sniff-sniff-sniff) Embraced at the waist by Angelica, like a pillow... she was sniffing Mooly on the head and was mumbling something... "Must not grab, must protec." [Angelica] She seemed to be so entranced with what she was doing that she doesn''t even notice me looking directly at her even while we were this close... I just turned in the opposite direction and acted as if I saw nothing... Impractical Magic Chapter 65 "Whoa, amazing!" [Mooly] "Do it again! Do it again!" "Heheh." [Maria] "My... thank you for expanding the road, Maria." [Michelle] "No need to thank me, I just wanted to help." [Maria] It has been six days since we''ve stayed in Libang. Blake and I trained the villagers in sword fighting then Maria taught them magic. Hehe, it''s like what my parents did for the kids at the mines. While staying here we decided to improve their village lifestyle. Maria was erecting walls and making roads with earth magic. Blake helps out with hunting monsters and food. Then I, imbuing magic crystals. I got the magic crystals from Jose, you might ask how I got them from him despite this distance. What I did was I sent Kate and Regina to him to fetch the crystals and paid him the money that I earned through selling the stoves. I guess this pretty much covers all of the villagers. I asked Michelle to use her telepathy as a means of communication and requested them to get semi-low-quality magic crystals. It''s not like I''m stingy or anything, even low-quality ones will do the job, but they are also aren''t cheap... I asked Kate and Regina to buy something as a surprise for Michelle. Hopefully, they''ll be here by the evening. At this time, we saw how good Mooly was with a pitchfork... I''ll just imagine it as a spear. She was truly capable of fighting by herself, but not to the level of Blake and I. Steven has really trained her well in just three months. Maria is having fun teaching her students some Novice and Apprentice level magic. She even found one that can use Heal and Supportive magic. While I have to stay locked in my room to fully concentrate on imbuing the crystals. Good thing that the distance of each house is quite far in between, yet our home is now situated in the middle of the village. For now, I''m imbuing six magic crystals at the same time. It should be noted that when you imbue two or more crystals, they would go and float around you as you imbue them. I''m giving them the fire enchant. Staying in this quiet village gave me a lot of ideas and I''m trying out various inventions as we speak. Apart from cooking, I also used it to heat up water for a bath. Then, it could be used as a light source at night. Be it outside or indoors, so they don''t have to buy candles or lamps anymore. They can also use it as a heater for winter time and because my enchant has a low consumption of energy, they can now melt the snow from the roads to make them passable. Well... with my wind enchant they pleasantly slept at night from the crystal fan. I also asked Maria to make three windmills, at first she doesn''t know what a windmill is. When I told her about it, she said that it was ingenious and I should tell this to grandfather. Haven''t they discovered how to harness the wind and water yet? As for its use. Since nothing here runs on electricity, they can just use it like the early people did for milling grains and pumping water. Using my wind enchant as a power source, it can run indefinitely. My water enchant provided them with clean water to drink and bathe, but I don''t know if it has any valuable minerals in it though... They could also use this on their crops. No more problems with water shortages~ When I finished imbuing the crystals I exit the room. "Ahh, are you finished?" [Steven] "Yes, father." [Angelica]Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Thank you for your hard work." [Steven] "I''m just giving back the kindness you''ve given me." [Angelica] "Hahah! My beloved daughter, you are exactly like your mother." [Steven] "Father you''re messing my hair..." [Angelica] "Oops, my bad." [Steven] Steven grabbed me and roughly petted my hair. I''m not mad at him for doing it, in fact, it made me happy. I wish my dad in my previous life is like this... "Father, what kind of enchant would you like to have on your weapon?" [Angelica] "Hmn... can you tell me again the effects?" [Steven] "Fire enchant lets you cut anything with ease. Wind enchant makes your attacks quicker and your weapon weightless. Water enchant makes wounds bleed harder without closing them." [Angelica] "Can you try putting the wind enchant then? I think out of all of your enchants, that isn''t the most deadly." [Steven] "Ok-ay..." [Angelica] That kinda hurt, it''s not like I can go and pick the effect or something... Oh yeah. I forgot to say that I''ve now discovered the effect of water enchant. We found out what it did when I accompanied Blake during one of his hunts. Water enchant functions much like a normal weapon, but once you get cut, the real horror begins. I slashed a ground bear in the arm. The effect was terrifying, even with a small cut, blood gushed out like a fountain, it was like someone attached a tube and started a freaking water pump. It made a big mess as it ran around and bled to death... Holy shit, I don''t even wanna accidentally cut myself with this, so I made a mental note of it... Evening came and Blake returned after a good hunt. Kate and Regina followed soon after. "Tonight we shall have a feast!" [Steven] "Yeah!!" [Everyone] Regina, handed me over a bag full of crystals, so heavy... "And the thing?" [Angelica] "It''s on my dragon, you can''t possibly expect me to carry something like those right?" [Kate] "I guess..." [Angelica] "Thank you for giving me those magic crystals." [Kate] "Huh? Who said that I''m giving those for free?" [Angelica] "Wah?! My salary can''t cover that many!!" [Kate] "I was just joking godmo-" [Angelica] "Kyahh!" [Kate] "-ther... aside from that. I have discovered more inventions that they can use. I''ll give them to you once I finished imbuing these new crystals that you gave me." [Angelica] "Really? Thanks!" [Kate] Apart from giving magic crystals to the villagers. I''ve also given some to the children at the mines. I was sure that it would help them greatly. Everyone was having fun. Cooking, eating, and chatting together. It was such a festive feeling. As the celebration was nearing a close. Kate, brought over her dragon by the table, there were two huge things tied on its sides covered by a cloth. "Can you two help put this on the table?" [Angelica] "Upsi-daisy." [Steven] "Whoa, this thing is heavy!" [Blake] It hit the table with a (Bagag!) Mooly who was talking to the other children came when she heard it. "What is that?" [Mooly] "Heh, a surprise." [Angelica] "Surprise? For who?" [Michelle] "For you! Mother! Happy birthday!" [Angelica] I pulled back the cloth and it revealed two greatswords side by side with different designs. These two swords had the same price as two full bags of low-quality magic crystals. They weren''t cheap because only a few people buy them. Those who are wealthy enough to obtain them brought them home as decoration. Even if I call them decorations they are still fully functional or battle ready. Only a few people could wield them, like dwarfs, but they mostly like swinging their huge hammers instead. The reason these greatswords are functional is to show off the skill of the blacksmith. They find pride in creating it, not only because they are hard to make, but they also need to be precise, with their different length and thickness. They have to take great care in balancing out the weight, it would be problematic if one part is heavier than the other. Also, they need to spot for any weak points to prevent the blade from chipping or bending easily. "Angelica... this..." [Michelle] "Give it a test." [Angelica] Michelle held the handle and tries to lift it up, but it wouldn''t budge. "Think of it as if you were lifting a knife." [Angelica] Michelle closed her eyes and started to concentrate. "Uwow..." [Michelle] As she did what I said. Everyone who was present had their mouths wide open, even Blake and Maria. Michelle raised the greatsword up with just one hand. Its handle is as long as her neck and head, from the torso to the foot is the blade, about half the thickness of the table. Michelle''s eyes glittered, as she looks at me smiling. "Well... give it a swing..." [Angelica] She stood in front of a tree. "You''re not planning on..." [Angelica] "Hyah!" [Michelle] She swung the greatsword with such force that when it hit the ground. It made a human-sized dent in the earth and as if watching an anime, there was a sound of crackling and the upper part of the tree slowly slid diagonally and fell. Michelle turns to face me and started running in open arms. "?!" [Angelica] "Why are you running my daughter?!" [Michelle] "Don''t you run at me while holding that thing!!" [Angelica] Despite open arms, she''s still holding the greatsword. Seeing her running effortlessly with that huge hunk of steel frightens me... The next morning, I gave the other one to Mooly just for the lolz. That cute innocent appearance, matched with a weapon two times of her size is a lot more terrifying... Kate and Regina left early in the morning. Kate, went to the mines to deliver my new inventions for the kids and Regina had gone back to the capital. It''s not like they can stay here for too long because they had their own duties to attend to. Impractical Magic Chapter 66 "We''ll be going now." [Angelica] "Are you sure? You can still stay if you want." [Michelle] "It''s fine mother, we still haven''t explored much of the world yet. Thank you." [Angelica] "Bye, mom!" [Mooly] "I ask you again, please take care of our daughters." [Steven] "You can count on me." [Blake] "Mooly, come ride with me." [Maria] "Yay!" [Mooly] They both sat on the dragon''s back. "Drop her and I''ll grill you." [Maria] Maria pulls the reins to get the dragon to look at her and she threatens it with a yandere stare. It may have been my imagination, but I may have heard our dragons too (Gulped) in unison. For now, I planned on taking Mooly with us and registering her as an adventurer with our party. After sometime~ "You can pick anything." [Angelica] "Anything?!" [Mooly] "Yep." [Angelica] When we got to Cagban, I let her choose what weapon she wants. I wonder what she''ll pick... Meanwhile, Blake left to reserve us a room at the inn. "Can I get this?" [Mooly] Oh, she picked a pike. Well, it''s better to choose a weapon that you are used to. She is capable of quickly stabbing multiple times with the spear. Mmn... after enchanting her pike with the wind enchant. Should I teach her the "Million stab?" {1} Surely any devil may cry from the pain. We then proceeded to the adventurers guild. Mooly had gone to the counter and presented a letter from mom and dad that they are letting her be an adventurer. "Hey, look at who brought their kid." "This isn''t school missy!" "Can she fight monsters with that big of a chest?" "You should just tend the fields." "Poor girl, she''s going to get herself killed at an early age..." When Mooly is signing up at the counter, we can hear the other adventurers making fun of her. I was sure that she can hear them. Each time she hears something her ears droop downward. I''m trying to contain my anger, but if these twats keep it up I''ll wipe the floor with them. ~~~Maria~~~ Angelica isn''t the only one who was pissed. My blood is boiling with rage, these jerks were belittling Mooly. Then someone came near the counter. It was a big burly man with a chain mail. "Didn''t you prohibit children from signing up as adventurers?" "According to the rules, anyone who is able to fight may sign up as an adventurer. Also, we needed the consent of their parents just in case something happens to them." [Clerk] "What do we know, this kid might''ve just been tricked by these two."The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "Sir... these two people here that you are talking about are the ones who participated in the orc defense." [Clerk] "These two? Hah! They may be just hiding out during the siege and claimed that they had participated." Ahh speaking of which, there are a lot of new faces here at the guild including him. "Then let me test if she can truly fight. Hey little girl, let''s have a duel." The other adventurers whom we fought together with were just shaking their heads. They knew what will happen to this numb skull. "Hold it right there you!" [Angelica] "Sister..." [Mooly] Angelica drew her gladius and placed it in between burly and Mooly. "See? She''s defending he-hiyah?!" He stepped back and stumbled when Angelica, enchanted her gladius with the fire enchant. It isn''t the usual glowing edge, but the whole gladius was lit aflame. I''m a bit worried about Angelica. She once told me that if her sword burns like that it may melt and burn her hand with the hot metal. It just really shows how angry she was. Then I see Blake, by the entrance. "Blake!" [Maria] "Blake?" [Angelica] I call him over to get Angelica to cool off. She heard me and repeated what I had just said and smiled. "You may get to duel her after all." [Angelica] "Hehah... so you finally backed down." The burly man who is now slightly sweating stood up and dusted his pants, already claiming victory. "Sis?" [Mooly] "You can do it Mooly, despite him being AR3." [Angelica] Angelica... why are you edging your little sister into a fight? Older siblings mustn''t encourage that... "Hahah why don''t we wager then? If I win, I get that sword of yours." "And if we win?" [Angelica] "You can swap my rank with hers." "Sounds like a good wager." [Angelica] Blake was clueless. The adventurers formed a circle in the guild hall. Some brought out money and started making a wager on who will win. As of now, it''s 18% for Mooly and 82% for burly. The ones who wagered for Mooly were the adventurers we''d fought with during the orc legion siege. "Uh... what happened?" [Blake] "Blake, can you hand "it" over?" [Angelica] "It?? Oh-ok." [Blake] Blake gave it to Angelica and she passes it onto Mooly. This is going to be a good show. ~~~Angelica~~~ "B-but sis this..." [Mooly] "Just smack him." [Angelica] "Do you think a mere paddle can hurt me? Hahahah!" Looking closely, this does seem like a huge paddle from the shape of the covering. "Sis if I lose then your sword ma-" [Mooly] "Mooly, you are fully capable. Have some confidence in yourself, also... would you let someone like him get away with insulting father''s training?" [Angelica] "No." [Mooly] "He says this is a paddle, just hit him with the side as if it were a club." [Angelica] "You done talkin?" The burly man was doing a warm-up showing his weapon. It''s a kris, I wonder where he bought it? "Before we start the duel, is there anything you want to say?" [Clerk] "I''d like to wager my rank AR3." "I wager my sword." [Angelica] "Alright then, the basic rules of the duel applies. No weapon restrictions and no killing. If one is left unable to fight, the duel ends." [Clerk] "I agree." [Mooly/Burly] The hall is packed full of people, even on the second-floor balcony. From civilians to merchants, knights and adventurers. "Three..." [Clerk] "You can dream of being an adventurer after you lose!" "..." [Mooly] "Tch!" "Two..." [Clerk] Mooly readies with her striking pose. Gripping it, with both of her hands. "One... duel!!" [Clerk] The burly man stands to observe her. Mooly wasn''t moving from her position at all. "Hah! You can''t even move because of your weapon!" "..." [Mooly] He continuously throws insults at her. Mooly''s left foot began shaking. "What scared of attacking me? You can''t even stop trembling." No... it''s not because of fear... "If you won''t attack me then I''ll go first!!" "..." [Mooly] "I''ll crush you, you cocky little twerp!" I can see the veins on her hand, as it tightened its grip on the hilt. She''s filling the ex-gauge... {2} "Gotcha!" Surprise mother fucker. (BAMMMMMMMMM!) There was a huge shock wave followed by dust that scattered at the center. "What happened?!" "I can''t see!" "Who won?!" These guys are so noisy... As the dust settled, only one person remained at the center and it is... of course Mooly. I smirked. Just before burly hits her. Mooly slapped the fucker with the side of her weapon. "Where is the burly dude?!" "There he is!" The burly man was knocked out, he flew almost ten meters, hit the wall then landed on one of the tables. The cover was undone from the strike and the crowd became silent at the reveal. "That thing?!!" "How the hell?!" "Impossible!" "What the actual fuck?!" I don''t get why people refer to a greatsword as a "thing or it..." maybe they are just that freaking awesome. "Since mr. xx is unable to fight anymore, ms. Mooly wins the duel." [Clerk] After, we hear praise and cheers for Mooly. "Ahh, sis." [Mooly] "Good job." [Angelica] "What do I do now?" [Mooly] I whispered to her what she needs to do. "Wah..." "She can even lift it with one hand?!!" "This kid is scary." Gleefully smiling, when she held up and waved the greatsword that was double her size as she declared victory. Yes-yes~ fear the cuteness. I''ll make sure to ingrain it into your minds not to mess with my Mooly. References {1} A melee move in Devil May Cry [https://i.pinimg.com/originals/27/08/89/270889200208cce0ae1e121c748a7a4a.gif] {2} Reference to Nero''s unique gauge meter using the Red Queen weapon in devil may cry. Where you can charge it up and increase the power of your attacks. Impractical Magic Chapter 67 Mooly has now become ranked AR3 due to the wager of the duel while also earning the name "Cute, but deadly." Which I happily proclaimed around the guild. Alright! No grinding is needed then heheh. (evil laugh) The newcomers were totally afraid of her and our fellow friends at the guild congratulated her and just thought that her winning was just "normal" We are well-trusted in the city where I sell my inventions, and people knew that I wouldn''t lie or do anything bad that may damage my reputation. We are currently on our way to Jose''s shop. "Mooly, a person we''re going to meet is a weirdo, so be careful." [Maria] "A weirdo? Why do you want to meet him then?!" [Mooly] "Maria, don''t scare her..." [Blake] "But, it''s true!" [Maria] "Heheh..." [Angelica] We open the door to his shop. The sounds of the door chime are so nostalgic. "Oh, missy! And my favorite stude-" [Jose] "Master... touch my butt and I''ll feed you to my dragon after I roast you." [Maria] Jose emerges from the counter and went to greet us and tried to give Maria a special greeting. She retorted while pointing her staff at him. "Whoa?! Who''s this?" [Jose] "My little sister." [Angelica] "A demi-human?" [Jose] Jose started examining Mooly. "Due to some circumstances, I came to be her sister." [Angelica] "Ohhhh! I can now see the resemblance!" [Jose] Jose looks at Mooly''s chest and stares at mine. I really need to kick him in the ass or much better in the nuts. "I''ll take that as a compliment..." [Angelica] "Come-come little one..." [Jose] "W-weirdo!" [Mooly] Jose is trying to get Mooly near him by waving, but Mooly hides behind me. "Come on, I won''t hurt you." [Jose] "Ughh..." [Mooly] Jose came near us instead and peaked at the side revealing a creepy face. "Jose, stop." [Angelica] "Just a little touch..." [Jose] "Wahh!" [Mooly] (Boom! Bam! Bagag!) "Master?!" [Maria] Mooly suddenly drew the greatsword from Blake''s back and began pummeling Jose, on the ground. One-hit, two-hits, three-hits... Like in an anime and manga. Jose''s body is like a nail getting slowly embedded into the ground with the use of the greatsword''s side like a hammer. Should I help him? Nah, he brought this upon himself... this is also payback for the sexual harassment he gave to Maria and me.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Uhh, what happened?" [Jose] "Don''t speak, drink this potion first." [Blake] Jose holds his head trying to remember what had just happened. Mooly was glaring at him while she hid behind me, clinging onto my skirt with little tears in her eyes. Umu she protec, but she also attac. {1} "Are there any new crystals?" [Angelica] "We already delivered them next door." [Jose] "How about the good or high-quality ones?" [Angelica] "There is one, here." [Jose] Jose, hands over a single magic crystal. It is like Blake''s which is slightly transparent with a few small rock-like things in between. Jose, says that those small rocks are also part of the magic crystal which hasn''t turned transparent yet. The crystal is quite big and is shaped like a boomerang. I bet that I can get five to six pieces out of it if I brought this to a jeweler. In order to get them separated, you just need to get them to a jeweler and they''ll grind them for you, like normal jewelry. I take another look at it before putting it in my waist bag. "Again, thank you very much, Jose." [Angelica] "Pleasure doing business." [Jose] "I''ll be next door then." [Angelica] "Angelica, I''m going to stay with master." [Maria] "Alrighty." [Angelica] I hand over my payment to Jose, then we left Maria with him. As we leave I heard Maria talking to Jose about how to multicast. Great, with that skill she can now be more flexible with her role. I''ll also teach her how to imbue magic crystals when I have time so that even if those spells require more energy, she won''t have any problems using them. Also, since they are programmed into the crystal, they don''t require to be cast, but just to be sure I''ll first ask Jose about it. Blake, returned to the inn to rest. I''m feeling sorry for making him carry the greatsword... We then enter next door, this is where I sell my stoves. "Custumir! Cuztomyr! (Customer! Customer!)" "Just a moment!" There were two voices as we went inside. One was that of a child who is inside a crib and the other was a female adult that was tending the shelves. They are one of the people we helped during the orc siege, she was the pregnant wife that I had rescued, but her husband died while protecting her. She has now given birth to a healthy girl who is in the crib. "Miss Angelica?!" "There''s no need to add miss, Mrs. Helen..." [Angelica] "N-no, as our benefactor I should." [Helen] "It''s alright, also I''m not used to being called miss..." [Angelica] "Okay..." [Helen] I employed Helen to help me sell my inventions, this was because if I tend to the shop I wouldn''t be able to go on adventuring... Aside from that; I can''t even sell well because the customers either ogle at my chest or always try to sweet-talk me. It''s driving me fricking insane... I rented this house next to Jose, to have my own place where I could sell. I was getting embarrassed because when I first started, I sold the stoves at Jose''s shop and it made his cramped and I was also freeloading there so it isn''t exactly nice of me... I also gave this house to Helen, because her home burnt down during the siege, and everything they owned was lost. So we can''t practically live here. "Good thing that you came back, we are running out of stoves." [Helen] "I can see that you''re working hard." [Angelica] I look around and see that most of the stoves were gone. I had been selling them at a very low price, that even the poor would be able to buy them. From that, I only get meager returns. From what I''ve understood. The average pay for the average citizen which is about 70% of the whole population is 150 Silver coins monthly. I sell my stoves at the price of only 40 Silver coins and the price of a low-quality magic crystal is 280-300 Silver coins. You might ask how we are able to go on like this. What we did was buy and sell, for every seven stoves we sell, we can go and buy another crystal, rinse and repeat. Exclude the rewards from our quests and expenses. The price of a single stove is about a week''s income, for the average low-income adventurer. AR1''s typically receives about 40-600 Bronze coins depending on the quest. It can also change if they manage to finish two to three quests per day. "We are sure to get even busier, once I put out my new inventions." [Angelica] "You have new ones?" [Helen] "Hello." [Mooly] "Boy wun aynd geyt anuthor fwor tee port uf tha pruice! (Buy one and get another for three fourth of the price!)" "Huh?" [Mooly] Mooly went to talk to the child, but it answered her in a funny way. "Sorry about Sadie, she sometimes repeats the words that I say when I sell." [Helen] "Oh I see, that''s very cute!" [Mooly] The first time I heard Sadie, say something it surprised me too, well if you continuously hear the same phrase over and over you are bound to learn it as a child. "Thank you, um..." [Helen] "She''s Mooly, my adopted sister." [Angelica] "Oh, nice to meet you Mooly." [Helen] "Nice to meet you too!" [Mooly] They shook hands with one another. Mooly''s tail is wagging happily. "I''ll be back later to restock our products." [Angelica] "Take care." [Helen] "Bye-bye." [Mooly] "Tank yoo vwery much, cum aghein! (Thank you very much, come again!)" [Sadie] Mooly and I got to the inn and we see Blake, sleeping on one of the beds. I counted the beds and there was one missing for Mooly. Blake... you have one job, ONE JOB! Hahh... well that only means one thing. I can have Mooly all to myself! "Mooly! You''re sleeping with me!" [Angelica] "U-uh yes!" [Mooly] References {1} Reference to a meme [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/he-protec-but-he-also-attac] Impractical Magic Chapter 68 After resting for a bit in the evening. I returned to the shop and gave some imbued magic crystals to Mrs. Helen since I have a lot of them left. I then explained to her how to use my new inventions, she was really excited when testing them. I gave her one of each, so she can use it and give me some pointers and possibly new ideas. "Why don''t we make a display here in the shop?" [Helen] "You mean like, on how they would work?" [Angelica] "Yes, so that customers can have an idea for their use." [Helen] "That''s a great idea, Helen." [Angelica] "Thank you." [Helen] It may help in boosting sales, even though she doesn''t look the part, she is fully capable of shopkeeping. "Will you be imbuing crystals tonight?" [Helen] "Yes, I came to drop this off and pick up the delivered ones." [Angelica] Let''s see... should I overhaul these or just bring a single bag? I think about it, as I looked at sacks upon sacks of magic crystals... "What a pain..." I thought... I stretch out my arms and yawned. "I''ll be upstairs if you need me." [Helen] "Okay, sleep well, and thank you for the hard work." [Angelica] Helen with a nod went up to sleep while carrying Sadie in her arms. I closed shop and waited inside till about midnight. (Knock-knock) I open the door and see Blake and Maria together. We do this twice a week since I started doing business. I stayed at the shop till midnight and if I didn''t return at the inn by then. That means that I was going to imbue magic crystals and Blake and Maria would pick me up, then we''ll go to the lake. "How is Mooly?" [Angelica] "She''s sound asleep." [Maria] "Alrighty. Blake, can you carry this for me?" [Angelica] "Leave it to me." [Blake] Blake picks up a sack and he wobbles a bit. "Hmm... try holding this Blake." [Angelica] "Okay, then what?" [Blake] I give him a wind-enchanted magic crystal. "Try carrying the sack and think of it, as if it was light." [Angelica] "Oh?! The weight is gone!" [Blake] I just discovered something new, this can be very helpful in construction. We all got to the lake, each carrying a sack of crystals. If someone saw us they may mistook us for gravediggers. We wore hooded capes, a sack on our backs, and a fire-enchanted magic crystal as light instead of a torch. You can say that we''ve now leveled up lol.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Three sacks... this may be able to last us three weeks or a month, but considering these are new inventions, it may get sold out pretty quickly. That would be, one enchant per sack. Fire, Wind, and Water. I open a single sack and peeked inside "Whew that''s a lot!" I muttered. I dragged the sacks over the water before it sinks, I used the crystal again this time to make it float. When I got to deeper water, I started to imbue them. I''m gonna try imbuing different elements at the same time. This is also my first time imbuing this many... I hope I won''t fail, for it will be a kick in the... never mind... ~~~Maria~~~ Angelica is about to imbue a vast amount of crystals at the same time. Doing her normal routine of floating on the surface and looking up at the night sky. The magic crystals began to resonate and fly around her, one by one they float, forming a circle. Wait... three circles? She starts to imbue them. The formation of circles forms atop of one another, each glowing at different colors. At the bottom, the crystals emitted a red glow, in the middle blue, and up top yellow-green. Then, the magic crystals moved in a gear-like fashion. The top and bottom parts moved clockwise and the middle moved counter-clockwise. The glow was very intense. I was sure that it was completely visible in the city as it illuminated the lake. "She''s taking a bit longer than usual." [Blake] "Yes." [Maria] Blake tries to start a conversation, but I cannot think of any good answer. Angelica is indeed taking her time, it should''ve been finished in a few minutes or so, but it is almost thirty-five minutes. "Hey, do you see that?" [Blake] "What?" [Maria] "Those lights in the woods." [Blake] "Blake, if you are trying to scare me stop..." [Maria] I was getting scared, I never liked scary stuff in the first place. Both Blake and Angelica knew that and they sometimes scare me. "There it is again." [Blake] I now see the lights, they''re flickering behind the trees opposite of us, slowly getting nearer. "Do you think they''re bandits?" [Maria] "It''s possible..." [Blake] I readied my staff and cast ?Night-vision? and ?Falcon Eye? Only then that I realized that the city folk was watching at the banks of the lake. They were watching this amazing light show with their children and families. The flickering lights came from the torches they held as they navigated through the woods. We also see a few merchants selling alcohol and snacks to the spectators. This spectacle lasted for exactly one hour and twelve minutes. "It''s ending." [Blake] The glow receded into the crystals and they now have the color of their elemental properties. The lake again darkened, and what followed was applause and whistles from the spectators. ~~~Angelica~~~ When I finished imbuing the crystals. I heard clapping and a few whistles from far away but I cannot see where they were. While the magic crystals were still floating around me I swam back to Maria and Blake. They don''t seem to be alarmed, so it was probably alright. As I got to the shore, I tensed up when the cold air hit my body. I also checked my hands and saw that the wrinkles were huge. "Here." [Blake] "Thanks." [Angelica] Blake covered me with a towel. I used a fire-enchanted crystal to make it warmer. Fire, enveloped the towel as it hung from my back. Dropping the coldness to a comfortable temperature. "What you did was great! It was like a light show!" [Maria] "Really?" [Angelica] "Yeah. The applause you just heard is from the city folks." [Maria] "How long was I imbuing?" [Angelica] "About an hour..." [Maria] "One hour?!" [Angelica] I cannot believe it, I haven''t even noticed that time flew by. That was dangerous... "Ugh..." [Angelica] "Here''s an energy potion." [Maria] Maria offered me a potion when she saw me massaging my temple. This drained me quite a bit, haven''t I gotten used to imbuing already? Or is it just because this is a crap ton of crystals? Because I was tired, we went straight to the inn to sleep. Hugging this cute Mooly pillow gave me a good nights rest. The following morning at breakfast, when I read the news it goes like this. "Has a goddess finally descended in Cagban city?! Descending on the staircase of lights during midnight. The residents went to the lake as soon as they saw it from their homes. When it finally ended, she revealed herself at the shore with her radiant wings of fire." "..." [Angelica] "What''s that?" [Blake] "Can I read it too?" [Maria] "Mmn?" [Mooly] The three of them looked at me as I moved the article uninterested to the side of the table and ate my bread. Curiously, they started reading it. "There is a goddess?! I wanna see her!" [Mooly] "..." [Angelica/Blake/Maria] You''re looking right at her Mooly... I.M. Character Portraits Angelica Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Blake Maria Mooly Impractical Magic Chapter 69 That very same morning, I asked everyone to help me set up the shop. Putting up the displays was hard work, but it was all worth it. Once the news came out that I had new inventions, the shop was full to the brim. From commoners to merchants, to rich and high-class individuals. By afternoon, we''d sold over 7/10 of my inventions. It was a new record for our sales and I need to thank Mrs. Helen for that. We closed shop early to celebrate. Blake got some barbecue and Jose, brought in alcohol. While we girls prepared the plates, table, and utensils. All of us ate like a big happy family. I also prepared a special sauce for the barbecue, it is quite hard to replicate the taste. I had to improvise for the missing ingredients and it somehow came out alright. "Sis..." [Mooly] "What is it Mooly?" [Angelica] "Why is it out of the three of you; you are the only person who uses a bronze weapon?" [Mooly] "I find no need to upgrade my weapon since I can enchant and stuff." [Angelica] "But... what if we fought a monster that can withstand bronze weapons. Yours might break." [Mooly] She has a point. If I didn''t upgrade, my other enchants are going to be useless, except for the fire enchant and it would be problematic if we encountered a fire-type monster or reactive types like the oil squids... Now, I feel bad for wasting money on the second greatsword... "Well, why don''t we check the weapon shop?" [Blake] "Weapon... shop?" [Angelica] I''m getting excited, I wonder if I should change my weapon type? "Welcome, ah! The inventor." We got to the weapon shop and the blacksmith greeted me upon entering. "Good afternoon." [Angelica] "What are you looking for?" [Blacksmith] "She''s planning on replacing her gladius." [Mooly]A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "A bronze gladius?" [Blacksmith] "She had used that since AR1." [Blake] "AR1?! I''m amazed that you''ve maintained it this well!" [Blacksmith] The weapons at the shelves looked fantastic, but they don''t fit my style. "Do you have a kris?" [Angelica] "You''re in luck. I just finished this one, a while ago." [Blacksmith] He shows me a steel kris, I can recognize this wavy blade anywhere. I look at Blake and Mooly. They only have iron weapons. Should I really buy it? "Because of your invention, my smithing became much-much easier." [Blacksmith] He said that when he had attached the magic crystal with the fire enchant on his furnace. It gave him the power to control the temperature of the flames, making the temperature just right. Also because of my enchantment, his hands weren''t burnt from forging. "How about this, I''ll let you do a trade-in so that your weapons can all be steel. So how about it?" [Blacksmith] "Is it really alright with you?" [Angelica] "It''s okay. You even sell your inventions at the lowest price to help everyone in the city, think of this as repayment for your efforts." [Blacksmith] "Well, thank you!" [Angelica] We all traded our weapons and all got steel gear, even though Mooly just brought hers from another merchant the other day... This is also a great perk for selling cheaply, making more connections, and trust. Maria tried to teach Mooly some magic, but like me, she only had low capacity... So she was only taught apprentice-level Heal. That makes our party have two minor healers, me and Mooly, the major being Maria. It will help in reducing weight since we don''t have to buy small healing potions anymore. When Mooly, learned the Million Stab. She totally destroys monsters where you''d think that they went into some industrial punch press. She''s also capable of attacking the same part twice in quick succession with great accuracy. The dragons we have are very useful when getting from one place to another and they are indeed fast, but like fighter jets, you''ll need lots of gas... they eat so damn much, that even if we are AR3 the rewards felt like AR2, or sometimes AR1... I once held a meeting if we should let them go. Blake said that we should keep them, we can cover their food expenses once we reach AR5 which is still a long way... During the meeting, the dragons cried. I didn''t know if they were crying because they''ll miss us or happy because they thought that they won''t be seeing Maria anymore... I also asked Maria if she wanted me to enchant her staff, and she just answered that it would be weird if she went around hitting monsters with it. She should go play some whack-a-monster lol. She should be happy if I enchanted her staff. In my past life, I played as a battle priest in an RPG R.O. (Ragnarok Online) and can pretty much hold off on my own, with all my buffs. Ahh... the glory days... Shit... I miss my computer... "Sis are you okay?" [Mooly] "Yeah Angelica, you''re spacing out." [Blake] "It''s nothing. I''m just reminiscing my past life." [Angelica] "Past... life?" [Mooly] "Never mind..." [Angelica] I''m getting depressed... I wanna take this out on monsters... I wonder if there are people who died here and reincarnated into my world. I''m having this mental image of a gamer that shouts "Hahaha! I''m immortal! You cannot hurt me! I will respawn again!!" I think I''m starting to like PC games even more. In games, I can fast travel, change the time of day in just a second, and don''t have to eat crappy food. My body won''t get tired except for my hands, not get wounded, not worry about permadeath. Well enough of that... Ima go kill some poor unlucky monster now. Impractical Magic Chapter 70 ~~~???~~~ "My liege, have you heard the news?" [Oscar] "I already have. Have you brought the items that I had asked for?" [Prince Walter] When Oscar arrived at his chamber. Walter, has just finished reading an article and had put it down at his side. "Yes." [Oscar] Oscar opens a bag full of low-quality magic crystals in front of Walter, then he picks one crystal and uses it. It resonates with a yellow-green glow, wind started to manifest and form around his hand. He already knows how to activate it from experimenting. Then he thinks up of a violent gale. "M-my liege?! It''s dangerous!" [Oscar] A black tornado materializes in the room with Oscar and Walter at the very center. Walter, seemed defiant as the dark wind circled around them tipping over cabinets, moving shelves, and scattering paper. After a while. The wind had died down and the crystal lost its power. Walter, looked at the crystal one last time. Then, threw it back in the bag with the other crystals. "Oscar, order a research on the crystals. I want to know how she does this." [Prince Walter] "As you ordered my liege." [Oscar] ~~~Angelica~~~ A month has passed since I started selling my new inventions. I never thought that it would become such a huge hit. I''m now constantly imbuing magic crystals every two to three days. When I see myself in the mirror, I can see my eye bags getting bigger, even Blake and Maria... From my constant imbuing we weren''t able to go and take that many quests, but the sales are going well and with just a few more quests we''ll be promoted to AR4. By now. I''ve been well-known throughout the city as "Miss inventor." or just "Inventor." For short. Not a bad title, I like it. I was asked by a couple of merchants if I''d like to sell my inventions outside of the city. They are willing to buy and sell them a bit higher, as peddlers. I gave some thought into it and quickly agreed. I used my connections with the city mayor and grandfather to set the standard price for enchanted crystals. Then made a binding contract, so that no idiot can go around and start overpricing them. This scheming... it''s like... I''m becoming like Michelle. I shuddered. Oh, good news. Blake said that he wanted to introduce me to his master. I''ll finally see what race she is from. "This is my master." [Blake] "So you are the inventor huh? Nice to meet you." "..." [Angelica] "Angelica?" [Blake] "C-cute!" [Angelica] Sky blue eyes, silver hair, with cute fluffy dog ears and tail, about knee height. It''s wearing what I would probably think is a kimono, with a tanto or a wakizashi hanging on her back. "?!" "A-Angelica that is a bad idea!" [Blake] "Guhu!" [Angelica] It hit me with the scabbard, as I tried to hug it. "Why do humans always tend to squeeze me whenever they see me?!" "Uhh... master... you shouldn''t be hitting people with your knife." [Blake] "It''s self-defense! Self-defense!" I made a dog call sound. "I''m a wolf girl! Not a dog!!" "Hand." [Angelica] "Ruff." "Eheheh good dog." [Angelica] She fell for it! When I said hand. She happily put her hand on mine, then I patted her hair. Ohh soo fluffy!! "Grr... you little piece of-" "Hey-hey-hey stop-stop-stop." [Blake] Blake went to stop her as she was about to draw the knife out of its scabbard. "Float!" [Angelica] "Uh? Wahh?!" When they were busy. I used wind magic on his master. As she floated, she tried everything just to escape but fails every time as she just rolled around and screamed blah-blah-blah yada-yada.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Hmm... you remind me of someone." [Angelica] "Put me down you brat!" "Angelica..." [Blake] "Blake, shut up. Oh, I remember now! Time for some cosplay!" [Angelica] (Gulp) She shook when I grinned. Moments later... From a clothing shop for children. I was carrying her as we got out. The children looked at Blake''s master as if she were a cute stuff toy. I lift her up to see her face. Uhwahh... even while pouting, she still looks adorable! The cute maid headband on her head and the blue maid outfit fits her perfectly. I also added some braids to her sides with small ribbons at the end. With that, her cosplay is now complete! She''s mumbling some swear words so I''ll censor it off for now. Let''s just change to censor sound to that of a barking dog. "Why you m*&!^#f^$!&#!! When I get out of this I''m gonna stab this knife all the way up your a$$ that you wouldn''t be able to walk for the rest of your days when I''m finished with you! (Woof! Woof! Woof!, Grr Ruff! Ruff! Bark! Bark!)" I joyfully carried her back to the shop with us. Upon seeing her Mooly''s eyes went shining. "Is this a stuffed toy?" [Mooly] "No, this is our pet." [Angelica] "Who are you calling pet you brat!" "Ohhh it speaks!" [Maria] "How cute." [Mrs. Helen] "It''s alive?!" [Mooly] "Hey aren''t you a demi-human too!" Blake just held his head helplessly at the side. As we get to abus- get to know his master better. Mooly is giving it some beef jerky that we had earlier. It glared at her while pouting and slowly extracted the jerky from Mooly''s hand with her mouth. As she chewed on it, it swung up-down-up-down. "Cuuuute." [Angelica/Maria/Mooly/Mrs. Helen] "What''s your name?" [Mooly] "Sakuya!" [Angelica] "My name isn''t sakuya! {1} And don''t give me weird names!" "What''s her name, Blake?" [Maria] Blake''s master is so easy to handle is she really his master? "Evelyn." [Blake] "That''s master Evelyn!" [Evelyn] She would be cute if she doesn''t have such a sharp tongue, should I train her to become obedient? How about we start by putting a collar on her neck? "Enough of this crap I want a duel!" [Evelyn] She unsheathes her knife. The way she points it at me is similar to the image of the said character, in my old world. Image: To not attract any attention, we went to the forest for our duel. She changes back to her normal attire. "Let''s get this over with. You there! Big tits! Be the arbiter." [Evelyn] "Big... tits..." [Mooly] Mooly''s ear droops down, she''s deeply offended. This little... "There are no rules in our fight you can use anything you want." [Evelyn] "And the wager?" [Angelica] "If I win, you''ll give me all the money you have right now." [Evelyn] "Hey, master that''s a bit." [Blake] "Shut up doughboy." [Evelyn] "Ugh..." [Blake] Blake received a critical hit and is stunned! "What if we-" [Angelica] "You won''t have to give me anything then." [Evelyn] Dafuq? That was totally not in our favor. "That''s sooo uncalled for~" [Angelica] "What do you even know about wagers." [Evelyn] "What scared of losing?" [Angelica] "Your boyfriend can''t even lay a single hair on me. How do you think you can even fare against me?" [Evelyn] "B-boyfriend?!" [Blake] "The more reason you wouldn''t fear me then." [Angelica] "You... fine, do what you want." [Evelyn] "Deal." [Angelica] We smile, showing our rape faces. Standing five meters away from one another we draw our weapons. While Maria and Blake watched as spectators. "Get ready to fight." [Mooly] "Let''s Rock!" [Angelica] I just had to say that quote {2} lol. We also need the "El Traacaz" BMG. {3} We dashed at each other when I swung my kris using my wind enchant and she suddenly disappears. "What the?!" [Angelica] "Sis behind you!" [Mooly] "Ugh!" [Angelica] As I turned, she hit me with the knife''s handle on the back. She''s fast, faster than Blake. "That sword is dangerous." [Evelyn] She looks at my kris and she noticed it fairly quickly. The leaves fly around it and are cut by the blade as they made contact. "So... that weapon of his... is it from you?" [Evelyn] "Yeah, it''s one of my inventions." [Angelica] We resumed our duel as we finished talking. I raised my hand, pointed at her and snapped my fingers. (Boom!) "Argh!" [Angelica] "Spells won''t hit me that easily you brat." [Evelyn] I used Explosion, but she manages to dodge and counter me, this time from the knee. How does she get around me so fast? I observe for a second, then attacked. I made a feint before hitting her. She slides down between my legs at my blind spot. This little sneak... I hope you''re not getting some panty shots while you''re at it!! "Now, I know how you get around me so quickly." [Angelica] "Is that so?" [Evelyn] "Angelica, don''t get fooled by her. Master is very proficient in fighting close range!" [Blake] "No use telling her that now." [Evelyn] I ignore Blake''s warning. From our training, I can now beat him 58% of the time. I''m already used to high-speed fighting. Evelyn removes the scabbard. In caution, I went into my guard stance to minimize the damage. I''ll try to counter her whenever I can. She dashed against me head on and we exchanged blows. On second thought... she rained slashes all over me, even accurate enough to only tear my clothes. This isn''t one of those fighting games where you damage the clothing of your opponent! {4} Damn... I can''t believe it, even with my 6x speed counter a lot of her blows still got through. She has only one knife, right? I hope she doesn''t pull a time stop on me. "Some of your strikes were crude, but I applaud you for blocking some of my attacks." [Evelyn] We attacked each other again. I slashed left and right with the same outcome... not even one of my slashes hit her... "This is going to be the last. Show me what you''ve got." [Evelyn] She''s getting cocky. She dashed towards me one last time. "Air Cutter!" [Angelica] "You never lear-" [Evelyn] Evelyn, jumped upwards to evade my Air Cutter. As she was in the air, I slashed many times using Bladestorm. "What the?! You used Air Cutter again without invoking it?!" [Evelyn] She still managed to dodge them in mid-air like an acrobat. I then drew my sword in a wide arc and used Crescent. "?!" [Evelyn] I was sure that she wouldn''t be able to dodge it since I made it really big. "Oof! That''s a close one!" [Evelyn] She jumped over it that easily?! It was 180* and ten meters in height!! The wall of wind hit the trees behind her and bulldozed them to the ground. "I''ll end it now!" [Evelyn] "Shit..." [Angelica] She exclaimed as she was still in the air. No use then, I have to reveal my ace. "Hah!" [Angelica] "Hmnf! Sneaky brat, now you''re even using throwing weap-" [Evelyn] She didn''t dodge at what I''ve thrown at her. Instead, she happily opened her mouth to receive it. (Bam!) "Gyabo?!" [Evelyn] Before she gets on the ground I hit her on the forehead with the kris''s scabbard. Her face goes >¡Ä< then she does a 360* and lands on her back dizzy-eyed. References {1} Another reference of Sakuya Izayoi from the touhou series. {2} Reference to Gunz the Duel when a round starts it makes that announcement {3} Here is the BGM (Background Music) coming from the same game [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meNQA8VQ3IQ] {4} A reference to the fighting game Senran Kagura. Impractical Magic Chapter 71 "Sister won!" [Mooly] "Unbelievable. How did you manage to beat her?!" [Blake] "What is that you threw at her?" [Maria] They were all surprised at the outcome. I managed to reverse the tide of battle with my ace. "Fufufu." [Angelica] "Hey, isn''t that a?" [Maria] "Golden royal dog treat?!" [Blake] "Dog treats?" [Mooly] "Where did you?" [Blake] "I bought it." [Angelica] "Ahh..." [Blake] Blake seems to get what I meant. A long time ago I''ve noticed that Blake, was buying these dog treats. I never asked the reason why he brought them though, I thought that he was just taking care of some strays, but when I checked the price at the animal shop, my mouth rolled down like tissue paper. For a pouch of just 5 pcs of these darn treats is already equal to a whole reward of an AR3 quest... which is 200 Silver coins!! Five times, FIVE... FREAKING... TIMES! More expensive than my stoves, can you fucking believe that?! I don''t know if this thing contains any drugs, but considering the price there probably is lol. Hahh... sorry... I just had to rant. Blake said that his master''s training is very expensive. At first, I thought it was a sham, but when he showed me the results while we do mock-ups. I had changed my mind and when he introduced me to Evelyn, I managed to connect the dots. The payment isn''t money, but the treats! She''s going to use some of the money in our duel to buy them... "Is it alright to feed this to a demi-human?" [Maria] "Dunno... master seems to like them though." [Blake] (Poke-poke) Mooly pokes Evelyn with a branch. "Wahh?!" [Evelyn] "Ahh?!" [Mooly] Mooly, fell back as Evelyn recovers. "What happened?!" [Evelyn] "You lost." [Mooly] "H-how?!" [Evelyn] I showed her the pouch of dog treats. Her face suddenly became red. "That''s... that''s cheating!!" [Evelyn] "You said I can use anything right?" [Angelica] "Uhg..." [Evelyn] "She won fair and square master." [Blake] "Shut it! I want a rematch! Rematch!!" [Evelyn] "How about you concede and I''ll give this to you?" [Angelica] "O-kay~" [Evelyn] She snatched it from me and started eating the treats. One by one, while holding her left cheek giggling, savoring the taste. It reminds me of a certain dog when it receives some treats... {1} "Ha..." [Evelyn] She stopped when she realized her mistake, but it was already too late. Heheh, troll face. "My win then." [Angelica] "Shi..." [Evelyn] "You were saying?~" [Angelica] "I... I''ll remember this! Wahh!!" [Evelyn] "She ran..." [Angelica/Blake/Maria/Mooly] We all spoke in unison as we stared at her slowly disappearing figure out on the horizon... The next day. Evelyn returned to the shop. She made that sitting thing as a sign of apology. I think it''s called dogeza if I''m correct. "I''m sorry... now as we have agreed upon, I will do what you ordered." [Evelyn] "Good, now strip." [Angelica] "Wah?!" [Evelyn]The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "I mean stand!" [Angelica] She was shaken by my proposal. I blurted something out again... I need to be cautious of what''s in my thoughts... "Well then, why don''t you live here at the shop?" [Angelica] "Am I really just a pet to you?!" [Evelyn] "No, not that... I want to employ you." [Angelica] "Why?" [Evelyn] "Blake told me everything. That you were homeless and used some of the money you earned for lodging at the inn." [Angelica] "So it''s out huh..." [Evelyn] Evelyn moves from one place to another. She only stays when she has a stable stream of income. Like training people in exchange for money/treats. Even though she''s talented, she is unable to enter any institutions that will provide her with proper work due to her own circumstances. "How about it?" [Angelica] She''s in thought. If she doesn''t want to, I won''t force her. "Fine..." [Evelyn] "Also, you have to wear the same getup yesterday." [Angelica] "Hell no!!" [Evelyn] "Hmn?" [Angelica] "... Okay." [Evelyn] We finally have one more person to tend the shop. With her here, she can be a good deterrence against thieves. I just hope that she wouldn''t badmouth the customers... "Oh yeah, what''s that knife of yours?" [Angelica] "This tanto is a family heirloom." [Evelyn] So it is a tanto after all. "Heirloom?" [Angelica] "This was given to us when we become full-fledged monster hunters." [Evelyn] "Wait, monster hunter?" [Angelica] "Yes." [Evelyn] "Do you also hunt wyverns? {2}" [Angelica] "Sorry, but no, even I don''t have a death wish." [Evelyn] "Are wyverns that strong?" [Angelica] "You''re probably dumb or stupid for not knowing something that is of common knowledge... Haven''t you heard of them single-handedly destroying cities? You literally need an army to defend against them." [Evelyn] Oh, so they''re that dangerous huh... if so I wouldn''t want to go mess with those. "Alright back on topic. Why do you refuse to become an adventurer? If you became one, you can certainly be secured financially." [Angelica] "It is an absolute rule in our village that we must follow. If you became an adventurer then you are exiled from the village forever. That is why I only do freelance work." [Evelyn] "Then is being a clerk controversial to your profession?" [Angelica] "As long as hunting isn''t a concern, then it''s alright. Since we also do trades, guard duties, and the like." [Evelyn] "I see." [Angelica] "Now that I''ve agreed to work for you, let''s get down to business. About my wages." [Evelyn] "You sound more like a boss than me you know." [Angelica] "You should be grateful, for you are hiring premium security right here." [Evelyn] She puffs her flat chest out with pride. This little washboard... "I just want to ask, what were you doing during the siege?" [Angelica] "I fled." [Evelyn] "You would''ve helped us out greatly if you were here!" [Angelica] "Mmn?" [Evelyn] She better stop showing that "It''s not my problem." face or I''ll smack her. After one week of employment... the three of us had an emergency meeting at the shop. "Those assholes even if I badmouth them, they still keep coming back for more!" [Evelyn] "Well, aren''t you glad?" [Angelica] "Glad? Now I know why you don''t want to tend the shop yourself!" [Evelyn] When Evelyn, started working, she became an attraction. Children will often play with her tail while in the shop. There are also those who admire her cuteness and offer her some treats if she would come with them. Where is the party wagon when you need one... "Heheh..." [Helen] "Then why can Mrs. Helen handle it?" [Angelica] "It''s because she has a kid!" [Evelyn] "Don''t you want kids?" [Angelica] "Oh, fuck no! They''re a hassle to handle! When my mother gave birth, I had to handle six other siblings despite me being born on the same day!" [Evelyn] "I guess that''s how it is, in the animal kingdom." [Angelica] "You fuckin racist..." [Evelyn] "Hey, I said no cussing." [Angelica] "Who cares, no one can hear us anyway." [Evelyn] "E-ve-lyn." [Helen] Evelyn''s hairs all went up at the mention of her name. "Tank yuu! Nao geyt da heil owt! (Thank you! Now get the hell out!)" [Sadie] Ahh, so that''s the reason why... Evelyn suddenly started sweating buckets. "I need to talk to her for a while. Angelica, can you please leave the meeting to me?" [Helen] "Can you handle it?" [Angelica] "P-lea-se." [Helen] I raise both my arms up. Uh-uh! I''m not stopping her, there are tons of nopes in that word alone. "Thanks." [Helen] "Aw-aw, stop! I''m sorry! Help me! Boss! Boss!!" [Evelyn] Mrs. Helen pulls Evelyn by the ear into a room. When they closed it shut, I offered her a silent prayer... What horrors could she have seen to be so scared of Mrs. Helen, yet while not being scared of us? I went to check on Maria at Jose''s shop next door. I entered and proceeded to walk toward the basement. Besides Maria, I see two Fireballs the size of a baseball, floating. Jose was playing with his beard at the side as he observed her concentration. A third one starts to appear, but its form is somewhat transparent. Maria is staring at the third one, her seriousness is quite sexy. Then, the third one shifts into a Fireball then back to a ghostly form. "Stop." [Jose] "..." [Maria] "Stop I say!!" [Jose] "Just a litt-" [Maria] It''s starting to shift back and forth faster and faster, the three Fireballs are increasingly growing in size. "Hyah?!!" [Maria] "I told you to listen!" [Jose] Jose taps Maria''s ass and in doing so, she broke her concentration. The Fireballs disappear. I wanna tap a piece of that ass too... "That was dangerous!! It would''ve exploded!" [Jose] "I''m sorry..." [Maria] "Hahh... no need to rush, you''ve got plenty of time." [Jose] Jose massages his forehead as he scolds her for not being careful and then Maria saw me by the stairs. "Angelica..." [Maria] "He''s right Maria, take your time." [Angelica] "Thank you..." [Maria] We left Jose''s shop and had gone to where Blake and Mooly is. We also brought a basket of sandwiches and bottles of milk. They were sparring near the lake so that Mooly can have more experience in fighting. When we got there, they were already finished and are resting. Mooly, was on the ground, breathing heavily from exhaustion. There was sweat all over her body, and you''d think of what was the kind of questionable training they were doing... "How was training?" [Maria] "Blake was very hard, where he kept attacking me at the front and back." [Mooly] "That''s..." [Angelica] I glared at Blake. When he saw my glare, he desperately waves his hands and shakes his head from left to right. Touch my Mooly and I''ll kick yer booty. We all ate under the shade of a tree. I love this kind of lifestyle, it really makes me forget the bad things that happened to me in my past life. As I was enjoying the scenery, the ground shook. "Angelica, we need to talk." I heard a familiar voice. It was Kate, that had jumped down from a dragon. "Godmother?" [Angelica] "Yes?" [Kate] Hmn, that''s odd... no "Kyah!" this time? "There are pressing matters. Can we talk?" [Kate] She glanced at Blake, Maria, and Mooly. "You guys can come too." [Kate] I can see the seriousness in her eyes... Inside the inn, all of us sat in our respective beds, except for Kate who was on a chair. "We are making a coalition." [Kate] "For what?" [Angelica] "For the retaking of Dalio and Suitan from the orcs." [Kate] References {1} Refers to Scooby Doo when getting his scooby snacks {2} Reference to Monster Hunter obviously XD Impractical Magic Chapter 72 "Dalio? Suitan?" [Mooly] "Oh right, you didn''t know what happened." [Angelica] Dalio and Suitan are the two cities that were attacked and occupied by the orc legion, which we have stopped long ago. If Kate is telling me this... then, they were probably having problems getting the orcs under control. "Due to them occupying the two cities, they were able to multiply faster than we had expected..." [Kate] "That means the populace is being..." [Maria] "I''m afraid yes..." [Kate] They were using them to reproduce... "What are their current numbers?" [Blake] "Aerial scouts estimate that there are about 15,000 or more, per city." [Kate] "What?!" [Angelica] "Per city..." [Maria] "We tried to draw them out, but they wouldn''t leave the city walls." [Kate] "Isn''t that a good thing?" [Blake] "If we let them be, they will just keep on increasing. Also, the reason we need to retake them is because they are blocking a vital trade route that can only pass through from there. Cutting off food supplies to and from other cities, towns, and villages. As we speak those cities have almost exhausted their supplies." [Kate] "Can''t you just bombard the city?" [Mooly] "It has already been suggested, but if there were any survivors inside..." [Kate] "What about storming the gates?" [Angelica] "An orc fortification is well-defended, Angelica." [Maria] "Kate, why are you telling us this?" [Angelica] "It''s about the Princess..." [Kate] "Mother?" [Angelica] "When she heard it via telepathy, she decided to participate in the campaign with Terrence..." [Kate] "?!" [Angelica] "Not only that... even the King..." [Kate] "Grandfather?" [Angelica] "Yes, about a week ago. The Princess, arranged a meeting with the King, in an undisclosed location. She says that they will take command of each of the attacking forces." [Kate] "Meaning one head the force in Dalio and one in Suitan." [Blake] "That is correct." [Kate] "And father?" [Angelica] "He''ll be on the frontlines, where the princess will be at." [Kate] "Just three days ago, the scouts have seen movement from Dalio. Five thousand orcs were marching towards Suitan. It seems like they are preparing to occupy a nearby city called Raele." [Kate] "Have you ordered an evacuation?" [Blake] "No need. Almost, all of the cities nearby have become ghost towns, because of the fear of being slaughtered and used by them." [Kate]Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Well, even I would get scared if I tried to stay next to a ticking time bomb... "Who heads what then?" [Maria] "Here is a more detailed explanation of the situation." [Kate] The orcs traveling to Suitan will get there in exactly three weeks. By that time, the forces headed by the King shall intercept them and proceed to march and retake Suitan. This is the right time to strike, now that they have exposed themselves. He shall be accompanied by 20,000+ of their knights, magicians, and elite troops with Regina. The 15k+ soldiers are already enough for the 20k+ orcs. They really plan on having few casualties through that number. Since a single trained knight can most likely take out 2-3 orcs, I don''t know how an elite knight would have fared though. The King had also requested for Jose and he''s en route there, as we speak. Too bad, I was about to ask him and Maria to teach me earth-based magic. I guess it''ll have to wait. Meanwhile, Michelle will be heading for Dalio. The reduced number of orcs will leave a gap in their defenses. She will be accompanied by Steven and a few elite knights that grandfather had provided, with Kate as the captain. Along with adventurers from the guild and also magicians from various magic academies. They numbered at the 8k''s with the adventurers forming the bulk of the force. 5k adventurers, 2k magicians and 1k of the elite knights. The situation must have been pretty dire, given that the guild and even the academy had to get involved. Most of the time, they just let the kingdom handle stuff like this. I asked Kate, the reason why the adventurers weren''t part of the force going to Suitan. She just said that adventurers do not like being ordered and they also disregard formations. I won''t get mad at her because it also happened to us during the siege. It was one of the main reasons why the frontlines broke in the first place. But... wouldn''t Michelle have a hard time commanding the adventurers? No... she''s good at changing strategies on the fly. Even turning a losing battle into a win. Kate had gone to rendezvous with Michelle. She said that they''ll be back, the day after tomorrow. Dalio is a little bit near here, so it is only natural that we stay put. "I''m going to participate." [Angelica] "If you''re coming, then so am I." [Blake] "My choice should be obvious." [Maria] "Thank you." [Angelica] "Sister?" [Mooly] "Mooly, you stay here. It''s very dangerous to where we''re going." [Angelica] "No! I wanna come!" [Mooly] I cannot take her with us, she''s just a child. For her to witness something like death and... It might just be too hard for her to bear. This is something that we adults should shoulder alone. "Please." [Mooly] She is really determined. I can see the fire burning in her eyes. "I''ll let you come, under one condition. Only stick with us and don''t go off on your own." [Angelica] "Yes." [Mooly] "Promise me." [Angelica] "I promise." [Mooly] I''m getting bad vibes, am I raising death flags here? I better shake it off. "Maria." [Angelica] "Yes?" [Maria] "Come with me. I''m going to train you thoroughly." [Angelica] "T-train in what?!" [Maria] "Imbuing." [Angelica] "Ahh, that." [Maria] "Are you expecting something else?" [Angelica] "No-no-no." [Maria] Why is she so flustered? Did I say something weird? Don''t tell me that she was looking forward to that kind of training. I also asked Blake to train with Mooly to condition themselves. The next day, after waking up at dawn. I taught Maria, how to imbue magic crystals. Her concentration is superb, even with disturbance, she was still able to concentrate. Well, you couldn''t break a magician''s concentration so easily. They needed it to cast their spells and to any magician, every second counts or it may cost them their lives. The same day that evening... I cannot believe it. In just a single day, Maria was able to imbue a magic crystal. She is really talented, I find her learning ability is a force to be reckoned with. "We still have more time." [Maria] "You''re making me jealous. In just a day you can already imbue stuff..." [Angelica] "Umm... ah... there-there." [Maria] Unable to give me a comforting answer, she just gently petted my head. "Now, time for the real deal." [Angelica] I brought out a few magic crystals from my waist pouch. "Angelica, these are good-quality crystals." [Maria] "I want you to imbue all of these." [Angelica] "Huh? But isn''t that dangerous?" [Maria] "It is a lot easier, trust me." [Angelica] She imbued seven crystals with Regular level Healing magic, for each of us. So in case of emergencies, we have one in hand. Since they are of good quality. Maria''s Regular level Heal can be used up to 5-7 times till it needs to recharge. We now have free space for more energy potions. Almost self-sufficient if I could say so myself. I had her imbue some medium-quality ones with offensive spells, that she can use and one especially for Michelle. I then imbued a crystal for myself with the wind enchant. I''ll attach it later on my kris. Later... Kate, along with Michelle and Steven, came to our room. We exchanged greetings and proceed to talk about preparations. Michelle, stares at the map on the table, studying it silently. "The orcs have good eyesight when it is dark, it''ll only be futile if we try to ambush them at dusk. So we''ll attack at noon. " [Michelle] After sometime. She stood up and declared our time of the attack. All of us around the table agreed on the strategy. Impractical Magic Chapter 73 Again we stand in line. This time, overlooking the fallen city of Dalio. Various races are present here. There are elves, dwarfs, demi-humans and us, humans. The other races mostly consisted of adventurers, except for the knights who were all humans. "My God." "What have they done to the city..." The people around me said in disbelief. We were dumbstruck at what we saw, I cannot help but think that this was once a city. Most of the structures lay in ruins, except for a damaged few. What replaced them were tents, numbered by the thousands, made of what seems like animal hide. Surrounding it was a wall of wooden barricades, three meters in height, laden with spikes made of wood and metal. At the distance, black smoke billows up from various parts of the city. From here you can see movement within the city. Green-colored humanoids moving about like grass being blown by the wind. "Such an ominous sight." [Blake] "There have been no records of a human city being overrun by orcs before." [Kate] "This is the first then." [Maria] "That would explain their reactions." [Steven] "You both looked calm," I asked Kate, she doesn''t seem to be bothered by the sight of this monstrosity... "We''re normally sent out to exterminate orc villages. If you think that this is horrible, wait till you get inside of the city..." [Kate] "What''s that?" [Mooly] Mooly points to the city. There is a commotion from the orc''s side. The orcs started amassing. Then, they bring out three humans. Each was carried by... Three Orc Lords... "Angelica! Your mother said to cover Mooly''s eyes!" [Maria] "O-okay!" [Angelica] "Sis?" [Mooly] I followed Maria''s instructions and quickly covered Mooly''s face. Did Michelle use telepathy on her? The three orc-lords got up to a stage-like structure. A few seconds later... The first, was ripped in half, like paper. Their innards rained on the orcs below the stage as they cheered... The second bit the head off and spat it out after it went rolling off of the stage another orc picked it up and played with its mouth... The third stomped on the last... for each stomp, it painted the stage floor red. The orcs reached for the blood and covered their face using it as war paint... These sick ass mother fuckers... is the best word that I could describe to them. Still, I''m somewhat thankful that they didn''t use any women or children as an example... It''s not that I''m ok with seeing men get killed. When I saw them die, they were showing a brave front. They know that even if they lose their lives here, they knew that we will avenge them, but if it were a woman or a child... I wouldn''t want to see the fear and dread in their eyes as they are... "..." [Steven/Kate] "Son of a..." [Blake] "Monsters..." [Maria] "Sister, it hurts." [Mooly] I was speechless... I tightly covered Mooly''s eyes with my hands, making sure that she couldn''t even get a glimpse of what was happening. I have seen these kinds of scenes countless times in photos, real life, and even on the dark web... but witnessing the real thing yourself will scare you to the bone, especially when you see it in detail...Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The people started cussing from the lines. I can feel bloodlust building up around me, this is bad. "Don''t attack!! They''re only provoking us!" [Michelle] Michelle, shouts. While atop of a hurricane dragon, as of now everyone here only knew of Michelle as someone who was chosen by the King to be our strategist. She used her fake name as an alias and wore a hooded cape to hide her identity. Everyone glanced towards her direction, even those from the farthest end. There are some who were confused, was she using her telepathy to talk to everyone? She started ordering us to move on to formation. "Screw the formation!" "For Dalio!" "Kill all orcs!" "Hey!! Kate, Mother, Father stop them!" [Angelica] "..." [Steven] "Those fools..." [Kate] "Kate??" [Angelica] A few hundred adventurers charged to the city. The idiot, leading them is a swordsman with green hair, who shouted the charge. I can recognize a few and those were the new adventurers that I saw from the guild... Everyone is just standing still, why aren''t they stopping them? Then, something rises from the city. "Batriders?!" "Here they come..." [Steven] Orcs, riding on giant bats flew towards the charging adventurers. All of the sudden, they started throwing bombs from grenade-like flasks. {1} Shit! There''s a hero here?! I hope I don''t see any Yurnero {2}, too! The adventurers scatter in panic. Next, a part of the wall opens. "Warg riders too?!" Wargs, huge black wolves were ridden by orcs. They are three times larger than a dual-headed wolf and probably has 3x the bite too... These are new enemies that we haven''t fought yet. It''ll be dangerous for us since we don''t know their attack patterns. Batriders dived in and snatched a few, then dropped them as they gained altitude. The bodies fell like a puppet that had their strings cut in mid-air. The adventurers went for a retreat, some are cut down by the riders as they ran. The others were eaten by wargs... or taken by the riders... "They''re gaining on us!" "Keep on running!" "Just a little more!" Just as they were about to reach us... they were impaled by huge arrows. Those arrows came from the ballistas in the city. The ones aiming them, are the orc lords... The captured adventurers, scream as they were being taken behind the wall. As the barricades slowly close, the orc lords manning the ballista started laughing. The other orcs followed suit. The captured adventurers'' screams were drowned by the orc''s laughter, as the gate closed. Everyone within the line was really frightened. A few were already turning their backs, the morale is falling. "This is what happens when you don''t listen! We have to think rationally! Blindly engaging in battle, will only rush us to our deaths!!" [Michelle] Michelle managed to get the situation under control. She''s right. Strategies for fighting from a small group are very different from the strategy used by armies. Adventurer strategies don''t work here. Thinking that you can take anyone on will certainly get you killed, but making an example using people is... "I know what you''re thinking." [Steven] "But isn''t this wrong? Using a person''s life, just to prove a point." [Angelica] Steven spoke beside me. He knew me really well. "My daughter, we''ve seen things like this unfold a hundred times. There will always be someone who does... the unthinkable..." [Steven] "You mean, stupid things right?" [Angelica] "That too." [Steven] Can''t blame him though. There are a bunch of stupid people in my world too and a lot of them get compiled up in YouTube fail videos. I released Mooly from my clutches. She rubs her eyes. "Sis that hurt." [Mooly] "Was I too hard?" [Angelica] "Sorry honey-drop, we had to do it." [Steven] "Honeydrop..." [Mooly] Mooly frowned. She really doesn''t like being teased. "Oh come here you." [Angelica] "Sis my hair..." [Mooly] People see how carefree we were, despite this tense atmosphere. I''m starting to get uncomfortable with their stares. "How do we start the battle?" [Maria] "Leave it to my wife, I''m no good at tactics." [Steven] Maria, says a different topic. The attention now falls on them, good job Maria! We have the normal formation like before, but with a little improvisation. Half of the elite knights are up-front in turtle formation and the other half stood guard at the rear, protecting the magicians. With adventurers behind them, followed by archers and lastly the magicians. Instead of being spread out, our formation is fully compact. Michelle has really planned this carefully. She''ll use the knights in turtle formation to soak up damage as they move in. Then the magicians will use Heal and Supportive magic on them, while some take out the ballistas with their offensive magic. Since we are in close proximity, everyone is able to have the full benefit of the Healing and Supportive magic. When the batriders come, the archers will engage them from afar while they also rain arrows on oncoming orcs. The adventurers will take out the orcs when they engage in close quarters. In doing so, they are also lessening the damage the knights will receive. The other half of the elite knights that were behind can hopefully defend against any flanking maneuvers from warg riders. The magicians can also engage them with magic to thin out their numbers. Michelle is in the air with a few escorts. Surveying the surroundings, she brings out the magic crystal that I gave her and uses it. (Boom!) Multiple explosions rang at the front. Only damaging the barricades. This is the crystal that Maria had imbued, I told her to input the spell ?Explosion? in it using her multi-cast. She is able to easily make multiple explosions from a single cast. It was the only spell for now, that she can multi-cast properly. The only drawback is a massive energy drain. Maria wasn''t able to think up a name for it, so I suggested to call it ?Barrage? Since the explosions are similar to an artillery barrage. "Move out!" [Michelle] The orcs were stunned by the immediate attack while using the smoke as cover we advanced. References {1} A reference to the Dota character Batrider. {2} Another character but from the original Dota. Impractical Magic Chapter 74 As we move through the smoke, I can hear some banging at the front. Have they already engaged them? But there was not a single orc outside the wall. When we got through, I raised my head to check. "Sister!" [Mooly] Suddenly. Mooly, grabbed me and pulled me down. As she did that, an arrow whizzed by to where my head should have been. My face then landed on her chest, a suitable airbag eheh... "T-thanks." [Angelica] "Sis, be careful next time! I cannot hear all of the arrows that are coming our way!" I got scolded for being careless... Mooly has good hearing, is it for sensing predators? Her ears, each move in a different direction as if scanning the surroundings. I want to touch them... "Hyahh?!" [Mooly] "Sorry!" [Angelica] She jumped when I traced my finger on the edge of her ear. Now, it''s my time to pull her down. I peeked from the sides. The elite knights are getting peppered by arrows from the orc archers. When their shields get hit by arrows, it makes this distinct banging, like it was rain. "Heal!!" "Steelbody!!" "Impenetrable Shield!!" "Point Barrier!!" ~~~ Supportive Spells Steelbody - Makes the skin as hard as steel for a few seconds. Gives high resistance to piercing and slashing attacks. Impenetrable Shield - Makes shields 4x stronger while reducing knockback effects, also applies its effects to shields that are linked together. Point Barrier - Makes an invisible forcefield that slows down oncoming projectiles by 3/5 of their speed. ~~~ As the arrows rained, so does the Healing and Supportive magic on the meat shiel... er, knights. When our archers returned fire. The orcs on top of the wall started to fall. Heheh, it''s really like in the movies. In an instant, most of the knights in the middle of the formation collapsed on the ground. They were screaming in pain, among them were eight knights, impaled by a ballista arrow. They were like a barbecue on a stick... some were still alive, vomiting blood... We have five groups of elite knights in turtle formation, each group consists of a hundred knights. There are three ballista arrows scattered near them. One stuck on the ground like a pole, the second made a trail of earth, and the last with the impaled knights. They were focusing their fire on a single knight formation. "Take out those ballistas!" [Elite Knight] "We still need to get closer!" [Magician] "Archers! Snipe them!" If the magicians can''t reach them, so will the archers... "Arrows!" "Heal them quickly!"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Use their shields!!" "Incoming!" The orcs fired a volley towards the downed formation. It''s like a bunch of lines moving upwards like in the 300 movie... {1} "Angelica?!" [Blake] "Daughter! No!!" [Steven] "Sister!" [Mooly] "Deflect!!" [Maria] As the adventurers helped the knights. Arrows are going to get them if I don''t help. I stood in front of them and raised my kris. Maria immediately followed with a protection spell on me. She raised her thumb and winked, that''s our magician! "She''s going to get hit!" "Wait, her sword!" Wind enveloped my sword, forming a vortex, that was quickly increasing in size. This is the first time, that I''m using Crescent in a more powered-up form via crystal, I wonder how big it''ll get? Even though the arrows were still far away. I fired it early, just to be safe. When I drew a line, a wall of wind appeared in front. 25... 50... 100... 150 meters? Hard to tell the size, since it''s wind and all. I''m using the dust cloud it generated to measure it. When the arrows made contact with the wind, it rolls in the air as it gets pushed back and falls harmlessly to the side of the field. "She used a huge spell without casting?" "Hey, it''s still going on!" My Crescent moved towards the city, it collided with the barricades and destroyed a part of it, opening up a path as it dissipated. I have completely expended the power of the crystal, a part of it falls off my kris as it shattered. Maybe I shouldn''t have used it at the limit. If I do, then I might''ve been able to use it a little bit more. I''ve also imbued Bladestorm into this. I wonder how much damage will that inflict if I released it all at once? Whew... I haven''t taken the time it took to dissipate into consideration. I''m afraid that I may have nearly wrecked a part of the city... "Don''t just stand there! Help them!" They managed to save some in time before the next volley fell. "Cool." [Mooly] "I need one of those." [Blake] "Guys get serious, people are dying here." [Angelica] "Sorry..." [Blake/Mooly] "They''re coming out." [Steven] "Weapons ready!" [Kate] Finally! The orcs inside the city started to move. I don''t want to fight in the city because there is a high chance that we''d be cornered, there''s also the problem with traps. We moved forward. We''re not going to wait for them to get in formation away from the city. If they did, then we''ll be target practice for their archers and ballistas, while they will be out of our engagement range. Slowly, inch by inch, we march. Around us people fell one by one, some with only a whimper, others moaned in agony. "The ballistas are in range!" [Magician] "Begin casting then, dammit!!" [Everyone] I nearly laughed at the funny exchange, luckily I managed to hold myself back. "Fire Strike!!" "Fissure!!" "Ice Beam!!" "Lightning Ball!!" "Acid Rain!!" ~~~ Offensive Spells Fire Strike - Red-colored lightning bolts, when it strikes the ground/target, it sets it and the surroundings on fire after a huge explosion. Looks quite similar to a mortar strike. Fissure - Makes the ground shake then opens up a giant hole, swallowing up the target/''s. Ice Beam - TM13? {2} A beam that freezes targets solid XD Lightning Ball - A round orb of electricity. The initial hit will roast the target, followed by a discharge of lightning bolts in all directions. Very dangerous, as it has a high chance to inflict friendly fire. Acid Rain - Rain that melts whatever it hits. ~~~ The ballistas are already destroyed in our first volley. They''re throwing spells one after the other... this is payback I guess... The barricades are getting banged up really good too. Michelle ordered us to halt outside the wall and said that we should engage the orcs coming out of the openings. From the barrage of spells and arrows. A few of the orcs weren''t even able to set a foot outside of their barricades. This will be our "Kill Zone" or "No man''s land." In two hours we held that position, till the magicians gave out. They had run out of energy potions, but they had effectively reduced the number of orcs. I couldn''t get a clear body count because they blasted some of them to smithereens. My rough estimate should be in the 5-6k''s? Sadly, we cannot obtain nor sell the equipment... Too bad, they are from a legion too... Michelle, made the magicians and elite knights fall back to rest. They have had enough action for now. Among the heaps of bodies, the warg riders emerge and the bat riders flew. What followed behind, are the remaining orcs, with a single orc king and a dozen orc lords... Contrary to the magicians falling back. The ones who pulled back were from the magic academies. So Maria is still here to support us. We, adventurers, have our own magicians and they are still locked and loaded and ready to go. The only difference between an adventurer magician to an academic magician is the Magic Levels. Those who came from the academies are likely to have more powerful spells and more variety in their arsenal. Likewise, adventurer magicians have few of those, unless they are high ranked, for them to have access to more advanced spells by paying to be taught how to use a spell. Now, that their archers and ballistas are out of the way. This is the time for us adventurers to shine. References {1} Reference to a scene in 300 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv51gMcV1Mw] {2} Reference to Pokemon. TM13 an item which lets your pokemon learn the move Ice Beam. Impractical Magic Chapter 75 The orc troops marched out of the city like water. Accompanying their leaders and generals. The Orc King and Orc Lords. All wielding massive orc weaponry, befitting of their status. Two-handed axe, two-handed sword, scythe, cleaver, mace and a claw of some sort. The Orc King is almost similar to an Orc Lord. The only difference is it is 1.5x larger and it wears this weird-looking crown on its head. Some were unarmored, wearing loincloths, like before. Proudly showing their battle scars with the addition of human skull amulets and bone necklaces. While others wore armor that looked like it was picked up from the scrapyard and just glued together. All look the same big, mean, green and butt assed ugly. The grunts, look far better than they do and that isn''t even a compliment that I''d like to say! The orc grunts gave way to them with equal distance. "Father, Blake, Maria, Mooly, Godmother." [Angelica] "Yeah?" [Steven/Blake] "Yes?" [Maria/Mooly] "Kyah?" [Kate] "... We''ll take them on." [Angelica] "What?!" ~~~Mooly~~~ The other adventurers heard what sister said, they all gazed at her in shock. "Let''s go." [Angelica] She walked leading the way drawing her sword. Me, Father, Kate, Blake and Maria followed her from behind. The adventurers, gave way as they see her unshaken walking steadily forward. Sister is such a fearless person, I really admire her. She raised her kris up to her chest and points it at the orcs then says "Let''s get this over with quickly." along with a tenacious look. ~~~Angelica~~~ When I called out to them, the adventurers also stared. I walked up front to shake off their attention. Uwah... they''re still staring... I ignored them and tried to imagine that I was walking alone in an empty street. Their stares are giving me fucking social anxiety. Great, it worked! They gave way to us opening a path from the formation. We stopped at two hundred meters away from them. The Orc King and Orc Lords noticed us leave the formation, the orc king raised his hand and waved off the others not to interfere. The orcs then gave equal space for them of two hundred meters. It was like a big arena. Warg riders went to our left and right flanks. Circling around, observing us. A 6 vs 13 huh... I raised my kris. The Orc King and Orc Lords showed their disinterest. Some yawned, looked at the sky, cleaned their weapon with a cloth. These pieces of shits are totally ignoring us. "Let''s get this over with quickly." [Angelica] I said that as I glared at them. I really wanted this to end as quickly as possible, despite us not doing much earlier, we are still mentally fatigued. I mean, how can you even stay in shape for too long if you''re always thinking you could die here at any moment. As I was in thought. Some warg rider made a quick dash towards me. "Don''t interfere while I''m thinking!!" [Angelica] When it jumped for a bite. I ducked below it and slashed with my fire enchant down in the middle. Its half-lifeless body flew past me and fell. "She slashed it in half with one strike?!"The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "Not only that, she even cut off its armor!" The adventurers exclaimed. In my frustration, I unknowingly killed the warg and its rider with just a single blow. Seeing that I did that they stopped looking disinterested. I now have their attention. Finally! Orc sempai has noticed me! I spread my arms and shrugged to taunt them, to add more to the insult, I also smirked. They began gritting their smelly yellow teeth. "I''ll be in the middle." [Angelica] "Then I''ll take the right side." [Blake] "Father, can you take this out?" [Angelica] I asked Steven as I pointed at the orc king. "Dunno, I haven''t fought with an orc king before." [Steven] "Maria, Mooly please take care of the orc lords if they try to interfere." [Angelica] "Yes." [Maria/Mooly] "What about me?" [Kate] "You''ll be the bait." [Angelica] "Eh... eh?!!" [Kate] "Just kidding, please assist Maria and Mooly." [Angelica] "Okay! [Kate] Now, we''re all set. "Let''s get em!" [Angelica] "Yeah!!" [Steven/Blake/Maria/Mooly/Kate] We all started walking at the same time, even the orcs. As we walked, the adventurers and orcs initiated their own battle behind us. I can hear battle cries, clashing metal and spells being cast. Even the ?Barrage? spell is used again. Michelle is directly supporting them while evading arrows that come flying her way. To be honest I''m really worried about her flying... We stopped at exactly 50 meters from one another. The King and Lords, seem to have the hots for me, maybe I shouldn''t have taunted them... Ready... set... go!! I dashed for the orc king that was in the middle who has the huge two-handed sword, it has the same length and thickness of two greatswords merged into one. Blake caught up to me and was now at my side. Steven? I looked back, where is he? "Your dad is fast." [Blake] "Huh?" [Angelica] When I inquired. Blake pointed with his finger at the front. Wow! Steven is like a car on nitro, by the time that I had looked, he was already engaging the orc king. It moved its huge sword overhead and slashed downwards in a diagonal position. Steven, jumped back to evade it. When it struck the ground... "How the hell?!" [Angelica] "I''m not surprised, after knowing that your father is the personal knight of the princess. That''s an easy thing for him to do." [Blake] Steven, after evading... quickly ran up the two-handed sword. Like, literally running on it. I''ll ask him to teach me his imba moves later. As he ran, the orc king pulled out the sword and Steven used it as a trampoline. The orc king tried to cut him up mid-air, but he manages to evade each one of them and counters it with his own. He makes quick jabs with his trident. As expected, even with the upgraded speed of the wind enchant, it still lacks cutting power, and the orc king''s bulging muscles are a pain. Steven ends his combo with a kick to the orc king''s face. Aww... that looks painful... the orc king covers his face with his hand while he tried to blindly swipe at Steven. "?! Father watch out!!" [Angelica] When he landed, an orc lord tried to grab him. I shot ?Bladestorm? at it. Five blades of wind hit its arm scattering droplets of blood. It did minimal damage just enough to make it flinch. He jumped back to us, which covered quite a distance, did he use Dragoon Jump? {1} The orc king that was kicked removed its hand. Its face was bleeding and its nose has sunk into its face. Oh, what damage an iron boot can do! "This is a good invention." [Steven] "Thanks, but it lacks in cutting power..." [Angelica] "Still, it gave me access to new techniques." [Steven] An orc lord went on the offensive and swung its mace sideways to hit all three of us. "Hah!!" [Blake] "Wow, nice Blake!" [Angelica] He deflected the mace, by hitting the side with the tip of his jian. It landed near us and sent rocks and debris flying towards the orc king that Steven had kicked. (Bam!) Again, the face... Not the face! "Where did you learn that?" [Steven] "Master taught me." [Blake] The orc king smacked the orc lord who had the mace and argued, they seem to be changing their strategy. While they were arguing, the other orc lords took their place and attacked. "Hexa-Firebolt!!" [Maria] One of the orc lords stopped in its tracks and fell, it had six ?Firebolts? stuck on its torso. It became a nice pin cushion. Maria had one-shotted it with her Regular level magic, this is one of her multi-cast spells at work. You may be asking, why is it a no-cast, despite being a Regular level spell. Well, it is because of the magic crystals that I gave her. With her multi-cast coupled with the magic crystals, she becomes a formidable foe. A no-cast high-level spell is not something you can laugh at, even more so when it is multi-casted. Kate moved towards the orc lords and popped in the back. By going over their shoulders. "Hiyaah!" [Kate] She did her signature, Heavy Draw in a full circle. It decapitated two that were near her. She did it so quickly, that the other orc lords had no time to react. "Million Stab!!" [Mooly] Mooly jabs her pike in the back of an orc lord that was facing Kate. She used the Million Stab that I taught her. The unlucky orc lord was turned into swiss cheese full of holes. Wow! I thought that my wind enchant has low attack power, but since Mooly used thrusting and stabbing attacks it was effective. I wonder if it became her favorite skill? I''ll teach her more video game moves in the future. "Mooly, good job!" [Steven] "Uh thank you, father!" [Mooly] When Steven, praised her. Mooly''s ears flapped up and down with joy. References {1} Reference to Final Fantasy 3 Dragoon''s "Jump" ability. Impractical Magic Chapter 76 The orcs have now stopped their stupid quarrel. It was only because another orc lord intervened, he probably said that they were getting killed one by one as they run off their mouths like children while pointing at his fallen orc lord brethren. The orc king and orc lords charged at the same time with weapons at the ready, but the three of us easily dodged their assault. Blake and I have been training during our spare time. We can take them on one-on-one without any problems, we''re not like our weak selves from the past. "Earth Wall!!" [Maria] Maria made a wall that was three meters thick, which separated us from the orc king. She covered for us while simultaneously taking on the rest of the orc lords with Mooly and Kate. ~~~Maria~~~ Angelica and Blake have really improved themselves in this short amount of time, as they could now easily take on a small group of high-ranking orcs. Well, I can proudly say that I wasn''t wasting time myself, the multi-cast ability that Jose has taught me became a critical piece of our fighting strength. When Angelica told me that I''d be the most important person for this battle. To be honest, it scared me, but after she taught me how to enchant the magic crystals. I''ve felt like I can now go and take quests on my own haha~ Still... I didn''t know that with multi-cast it would make fights much easier. "Phasic Barrier!!" [Maria] "Thank you, sister Maria!" [Mooly] "Detect Weakness!!" [Maria] "Thanks!" [Kate] ~~~ Support Spell Phasic Barrier - is the powered up, a multi-casted form of ?Point Barrier? Instead of only one barrier, it is made up of multiple barriers that can take a dozen heavy blows without breaking. Although the time limit is still the same... Detect Weakness - Apprentice level support spell. It lets the individual inflict critical damage on the weakest points of the enemy. ~~~ Mooly is very good at using the spear. She doesn''t let even a single chance escape her, however, she is sometimes careless and wanders a bit away from the formation. It is great that Kate was there to watch her back. Kate has this unique style of swordplay after each attack, she always retracts her sword in the scabbard and performs a quick draw. I have little to no knowledge of swordplay, but I still think why does she have to put it back? Even Blake was baffled at Kate''s style. Angelica, just mentions that it is probably a critical draw effect... what is a critical draw {1} anyway?! "Twin Strike!!" [Kate] Kate, hit the orc lord with two attacks, despite me seeing her draw only once. She''s almost as fast as Blake or maybe a bit faster. Her slash hit the abdomen and on the arm where the brachial artery was, after inflicting the wound, blood suddenly gushed out. It was like Angelica''s water enchant gross... "Pierce!!" [Mooly] Mooly steps back and then quickly moves her arm holding the spear forward. Her spear pierces the orc lord''s thick helmet. It entered the left temple and exits on the right. The orc lord stood lifelessly as Mooly retracted her pike from its head. "Water Jet!!" [Maria] When my spell hit the orc lord. It was slowly getting cut as the water makes contact with its flesh. ~~~ Offensive Spell Water Jet - Offensive water magic regular level. Fires water at a high pressure in a small funnel-like fashion, from the pressure itself it was able to cut through almost anything with ease. This spell was created by me with the help of Angelica. I thought that it was a joke at first that water can cut through metal, but once we did it in actual combat on armored rhinos. It cut them in a breeze, although the drawback is you''d be a sitting duck as you need to keep on casting it and it doesn''t cut cleanly like Angelica''s fire enchant, at least it was significantly more powerful than the ?Air Cutter?If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ~~~Angelica~~~ This has been going on for a while now. There have been close calls, but nothing serious whatsoever. The orc king. No matter how much we cut, slashed nor stabbed. The wounds we inflict were quickly closing and healing on their own, it seems to have a super-regenerative ability. "This is endless." [Blake] "We need to find a way to counter that regeneration." [Steven] "Killing them will do." [Blake] "Yeah, but they''re good at covering for each other." [Steven] The orc lords, protected the orc king whenever we try to inflict a finishing blow. They knew that we are aiming for him as he is the most dangerous if left unattended for too long. Hahh... my head is starting to hurt. I checked my leather waist bag to see if there are still any more energy potions... ... ... ... none... from fighting and using my enchants for this long I have lost count of how much I had used and now I''m almost dry... I better be more careful as I am starting to get sluggish. The orc king picked up the two-handed axe from the dead orc lord. On his left hand is the now cut-up, two handed sword or what remained of it and on the right is the two-handed axe. Don''t tell me that he''s proficient at using two weapons at the same time, it will be even harder to deal with him now. No more screwing around. This time I needed to get serious too, I enchanted my kris with the water enchant. "Blake, destroy their weapons. Father, keep him busy for me." [Angelica] "What do you have in mind?" [Steven] "I''m going to try and end it now." [Angelica] "And how do you plan on doing that?" [Steven] "Oh, you''ll see~" [Angelica] "Have you bought a raincoat?" [Blake] "No. Why?" [Steven] "It''s going to rain, pretty bad." [Blake] We made a mad dash towards the orc king and two orc lords. Steven baits them into guarding or countering, by hitting their weak points multiple times with his trident. When they try to counterattack Blake, will then use the fire enchant on his jian and turn their weapons into scrap metal, leaving them vulnerable to my enchant. Father, really is amazing. He''s using the weapons as a stepping stone. He attacks, then juggles from one weapon to the other, rinse and repeat. Blake then cuts their weapons into tiny little pieces before their very eyes. Heh, he''s like a chef preparing food from a restaurant. As a bonus. He also weakened them by slashing at the legs with his jian, those darn legs are thicker than a tree stump. That you''d need to hit it three to four times with my fire enchant to completely cut it off. Much more so with the size of the orc king. One by one they limped. I had cut open the wound where Blake, has slashed earlier to inflict more damage. My water enchant, the bigger the wounds, the faster they will die. I called Blake and Steven to back away from the orcs. The orc king and orc lords were baffled at our sudden withdrawal. Countdown... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Three wonderful, blood fountains have appeared. The orc king and orc lords shrieked in agony as their blood is forcefully pumped out of their bodies. The surrounding orcs hear the screams and see the horror unfold. They have a lot of blood I''d say, it has already spread to more than ten meters and they''re still alive and kicking. Well, not for long though... Orcish blood is gross. It''s dark violet, very thick and gooey and smelled much like armpits. They are like dying animals, kicking and twitching... their skin is now pale green after the blood is fully drained. Their eyes are going white... "What a frightening enchant." [Steven] "Father, don''t touch. If you do, you''ll die..." [Angelica] Steven wanted to touch the edge. I stopped and warned him as much as I can. The smallest of cuts is still considered dangerous. It can only be stopped with Regular level Heal... Novice and Apprentice Heal won''t cut it. We knew the effects while only testing it on monsters and animals. Still, even if we have crystals that housed Maria''s, Regular level Heal. I won''t take any risks... ~~~Blake~~~ "I can finally take a breather..." [Angelica] "You should go rest for a bit, you don''t look too well Angelica..." [Blake] Angelica sat down on the ground, she was sweating a lot and seems to be having a hard time breathing. As she rested, I stood guard near her because there is still fighting going on all around us. "Heya!" [Kate] "Dad, we took care of the orc lords!" [Mooly] "You did well out there. Where did you learn that move from Mooly?" [Steven] "Sis taught me." [Mooly] "Really? I didn''t know she could use a spear." [Steven] "Sis said that she saw this being executed by someone named Dante. {2}" [Mooly] "Dante, huh... I''d like to meet him someday." [Steven] "Where''s Maria?" [Blake] "Over there." [Kate] Backing up the adventurers were Maria and Michelle. Using multi-cast spells and the ?Barrage? spell. The orc grunts and riders were in a state of panic, all because of the high-ranking orcs are easily dispatched by us. Without any command, they easily fell to the adventurers as the result. Choosing not to slack off, Mooly, Steven, and Kate came to help them. The warg riders weren''t much of a threat, you''d only feel intimidated by their looks, but they are actually almost as weak as a grunt. "Earth Graveyard!!" [Maria] Maria used a spell that is the multi-casted form of ?Earth Coffin? Various, earthen-like shells arise from the ground and sandwiches multiple orcs that crushes them from the inside. She doesn''t have to shout the name of the spell anymore since it was already imbued on the crystal. This is probably her first time using it and may take some time for her to get used to. I wish I could also use magic like them... but I''ll compensate with my swordsmanship. "Terrence, cover me." [Kate] "Gotcha." [Steven] Angelica''s father and godmother. Kills orcs in droves, eliminating them with a single stab with the trident or slash of the sword. I still lack in skill, even though I can easily slash them due to Angelica''s enchant, I must get even stronger. References {1} Critical Draw is an armor effect in the Monster Hunter games. Where every time you unsheathed your weapon you can make a critical attack on your first strike. {2} Dante is one of the main characters of the Devil May Cry series. Impractical Magic Chapter 77 "You did well. Defeating those orcs wasn''t just a simple feat." [Michelle] Michelle congratulates us as she unmounted from the hurricane dragon. "Also, father has taken Suitan under our control." [Michelle] "Grandfather did?" [Angelica] "They did depart earlier than us and rallying the adventurers was difficult." [Michelle] "But you are even more amazing mother. Commanding thousands of people." [Angelica] "You flatter me too much my daughter." [Michelle] "How many were the casualties?" [Steven] "387..." [Michelle] "That''s great right?" [Maria] "..." [Michelle] Michelle was unhappy with the figures. She may have wished to make it even lower if she could. "It''s the best you can do. For all we know, without your help, it may have been way higher." [Kate] "Thank you, Kate." [Michelle] "Adventurers and magicians, please stay at the outer barricades and report any suspicious activities." [Steven] "Knights! We''re moving into the city. Eliminate any stragglers and give immediate aid to survivors. As for the victims... please report them to us..." [Kate] "Let us help you, we have rested enough and can use our spells again." [Magician] "No, it''s better if you stayed." [Steven] "We will come no matter what you say. We''ve contributed much to this battle!" [Magician] The young magician protested. Did they think that they were being thrown out after being used? Well for me it does seem like it, but Kate and Steven seem to have a reason why they don''t want to let these people in. "You are a magician from the academy right?" [Michelle] "Yes." [Magician] "Then you''ve also heard stories or read about books, on what happens to people in villages that were occupied by orcs." [Michelle] "Ah..." [Magician] Michelle, says in a very cold manner, even I got chills from what she said. The young magician averts his gaze. "Do you still want to come?" [Michelle] "..." [Magician] "A wise choice." [Michelle] Aren''t the adventurers protesting? Is it common knowledge for them? "Let''s go Angelica." [Kate] "Wait... we''re coming?" [Angelica] "We need you to come with us." [Michelle] "Okay." [Angelica] I was baffled why they wanted us to come. I already have a general idea of what the orcs do to other races from my past life and I am sure that I don''t want to go see it for myself, as I may not be able to stomach it... "Maria, do you have that crystal with the Inferno spell?" [Steven] "Yes, why?" [Maria] "We might need it, could you hand it over?" [Kate] "Alright." [Maria] Our party. Together with Michelle, Steven, Kate and the elite knights. Went into the inner city and the knights took care of the leftover orcs while searching for survivors at the same time... "Captain, there is something you should see..." Kate, with a slight pause, said "... Take me there." We followed the knight and he gestured towards the ditch. Even if we are in the farthest distance, the smell of death was brought by the wind. It was very revolting... When we got there, piles upon piles of corpses lay on top of one another, there are also different races. Someone gasped when they saw the mountain of death.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He then took us to a large tent next to it. The knight glanced at us before he whispered something to Kate. Kate went inside first and a few seconds later, quickly exited. Her face was pale blue like she was going to vomit. "Terrence, burn it!" [Kate] "What? What''s inside?" [Steven] "Burn it down!!" [Kate] Kate''s expression was very scary. I haven''t seen her like this before. "Inferno!!" [Steven] "Let''s move forward." [Kate] We proceeded to walk. ~~~ Offensive Spell Inferno - Fire magic Expert level. It is a fire spell that keeps on burning till only ash is left. It''s fine to leave it since it will extinguish itself automatically. ~~~ I made a quick glance as we walked past it. When the cover of the tent burned down, it revealed hooks with meat on them. Why did Kate ask to burn it? When I focused my eyes. I saw four long ears hanging on a single hook, it doesn''t seem to be from an animal. Next is a huge horse-like leg with hoofs still attached and the last before the fire covered everything. On the table next to butcher knives, a human arm... My senses are telling me to look away, so I did. We left the tent behind to be engulfed by the flame. To be safe, we have to check all of the tents, sometimes there were surprises inside, via orcs jumping on you with weapons in tow. We cannot needlessly burn them without checking them first, because of survivors. There are a few traps in the city, but all were not serious nor fatal and could be easily dealt with healing and supportive magic. Like a pitfall trap, five meters deep at most you can only get a broken leg. Luckily the orcs are dumb enough to not put any spikes there or were they planning to take someone who is caught alive? Getting the stragglers is hard, some hide, some run and others try to kill you without regards for their safety. Orcs are real savages, but Maria said that the undead is worse... "A warg!!" A warg dashed out from one of the tents since it is very close to me. I went to eliminate it. "Let me handle it." [Angelica] The warg, when it saw our huge numbers, ran into a tight alley. ~~~Kate~~~ Angelica ran after the warg. She really doesn''t want to let even one escape. The search is going smoothly, but we still haven''t found any survivors. I''m starting to get worried if there are any... I wonder if Regina was okay? The princess did say that the campaign was a success. "She''s alright Kate. There''s no need to worry." [Michelle] "A... thank you, Michelle." [Kate] She read my thoughts... when she said that via telepathy, it was as if a huge burden was taken off of my shoulders. As I was pondering about it. Mooly said that she has heard something, her ears are moving in different directions trying to pinpoint the source. "What is it Mooly?" [Maria] "It''s voices, but very faint." [Mooly] "Voices? What are they saying?" [Blake] She closed her eyes and begins to concentrate. "Someone... please..." [Mooly] "Survivors?" [Steven] "Kill me... please... end my suffering..." [Mooly] Mooly''s eyes opened wide when she realized what she has just said. "Where... did it come from?" [Maria] "The voices came from the direction sis went to..." [Mooly] "Blake! Go after her now!!" [Steven] "O-okay!" [Blake] "Terrence, let''s go after them." [Kate] "Roger. Maria, keep Mooly here." [Steven] Blake was slightly confused, yet he still gave chase. We followed him from behind. "What do you think Terrence?" [Kate] "The same as you." [Steven] I hope that Angelica doesn''t run into them. The ones called victims... ~~~Angelica~~~ This warg is good at evading my attacks. It just keeps on fleeing. It ducks, rolls and jumps as I try to slash it. As if watching a comedy cartoon stint. "End us..." While running after the warg, I heard a low tone voice and stopped. "I want... to die..." Now, I was certain that it was a voice. I went to look for them, following the voices each time they spoke. They were probably in danger or distress, from the way they are speaking. They might need to be healed, each second that I waste might cost a life. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" [Angelica] I shouted and hoped for a reply. "We... are... here..." I hurriedly went to where it is. It was at a broken-down building that has a basement, the entrance was obstructed by wooden stakes. "I''m coming! Hold on!" [Angelica] "Hur...ry..." I slashed and slashed with my fire enchant to destroy the stakes to get to them faster. The blockage is now removed, it revealed a staircase that went under. The air is rather damp and smelled weird, but I still went. When I got to the bottom, I readied my weapon just in case there was an ambush. The light from the outside illuminated the basement. When my eyes adapted in the dark, there were figures all around the edge of the basement. Not knowing what was what, I used the fire enchant and made the kris lit aflame. "You''ve... finally came..." "Kill... us..." "End... our suffering..." What I saw were... bodies... of various races... mostly female... elves, humans, a centaur, and other demi-humans. Some had clothes which are torn and some had none at all. Chains bound their necks, hands, and feet onto the nearby wall. They have disfigured bodies, one has a large swollen left breast and the right is punctured, another has an over-inflated stomach and there was one that had a prolap... "I''m giving birth!" I watched in dread as one delivered right in front of me. "My baby! My baby!" The elf woman gave birth to a green infant. She held it in her arms with the umbilical cord still attached. "I did good! Let''s make more children." When she said the last sentence, it gave me chills, she then looked up at me with dead eyes and smiled. I looked away in fright and inspected the others and they were all, almost the same with their dead eyes as if their life is extinguished from the inside... I dropped my kris and covered my mouth, then I slipped and fell on my butt. Even though I was a guy in my past life, this is horrible all too horrible... "Kill us..." "Please... end our suffering..." "No... more..." "I don''t... want... to live..." These moans of agony fill my ears, and my head felt wobbly... "Angelica!" Who was that? "Angelica!!" [Blake] Blake, held me close to him, while he pointed his jian at them, but had put it down soon after when he realized what they were. I trembled and tugged his shirt. He tries his best to alleviate what I''m hearing by covering my ears, but it wasn''t working. Their voices of negative emotions fill my head... I don''t want to hear it anymore!! Please make it stop! "Inferno!!" As I was losing consciousness. I heard the spell ?Inferno? "Thank... you..." "Now... peace at last... "You''ve... saved... us..." Words of thanks fill the basement as it burns, the red flame engulfing and cleansing their souls... I felt Blake carry me out before I lost consciousness. Impractical Magic Chapter 78 That very same night, I woke up. I was inside of what seems to be make-do tents that were set up before we reclaimed the city. When my eyes adjusted to the dark, I can see Maria, Molly, Steven, and Michelle sleeping nearby. It was a small tent so it was a little cramped inside. I felt something warm holding my right hand. When I glanced to my right Blake, was there holding it tightly. It took me a moment to realize that we were holding hands and I quickly pulled my hand away which almost woke him up. I stood up and got out of the tent. Outside by the entrance was Kate, standing guard. "Oh, Angelica you''re awake." [Kate] "Uhh, yeah..." [Angelica] "Blake was really worried about you, you know? Even while you were sleeping you were grasping his hand tightly the whole time." [Kate] "The whole time?!" [Angelica] "Yes?" [Kate] Did I instinctively hold his hand while I was unconscious?! So it was I, not him... "Angelica?" [Kate] Holding your homie''s hand... I covered my face in embarrassment. "What do you think of orcs?" [Kate] "They are a threat to all races and must be exterminated at all costs." [Angelica] "Heh, we have the same opinion, but there is a race that we all should be wary of." [Kate] "What race is it?" [Angelica] "The undead, they move and attack tirelessly. Despite having little to no intelligence, they are able to use weapons. The real danger is they have the ability to use magic without worrying about their energy running out." [Kate] "Shouldn''t all of the other races be concerned about it then?" [Angelica] "Yes, a mandate solely created for that purpose, that when an undead army appears. It is stated that Kingdoms even at war should collaborate to eliminate the threat." [Kate] "Is that true?!" [Angelica] "Yes, there is a saying that whenever an undead appears. The corpses nearby will rise from their graves, as you know wars or conflicts inflict massive amounts of casualties, and if those casualties were to rise then..." [Kate] "I see..." [Angelica] I cringed. They can even force countries at war to help each other out or face annihilation from their own dead. "Did you know? That if your father wasn''t the personal guard of the princess. He would be the knight captain instead of me." [Kate] When Kate, saw me getting goosebumps she changes the subject. "Really?!" [Angelica] "Yep." [Kate] I already knew that, but acted like I didn''t, just so I wouldn''t waste her concern. "I never knew that he was that amazing." [Angelica] "I wonder what life you''ll have if the king accepted your parent''s relationship." [Kate] "I may just like be like mother, or worse." [Angelica] "Wah?!!" [Kate] "I was joking." [Angelica] "Whew, that''s a relief." [Kate] Kate heaved a sigh. Does she really think that I would turn out like that? It hurts me to hear that she thinks of me that way. Deducted 10 love points for you then... "I''ll probably be the nicest or noblest daughter in the kingdom." [Angelica] "You must still be joking." [Kate] "Uh-uh." [Angelica] No joke. If I was born as a princess knowing that my mother is next to the throne, although I''d rather be a prince, but what the heck. I''ll do my very best to improve our kingdom as much as possible. As I''ll have almost unlimited resources in addition to the knowledge from my past life at my disposal. "I''d like to see that when I can." [Kate] "But knowing mother. She isn''t interested in becoming a queen." [Angelica] "True..." [Kate] "And I still wanted to go on adventures, so me being royalty is a no-no." [Angelica] "Mmn." [Kate] "You aren''t going to rest?" [Angelica]This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. When I saw her wipe her eyes and yawn. I asked her if she needed some sleep. "No, as a knight, guarding long hours is normal for us." [Kate] "I can switch with you." [Angelica] "It''s alright, you can go rest." [Kate] "You know. Father''s left side is vacant right now~" [Angelica] "W-what are you saying?!" [Kate] "I know that you liked father." [Angelica] "Ha... ha... knock it off." [Kate] "You''re easy to read..." [Angelica] Kate is currently sweating buckets, her cheeks are flushed red all the way to her ears and she''s avoiding eye contact. "Here." [Angelica] "This is?" [Kate] Resisting the urge to tease her. I handed her a magic crystal with the wind enchant. It was the crystal from my greatsword. "I''ve deemed you to be trustworthy enough, but please use it only if you''re in danger or if a need arises." [Angelica] "Is there a reason for you to keep this as a secret?" [Kate] "If people knew that I can make these. They could use this as weapons for waging war and I may be put in danger or as a hostage. There is also the possibility that my parents or grandfather to be targeted." [Angelica] "We also don''t want that to happen... Well, how do you even use this?" [Kate] "You attach it to your weapon." [Angelica] "You mean that I can also do stuff like what you did?" [Kate] "Yeah." [Angelica] "And create that big wall of wind from earlier?!" [Kate] Kate''s eyes sparkle in excitement. "No..." [Angelica] During one of my experiments I noticed that even if I imbued Crescent and Bladestorm into the crystal, it doesn''t seem to work if other people used it. So it is maybe an exclusive skill just for me? "Eh?" [Kate] "I can only enchant one ability per crystal right?" [Angelica] "Oh right." [Kate] She bumped her palms together as if she gets it. That was a white lie though so I guess it was okay... "Then my speed should increase right?" [Kate] "Yes, try that draw you did. When you cut down that thick door at the castle." [Angelica] She held the scabbard and did her draw stance. A moment later a gentle wind blew past. "... ... ... Err why aren''t you moving?" [Angelica] "Eh? You didn''t see it?" [Kate] "See what?" [Angelica] "I already did it." [Kate] She was still in her draw stance, not moving holding her scabbard and sword handle while talking... is she lying to me? "What is your fastest attack?" [Angelica] "THIS IS my fastest..." [Kate] "... Okay... Try cutting that log over there." [Angelica] I tried testing her and pointed at a piece of wood that the orcs used for the barricades. She went into her draw stance again. This time I used my whole concentration to observe her... She held her sword and scabbard, as usual, she then pulls the sword out where I saw maybe about an inch of the blade before she hid it again in the scabbard with a (Ting!) and stood up in her normal stance. "Done." [Kate] I didn''t even see her draw the whole sword at all!! (Chuck-pluck) After finishing her sentence, the log got cut in half. Did she just do the Zantetsuken?! {1} Dangerous... I can only imagine someone walking down a crowded street and getting cut down without anyone noticing... I bet that she could pass up more as an assassin lol. If she could do it that fast, then I don''t want to think how Blake will do. As he can match my speed even with my wind enchant. I AM NOT going to give Blake the wind enchant, never-ever. "That reminds me. What is your sword made of? It doesn''t bend nor break even after hitting something hard." [Angelica] "This thing here? It''s made of mythril ." [Kate] "Myth-ril ?" [Angelica] "Don''t tell me that you haven''t heard of it?" [Kate] "Sorry, I''m just a normal girl from a rural village and we have little to no books regarding stuff like those~" [Angelica] Even in my old world. In the medieval times, books are also hard to come by because of the troubles and difficulty of printing in that era. The only time I was only able to indulge in some books is when I was at the castle''s library and I was only there for a short amount of time. I know about mythril, but only in games. For its properties in this world, however, I have no fucking idea how much or valuable it is... "Oh... anyway it is one of the few strongest metals around that can only be obtained by using Metal element magic." [Kate] "Metal element magic?" [Angelica] "It is the sub-element of Fire and Earth magic." [Kate] I better ask Maria about it, since she knows more about magic-related stuff. I wonder what kind of enchant would come out of it? Hmm... "Trace On!" {2} that would be so badass if I can enchant that way XD All those weapon designs from games and anime. I could make them without the use of forging... "Hehe... eheh..." [Angelica] "Um... Angelica... you''re drooling..." [Kate] I wiped off my drool and hurriedly said to Kate "Good night" Damn... whom did I get that trait from anyway?! I went inside the tent to sleep again. Laying down to where I''d slept at before and said to myself "A very crazy day..." before dozing off. A few hours later... "Heheh..." "Er... hon-" "Psst! You''ll wake them..." ~~~Blake~~~ I haven''t slept like this in a while. It might be due to exhaustion or because of what we had seen yesterday. Even I was shocked at what I saw, thinking about it makes me want to vomit... Angelica had it harder... being a woman herself, she may have thought that it was such a cruel fate for those people... Would a similar fate happen to her if Cagban fell? I was sure that we men are going to be killed off if support hasn''t managed to come in time. A pleasant smell entered my nose. It smelled sweet so I took a deep breath to enjoy its fragrance. My body felt warm and comfortable, there is also a soft sensation on my hand is this a pillow? I squeezed it a little bit, I wonder what kind of material is this thing made of? (Smack!!) "Owwww?!!" [Blake] Something hit my head hard and I sprung up in surprise. There. I saw Angelica, looking coldly at me while she covered her chest. "Then that soft sensation..." [Blake] I looked at my hand which was still opening and closing when I looked back at her again. Angelica raised her kris and air circled around it. "A-Angelica, i-it was an accident!" [Blake] I closed my eyes and prepared to be hit, but nothing came. "Hahh..." [Angelica] She let out a sigh and hid her kris. "I forgive you. I know that you were not that kind of person to do that perverted stuff." [Angelica] It''s not like I don''t want to have a feel of them though... Angelica then glared at someone inside the tent. It was a woman covering her mouth with her hand doing a silent laugh... "Mo-ther... fa-ther..." [Angelica] "I have no part of this." [Steven] Michelle timidly ran out of the tent who was immediately followed by Steven. Maria and Mooly were still sound asleep on their bed, enjoying the breeze from Angelica''s crystal fan. ~~~Angelica~~~ "Hahh... really..." [Angelica] I sigh again... and massaged my temple. "She probably just wanted to cheer you up." [Blake] "I don''t know whether it is me whom she wants to cheer up, or you when she put your hand on my chest while I was asleep." [Angelica] "Ah..." [Blake] "I was kidding... Also, I''m sorry for worrying you too Blake." [Angelica] "That''s alright." [Blake] Blake, smiles. I feel really blessed to have good friends and family. Leaving that thought aside, I sat next to Mooly and stroked her hair. While thinking about what we should do tomorrow. References {1} Zantetsuken is an attack in Final Fantasy used by Odin, it is either an instant kill or a high-damage attack depending on the series he appears in. {2} Reference to the Fate series. It is Shirou''s ability to materialize sword/weapons out of nowhere. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA9UmaPaWOo] Impractical Magic Chapter 79 The next day. I''ve been told that they had found some survivors. I went to see how they were and was surprised to know that they are all just children. All of them were girls, aged between 8-12th years old, they came from various races. I asked Kate if they saw any boys. She told me that, they only kept the girls to be used as a breeding horse, till they are able to bear children for them... I asked her again what they fed to these kids while they were in captivity. Kate, said they are well fed with normal food according to most of the kids she rescued during her time of duty. It was because the children are not used to eating some of the orcish food. To the orcs, if the children do not eat well, the chances of them surviving is slim. Thus they cannot reproduce much of their kind... The boys, however... being unable to bear anything. Male children and infants are considered as a form of delicacy for the orcs... as they like the tender flesh and bones of other races. I''m getting flashbacks of that tent... and it makes my stomach churn. Some children are obviously scared and others are in a state of shock. Not only losing your parents and siblings at an early age but also losing them in a gruesome manner... Everyone present is comforting the children. Handing out food, and clothing, calming and comforting them. These poor children... I also see Mooly. Crying as she tries to help the kids, they almost have a similar situation. Maria and the other magicians were erecting buildings as temporary shelters. "Seems like we''d have to rebuild this city completely." [Steven] "It''ll take some time though..." [Michelle] "Mom, can we help these children?" [Mooly] "We can, but they would still need to stand up for themselves..." [Michelle] "B-but how about me? I did it." [Mooly] "They are... not as strong as you honey..." [Michelle] "Have they also found survivors in Suitan?" [Kate] "They have the same case as us, no adults, only children. Although the city is mostly intact since the orcs managed to surprise them in the first attack." [Michelle] "The wrecked buildings here mean that some tried to defend this city." [Steven] "Mother." [Angelica] "Yes, my daughter?" [Michelle] "Can you leave the rebuilding to me?" [Angelica] "Honey, that is a great task that even I cannot accomp-" [Michelle] "I can." [Angelica] I stare Michelle in the eye with all seriousness. Seeing Mooly and the rest of the kids in that sad state stirred something inside of me. I knew that I better do something... "Sister..." [Mooly] "I''ll never leave them be Mooly. I promise you that." [Angelica] "I will inform father about it." [Michelle] Michelle closed her eyes and begins contacting grandfather through telepathy. "He... agrees?" [Michelle] "He did?" [Steven] "Yes. He said that it was just like me... well my daughter, your grandfather gives the go-ahead." [Michelle] "Thank you." [Angelica] We started rebuilding Dalio from the ground up. I had Steven, Michelle, and Kate as my advisers and also as my overseers. While Blake, Maria, and Mooly are the common townspeople. Because civilians know what they needed best and I don''t want to make something that isn''t necessary or useful as that would only be a waste of resources. With Michelle here. I can use her as a satellite phone to talk to grandfather and ask him for supplies and what I needed. ~~~Mooly~~~ Four days after we retook Dalio. Sister has immediately given the order to rebuild. First, she ordered all of the magicians to dig the whole area with earth magic. The excavated area is shaped like a huge cross, it had brick walls to its sides. Then, she asked them to cover the top. The magicians quarreled with her, saying what was the point of making them dig if they were just to cover it up again. She just said to them "Are you the architect? This is one of the first things that we needed to do!" With that, they all went silent. After some time, they understood what she meant. She made them do that in order to make the ground flat and leveled. She then asked them to make a slightly elevated part as a walkway for pedestrians. "Why did you make them dig?" [Blake] "It''s for the sewer system?" [Angelica] "Sew-er?" [Mooly] "Sorry. I can''t follow what you said..." [Blake] "It''s a place where you get water and it also functions to pass human waste through and outside of the city." [Angelica] "I still don''t get it. If you were also going to pass waste through it, wouldn''t that also make the water we get be contaminated?" [Blake] "There is a channel that segregates clean water from the wastewater." [Angelica] "Ah, sorry for quickly jumping to conclusions." [Blake] Sister, just held her face with her hand and shook her head.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Well, I think this sewer thing is a great idea! Back in the village, whenever we need to do our thing, we just go into the forest and dig a hole. In Cagban, we have to give buckets to the people who collect the waste, who then disposes it out and away from the city. Whenever people see the waste collectors cart, people generally steer away from it just to avoid smelling the foul odor as it passes each house and street. The paved area is about four kilometers according to Dad and took almost a week to complete. Mother, told me that grandfather is supplying the funds for the reconstruction, and grandfather''s friend supplied the energy potions. I haven''t seen grandfather yet, but I think that he is a nice person, since he likes to help out. At the center, she ordered for a huge building to be built as a marketplace, complete with its own stalls and shops. What surrounded it is the City Hall, Knight Headquarters, Adventurers Guild, and the Condominiums. "Sis." [Mooly] "Yes, Mooly?" [Angelica] "What''s a condom thingy?" [Mooly] "Piff... ah... umm... ehem-ehem... Let''s just say that it''s a place where homes are stacked on top of one another to save space." [Angelica] Sis made a small chuckle at my remark. Did I say something funny? "Huh?" [Mooly] "Never mind... I''ll show you." [Angelica] Sis guided me and a few people who were curious inside. There were six buildings, each is about 300 meters long and 60 meters wide. The condominiums are all divided by a space of 50 meters. At the condominium, there is an entrance at the center of the building, around it is stairs going up to the other floors located near the entrance, middle and farthest end of the building. The rooms that can accommodate a family of six with a width of 10 meters and length of 20 meters, all had a small balcony and each floor has the same number of rooms. In all, there are five floors, with the fifth floor as an empty space. At most, eighty families can be accommodated per condominium, that is twenty per floor. Sister, also said that it can be increased if they added some walls/partitions. "What''s the fifth floor for Angelica?" [Maria] "It should be a place for drying laundry. Since I was having second thoughts about how the balconies would turn out, but it somehow came out alright. The people occupying it can decide for themselves on what to do." [Angelica] Sister, even said that since the residential area is in one place, evacuations can be done quickly and with it being close to the knight headquarters, crimes can be lessened or eliminated. She thought of such a great thing. The next morning, three carriages arrived, accompanied by knights. They stopped by the city hall. "Captain, we''ve brought the children." [Knight] "Thank you for being the escort. Have you got the list of names of the children?" [Kate] "Yes, here it is ma''am." [Knight] The knight made a salute to Kate and ordered his men to help the children get down the carriage. They were children that were orphaned from the orc attack at Suitan... The children looked clueless as they all got down, with their gaze being at one place to another. "They''ve arrived?" [Angelica] "Why did you bring them here sister?" [Mooly] "So that they could all form bonds, as they all have the same experience, even with you Mooly." [Angelica] (Sniff-sniff) "Mooly?" [Angelica] "I''m alright. Thank you, sis." [Mooly] What my sister said is very nice that I lost control and tears left my eyes. Everyone that took me in is very caring and it made me happy. I have once lost my trust towards humans because they mistreat and used my mother and father, but when I met Michelle and Steven it had all changed. "Can you ask them to come?" [Angelica] "Who?" [Mooly] "The children here, so that they can meet the others." [Angelica] "Okay!" [Mooly] When they came, they were all huddled together. Some hid behind other children, a few clinging to others. "Hello, how are you? My name is Angelica." [Angelica] "..." The children were wary of her, that even one hadn''t replied. "You all have the same pain of losing your family. It may be sudden, but I want all of you to get along, even this one here." [Angelica] Sis put her hands on my shoulders, their gaze now fell on me. Then sister whispered in my ear "Go on Mooly." And pushed my back, I don''t know what to say to them... I see a little girl, clinging to her sister''s skirt, her eyes turned to me confused seemingly looking for answers. They are still too young to understand... Then it came to me... how could I forget... "All of us have lost our family and may think that nobody understands the pain we''ve been going through. In truth, there are some, but there are also others who can. You may think that these people are only trying to trick or use you, but trust me I too was like that at first. The people here really hope for our happiness and well-being." [Mooly] I glanced back at sister. She showed me a caring smile and nodded. "As someone who had the same experience as you. I''d like to share your pain and your burden... I want to be... no... I wish for us to all become a family." [Mooly] All of the children started to have tears welling up in their eyes. "Everyone here is now your family. The girls in front, behind, and beside you, are your fellow sisters." [Angelica] "It is alright to cry..." [Mooly] "Guhuh..." "Uwahh!" "Wahh!!" "There-there..." [Mooly] The children gathered around me and sister. I pat one head after the other and we gave each of them a hug. When they calmed down. We proceeded to follow sister to a condominium, as we got inside she proclaimed "This is your new home!" This particular condominium is very different. The first floor is an empty space, the second floor is a huge dining and kitchen area The third had two huge pools that are three feet deep and a space for doing laundry. There are also some metallic-like things that are protruding from the wall. I asked sister about it, she says that it was for taking a shower. When she showed us a demonstration, I can hear an (Owohhh) from the children. She also said that one pool is for hot baths and the other for warm baths. As sister finished her sentence, some of the kids immediately jumped into the pool and started playing, enjoying themselves, the others who were hesitant at first soon followed. When they finished, all of them were shivering. They jumped in with their clothes on and they don''t even have a spare... (Achoo!) "Come here, little one." [Angelica] Sister told the one that sneezed, to come to her. She made the child sit on a chair and put a towel on her. Then, a flame covered the child''s back. "Eh? Eh?!!!" "Fire! Fire!!" "Get some water!" The sitting child got startled when she saw the flame. Spreading panic onto the others. "Wait! Look!!" Sis was keeping her hands on the flame, both of them aren''t hurt by the fire. This isn''t new to me, since sis also does this for me, after each time I take a bath. "It... doesn''t hurt?" "Wow!" "Let me touch." "Ohhh soo warm." "Me too! Me-too!!" "Easy, you''ll all have something like this." [Angelica] "Really?!" "Really-really." [Angelica] "Yaay!" [Children] The children were all overjoyed to hear that. I felt really happy for them. On the fourth floor. There were beds for all of the children and there is still space for a lot more, the beds are all separated by a meter apart. There is also a bathroom here, bathtubs, and a ceramic-like chair with a hose on the side. "What is this chair for?" "It has water inside, is this a wash basin?" "No-no-no. A toilet is NOT a place to wash your face in!" [Angelica] That thing is a toilet? We all turned heads and looked at sis in puzzlement. When sister first sat on the toilet seat. She showed a smile, like she was in heaven, with small tears forming in her eyes. I heard her whisper "Finally... civilization..." I wonder why she is like that? Well, we are used to squatting down, and with the seat as support it will be easier I think... "But how do you use it?" As if being snapped out of it. Sister, returned to reality when asked by a child. "Uhh... you do it like this. Just imagine that water comes out from this." [Angelica] She held the hose with her left hand, there was a blue low-quality magic crystal on the end of the hose. When she used it, the hose spew water. "You use this hose to wash, but be careful to not to turn it off so that you wouldn''t flood the floors below." [Angelica] Then, she points to the topmost part of the toilet. "This will flush it down." [Angelica] (Brrth) "Hahaha it farted hahaha!" [Child] "Hahahahah." [Everyone] A small whirlpool formed and made a sound as it sucked the water down. The children played with the other toilets and enjoyed seeing the water flow down and disappear. Laughing each time it made the sound. The fifth floor is the same as the other condominiums, an empty space. "Now this ends our tour." [Angelica] "Thanks, sis..." [Mooly] "You''re welcome Mooly." [Angelica] Sister pats my head and I hug her in return. "Umm... me too..." A child tugs sis''s skirt. She lifts the child up and rubs her face with theirs. "Thank you, big sister!" "Thank you, big sister, Mooly!" "Ah?" [Mooly] Sis leaned onto me and spoke. "Heh, you now have small siblings Mooly. As the oldest one be sure to take care of them." [Angelica] "Yes!" [Mooly] Impractical Magic Chapter 80 "Hauwahh..." [Angelica] "Morning sis." [Mooly] "Good morning, onee-chan!" "Good morning to you all." [Angelica] I woke up inside the children''s condominium. This became a daily occurrence, where I was greeted by them when I get up from bed. I like sleeping here more than in the other condominiums because I''ve made this the most modern out of the six. It isn''t like the five are lacking in amenities. Also, the other condominiums are packed full of people who helped with the retaking, but their stay is only temporary. Some even said that they planned to settle here because the city now is like no other. Now that the orc blockade is gone I''m expecting the old residents to come back to this city and also the passing of traders who must deliver much-needed supplies to the nearby cities. Since this is a valuable trade route surely a lot of people may traverse here. Ordering people to make and do stuff is tiring, but it has its merits. It''s like playing a Sims game IRL. I''m going to turn this into a great city, that will even leave the people in the capital in awe. After a good day''s work. The four of us returned here to teach the children how to cook, do laundry and a whole bunch of other stuff. Then, we all bathe in the pool full of cute little loli''s. I mean, sisters... Then when I sleep. Sometimes one or two kids would sneak into my bed to sleep with me and rarely there are even five to six all at the same time. Waking up, surrounded by their cute sleeping faces is such a bliss. I hope that I won''t go to jail because of this lol. I''ve also made them call me "Onee-chan." When Mooly asked what it meant, she frowned and became jealous... Don''t worry I will still be your older sis Mooly! They still refer to themselves as sisters. Though I wish that they started using their names to address one another... It gave me the idea to name this the Sisters building. Should I also call them the Misaka Network? {1} As per the sister''s request, I''ve made the magicians add wash basins in the bathroom because they wanted to wash their faces to refresh themselves. I too, wash my face every morning, so it is a necessity I think. Oftentimes I imbue magic crystals at the pool. Where the children enjoy watching, I was able to concentrate properly because they were all silent. Up to the point that I find it scary, you''d literally hear nothing from them and you''d think that you were all by yourself in the pool if you just closed your eyes... I left Mooly in charge of the children as I went off to instruct the magicians for the reconstruction. Let''s see... City Hall, check... Knights HQ, check... Market, check... Adventurers Guild, check... and Residential Area, check... I still need to do more... "How deep should we dig?" The head magician interrupted me while I''m thinking. "Fifteen or maybe twenty meters?" [Angelica] "What do you need this huge hole for? Isn''t it dangerous being near the city? Someone might fall here." "No worries, you''ll fill it using water magic after~" [Angelica] "WHAT?!!!" Every magician nearby who heard retorted to what I said. "Is it that hard?" [Angelica] "It''s torture!!" I know the feeling of energy depletion, that from it hurts like hell, but what are they complaining about? They are provided with energy potions and are also paid by the kingdom. They should be happy that they even have a job. I originally planned on using this as a water source for the city, but then I remembered my magic crystals. Now that there is no need for water, I''ll just turn this into a fishing ground instead. It''s located outside of the city and spans four hundred meters in a circular diameter. Near it, is a tilled land for farming crops and grazing animals. Being near the water source, I figured it can somehow sustain the surrounding animals and crops, probably... I also asked Maria, to create six windmills for the farmers to utilize. They were so huge that you can even see them from far away, which is nice and compliments the city''s intricate design.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "I''m going to build a school." [Angelica] "School? What kind?" [Maria] A word left my mouth as I was marveling at the city. Maria, who was beside me curiously questioned. "Where people can learn swordsmanship and magic." [Angelica] "That''s great and all, but... how are you going to pay for the education and training Angelica?" [Maria] "I was planning on using the money gained from the city''s taxes to cover it." [Angelica] "Mmn... that can work." [Maria] After putting some thought into it Maria agreed with a nod. If she thinks it''s okay then that''s good. Now I need to know how the trade system in this world works. To balance the taxes paid for the kingdom, the maintenance and the improvement of the city and also the salary/payment for the people who work here. ~~~???~~~ "The retaking of Suitan and Dalio was successful my liege." [Oscar] "Father shouldn''t have participated and he should''ve just left it to those peasants." [Walter] "Also, it seems that the inventor had been tasked with rebuilding the city of Dalio." [Oscar] "Dalio? Go-on." [Walter] "It was magnificent my liege. They had homes stacked together called condominiums and there were towers that harness the wind to ground up crops and other stuff and th-" [Oscar] Oscar, stopped when Walter glared at him. He feared that his liege doesn''t want to hear any more of the inventor in his report. After swallowing his saliva. He continued on with his other report. "Also... the first princess and her personal knight were sighted at Dalio..." [Oscar] "So she really is alive... what was she doing there?" [Walter] "She was the one who commanded the forces who retook Dalio." [Oscar] "She commanded them?! Why haven''t I heard of this news earlier! It has already been three weeks since they started the retaking!!" [Walter] So they were both aware... since when had they been in contact? Is this a plan to increase her fame and hand over the throne to her? Was this the reason why my father the king hadn''t asked me for my support? Also, he should''ve executed that knight of hers... have they both finally come to terms? "Oscar." [Walter] "Yes, my liege!" [Oscar] "We''re going to Dalio." [Walter] "It will take us exactly three days to prepare." [Oscar] "No, we''ll leave at sunrise tomorrow." [Walter] "As you command!" [Oscar] ~~~Angelica~~~ A month has passed since the reconstruction process began and in that same month, Maria has taught me Novice Level, Earth Magic. When I started to use the earth enchant, my kris became encased in stone. What''s odd about it is there is no added weight even though it looked somewhat thick and heavy. I haven''t got the time to test it out, because of the rebuilding effort... Why is it always like this now, whenever I get a new enchant I cannot use it immediately. It''s like being forced to wait for christmas before you can open your gift... We''ve finished most of what is needed and the city can now be operated at a basic level, the population is still too low, so I''ve asked grandfather to withhold imposing taxes for now. Out of the ones who helped during the raid, only a few stayed behind and took up residence here. Knights, who were free-lance signed up to join the Knights HQ. A few magicians who helped during reconstruction were employed at the School to teach magic. I''ve also asked grandfather to spread notice that we are in need of weapons instructors/specialists for the School. Adventurers formed the bulk of the population after the retaking since most of the original residents have either died or have fled. Once that the Adventurers Guild heard that a building was ready for them. They immediately dispatched some of their staff from the nearby cities and in just four days the Adventurers Guild was already giving out quests and rewards. Damn, they''re fast... Funny enough, some adventurers knew how to trade and took the opportunity to start their business here. From F.F.F. (Forging, Fishing, Farming) and some are educated enough to be suitable for accountants and staff for the City Hall. You can say that in this place, you could live the american dream. I should probably change the city''s name to murica lol. The only real residents here are the sisters, there were a few people who returned once they heard that Dalio was under our control, expecting to go back to their old homes and was shocked to see that the city''s whole landscape has been changed completely. Now, only three condominiums have people residing within them, including the sisters building. The ones who helped with the retaking returned to their own respective city, or town or continued on with their adventuring or duties. Michelle said that grandfather is coming to see the city with his guests and advisers. I took it upon myself to ask everyone to prepare for a feast to welcome him to our victory party. Even though we took Dalio last month, nobody was in a celebratory mood back then. The day before the festival... "Sister, please get the pot!" "Coming!" "Hey-hey, help me out with the confetti!" "Sis, isn''t that a bit too many?" "What do you mean sister?" The little one made a mountain of confetti and she still wants help with more... every last one of them was shuffling back and forth helping their fellow sisters that were close by. I was leaning on the wall at the kitchen, watching the sisters merrily do the cooking and preparations. I am surprised that they know who they were talking to, despite calling one another as sister. Well, at least they are happy. I was a little worried at first because there were some loners and it took some time before they opened up to us. I was scared that they might be left out by the other sisters. So every day I talked to them, bathed and played with them. No, not that kind of bath and play what are you thinking of pervs... Since then, they became popular with the other sisters and became friends. They praise them, for being able to be with their beloved onee-chan all the time. Saying stuff like... "No fair, why does onee-chan only sleep and play with you." "That means she''s popular!" "Then I''ll do my best to become popular too!" "Sis, teach us how to get closer to onee-chan!!" Now I''m glad that they are all cooperating with one another. I said to those whom I''ve helped, that if they ever see a fellow sister in need, they should go help. Like I did for them, to repay my kindness. When I told them that the King was coming, they all became scared at first, was grandfather really that scary? Then I said to them, that it was the King who ordered for their rescue and funded the rebuilding of their home and they all suddenly became ecstatic knowing that. A little girl asked me, why did it take so long for us to come. I said a white lie, that we were fighting back the orcs the whole time and at last, we had retaken the cities. I will make sure to take that lie with me to the grave... References {1} Refers to the Toaru Majutsu No Index, a series where the clones of Misaka Mikoto kept on referring to themselves as sisters. Impractical Magic Chapter 81 The day of the festival. A group of carriages traverse through the forest, escorted by knights on horseback, dragon riders from above and magicians riding shotgun with the drivers. The road was bumpy and uneven, even if all the carriages were made for extreme comfort it still jolted every passenger of each carriage... In one particular carriage. Six men sat facing each other, three per side. The four were voicing their concern to a single man. Who was in the middle who kept his eyes closed as he listened to them, beside him is his trusted friend and attendant Howard. "Your highness, leaving the rebuilding effort to a mere inventor is a..." "Can that person really be trusted?" "Majesty, you could''ve hired someone from Vigan, they have one of the most skillful architects around." "Also consider the money that they had all spent, for all we know they may be corrupt and had taken it for themselv- ack?!" The man. Who wore a very expensive-looking attire, bit his tongue as he was about to finish his sentence. It was as if, karma had struck him. Those four men were all saying bad things about this so-called inventor. Saying that with small useless inventions, she managed to even get the approval of the king. "Everyone cool yourselves down." [King Alex] King Alexis, brought out a yellow-green semi-transparent magic crystal and used its power. The powerful wind turned their hair into a mess, except for the king who was wearing the crown. Howard''s hair became an afro, one turned into a hotdog-bun-like hairstyle, a guy had his beard tied around his neck forming a noose, another had drill hair which made the old man look like a woman. Then the last... has his wig blown off. "You''re bald Winston?!" [Howard] "Winston''s bald??" "My eyes!!" {1} "Bald-bal-" (Smack!) The bald man, one punched {2} the dude beside him, knocking the guy out cold. "You think, that this little invention is useless? While we all sat our butts in our comfy chairs just looking at our subjects who suffer. In just a short amount of time, this thing has changed the lifestyle of our citizens." [King Alex] No one tried to reprimand him and they all fell silent. "Road ahead!" "Are we finally there?" "Isn''t the city, still two hours away? Have they relocated?" A knight outside shouted, the two men with the king were puzzled and looked out from the window. The road was wide enough for six carriages to fit side by side. Apart from that, there is a line or marker of some sort at the middle with arrows pointing in opposite directions. Then they saw a merchant wagon going in the opposite direction, leaving the city. "You there, is the city nearby?" "No this is only a road, the city is still twenty-three kilometers away." [Merchant] "They''ve made a road this far?! Blaspheme!!" [Winston] "What use could this be, if people rarely traverse this far! Roads like this should only be in the city!" "Indeed they are wasting money." "Umm..." [Merchant] "What is it? Do you have something to say?" "Speak up." The merchant had second thoughts on whether he could say something to them after seeing the large group of soldiers accompanying the carriage, but he was asked to speak up and was forced to answer. "I don''t know about you guys, but this road made the bumpy two-hour travel time to just thirty minutes. It helped us merchants pass our goods quickly and since this is a road, we appreciate the smooth travel before and after the bumpy ride, plus having a proper road reduces the maintenance costs for our carriages." [Merchant] Some of the men looked at each other with a frown as if they wanted the merchant to say something negative but were told about the benefits. "..." "This still costs money!!"This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Err... this road was created by a single person, namely the inventor herself. So this is free." [Merchant] "Nonsense, are you saying that she has this much energy to cover the whole span of twenty-three kilometers?!" "Haven''t you ever heard of her inventions? She made this using some magic crystals that is imbued with earth magic." [Merchant] "What do you mean by free? Magic crystals cost money!" "Yes, but she bought those herself and they could be used again the next day. So your argument is invalid." [Merchant] While they argued with the merchant. King Alex was inside holding back his laughter saying in a low tone voice: "This guy is savage hahahah." "You... don''t you know who I am?!" The noble was embarrassed, that a mere merchant outsmarted him. Being one of the king''s advisers, he had high pride. To hide his embarrassment he resorted to threats. "Melvin, stop." [King Alex] "Your highness?" [Melvin] "The King?!" [Merchant] "Don''t you see? Even something as simple as making a road is a big help to our people." [King Alex] "Kuh..." [Melvin] King Alexis, has hit the mark. Melvin lowered his head and apologized. "Please forgive me!" [Merchant] "Raise your head, if it weren''t for you skillful merchants, our kingdom may not have had a thriving economy." [King Alex] "T-thank you for the praise!" [Merchant] After thanking the King, the merchant hurriedly left with his wagon. Like the merchant has said the two-hour travel time was indeed reduced to just thirty minutes. It relieved the battered bodies of those who were traveling on the ground. After some time the convoy went to a halt. "Is this really Dalio?" "I''ve heard that the city was completely destroyed, so they had to rebuild from the ground up." "This, in just a month?!" "Apparently the magicians who helped with the retaking were employed, the one leading them was the inventor." "Oh! That inventor who we saw at the bath?" "Shhh... don''t mention that." "What is with this chatter? And why aren''t we moving?" [Winston] The knights beside the carriage were talking to one another. Winston, went out to scold them since they had stopped moving. "A.." [Winston] "What is it, Winston? Whoa..." [Melvin] Upon seeing the two''s reactions. The remaining four went out of the carriage, they were all astonished at what they saw. From a small hill overlooking the city of Dalio, lay various structures. Very different and designed in a way, that they have not seen before. The whole area of four kilometers is leveled and covered in concrete. Even though the area is four kilometers, only about half of it is utilized. The reason for this is Angelica, left the remaining space to be used for the city''s future development or expansion. "I haven''t heard about Dalio having a lake." [Knight 1] "That is because there wasn''t any!" [Knight 2] King Alexis, was closely listening to his knights. When he looked around, the nobles of the other carriages had also disembarked. They were all mesmerized by the city. Outside the city was a huge lake, near it is a farmland with towers that had multiple sails moving clockwise. "Let''s move on shall we?" [King Alex] The king with a smile ordered everyone, to return to their carriages and proceeded to enter the city. On the far edge of the city, there was a checkpoint manned by knights. Once they had completed the inspection, they were let into the inner city. They saw how clean it was. The edges of the streets were slightly elevated for pedestrians to walk on, the elevated part also has trees lined up, adjacent to the opposite street and there was a lamppost of some sort. Every one of them was amazed by the buildings within the city. Some of the carriages accompanying the king were being left behind as their occupants went out to inspect the engineering marvel. At the city center, they were greeted by a large crowd. People waved at them from the streets. King Alexis, also waved back to them from the carriage''s window. "Your majesty!" "Welcome!" "Thank you for helping restore our city!" They showered him with flowers, praises, and cheers as his carriage went by, despite only ordering to give money for the rebuilding. In fact, he thought that they should praise his granddaughter Angelica more than him. For it was her planning and resourcefulness, that helped this city get back on its knees. Still, he is enlightened seeing that his people are happy. They got off in front of the city hall. This city hall had a pretty accommodating aura around it, unlike those in other cities and even the capital. It was neat and tidy. There were various counters, each with a wooden sign on what particular purpose that counter has. An example one is for payment of taxes and the other is for getting and issuing permits and the like. There are people sitting on wooden chairs waiting for their number to be called. Near them is a pillar that has magic crystals imbued with the wind element, moving a gentle breeze in all directions, keeping the place nice and cool. In other cities, going to the city hall has always been a hassle for people. They stood up in long queues and there were no directions for where or what counter to go to. "Ahh, your highness." He hears a familiar voice, it was his granddaughter Angelica. At the mention of your highness, everyone present showed their respect by standing and then bowing. Upon King Alexis'' gesture, they all sat down and continued what they were doing. "Angelica, good to see you again." [King Alex] "You to your highness, I am happy that you were able to come." [Angelica] Despite his busy schedule, the rejection of his advisers and concerns for his health. King Alexis, still went to see the progress and was glad that he did. His granddaughter had inherited a part of her mother''s cunning and resourcefulness. "You must be the inventor." [Melvin] "Such great accomplishment that you''ve made." [Winston] The advisers who previously criticized Angelica all went to greet her. Winston even tried to go and kiss her hand, but Angelica immediately pulled it away and showed a wry smile. "Howard." [Angelica] "Miss..." [Howard] When she glanced at Howard. He bowed to her with his eyes closed. "Where is she?" [King Alex] "She?" [Angelica] Angelica thinks for a bit and then realizes whom the king was referring to. "She''s at the back of the second floor, managing some papers." [Angelica] Angelica gestured toward a door up on the second floor. Even though she meant papers, it may have been valuable documents regarding the city. "You come too." [King Alex] "Me also your highness?" [Angelica] "Yes." [King Alex] "What about us your majesty?" "Enjoy yourselves, you said that you needed some time off didn''t you?" [King Alexis] The three of them went upstairs, leaving the four advisers unattended. They entered the room when Angelica opened the door for them. Inside, sitting at a large desk fit for a corporate boss was Michelle and the one standing beside her like a trusty secretary was Steven. "Father..." [Michelle] "Elaine..." [King Alex] "Father!" [Michelle] Michelle stood up then ran towards King Alexis and immediately embraced him. References. {1} Reference to a Sponge Bob episode, where the fishmen or what you call them had his eyes burning from the light reflecting off of king neptunes head [https://youtu.be/ADkLBtSGKMo] {2} Refers to Saitama from One-Punch Man [https://youtu.be/atxYe-nOa9w] Impractical Magic Chapter 82 "Your daughter had really inherited your genes." [King Alex] "She is the pride of me and Terrence." [Michelle] "F-fi-first p-princess?!" [Howard] Howard''s jaw dropped. "Yes, Howard." [King Alex] "D-da-daughter, t-t-then you mean." [Howard] "She is my granddaughter." [King Alex] Howard, looked at me and Michelle back and forth while also pointing with his finger. He must have been really surprised by that... I just shrugged my shoulders as if I''m already used to it. His eyes went spinning and then he fainted... "Darling, could you rest him on a chair?" [Michelle] "Alrighty." [Steven] With a huff, Steven carried Howard like a bag of wheat on his shoulder before carefully placing Howard on a chair. "Haha! I haven''t seen you two this close since you have stayed in the castle. Before, you even asked for him to be executed, hahaha!" [King Alex] "Father! Shushh!!" [Michelle] Michelle, put a finger on her lip while telling grandfather to stop. Wait... that doesn''t sound like a joke. "Honey, you went as far as to even request for my execution?!" [Steven] "That was all in the past darling!" [Michelle] "Heheh..." [Angelica] I suppressed my laugh. Mom is scary... I don''t want to get on her bad side... I kissed grandfather on the forehead before leaving the three of them to have some quality time together. When I got to the sisters building, there was shouting inside. "Stop petting me!!" "Your fur is very soft." "It''s hair, not fur you runt!" "Fluffy tail!" "Ouch!! Hey, don''t pull!" Judging from the voice and the bad-mouthing. They are probably here now... The instant she saw me, Evelyn glared at me. I reached for the treats inside my pouch bag and shouted: "Jump!" The sucker immediately fell for it. "Onee-chan!" "You... *munch-munch* think this will... *munch-munch* satisfy me." [Evelyn] She kept on talking while she slowly munched on the dog treat savoring its taste. "Hey, wanna see a trick?" [Angelica]Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Trick?" "Yes! Trick-trick!" "O-shi!" [Evelyn] Heheh, you''re fucked now. Evelyn tried to run, but once she smelled the treats. It somehow became a magnet pulling her back. I can see it on her face as she tries to resist, but her nose gave it away as it kept on sniffing the air. "Sit! Paw! Roll-over! Play dead!" [Angelica] "Woow!" [Children] I gave a treat for each trick that she did and the kids were enjoying the show. I can already see her tearing up. This is bad I''m starting to enjoy myself... "Me-me! I wanna try!" "Here." [Angelica] "Is this a punishment game?!!" [Evelyn] "Lick me!" Evelyn got on top of the youngest sister and slowly licked her cheeks. *lick-lickity-lick* "It tickles!" The way she licks is very erotic... can I make her do that when we''re alone? I better stock up on a lot of treats then. "Uhh... ahh... stop... no more!" Evelyn licked her on the neck. I can''t take my eyes off of this hawt girl-on-girl action. "Aw!" [Evelyn] I did a karate chop on Evelyn''s head before this goes into the forbidden R18 territory and I don''t want this to be censored. By the time I hit her, she was already licking the girl below the neck. "Play nice, okay?" [Angelica] "Okay~" [Sisters] "H-hey don''t mob me!" [Evelyn] "They''re just loli''s, what bad can they do to you?" [Angelica] When Angelica, turned her back on them. The innocent sisters gave Evelyn a sinister look. To her eyes, they became big shadowy figures, smiling with big yellow glowing eyes. "Uhh... boss." [Evelyn] "Enjoy the time." [Angelica] "Boss! Bo-hff?!!" [Evelyn] They gagged her mouth and dragged her into the bedroom... the sisters bringing various clothing and fashion accessories with them in tow. I tried to find Blake and Maria, but they were nowhere to be found. They used to always be here when they have spare time. Maybe Blake is on the roof. He goes there to train and relax so I''ll start from there. When I got to the top. Blake was sitting in the shade, wiping off his sweat. He may have finished training as evident with the jian by his side. "Blake." [Angelica] "Y-yeah?!" [Blake] Somewhat startled by hearing my voice he quickly relaxes as he saw me sit right next to him. "Sorry did I disturb you?" [Angelica] "No-no, I''m good." [Blake] "Can you come with me to the market?" [Angelica] "Do you need to buy something?" [Blake] "No, I''ll check if Mrs. Helen is there. She may need some help with unpacking." [Angelica] "You asked her to move here? Who went with her?" [Blake] "Evelyn and Jose." [Angelica] "Master is here too?!" [Blake] "Yep, have you also seen Maria?" [Angelica] "She said that she''s going to inspect the school." [Blake] I wouldn''t mind her being curious about the design. From my experience with fantasy games and H-games. I''ve made it almost identical to a japanese high school, even complete with a pool and gym. Now, I feel like wanting to enroll, it has always been my dream to get admitted into a japanese school... Blake went with me to the market. I told Mrs. Helen the place where she can unload all of our products. "Mrs. Helen!" [Angelica] "Oh! Angelica! This is a beautiful city." [Mrs. Helen] "Heh, thanks! We came to help you." [Angelica] "Is this the shop?" [Mrs. Helen] We''ve reached our destination in just a few minutes. I had built my shop at the outer edge of the market, it was near the residential area. So that Mrs. Helen won''t be exhausted when she goes home. I also reserved a room for her in the sisters building so that the sisters can look over Sadie when she is working, but if she chose to move to the other condominiums, that''s fine by me. We''re outside of my shop. It has this huge plaque with the name "Impractical Magic." I''ve named it that way because my magic is very impractical... little do the people know that the inventions that are making their lives easier came from my deadly enchants... After we finished unloading. We looked for Jose, but he was nowhere to be found. So we went to the school to get Maria. As we got nearer there was a flash of red light followed by multiple explosions. I know this spell, it was Maria''s signature ?Barrage? spell. ... ... ... Did Jose touch Maria''s butt again? "Maria?!" [Angelica] "Angelica, I''m fine..." [Maria] When we got there Maria was on the ground clinging to her staff, a guy nearby was looking down on her and Jose, was with another person. He was facing a cloaked figure that was raising a staff at him. Are these people attacking them?! I left Jose to deal with the other magician. He can probably take the other one by himself. I held Maria up. While Blake was upfront pointing his jian at the guy, I used the magic crystal housing Maria''s Heal. "So you''re the inventor?" This person is about the same age as us, has fire-red hair, and has the same body build as Blake''s. "How about a duel?" He has this cocky aura around him and just from his look. I can tell that he was a total asshole... "Blake, I''ll handle him." [Angelica] "Angelica, wait!" [Maria] "You don''t have to stop her Maria." "You knew Maria?" [Angelica] "I''m an acquaintance of her at the academy. By the way, the name''s Irvine." [Irvine] I don''t care whoever he is. I''ll kick his ass for hurting Maria. Impractical Magic Chapter 83 Here at the school grounds, we glared at one another. He''s still acting cocky which reminds me of the knight. He held his staff with one hand. I find it very unusual because most of the magicians I''ve seen hold their staff with both hands. If I look closely his weapon is like a cane. I''ll keep my distance and observe the way he fights. "Earth Spike!!" [Angelica] "You invoke so slow." [Irvine] He jumped back before ?Earth Spike? hits him. "Show me that power of yours." [Irvine] Was he trying to taunt me to make me use my enchants? Did he know how my enchants work? "If you don''t then I''ll show mine instead!" [Irvine] He dives forward and swung his cane at me like a golf club. "Water Ball!!" [Irvine] After missing with his cane, he immediately used the spell ?Water Ball? as a follow-up, he was so close to me where we can barely bump our fists together. Because of the close proximity, I had little time to dodge, but it somehow missed me by an inch. If I got hit by that, I will probably be thrown away. ?Water Ball? isn''t a fatal spell, under certain circumstances. Unless you use it to push something off of a cliff. "I''m not finished yet! Lighting Arc!!" [Irvine] "Ahhhh?!!" [Angelica] "Angelica!" [Blake/Maria] Bolts of electricity pass through my body. It isn''t painful, it was like a simple jolt from an electric socket. Thank god that it only lasted for a second... Wait... if I got wet from the ?Water Ball? then got zapped by that thing, would it be considered a K.O.? I''ll be a lot more careful next time, he may try to do a combo on me. I stood up. Well, that was certainly shocking, no pun intended. I never expected him to use magic in quick succession. "What''s your reason for making Maria join you?" [Irvine] "Reason? Maria is an adventurer, so it''s natural for her to enjoy partying up and going out on quests." [Angelica] He kept giving me that despicable look that it''s starting to piss me off. "That''s a lie." [Irvine] "What is-" [Angelica] He resumed attacking before I even manage to finish my sentence. This mother fucker, you shouldn''t skip the dialogue in a cut scene! "Hah!" [Irvine] Swinging his cane like a sword is he only doing that to distract me? I''ll try to parry him, but it is most likely that he will use magic as a counter. No matter, I''ll do it and see what his reaction is and quickly use my wind enchant. I blocked his cane and it bounced upwards. "Chance!" [Angelica] I used my wind enchant and... (Clang!) The sound of metal clashing together rang in my ears, my kris was blocked by a sword. Where did that sword come from?! Then I noticed the handle, it wasn''t a normal cane, it''s a sword cane. He''s a one sneaky bastard! I try to slash him again, but he alternates from blocking with the scabbard and sword. He''s very good at blocking, I used my fire enchant to try and cut it. "Torrent!!" [Irvine] A surge of water rises in front of me. Water magic doesn''t affect my fire enchant as it can still flame up even underwater. I cut the top part of the torrent opening it up, like trimming a cloth with shears while leaving a trail of steam. I got wet but managed to cut his sword as he was about to jump back. "Lightni-" [Irvine] "Oh no, you don''t!" [Angelica] As I thought, he was going to use a lightning spell. I immediately used Crescent in its quick mode.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Earth Fortress!!" [Irvine] Thick walls of earth covered him from all sides. It was like an igloo made of earth. Crescent hits it and left a huge gash on the side, leaving cracks. If it was the powered-up slow version, it would''ve steamrolled that ?Earth Fortress? of his and buried him inside of it. "Arctic Zone!!" [Irvine] From the inside, he used the spell ?Arctic Zone? it is an ice spell used to conceal oneself during an escape. As the melting ice creates a dense fog while also dropping the temperature below zero. However, it could also be used offensively under certain circumstances. I stood still so that he wouldn''t be able to sense my presence and waited for the fog to dissipate. "..." [Angelica] I''m starting to shiver all over... When the fog thinned. Irvine was standing a few meters from me. And then he dashed with the scabbard in hand. I was going to hold my kris up but couldn''t move. It was a little late when I noticed that my clothes were frozen. He got me wet with ?Torrent? then turned it solid with ?Arctic Zone? in order to immobilize me. A real smart-ass, god I''m starting to hate magicians, except for Maria of course. As he closed the distance. I turned up the heat, like literally. The kris lit in searing flames that it instantly melted all of the ice from me and nearby. Unable to halt his advance he went forward. He tries to swing at me with his scabbard but misses. "Air Bla-" [Irvine] He was going to use magic so I raised my kris to eye level. (Snap!) I snapped my fingers on the left hand. I didn''t know if he was baffled at what I did since he stopped. In the next second, a bright flash appeared from behind him. "Hah you misse-" [Irvine] He thought that I had missed. I used the kris''s blade to reflect the flash to blind him and then used earth enchant. "Hah!!" [Angelica] (Bam!) The instant I hit him. His face became all blue, as to where I hit him that is... you know where... If not, let''s just say that I hit a home run all the way to his ancestors lol. As I thought, earth enchant turns my attack from slashing into blunt force. "Irvine!" [Maria] "Maria, don''t!" [Angelica] She made him rest his head on her lap, whilst he still held his hand over you know where. "Angelica, you didn''t have to go that far!" [Maria] "Huh?" [Angelica] Maria scolds me. I''m not sure exactly what she''s mad about. "But didn''t he hurt you?!" [Angelica] "No." [Maria] "Then who did?!" [Angelica] "It was me!" [Maria] I cannot possibly comprehend what she had just said. Then that other magician? "You are still a pervert as ever." The cloaked magician spoke in a female voice while still pointing her staff at Jose. "That is because I simply cannot resist that fine bottom of yours." [Jose] He truly was an ass man. If he likes this woman''s butt then she''s probably pretty. "I should''ve shot you with my most powerful spell." "Come on now. I wouldn''t want that." [Jose] "Teacher?" [Maria] Maria, interjects. So she knows this person too? "Good to see you again Maria, you''ve gotten better at using magic I see." The cloaked woman held her hood and began pulling it back. Finally the reveal! I will get to see another beautif... It wasn''t a beautiful face!! She was just an old lady! There is something wrong with Jose''s eyes, yep there certainly is something wrong for sure! She then explained to me the situation before we got here. Maria was checking out the school when she saw Irvine. They conversed for a while till they got to the story of the orc attack on Cagban and the retaking of Dalio. Irvine, couldn''t believe that the clumsy Maria had partaken in those battles and he scolds her for bringing herself in danger. He asked her to show him the spells that she had used and when she was about to show low powered version of ?Barrage? Jose suddenly grabbed her butt out of nowhere, the end result is the spell shot all over the place, even slightly injuring Maria. So that''s why the quadrangle is like a battlefield... When Maria''s teacher saw the spell exhibition, she went to look and saw Jose. Somehow I can piece together what happened from there. When Blake and I saw her. Irvine was angry at me for dragging her into those dangerous escapades and wanted to duel with me. He thought that I was a bad person and that I had only tricked the poor Maria. At the sister''s building, we hear more of the story from them. It seems that the lover that Jose was referring to was Maria''s teacher. "Um, excuse me, may I know your name?" [Angelica] "Uhh, I forgot to introduce them. This is my teacher Thelma. Teacher, Irvine, these are my friends and party members Angelica and Blake." [Maria] "Nice to meet you." [Angelica/Blake] "Same. You to Irvine." [Thelma] "..." [Irvine] "Sorry, my pupil is a bit stubborn." [Thelma] "Ir-vi-ne." [Maria] "Nice to meet you too!" [Irvine] Upon hearing Maria''s angry voice he immediately responded, was he her underling or something? "What were you doing here teacher, Irvine?" [Maria] "I''m a court magician, we came with the King." [Thelma] "You''re a court magician now?!" [Maria] "Yes, and Irvine has already graduated." [Thelma] "He did?! Wooow you''re amazing Irvine!" [Maria] Irvine blushed. Ahh, now I see. "Hey-you. You like Maria don''t-cha?" [Angelica] "W-what are you t-talking about?!" [Irvine] Bullseye. "A-Angelica don''t tease us..." [Maria] Why are you blushing too?! "No! Maria''s ass is mine!!" [Angelica] "Hyahh?!!" [Maria] I embraced Maria from behind and groped her butt with my other hand. "This fine butt~" [Angelica] "That is plump and round~" [Jose] "Elastic and firm~" [Angelica] "Mmn-mmn~" [Angelica/Jose] "Now let me touch yours~" [Jose] "Do you want me to cut it off?~" [Angelica] "No thank you~" [Jose] We are both speaking so merrily. When we finished, everyone is giving us weird stares. As I glanced at Thelma she used both of her hands to hide her butt. Were you also expecting me to be into yours? Maybe Jose does, but I do not want! In the evening we were all celebrating by the condominiums because there wasn''t any other venue. We all sat together at the same table. Friends and family, even Kate and Regina were here. (Ding... ding... ding...) With a few taps on the metallic cup Grandfather, stood up. "I have an announcement to make." [King Alex] Everybody silently awaits his message. "Due to her contributions to the rebuilding of the city in a short span of time and to be able to plan, organize and create these extraordinary structures. I ask all to rise and give her a toast." [King Alex] One by one they stand up, while I sat on the chair trying to cover my face "So embarrassing" I thought to myself. "To Angelica, we thank you." [King Alex] "Thank you." [Everyone] "Thank you, sister!" [Mooly] "Thank you onee-chan!!" [Sisters] People clapped one after the other. "I''m glad that I had come here! This is certainly a time for celebration!!" At the same time, from further away, we heard someone and we looked at him. He has blond hair a clean-shaven face, and wears expensive-looking attire. He was accompanied by a few knights and at his side was Oscar. "Walter..." [King Alex] "Brot-her?" [Michelle] "How nice to see you again my dear sister." [Walter] Impractical Magic Chapter 84 "Did the prince just mention that the woman was his sister?" "Princess Elaine? But wasn''t she missing?" Everyone present was asking the same kind of questions. Walter smiled as he looked around putting us in a tight squeeze. He''s recklessly disclosing Michelle''s identity... "I''m glad that father has finally found my dear sister! Now we can all be reunited as a family." [Walter] "Y-yes... Everyone! This is the announcement that I was talking about earlier let''s continue on with the celebration!!" [King Alex] "Yeah!!" [Everyone] "Long live the King!" "Long live the Princess!" "Long live the Republic!" "Your highness we have some questio-" [Melvin] "Save it for later Melvin." [King Alex] The other advisers want to question the King but were stopped by him. King Alexis was doing immediate damage control to prevent things from going even more out of hand as expected of a ruler. When the crowd had finally dispersed King Alexis went to Angelica. "Angelica." [King Alex] "Yes, grandfather?" [Angelica] King Alexis with a serious expression leaned close to me and whispered in my ear. "Is there a place where a few people can talk in private?" "The city hall. There''s a room where people do negotiations privately and since it''s closed during the celebration, no-one will be able to eavesdrop." [Angelica] "That would suffice." [King Alex] After I led them there. Grandfather told me to come in because it is a family matter. The whole city hall was like a fortress surrounded by knights. Kate and Regina stood guard just outside of the meeting room. Inside were I, Michelle, Steven, King Alexis, and Walter. "Walter, what are you doing here?" [King Alex] "There was news that you were successful at taking the cities back. I came here to see those amazing buildings that I''ve heard so much about. Also aren''t you glad to see me?" [Walter] With just a few words the tension within the room is already high. "Good to see you brother." [Michelle] "My dear sister. I was very worried about you. I''m glad that you are alright." [Walter] "Tha-nk... you..." [Michelle] "How come you just disappeared all these years without even informing us that you were fine all along?" [Walter] His eyes were telling us that he knew the answer already. His words, however, were telling something different. It''s like he''s pretending that he actually cared. "I..." [Michelle] I''m going to cover for her. I do not like the way this person is treating them. "It is as it says. Mother was kidnapped." [Angelica] "By, Terrence." [Walter] He glances at Steven and gives him an insulting look, but Steven pays no heed. I try to ignore it and continued. "No, it was bandits. Father was only framed because he rescued her. There was also a reason why mother hadn''t contacted you, for there was information that the perpetrators were from another kingdom." [Angelica] "So you must be my niece. Angelica, correct? This is the highest crime that can be committed against us. We should invade them to set as an example for the others." [Walter] "The identity of the said kingdom is still not known. It would be bad if we attacked the wrong country." [Angelica] He looks at me like I am some kind of a pest. Damn it he''s not falling for it... "Hmm... so, how did sister come to have you?" [Walter] "I fell in love with Terrence, after he saved me." [Michelle] (Tch) Seeing that he tried to target me. Michelle stepped in and hid me behind her back. At the same time, Walter clicked his tongue. "I haven''t heard any news of you coming here, father." [Walter] "Well, it is sudden. I was even more surprised that you chose to visit this place first than me." [King Alex] Seeing that I''m untouchable. He just went and annoyed grandfather instead. Even his relationship with grandfather is also in tatters it seems. "Was this also a part of your plan father?" [Walter] "What plan?" [King Alex] "Is this the reason why you hadn''t requested my help in taking back the cities? Or was it because you and sister planned for this all along?!" [Walter] "No, because you and your men lacked skill and experience." [King Alex] "While she was away happily spending her life from god knows where. I have been defending our kingdom from countless enemies in your stead, what can SHE! Possibly excel from me?!" [Walter] "Compassion, kindness and most of all the value of lives. Tell me my son, how many boys and men have you sent to their deaths while they served you in your campaigns." [King Alex] "Then her!" [Walter] He tried to change the subject and pointed his finger towards me and glared. "What about Angelica?" [King Alex]This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Grandfather raised a brow he seems to be offended that I was being targeted. "Are you going to put her next to the throne, is that why you are supporting this woman now?!" [Walter] "No, but that sounds like a good suggestion. She is fit to rule over the kingdom and with her intelligence, she can bring great achievements." [King Alex] I was speechless. He winked at me to show that it was a bluff, yet I still find it hard to believe that he was joking. He really should lay off the jokes... "In order for her to be eligible, she has to have a title of a princess." [Walter] "You do know that I can simply hand over the crown to her and tell everyone that she is my successor." [King Alex] Walter was trying to think up a counter-attack to King Alexis'' statement. Does he feel threatened of me being the next possible ruler? But I wasn''t even planning on ruling anyway. "Sister, do you have any plans in inheriting the throne?" [Walter] "A... I..." [Michelle] "I thought so. I once looked up to you, but I still won''t forgive you for what you''ve done." [Walter] He looked away from Michelle in disappointment. I don''t get this asshole, whenever he gets backed up into a corner he targets somebody else. "My mother does not choose t- [Angelica] "Shut your mouth you insignificant fool, this does not concern you." [Walter] I felt a cold chill from his glare, his words carried a sinister aura along with it. "Walter stop it. This isn''t funny anymore." [King Alex] "You find this funny? Have you finally become senile HUH?! Father!" [Walter] King Alex was taken aback at what his son has just said to him. He wasn''t expecting him to answer like that... Shocked, King Alex wasn''t able to answer anymore. Seeing that he has shot back at King Alex and Michelle, he went back at me. "How about we make a deal then?" [Walter] "A deal?" [Angelica] "If you say that you will never vie for the throne. Then I promise to say that we''ve simply hidden my sister for her to escape from being assassinated during her wedding, thus removing all of the problems we have for now. I''ll also leave this city untouched for either you or her to govern and if you still aren''t content with that. I will use my name to protect you from the other nobles and not go after you and your inventions so that you can keep on continuing with your own little adventures. So... what would your choice be?" [Walther] "The way you say it seems to me like you are trying to threaten me into it." [Angelica] "I am not trying. It is because I AM THREATENING YOU." [Walter] Michelle interjects and says: "If you try to put my daughter and family in danger then I will have to present myself as the next successor." "Dear sister, you are basically dead and forgotten by the people, do you think that they would readily accept you back just because you wanted the throne?" [Walter] "If I have to prove something to them then I will." [Michelle] "Prove what? You playing house with that peasant over there all this time? You make me laugh. If that scandal were to come out the populace will go out in anger and id have to put you in exile elsewhere." [Walter] The cat or should I say, Walter, has got all of our tongues. Fucker has already planned for this. "?!" [Angelica] Then... at the corner of the room. I saw Steven... no... Father, who was being silent all of this time, was slowly reaching for his trident. He''s going to kill Walter?! I knew that if a commoner tried to harm a noble they would get a harsh punishment, but if they kill them they could be executed for it. "Come with me to another room, the two of us will talk there." [Angelica] When he heard me talk as if being snapped out of it. His hand stops short of the trident. "A wise choice." [Walter] I let Walter go out first and stared at father in the eye before I left. "Angelica?" [Kate] "Was the meeting finished?" [Regina] "No, but can I ask the both of you to stay here?" [Angelica] They both seem to get the gist of what I''m saying and nodded their heads. We moved to a room a bit farther from there to avoid the others from hearing our conversation. I checked outside before closing the door to make sure nobody was around. Walter sits in a chair with his feet crossed and acts smugly at me. "Now then, let''s get back to business." [Walter] "I will agree to your terms but." [Angelica] "But?" [Walter] "If you try to harm my fam- [Angelica] "What CAN, YOU DO, if I DID harm your mother AND father?" [Walter] He interrupted me from finishing. This fucking cunt... "If you aren''t stupid enough you will know what will happen." [Angelica] "Hou... amuse me." [Walter] Still acting on the high horse huh? Well, I''ll shake you up a little. "Then I will have nothing else to lose as I''ve already lost everything by then. I will take you down with me if I have to." [Angelica] Walter fell silent as I released all of the killing intent that I''ve had hidden inside of me. Thinking all of the horrible things that I can possibly do to him if he ever tries to lay even a single finger on my precious mother and father. If it ever comes down to it I will kill him myself here and now. I wouldn''t care about what happens to me after that. His smug personality is long gone. He looks at me as drops of sweat poured down on his face. I''m not trapped here with you, you are stuck here with me. Now make your choice and make sure to do it wisely. "A-alright..." [Walter] My meeting with Walter came to a close and we followed him outside. He tells about Michelle''s circumstances to everyone from the people to advisers and they had all taken the bluff for now. Oscar opens the door to his carriage. As it opened, a girl with blonde hair almost the same age as me, ran to Walter. She seemed to be trying to speak with him, but he continued past her and got on the carriage. The girl went over to us. When she got closer, I can see that she has a beautiful face and figure. "I apologize in father''s stead. Please forgive him, if he has ever done or said something bad." She bowed to grandfather and also to us in our surprise. "Alicia?" [King Alex] "Alicia! We''re going back, get inside the carriage now!" [Walter] Before King Alex can say anything else. Walter, shouted from the inside of the carriage. "C-coming! Again, I''m sorry please forgive my father. Grandfather... everyone..." [Alicia] With the last bow she trotted away while holding the hem of her dress and just like that, they were off. Alicia, huh... I think I like her. "Sorry for pulling you into this mess. I never imagined Walter coming here." [King Alex] "It''s fine." [Angelica/Michelle] We both spoke in unison and tried to tone it down. "Heh, like daughter like granddaughter." [King Alex] After that, we finished the celebration without any other incident. Back in the sister''s building, most of the sisters were already asleep in their beds. Preparing for almost a day and then serving the following day. I liked seeing them sleep in their cute little maid uniforms, there happens to be a few who knew how to sew clothing and made them. In order not to disturb the sisters, the four of us slept in a separate room. The next morning. I entered the City Hall and was greeted by the staff. There I proceeded to the second floor. Closing the door behind me I let out a sigh... "Hahh... yesterday was so stressful..." [Angelica] I leaned over the wall by the side. "Are you alright my daughter?" "Depends... If you cook my favorite dish then I will be, mother." [Angelica] Sitting at her desk, showing a smile. Michelle asked. "Honey, you said to me that you wanted to have some authority." [Michelle] "Yes, but not this kind of A-U-T-H-O-R-I-T-Y." [Angelica] Was she asking if I planned on governing the city? I still don''t know much of this world, call it selfish if you will, but I know the stuff that I can and cannot do. "Mother." [Angelica] "Yes. My daughter?" [Michelle] "Can I leave the governance of the city to you?" [Angelica] "Are you sure that you want me to do that?" [Michelle] "Yes, please take this as a personal request from me." [Angelica] "If you say it like that. How can I possibly refuse..." [Michelle] "Thank you mother..." [Angelica] Michelle is really caring as she always has been. I left her in the office and met up with Steven who is now outside of the door. Upon seeing Steven I greeted him. "Father." [Angelica] "Angelica." [Steven] "Thank yo-" [Angelica/Steven] "Ah." [Steven] "Heheh." [Angelica] Our conversation started kind of awkward but we managed to both laugh it off. "Father, please don''t do that again..." [Angelica] "Do what?" [Steven] "Acting like you don''t know it..." [Angelica] "I would do it to protect you both." [Steven] "I will also do the same for you given the circumstances." [Angelica] We stayed for another two days here in Dalio. While King Alexis and his party returned to the capital. I hugged Steven and Michelle then said goodbye to them and moved to where the guys were. "Stop bugging me, cane boy!" [Angelica] "I''m coming whether you like it or not!" [Irvine] "Do you want me to play golf with your balls again?" [Angelica] "I don''t know what golf is, but I feel what you are saying is an insult!" [Irvine] We now have an additional unwelcomed member to our party. I left the governing of the city to Michelle and Steven. Mrs. Helen attended the shop with Evelyn, who is the acting mascot/guard dog while I''m gone. Jose became the temporary headmaster of the school, which fits him just right. He''s like Albus Dumbledore, only perverted... I told him to lay his hands off of the sisters when teaching magic. Evelyn, also becomes a weapons instructor, under the condition that she gets treats as payment... We left Dalio and said goodbye to everyone as we continued on with our adventures. Impractical Magic Chapter 85 The Pilapil snowy mountains, a vast mountainous area covering a huge expansion of land. Due to its location, it is somewhat used as a border dividing the Blackrock Republic and the Asta Empire. "Thi-this place is verrrry colllld..." [Irvine] "I told you not to come cane boy." [Angelica] "Sh-shut up! You! You..." [Irvine] "Ir-vi-ne." [Maria] "I-I''m sorry!" [Irvine] Maria is scary... she started giving Irvine a scolding. Ever since the misunderstanding at Dalio Maria has been very harsh on Irvine that I somehow feel bad for the guy. Only somehow though... "Ah-achoo!" [Mooly] "Come here Mooly." [Angelica] "Thanks, sister." [Mooly] I tucked Mooly in my jacket. I should''ve asked hers to be made a tad bit longer, but because of her tail. I told the tailor to make one only a few centimeters above the knee like a mini skirt. Her jacket is made of fluffy white fur, as for the design, I added some black spots to it. From its shortness, you can barely see her underwear. Am I hearing some sirens from the distance? Nah, it may have just been the snowstorm. Now, she looks like a real cowgirl. I will invoke ?Explosion? on anyone who dares to say that Mooly isn''t cute. "Hey Blake, why are you being so quiet?" [Angelica] "It''s nothing." [Blake] For some reason, he seems to be in a bad mood. "Ei!" [Angelica] "A-Angelica?!" [Blake] I grabbed him by the arm and locked our arms together. "Still mad?" [Angelica] Leaning forward as I asked him. Making my chest hit his shoulder even though I dislike doing it. "No..." [Blake] "Good~" [Angelica] Why is he like this? I haven''t seen him showing this kind of attitude before? "Do you want me to kick Irvine out?" [Angelica] When I said that. I thought for a moment that I saw Irvine''s hair stood up. Did he hear me perchance? "Not... really." [Blake] He''s waving his hands as he averts his gaze. As I thought, it is because of this guy. Irvine, is such a reckless idiot, despite being a magician himself. He just rushes into battle head-on, where we had to go and cover for him. When I first fought him I thought that he had some skill in fighting, but it was just him using mostly magic to distract me. It doesn''t seem to work on monsters though... Stupid guy, nearly getting the both of us killed most of the time. I could understand why Blake is worried. He has the skills, but he has little to no experience in dealing with monsters and he often breaks his sword, because it is somewhat like a rapier the blade breaks easily, if struck hard enough. Since he likes to break it that much. I let him cover the repair costs with his own money and for being stupid and rushing alone, I won''t offer to enchant his weapon for now. At least that''s what Maria and I agreed on, yet he still continues his idiocy. When the time comes that he has no money left, I''ll let him suffer for a bit. As I''ve heard from Maria, you get a cane for being one of the top students at the academy. I asked her if it was a sword cane, but as a dropout herself, she doesn''t know. It might just be his preferences and he had it remodeled. "Guys I can see the village up ahead!" [Maria] "Good, I''m starv...ing" [Angelica] Then, I saw the village... "Everyone, we''re heading back to Dalio." [Angelica] "What?!!" [Blake/Maria/Irvine]You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "Why sis?" [Mooly] "Angelica, we''ve walked for three weeks just to get here." [Blake] You may be thinking of why we haven''t brought our dragons along with us. It is because that the weather here is inhospitable for them, so we left them with my parents and the others back on Dalio. "I know..." [Angelica] "Is there something bothering you?" [Maria] "Yeee-ah..." [Angelica] I point straight to where the village was. To be honest, I thought that it was just a normal village like ours... The Pilapil village, it is the only village in this area. What is unique about this village is it is built by dwarfs. The whole village was dug from inside the mountain. Apparently, this area has a large number of minerals, mostly metal. Slowly expanding the village as they continued to dig, forge and repeat. I don''t even know why dwarfs liked to make and forge stuff, to begin with... As a village that was built by dwarfs, most of the population is dwarf, obviously... I''m having a bad feeling that if they dig too much, the whole mountain might cave in and make a pancake out of everyone inside. Also, to add to that, it''s a damn cave! Thinking of my past experience with caves, I wouldn''t want to enter one ever again... "What about the village?" [Irvine] "Ohh, I see." [Blake] At least there is someone who understands. "Angelica, don''t worry, there aren''t any insects inside." [Blake] "Insects..." [Angelica] "You''re scared of bugs? Piff..." [Irvine] Irvine snickers at me for being scared. He probably hasn''t even seen a big assed insect with the size of an average human. If we ever encountered one and god forbid me if we did. I''ll make him so scared that he''ll be scarred for life! "I hope you get frostbite!" [Angelica] "Angelica." [Maria] "Mmm?" [Angelica] "I know you''ll like this place for sure, so there''s no need to be scared..." [Maria] Walking by at the entrance, I saw various shops lined up. "WEAPON SHOPS?!" [Angelica] WEAPONS! LOTS OF THEM! ALSO WITH DIFFERENT DESIGNS! I''ve seen my new paradise! No wonder Maria told me that I would like this place. "Happy?" [Maria] "Maria..." [Angelica] "Yes?" [Maria] "I wuv yuuuh. Have my babies!" [Angelica] "Kyah?!" [Maria] (Smooch~ smooch~ smooch~) She had lots of kisses afterwards~ at the cheeks btw~ Blake is staring at us from the side looking jealous. Sorry, Blake but I don''t kiss guys... except for my father Steven that is. After some time... two hours to be exact. "Noooooooo!! I dun wanna!" [Angelica] I was forcefully dragged away by them to the adventurers guild to register our change of location because I wouldn''t stop entering one weapon shop up to the other. Then, they quickly rented a room at an inn, because they were already too hungry from following me around. When I had my full, I sulked in the corner of our room. "Angelica, do you want to take a bath together?" [Maria] "With you? Certainly!" [Angelica] Seeing the sulking me. Maria tried to lift my spirits by offering to have a bath together. A hawt bath with Maria. Ahh... my mood is getting better. "Sis I''m coming with you." [Mooly] Bummer... I better keep this under R18 then, at least I''ll try to wash both of your bodies. Heh-heh-heh-heh. "Wow, there''s a hot spring?!" [Maria] This inn is great! I can use this place to peep on Maria while we take a bath. "No, it''s a geothermal spring." "Geo-thermal?" [Maria/Mooly] A dwarf woman said, so they also use that term here huh... the dwarfs were more advanced than the humans as I thought they were. "How does it work?" [Mooly] "We''ve built a pipe that is directly connected underground to here. When we pour water into the pipe it comes into contact with the hot rocks below, then turns it into steam which heats the bath." After a brief explanation of the dwarf, she left us to enjoy ourselves. Taking a hot bath with Maria. I wish that I could see thru that towel of hers. "W-what?" [Maria] "You''re so sexy~" [Angelica] "Ehhhhhhhhhhh?!" [Maria] "Just joking." [Angelica] "Angelica, you meanie..." [Maria] "You do have a good figure though." [Angelica] "You think so?" [Maria] Maria stands up while turning around in front of me. Thicc and steamy just the way I like it. "Why would I lie?" [Angelica] "But you have a much better figure yourself." [Maria] "Really?" [Angelica] "You have huge breasts and a slim waist." [Maria] "Huge breasts..." [Angelica] "Why the sad face all of a sudden?!" [Maria] "You know, this huge rack is a bother when running and fighting. I would rather have your chest than this, to be honest." [Angelica] "But, Blake seems to like them." [Maria] "It''s normal for boys to stare at a girl''s chest. Even I too do it someti... I mean ya." [Angelica] I randomly glanced at one point, then Maria followed my gaze. Mooly was at that exact spot I was looking at swimming around happily, the steam covering a very critical area. "Did you just say that you were? ... ... ... nevermind." [Maria] "What''s with that long pause?!" [Angelica] Maria gave me a weird look... Hey! It wasn''t intentional! I wasn''t trying to stare at Mooly, she was at the wrong place at the wrong time! Also, why is the steam acting like censors?!! From the other side of the wall~ Two guys wearing bath towels on their heads were conversing from the other side of the spring. "How did you guys meet Maria?" [Irvine] "We started having problems with difficult quests because of the increase in monsters and thought that it would be best if there is someone who can use offensive, healing and supportive magic in our party. We then made a request for a magician at the adventurers guild." [Blake] "Ahh, so you requested for her." [Irvine] "Not really, we didn''t know of any magicians so we just let the guild pick them out for us. On the meeting day, she was late for one hour, which made Angelica quite angry." [Blake] "T-that woman?!" [Irvine] "Well, Maria, had some problems at that time and was worried that we may reject her. In doing so she lacked sleep and had overslept." [Blake] "I-I see..." [Irvine] "Speaking of which, why aren''t you with her?" [Blake] "Eh, because I was..." [Irvine] "I won''t ask if you don''t want to tell." [Blake] I guess this person also has his own reasons. "Hey, can I ask you something?" [Irvine] "Yeah sure ask away." [Blake] "Is your girlfriend a tomboy or something?" [Irvine] "She''s just playing with Maria, It''s like a normal thing for them. Also, she is not my girlfriend." [Blake] "O-okay." [Irvine] Finishing up their bath everyone converged in the meeting room. "Where''s Angelica?" [Maria] "Isn''t she with you?" [Blake] "Sis said, she has something to do." [Mooly] The three people looked at each other and arrived at the same conclusion. "She snuck out." [Blake/Maria/Irvine] Impractical Magic Chapter 86 The adventurers are scattered everywhere checking out the shops. It''s like a gun show, but with medieval weaponry. The designs of weapons here are far in comparison to the ones in the capital. If you want cool-looking weapons, then this is the right place for you. Although a lot of them seemed impractical and would be better off as a wall hanger. One particular shop caught my eye. I scurried past the hordes of adventurers and entered. I scanned the goods that are neatly displayed on the stands and brackets. "Good morning care to buy any...THING?!" A greeting came from what I guess is the shopkeeper. When he suddenly raised his voice I was taken back by surprise and quickly looked his way to find out why. That person was a dwarf with big bulging muscles. "P-princess Elaine?!" "Eh?" [Angelica] Someone who knows Michelle? "Oh, sorry I was mistaken." The dwarf man said after looking at my chest. As if it was a natural reaction, my arm moved by themselves and covered it. "I don''t like being compared to my mother." [Angelica] "Hahahaha! You trying to trick me or something kid?" "Who knows?" [Angelica] I shrugged my shoulders and tried to play around with him to gather some information. "Princess Elaine doesn''t have a kid. She disappeared without even having a lover." "Ahh, so my parents don''t seem like lovers. They''re good at hiding their relationship." [Angelica] "And who might be her mysterious lover then?" "Her personal knight, Terrence." [Angelica] "You... you do know that using the name of a criminal could put you behind bars?" He said to me with a serious look. "Father isn''t a criminal. It was all just a misunderstanding." [Angelica] "Do you have any proof kid?" "Did you feel that he was an evil person when he was with mother?" [Angelica] "Kid, I''ve had enough of your jokes, get out before I call the knights." This person seems to think highly of her. Hmm... a dwarf who knew mother... there is only one dwarf that I can think about. "Okay, sorry for barging in your shop~" [Angelica] I turned and started to slowly walk out. "Oh, by the way. Mother wanted to thank you for the knife~" [Angelica] "What knif... Ho-hold on?!" "For a second there. I thought that you wouldn''t believe me." [Angelica] "How did??" "I told you already. I''m her daughter." [Angelica] The dwarf man scratches his beard. After explaining to him what had actually happened, he finally decided to believe me. I came to know that his name is Seymour. "Hoh... so how is the princess doing?" [Seymour] "She''s doing well, currently she is residing in Dalio with my father." [Angelica] "Wait, Dalio? So you''re that inventor?! The frigid damsel?!" [Seymour] "Heheheh..." [Angelica] I smiled wryly. Screw that person who gave me that nickname. "C-can I see your magic?" [Seymour] "Sorry, but I don''t have my weapon with me." [Angelica] "Ah, so it needs to be your weapon?" [Seymour] "No, it can be any weapon except ranged. What I meant was. I left it at the inn and I wouldn''t want to just pick up any of your goods without your permission..." [Angelica]The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Hahah! You can do anything here, Frid." [Seymour] "Frid?" [Angelica] "Frigid." [Seymour] "Do you mind if I melt a few of your wares?" [Angelica] "Uh, no-no. That was a bad joke sorry." [Seymour] I almost popped a vein. I don''t really react well to jokes. After receiving his apology, I lifted an iron cutlass, its weight reminded me of the one I first used in Libang, which made me smile. "Umm... can you close the shop for a while? I don''t want other people to see." [Angelica] "So this is a secret?" [Seymour] "No, I just don''t want to attract any attention." [Angelica] I told him to close the shop. I wouldn''t want to be discovered here and have everyone asking for my magic crystals. "Okay then." [Seymour] When I used my fire enchant a crimson line traced the edge of the cutlass. Its glow made Seymour go "Ohh!" "Do you have any scrap which I can cut?" [Angelica] "Scrap?" [Seymour] Seymour had this questioning look on his head. He may have thought that I was referring to something else. "Metal or anything with the same hardness, but I prefer it a bit thicker." [Angelica] Wait... somehow that sounded kind of lewd... "Ah! I have some steel ingot that was just delivered the other day that I needed to be cut." [Seymour] "That can do." [Angelica] After a moment... "Huff, here." [Seymour] When he dropped the steel ingot, it made the ground shake. This steel ingot is about the size of a small couch and probably weighs a ton. Dwarfs are really strong... "So, how do I cut this?" [Angelica] "I thought you said any thickness?" [Seymour] "No, what cut do you want?" [Angelica] "Ah, if possible I want all of them to be the same size as my palm." [Seymour] "Alrighty." [Angelica] Slowly slicing the ingots up half at a time. Seymour looks at it in astonishment. My fire enchant can easily cut through the ingot like a knife through butter. "There." [Angelica] "Thanks! If it weren''t for you I''d still have problems cutting this thing up." [Seymour] "Really? I thought that this was normally delivered this way?" [Angelica] "Nah, it came from some stingy trader that I probably pissed off." [Seymour] Putting down the cutlass, next I picked the greatsword that was on the wall bracket. "Careful! That thing is heav-" [Seymour] His mouth went agape when I lifted the greatsword with just one hand, and a gentle breeze fills his shop. This time I used my wind enchant, which made the greatsword weightless. "Do you have any other magic?" [Seymour] "I do, but the effects are different for each." [Angelica] "Can I also see the different ones?" [Seymour] "You can but I''d have to test it on one of your weapons..." [Angelica] "It''s fine by me. I needed to quench my curiosity." [Seymour] I picked up another weapon, this time it was a rapier with a very thin blade. Rapiers are generally a good weapon to be used against the exposed gaps in armor. It is light and also long so it is comfortable to maneuver around. Although it has a drawback... the blade is very thin and is more likely the break if you had hit in the middle. I asked Seymour to use the cutlass and apply as much force as he can in his strike. I also told him to go and target the middle of the rapier as I go and enchant it. (Pang!) "OH!!" [Seymour] Seymour is like a kid that had found a new toy. He hit the rapier in the middle but its blade hadn''t been broken. The opposite could be said for the cutlass though, it had this huge nick in the middle of it and with a few good swings, it will shatter. My earth enchant, acts just like a normal weapon but makes it indestructible that even if I had used Blake''s jian with the fire enchant it doesn''t even make a single dent on the blade. Which is really nice but I find its uses to be limited... But damn! Dwarf swings aren''t just for show, with Seymour''s single swing it felt like my whole arm is going to break. So that''s why they use those huge thick hammers... I''d bet that if baseball were to be introduced in this world a dwarf can hit a home run without even losing a sweat. "Hey, do you plan on selling those magic crystals here?" [Seymour] "Wait... hasn''t there been any traders bringing them?" [Angelica] "There are only a few traders who come here to trade. Since we are on a mountain, they risk getting attacked by monsters and are unable to outrun them because of the snow. Animals that can withstand the cold and carry their goods are also scarce and expensive, so only a few bother to come here." [Seymour] "I see... transporting them would surely be a difficult feat." [Angelica] "If you can get them here. I''m sure that most of the other smiths will be happy to use them. Heck, maybe also invent something with them." [Seymour] "Hmm... maybe I shouldn''t sell them here after all. If I did, I''ll have a ton of competition..." [Angelica] "Heheh, please don''t joke about that..." [Seymour] Seymour breaks a cold sweat. It wasn''t a joke though... "Hey, Seymour. I''ll give you some of my imbued magic crystals if you can do something for me." [Angelica] "Anything for the princess''s daughter." [Seymour] "I want you to forge me a weapon." [Angelica] "Do you have any particular design that you''d like?" [Seymour] "Yes, but consider it as an experiment." [Angelica] After sometime~ "Angelica... I know a task that is not feasible when I hear one." [Seymour] "Is it really that difficult to make?" [Angelica] "You''d have to take into account that the blade may break or shatter in the resulting explosion from the magic of your crystal. Also, how do you plan on playing with the weight? The blade has to be thick to handle the pressure and explosion, but it will be as heavy as a greatsword... and even if it is thick I doubt that it will last after a few explosion spells... Considering that it also has these vents along the sides of it which will somehow lower the durability of the sword considerably." [Seymour] "Ahh..." [Angelica] I got scolded. I really should be staying away from making weapons... "Sorry Gunblade... I guess you are impossible to make, for now..." [Angelica] "Gunblade? {1} That''s a good name." [Seymour] Ah, I let it slip. "Hey, it''s trademarked so don''t use it!" [Angelica] "Okay-okay. No need to be so defensive..." [Seymour] It''s not that I made the name anyway. "Here are the crystals." [Angelica] "Eh? But I haven''t even made your sword yet?" [Seymour] "I thought that it was impossible?" [Angelica] "Not feasible, but only for now." [Seymour] "Are you really going to try and make it?" [Angelica] "Forging is a dwarfs craft. We want to go challenge ourselves." [Seymour] "Heh, I will look forward to your prototype." [Angelica] We both grinned as we came to an agreement. When I left the shop. Blake, Irvine, Maria, and Mooly were outside. How did they find me?! (Twitch-twitch) Ahh... hah... now I see... Seeing Mooly''s ear twitching is somewhat cute. It''s like a radar locking on its target. "Why did you run off all of a sudden? We thought that we were going to take a quest?" [Maria] "Oh sorry I forgot eheh~" [Angelica] "Come over here, we''re going to the guild." [Maria] "A-aw! Maria ezy won de chiks!!" [Angelica] Maria, pinching me on the cheeks with her vice-like grip, pulled me towards the adventurers guild. References. {1} Squall Leonhart''s weapon from Final Fantasy VIII Impractical Magic Chapter 87 Inside the adventurers guild, it was very different and also very-very messy... out of all of the guilds that we''ve been to, this is the most cluttered of all of them. There was metal junk scattered around some of which seem like huge cogs, that are being used as tables by the adventurers. By the walls, there were leaning monstrosities, hollow full body armors. They were surrounding the guild hall... I hope that none of these armors would get possessed and then suddenly come to life. If I remember correctly, Maria, mentioned something like those existing too. Boy, I guess the guild master really has a bad taste at decorating stuff... "This place is scary..." [Mooly] "You think so too Mooly?" [Angelica] "Un." [Mooly] Mooly said as she tugs a part of my skirt. "Whoa, new faces." "There are even two beauties." The male adventurers stared at me and Maria. "Oh! a cowgirl. Do you want to party with me?" This guy is a demi-human bear. Sitting upright his whole body is almost covered in brown fur. Thank god that the sensitive parts are hidden by his armor. "No." [Mooly] "C''mon it''s going to be fun." Before he manages to grab Mooly''s hand I intercepted him. This bear is dangerous where is the party wagon {1} when you need them? Looking closely at him this dude almost looks like p*d* bear. {2} "You have balls for trying to get cute, but deadly in your party." [Angelica] "Cute, but deadly?" "Wait... a cowgirl with green clothes and huge racks." "Dumb-ass! All cowgirls have huge racks!" The men nearby had question marks floating all over their heads. One even smacked another dude for being stupid, of course, all cowgirls have huge breasts that even I know of it. "Wah-wah-wah-wah!" "The chick, that could lift a greatsword with just one hand?!" One couldn''t speak clearly and just pointed his hand at Mooly while shaking in fear. Ah, seems like it reached even as far away as here. Mooly''s nickname (Cute, but deadly) "S-sorry for bothering you! We''ll all be off then!" Those guys left as fast as they finished the sentence. The other adventurers looked our way. "The inventors'' party?" "Wait THE inventor?!" Ah, crap. I forgot that people also knew that Mooly is with us. So much for stealth, now, I wouldn''t be able to go around shopping without people asking me for my inventions. "Get her to the guild master!" "Eh?" [Angelica] What the dwarven fuck?!! Just as I finished my sentence. Dwarfs by the hundreds circled around me and carried me off. "Angelica!" [Blake/Maria] "Sis!" [Mooly] "..." [Irvine] As if in a comedic act. I was lifted and thrown into a room my butt bounced on the floor hitting it multiple times before I finally stop in front of a person. "You are the inventor?" While rubbing my sore butt somebody spoke. It was a muscle-loaded dwarf, did this guy use buff me up? {3} I can guess that he was a dwarf because of his beard, small height and the strong lingering smell of alcohol, no racism included. "Can you please explain to me why I have been suddenly picked up by hordes of dwarves and thrown into this room?" [Angelica] "Sorry about that, the men were just excited." "Excited? Don''t tell me that you were all planning on?!" [Angelica] "Oh no-no-no."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The way he says it is like the cat video that I saw on youtube. {4} "I was just kidding." [Angelica] "Ha... hah..." Since he''s a dwarf. I probably knew what he was after since they all kept calling me the inventor. "Can I make a request dear inventor?" "Angelica." [Angelica] "Ah, my apologies my name is Russel." [Russel] "So then... you want me to import my wares?" [Angelica] "Oh, you pick up quick. Yes, we''d like to have your inventions here in the village." [Russel] "I heard from somebody that transporting them here is expensive and a pain..." [Angelica] "We can arrange all of that for you." [Russel] "Are you sure about that? Why do you go to such lengths just to get my inventions?" [Angelica] I''d have to know the reason why before I agree to something. It''ll be hard if it was something unreasonable, like putting the cart before the horse. I do know that they''ll use it for the forge, but if there are also other reasons like me making a road for them then... "As you may know, our village is known for the quality of our weapons and people travel far and wide just to purchase them." [Russel] "I already did notice that since coming to this village," [Angelica] "But, now we are losing to the smiths at Dalio." [Russel] "The smiths from Dalio?" [Angelica] "Yes, due to receiving your inventions, they now have much better forges there and are creating a lot of high-quality wares with minimal effort." [Russel] Well, I heard from the smiths there that my invention is making their life easier and having my fire enchant helps them from not getting burned by the forge. It also keeps the temperature stable for them or at the level they wanted it to be. "Then isn''t it much better if you just moved into the city?" [Angelica] "Sorry, but I''d have to decline on that. Transporting our ores is much more costly." [Russel] "Ah, so it is like that..." [Angelica] We can benefit from them forging stuff, but aside from them being able to create even stronger weapons that I can use. There is also a drawback... those same weapons may make the market unstable... It''s not like I''m trying to monopolize. I know that with better weapons we adventurers will have a much easier time dealing with monsters and the better tools can help with the masses, but since dwarfs are known for their neutrality and openness for commerce, there is a high possibility that the weapons they make will be bought by warring states or countries... I need to think of something to prevent that from happening. While also not hurting their trade. "I will agree on that, but under a condition." [Angelica] "... Alright..." [Russel] "One, you can still trade the wares normally, but the weapons that you create are only for adventurers, normal townspeople including the local guards and knights." [Angelica] "Oh don''t worry about the weapons, we don''t sell them to other countries." [Russel] "Really?" [Angelica] "Yeah, we wouldn''t really want anybody to use the weapons we made against us." [Russel] "Ah, so you''ve thought of that much. Okay then, Two, bring down the price of your weapons a bit lower." [Angelica] "I can understand the first one, but the second is a bit..." [Russel] "The same as me. I do know that you make things for a living, but the trade-off is good since you can make stuff faster and with much less effort." [Angelica] They can also benefit with selling at a cheaper price because it would open up a new market which they could sell even more weapons, thus equal to additional income. "Alright... we have a deal then." [Russel] After some thinking, Russel agrees. I shook his hand and we walked out of his office. "Oh, that reminds me I wanted to show you something." [Russel] "Mmn? What is it?" [Angelica] Russel opens a door to another room and boy I was surprised of what was inside. "Magic crystals?! How did you get this many!" [Angelica] "Hahahaha! I guessed as much. When we have heard of your inventions, we immediately bought as many crystals as we can from merchants, that manage to pass through here." [Russel] I see one... no... two... dozen sacks of magic crystals... "You''re sure that you''ve seized all of these through legal means right?" [Angelica] "What do you mean by that?" [Russel] "The most that I''ve received from my suppliers is only around five to six sacks." [Angelica] "Ahh, maybe it is because there was a sudden shortage of crystals from the republic from a huge demand. We have brought most of these from the merchant coming from the empire." [Russel] Wait... I think I''m the only one who''s buying them, but a shortage? Maybe someone else is hoarding them, but who? I better ask King Alex to look into this when I go back into Dalio to restock my inventions. "Uh, inventor..." [Russel] "Ah, sorry I was lost in thought." [Angelica] "I was thinking of if it is alright with you to do your thing with the crystals?" [Russel] "You mean imbue them right now?" [Angelica] "Ah, yes that. If it is okay." [Russel] "This is a lot you know?" [Angelica] It will take some time imbuing all of these crystals, for sure it might take me half a day just to imbue them all. "Of course, it won''t be for free. Take this as a quest from me, then we''ll pay you through the guilds quest reward." [Russel] "About how much am I expecting really?" [Angelica] "Here is the request form. I hope that the amount will be to your liking." [Russel] When I looked at it, my mouth just dropped open. Just to be sure, I even rubbed my eyes to see if the other single digit added to the rewards will disappear, but it didn''t. 500 gold coins... 500 GOLD COINS!! This is too much! I''m only expecting to have around 40-50 gold coins, but 500?! You can buy a small cheapest house in the city with that amount! "Ahhhhhh..." [Angelica] "If that is too low for you we can increase it a bit more." [Russel] "Seriously?!" [Angelica] I was going to ask Russel if there was a mistake in the computation, but he just looked at me seemingly unaware how much money that he is just giving away. "Alright. I will take this request of yours, but... please, make the rewards only 300 gold coins..." [Angelica] "Are you sure? You''re being too generous." [Russel] "No... It is already too much, to begin with." [Angelica] Even though it pains me to say it, I do not plan to rip people off. I wanted to have our relationship based on trust than on money alone. As I have experienced having some form of trust in my past life. Where I go buy my lunch at the same store every day and when I had forgotten my wallet, the people there were kind enough to let me take some food, but I paid for it the following day of course! "Also, can you forward the 250 gold reward to the guild branch in Dalio?" [Angelica] "Sure no problem, but can I ask why?" [Russel] "I recently started an orphanage there and I want you to please give the rewards to a person named Mrs. Helen." [Angelica] "You''re a really generous person huh? Alright, I''ll go send it to them the day after tomorrow." [Russel] "Thank you, Russel." [Angelica] I know that Mrs. Helen is someone that I could trust to take care of the sisters. With that amount, It can probably cover their living and education expenses for about 3-5 years or so. References. {1} Reference to police vehicles. https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1426/5116234673_a70ede3e98_o.jpg {2} Ref to P*d* Bear. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedobear {3} "Buff me up" is a cheat used in GTA San Andreas which gives max muscle/strength that makes hitting with fists and blunt weapons stronger. {4} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCz3ZaqNtME] Impractical Magic Chapter 88 Last night at the Inn. I told everyone that we won''t be taking quests for one or two days. The reason for it is I needed to do the errand that Russel had asked me for, but they only said that I was only making excuses and that I only wanted to scout the weapon shops... That hurt my feelings... even though some part of it is indeed true lol. As I thought! It took me half a day to imbue those magic crystals that Russel had asked me. The main cause for it is that I took some breaks in between sessions, you wouldn''t really expect me to imbue all of those in just one try right? Cause I''m going to die if I do! During my breaks, we all ate like Kings and Queens at different places. Taste testing the food at street stalls, diners, and even up to the fanciest of restaurants. What would you do if you have 50 gold coins in hand eh? But in the end, we only used up 2 gold coins in just a day and we still have 48 left to spare. We now typically use about 250 silver coins and that is per week. Which is 200 for the inn and 50 for the food and various other stuff like weapon maintenance and energy potions. A hunting quest of our rank basically lasts 3-4 days because we have to travel to where the monsters were. Unlike in low-rank where collection and hunting quests are just in the city or a village''s vicinity. Dwarven food is really nice which compliments the alcohol nicely. Oh, and the alcohol... my god... the alcohol is on a whole different level <3 The ones we drank are one of the finest that I''ve ever tasted. No offense to our alcohol, but ours tasted like piss compared to theirs hahahaha. Then I heard from the dwarf that was handling the bar, that what we are drinking is for children. I was like what? You served alcohol to underage kids? He told me that the drinks that they served is mostly drunk by dwarven children, what the hell is this to them then water? Although they have a special brew, but it is mostly served for dwarfs only. When I asked he just said that it is too strong for the other races to handle. The bar dwarf said that just a single shot glass of it will knock you out cold and you''d have one hell of a hangover the day after. At least that is what he heard and seen from the different races. The reason why they only serve it to dwarfs is because there were already a couple of cases where people had died because they hadn''t listened to warnings. The said people went and emptied a full mug and died in the same spot a minute later... The dwarf asked me if I had wanted to try a half-filled shot glass, but I''d have to sign a waiver first. I politely declined. No thanks, I still want to keep my life thank you very much! After I finished imbuing them, I was very tired that instead of two days it became three. When I had my rest we went back to the adventurers guild at night to get a quest. "Thank you, inventor!" "Cheers to your inventions!" "Now we can go beat those dalio bastards!" "Ah. Hello there Angelica!" [Russel] Among the crowd is Russel coming to greet me while holding a huge mug that was about the size of my torso. Meanwhile, I have asked Blake and the others to go to the counter and pick a quest for us. "What is with the festivities?" [Angelica] "Your inventions are really a hit! We''ve managed to sell all of them in just a single day!" [Russel]Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "The two dozen sacks?!" [Angelica] "Yeah, almost everyone here in the village now has them." [Russel] How the heck did he do that? I know that people liked my inventions, but I never knew they wanted them this badly... Just how much money do the people here even have? "Heheh, never underestimate a dwarf''s resourcefulness." [Russel] I looked around the guild hall and I noticed my inventions scattered about. On the tables and counters, there were lamps with my fire enchant. Near the bathroom, there was a wash basin, now with my water enchant and up on the ceiling were my crystal fans. "Are you sure that you''ve sold them to the right people? Because I haven''t seen a single invention of mine from when we left the inn." [Angelica] "No need to be tense, we are planning on delivering them once we finished celebrating. Your inventions made a huge leap for us dwarfs in the village after all." [Russel] I just scratched my head. Having dwarfs as business partners may not be that bad of a thing. If my relationship with them gets even further. I can probably ask them to supply me with some magic crystals in the near future. "Pleasure doing business." [Angelica] Russel acknowledges with a nod and returns to his celebrating companions, while I return to mine. At the counter, Blake seems to be pondering on something as he looks in my direction. Were they and Maria having problems with picking on a quest? "What''s wrong Blake, Maria?" [Angelica] "It seems that diggers were making some problems for the village." [Blake] "Diggers?" [Mooly] "They said that the monsters make their home deep in the mountains and they are repeatedly attacking a nearby mining site. [Maria] "Do you know anything regarding the diggers, Maria?" [Angelica] "Sorry Angelica, but I have no knowledge of them..." [Maria] "Diggers are a reptile humanoid hybrid that has hard scaly skin a long tail that they use for balance when walking upright a face that looks just like a shovel and long claws that are hard enough to break through some armor that they used for digging, hence the name. They are mostly harmless unless they are protecting something, take their nest, for example, which is probably the reason why they had attacked." [Irvine] "What weakness do they have cane boy?" [Angelica] "They are mostly weak to the fire element, just use any flame spell on them and their scales will retain all of the heat inside of their bodies for a long time cooking them from the inside. If you are using weapons I suggest that you hit it in the chest since it has little to no scales there. Oh and don''t bother attacking its head, it is as hard as steel, and also the mouth because it uses that to chew on rocks and stuff that may damage your weapons. Also, don''t call me cane boy!" [Irivine] Ah, it seems like cane boy also has some knowledge of monstrophy. At least he isn''t totally useless... He''s just like Maria when explaining stuff... but I understood a part of it so I guess he''s somewhat okay. We took the quest and moved out, what''s good about this village is most of the quest objectives are just a stone''s throw away. Since the village is carved out from the inside of the mountain, the mining area is just on the edge of the village through a vast tunnel network that goes deeper into the mountain''s core. We had gone to the tunnels provided with a map. It would be suicidal if you entered without one because the map tells you where the blocked/collapsed areas were or dangerous passages that you should be aware of. Just to be sure I got each of us a map and we all studied how to read it together, just in case someone gets lost or separated we designated a meeting point on the map and if they had ever lost their map I told them to stay where they were and we will look for them through groups at different sections to make the search faster. I really am scared of going inside this tunnel because this one is not natural. As you would expect from a mine, the walls are supported by wooden beams that are old and some of which are creaking that it makes me paranoid even more. Aside from the magic crystals with Maria''s Heal, I had asked everyone to bring potions with them just in case we do get separated. I also provided everyone with a fire-enchanted crystal so that they can use it on their weapons. Using the magic crystals imbued with the fire enchant as our light source, we moved to the place that had been recently attacked, on the path were various tools that lay scattered and abandoned the miners had used. They immediately got out when the diggers attacked. Moving closer we can hear various sounds of what seems like banging and some that are digging. Due to it being unlit in the tunnel I felt creeped out. You know that feeling when watching a movie where a thing just suddenly jumps out of the darkness and give you a fucking jumpscare? That''s what I''m getting right now... I bring my kris up in a ready position and enchanted it with the fire enchant, so if something DOES come out, I''ll be ready for it. Luckily there was no jumpscares and we encountered a digger that was on all fours digging a hole. When it noticed our presence it stood up and glanced, then made a huge roar as it began to charge at us. Impractical Magic Chapter 89 The digger charged at us with its arms wide open. This thing looked like it wanted to give us a free hug from the way it runs. We dodged as soon as the digger came nearer, it was a little dumb because it went past us and had hit a wall. "Flame Lance!!" [Maria] Maria shoots a fiery lance at it and pierces its thigh. The digger yells in pain as it wriggles on the ground, we then heard more roars from the direction that it had came from. We were already expecting more than one when Irvine said that we are dealing with a nest. When I shone the light on them we see ten small glowing eyes a few dozen meters inside the tunnel. There were five of them all huddled together running towards us. "Flame Thrower!!" [Irvine] Irvine sears three diggers that were at the front, they scream as the fire engulfs their bodies. "Pierce!!" [Mooly] Mooly pierces the chest of the digger, her pike makes a mess as she withdrew it from its body. Blake ducks when one tried to grapple him and he makes a quick V-slash on its chest with his fire-enchanted jian. It reminded me of a robot show that I used to watch when I was a kid. {1} I had gone and dispatched the digger that Maria has hit earlier. I kicked it in the head and it was indeed hard, the head resembles that of a hammerhead shark. Ah, so that''s why it was easy to dodge its attacks, there was a huge blind spot when you were near the middle of its head... After the first attack, I asked Maria and Irvine to change their spells to wind element magic. When they inquired why I pointed at the wooden support beams that were slightly charred. Even though fire element spells are effective, it is dangerous to be used here in the tunnel. Using it too much may also starve the place of oxygen leaving us unable to breathe. The reason why I told them to use the wind element specifically is that it''s less damaging, to the environment wise and does not deplete the air. Unlike water element magic which can flood the tunnels or make it slippery and muddy turning a simple escape to a difficult feat and earth element magic which typically uses the surroundings as a base for its spells, which is bad if you suddenly changed the landscape and the support beams couldn''t handle the extra stress of the weight leading to a collapse. We encountered a few more diggers on our way to find the nest, but other than that it was somewhat uneventful. We easily dispatched them one after the other, there were mostly just two to three and sometimes four of them. Continuing into the tunnel I noticed that a part of it has recently collapsed leading to a fall. I marked it on the map just in case and we''ll go update the guild and miners about it later. I picked up a pebble and threw it down. Six... seven... eight... (Tick, tick, tick) Eight seconds... man that''s deep... Meanwhile, we also passed a huge mound of mud, it is still wet and fresh. We are clueless as to why this is wet because there aren''t any nearby water sources. When I placed my ear near it I can hear some form of racket going on from behind. Not knowing how thick the mound is I just used my fire enchant and carved a hole big enough to fit two people. Inside were diggers two of whom were banging their heads at one another and two more that are banging with their... er... um... whatever you want to call it... there are also those that were nearby that were just doing their business digging. Even if it''s quite dark, and the space here is vast and dome-like. I don''t see any more support beams so we are now most likely at the nest. (Whistle) I whistled to see how the sound would bounce, and it was a baaaaaaaaaad idea... As soon as I did that the room was lit. Lit up with lots and lots of eyes that is... I couldn''t count on how many the diggers were, but I can clearly say that it is a cause for a concern... "Maria, Irvine. I authorize you to use your deadly spells." [Angelica] "There''s no need to tell me that." [Irvine] Before I even finished my sentence Irvine was already casting a spell. When Maria saw him, she followed casting soon after. "Cyclone!!" [Irvine] Irvine''s spell pulls a couple of diggers that was close by and twirls them around like being in a blender. Their claws, heads, and tails randomly hitting the other diggers in the vortex of wind. "Flare!!" [Maria] In the center of Irvine''s cyclone, a ball of fire appears that radiated intense heat. This spell is almost the same as Fireball, the only difference is this one doesn''t explode on contact. When the diggers grazed it a part of their body disintegrates. When the diggers saw their friends being turned into ash they ran away into the darkness. They ran very fast that we couldn''t even keep up with them until we cannot hear their footsteps anymore. After walking for a few minutes we caught sight of the eggs and there were a lot of them. They were like small rounded boulders, each neatly separated as if it were a cabbage field. "I guess this makes our work easier then." [Angelica] "?! Sis! Above!!" [Mooly] As soon as Mooly said that the diggers dropped down from the ceiling. I was surrounded by them. They were trying to separate all of us. "Sister! Run towards me now!!" [Mooly] I did what Mooly said and ran to her. When I was almost beside her she thrusts her pike near my head up to the point that I could feel the wind as it whizzed past. I was totally surprised when she did that. A millisecond later there was an impact behind me. When I turned to check I saw a digger with its mouth wide open only a few inches away from my head, gnawing on Mooly''s pike. It had four rows of teeth, two on the front that is thick and blunt which is what they use when eating hard stuff, and two at the back that are serrated like those of sharks. "Mooly, your pike?!" [Angelica] "It''s alright sister, it could take a few more hits!" [Mooly] I gripped her pike and enchanted it with the earth enchant. Her fragile pike suddenly became rock-hard. Wait.... did that just sound kind of sexual? "Mooly, now!" [Angelica] "Joint Break!!" [Mooly] (Crack!) When Mooly twisted her arm, the pike turned inside its mouth breaking the joints in the digger''s neck and dispatching it instantly. I then slashed the digger that suddenly appeared behind Mooly. "Thank you Mooly! Nice save!" [Angelica] "Un!" [Mooly] "Ahh!!" [Maria] "Maria!" [Angelica] "Iron Skin!! Lightning Bolt!!" [Irvine] Maria fell down when she was caught off guard during mid-cast when a digger has swung its tail at her. Irvine quickly used a support spell to protect her from further harm with its claws and roasted the digger with his spell. Another digger went to pounce Maria but was stopped short by Blake, where he kicked it up in the air as it was in the middle of its pounce. "Flight!!" [Irvine] Irvine used a spell to crush a digger on the ceiling. When it died, he let it fell on another one that was in front of him, but he was pulled at the leg when a digger suddenly emerged right below him. He was going to get gangbanged by them diggers. I better stop with these innuendos... The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Bladestorm!!" [Angelica] All of my blades hit their mark except for the one in the ground. "Eat this! Rock Bullet!!" [Irvine] A rock of some sort was fired in an extremely high speed into the diggers mouth and it exited out from the back of its head, killing the digger that was burrowed. Wow! I didn''t know that a spell like that existed. I may as well ask cane boy to teach me about it. These guys are surprisingly organized. They are coordinating their attacks well, its like they''re a pack. Could being in a group make them more dangerous? Well, as they say, the more eyes the better right? Out of everyone, Blake is the one who is most perceptive. It''s like he has eyes on the back of his head, that he can even stab a digger from behind him without looking. "Avalanche!!" [Maria] "Icicle Edge!!" [Irvine] Maria and Irvine are making short work of these monsters. I bet that in the near future, these two wouldn''t even need our help when doing quests. I dismembered two diggers that were simultaneously attacking me. Their arms flew in the air spraying blue blood. "What are we going to do Angelica? There''s too many of them." [Blake] "Big brother is right sis. I can still hear more of them coming straight ahead." [Mooly] "..." [Angelica] "Sis?" [Mooly] "Cane boy, use that earth igloo of yours." [Angelica] "It''s called ?Earth Fortress? you idiot!" [Irvine] "Whatever just cast it on our position. Maria, please cast ?Chain Mine?" [Angelica] "Alright. Give me a few secs." [Maria] "Cast it in quick succession so that they wouldn''t notice." [Angelica] "Okay!" [Maria/Irvine] These two can really be a couple they are in perfect sync. "Earth Fortress!!" [Irvine] "Chain Mine!!" [Maria] Chain Mine - Expert level, earth element. Huge multiple floating rocks that explode after a few seconds, sending shards of rocks in every direction. Very dangerous if you don''t have adequate protection or cover. Explosions rang from the other side of the wall, we can also feel the vibration from here. Just in case I covered Mooly''s ears before it started. I wouldn''t want her to go deaf from my carelessness... After the explosions there was silence... "Are they dead?" [Angelica] "I could sense slight movement from the other side of the wall." [Mooly] "Mmm... alright then let''s finish them off and check if the eggs have survived." [Angelica] When Irvine retracted his spell. We see that most of the diggers were on the ground twitching, some of them are dead others are in a mortal state. We finished off each one to make sure that there are no survivors and next are the eggs, which are now scattered. (Crack!) Before we got to the eggs they started hatching. One egg close to me hatched and a small digger emerged from its shell it was about the size of a chihuahua. "Ah, how cute." [Maria] It walked up to me curiously and brushed itself on my leg. As it did that I started petting it. What Maria said is right, these guys are adorable and it looked much cuter when it turned its head while looking up at me. "Uh... I think you shouldn''t do that..." [Irvine] "Why? How can these cute littl- ouch!!" [Angelica] The little cunt bit me on the finger! I flailed my hand to get it off and when it did I checked my index finger and it had four rows of bite marks on them. "He-Heal!!" [Maria] "Newly hatched diggers have a different diet. They mostly eat meat because their mouths still couldn''t process hard matter." [Irvine] Now a bunch of eggs also hatched near us. In no time the hatchings numbered more than all of the diggers that we had fought. All of them walking timidly near us. "The parents also bring them a lot of food before they hatch because they can get really-really hungry." [Irvine] So that means... they thought that we are on the menu? "How the heck should I know that?! You could''ve said that much sooner!!" [Angelica] The baby diggers steadily getting closer and closer... "Run!" [Angelica] "Eh?" [Blake/Maria/Mooly/Irvine] We bolted the fuck outta there. When we started running the swarm of baby diggers showed their teeth and hissed as they quickly followed us from behind. While we were running I swear that I can hear a certain song that was playing in the back of my head. {2} "Crescent!!" [Angelica] "Whoa?! Were you aiming that at me?!" [Irvine] "Tsk!" [Angelica] "Why did you click your tongue?!" [Irvine] "Shut up! You had one job! One! Fucking! Job!!" [Angelica] I rarely cuss out loud. Most of the time I only do it in thought, but this is a special fucking occasion. When I was a kid I hadn''t cussed even a single time in front of Michelle and Steven. It might''ve been just me acting like I''m being innocent and behaved as a child. Oddly enough I also wouldn''t want Blake, to hear me cussing as much as possible. Behind us were the swarm of baby diggers and at the front are the adult ones. Why of all the blasted places, the place that we have to be surrounded is by the damn cliff!! The adult diggers roared as they charged. We prepared ourselves to be attacked from both sides. Five adult diggers charged at us valiantly and they all... fell on the cliff... (Splat!) (Clank!) (Ding!) (Boom!) (Bam!) I shake my head. Quite the dumb ones I suppose. If I were charging like that all of the time and then hitting walls, I''ll just probably go and settle with eating rocks too lol, but maybe from having too much rocks and always headbanging one another may have also been the cause for their... nevermind... I''m not criticizing their diet though... in fact, rocks have a lot of minerals in it! We crossed to the other side of the cliff without any harm and waited for the baby diggers to come. I wish they''d fall on the cliff too. The baby diggers walked on the same path we took and some clung to the wall... Mmm... I was mistaken they were still quite smart. "Maria, use ?Barrage? at low output when they are about halfway into the cliff." [Angelica] "But Angelica, even if I use it at low power it would still make this place cave in." [Maria] "That is the plan." [Angelica] I''m not a fan of luring monsters, but It''ll be a problem if these guys manage to follow us back to the village. "Barrage!!" [Maria] Groups upon groups of them fell off the cliff, for each explosion the path was slowly getting destroyed. When it was finished I told Irvine to cover the path with ?Stone Wall? When we returned to the adventurers guild to report our findings, the miners protested when we told them that we had purposely destroyed the mining site. I just said to them that it cannot be helped because it was beyond our capability to hold them off, we did it out of self-preservation and for the good of the village. Still, the guild deducted one-fourth of the money from our rewards, but we managed to recover some because of the additional rewards for destroying the nest. Reference. {1} Refers to Voltes V''s signature finisher the V-slash. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25US1xFlTbY] {2} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U82TB6pSc10] Impractical Magic Chapter 90 When we got back; Maria and Irvine went to the inn to rest, they have expended a lot of energy from running and gunning the diggers. "Sis! Sis! I can see your inventions everywhere!" [Mooly] "Heheh. Thank you Mooly." [Angelica] The whole village has been redecorated or should I say received an upgrade. We were merely gone for six to eight hours and everything and I mean EVERYTHING has changed, my imbued crystals were used pretty much on all of the stuff that you see every day. "They really know their stuff." [Blake] From small items to huge appliances, it is like a completely different village which is similar to Dalio of course! This reminded me of the game Empire Earth, when you change periods, all of the cities that you own suddenly change in appearance. We jumped from medieval to renaissance... Sire! The age of discovery is upon us! "How do you like the village now?" Russel inquires as I stare into the bustling alleyway. "I am in awe at how fast you guys do your work." [Angelica] "Heh, I told you so." Russel says as he wiped his nose with his thumb as he smirks. These guys adapt really quickly. Sure they may have heard how to utilize my inventions but putting everything into use for just a few hours is outstanding! Even I myself took three days to get everything up at Dalio. Now I believe Russel on what he said about the dwarfs resourcefulness. Using my imbued crystals some have already made inventions of their own. I see a dwarf fiddling on what seems like an air blower, he had a crude pipe attached with a handle and just below the handle is my magic crystal. He made an experimental model I see. The dwarf looked down the pipe and powered up the crystal, then there came a sudden blast of wind from within, he may have used it in max output that it shaved his top hair off... dangerous... Well, that is normal for experiments, we learn from our mistakes and oh, correction what flew was a wig. I bet that with just a few adjustments I can turn that into a gun, but screw guns. I was killed by it and I''m not planning on getting shot by one again or much so coerced into making them if I presented it in this world. "Hey, do you want to see my forge?" [Russel] "I had already seen what people do with them at Dalio." [Angelica] "You sure about that?" [Russel] We followed Russel home and to my amazement, his house is smaller than the others despite being the head of the village and also as the guild master. "Sorry its a bit cramped, but make yourselves at home." [Russel] "Such colorful stones." [Mooly] "Umm... Mooly those are ores..." [Blake] His house was filled with all kinds of ores and aside from the usual fire-imbued furnace, he also has a drum filled with my water imbued crystal and a blower that was wind imbued. "I can understand the furnace, but why the drum and blower?" [Angelica] "My dear, forging is a very delicate process even slight changes in temperature if not controlled it will ruin the weapon." [Russel] Russel tells me that he uses the drum to change the temperature of the water depending on the status of the metal. For each quench, it hardens the metal and it, in turn, makes the blade sensitive to minor changes in temperature. It is also the same for the blower, to help the air circulate inside the furnace, as it would pose as a problem if the pocket of hot air is concentrated in one place. Which in turn makes a weapon less malleable and more likely to break upon impact. So forging mostly relies on temperature huh. Pardon for my lack of knowledge as during my past life most of the forging is done by automated machines, so minor details such as this is new to me. "Hmm... Angelica, can you imbue two crystals for me?" [Russel] "Sure, but what kind?" [Angelica] "That rock one." [Russel] "I haven''t even made one of those yet... how come that you know about it?" [Angelica] I know that he is the village leader and guild master, but only a few know about my earth enchant because I haven''t used it as much. "Seymour said to me that you showed it to him" [Russel] That fat dwarf... I told him to keep his mouth shut.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "It should be a secret, but no worries I''m going to kill him later." [Angelica] "You sound like you''re not joking." [Russel] "Would you be happy if someone told your carefully hidden secret to other people?" [Angelica] "I''m not gonna lie. I would be furious too." [Russel] "So I judge that you are tight-lipped about this correct?" [Angelica] Russel uses his hand and pulls an imaginary zipper as he closed his mouth. "Hahh... okay. Just tell Seymour not to spread it YET." [Angelica] I imbued the two semi-low-quality crystals with my earth enchant. "Tell me where are you going to use this for?" [Angelica] "Oh, you''ll see." [Russel] He gave me a wink. Make sure that I get amused lol... He attached the crystal to a weird contraption. When he pressed a button, it made a clanking noise as it started running, it had a round stone attached to a machine that rolls the stone around, a grinding machine. Next, he placed the other crystal on a hammer. "Is something wrong?" [Russel] Russel asked me when I was staring intently at the hammer that he is holding. "Would you want some lightning with that?" [Angelica] "Lightning? But what does it do?" [Russel] "Ah, forget that I said that." [Angelica] So he wants an indestructible hammer {1} huh. I think the dwarfs are inventing stuff a bit too fast... Dwarfs are truly terrifying, it may have been the reason why the dwarfs have advanced so much and so quickly, because of their openness and willingness to change. I wished that we humans should be the same, but some are wary of change and that''s what kept us from advancing so much. I was somewhat thankful that the dwarfs aren''t a militaristic race because if they were, I cannot envision how we humans would win if a war ever broke out between us... Two weeks have already passed. It turned out that the dwarfs are so grateful for my crystals that they made an effort to procure more of them for me, the amount that they gave me can keep my shop in stock by one to two months. I had also asked Russel to make a delivery quest for adventurers who planned on going to Dalio as an extra security measure. I needed to keep the stocks resupplied or else I may have to close shop... and I wouldn''t want that because I am worried that Mrs. Helen will have no source of income. I doubt that my parents will let that happen to her and if it did, they will most likely offer her a job at the city hall. In those same weeks, we took some quests and they weren''t all that hard. Mostly it is just subjugation quests and some are only to check on the condition of the tunnels. Today there was a quest regarding the investigation of missing livestock. The animals were said to have disappeared inside of their enclosure at the tunnels. The way Pilapil village raises their livestock is quite unique in which they have different tunnels designed just for them, think of it as an ant farm, but with cattle, pigs, and poultry... They have feeding, nursing and store/sleep areas for the animals. What''s unusual about the disappearances is the animals had been gone without a trace, no tracks, blood, and bodies were ever recovered. Also, there wasn''t any hole or entry near the farm area which added more to the question of what exactly is happening to those said animals. Quests like these make me quite skeptical. There are a few times when adventurers were asked to do a quest and are often murdered by the ones who requested them. I''ll tell you of a certain incident that we heard from the guild clerk once. There were three male adventurers consisting of a scout, swordsman and a magician. They had been asked to hunt down a beast that had been stalking and attacking workers at a nearby residence. It turned out that it wasn''t a monster, but the owner who had a screw loose. As from the account of the one who had survived but has since been retired, he said that the owner of the residence was very nice and showed them around the place and told stories of when and where the incidents had taken place. After a day of no leads, the owner asked them to have dinner with him and they all had a feast with huge slices of meat, he said that the taste was excellent and out of this world, but they didn''t know that the food was drugged and they all fell asleep. When he came to, he said that he and his magician friend were shackled to the wall in the basement. He saw that his friend who was the swordsman was already dead... he was cut into chunks on the table and currently the owner was putting each part into multiple containers. The owner, upon seeing that he had awoken decided to mock him and spill the whole story since he said that they were going to die anyway. He said that the owner, using the monster story as cover, attacked the workers who he hired at his residence and after killing them, stored and kept their body parts as food, but because of the recent string of murders he committed it made the people wary of going near his place which forced him to look elsewhere to get his resources... and what he chose as the food delivery service is... the adventurers guild... He knew the workings of the guild and since most adventurers came from far away places, there is little to no chance that people would ask for a search or there is nobody who knew about them, since they all come and go. The owner also said that they were the third batch of adventurers who came to him and that the meat they ate came from a female adventurer who was very pretty... When the survivor heard about it he vomited and tried to wake up his still-sleeping friend beside him. As the magician woke up he quickly shouted at him to use magic to attack the owner but... the magician had his hands amputated by the owner when they were asleep. The survivor said to use cast magic instead and... the magician looked at him crying and said in jumbled words "Aym zowwy..." His tongue was also cut out... You cannot use most magic without your hands because you needed them to aim your spell. Cast, on the other hand, can be used to do certain area spells, but the problem is you need to pronounce a spell correctly in order to conjure it... The crazy owner said "Looking for this?" as he raised the tongue that was stuck on the fork as he showed them a twisted smile. The magician desperately begged him to give it back, but the owner just laughed at him hysterically. The survivor saw his friend being injected with something which made the magician unable to move and he saw it all... The same thing the owner did to his now-dead friend. Cutting and opening up the magician who was still alive unable to move, the magician looking at him with tears running down his face as if begging him for help, but he couldn''t do a single thing... He saw the life of his friend slowly slip out of his eyes until he had passed... When his turn came he begged and begged for someone to save him. It was as if God had answered his prayers and a large group of knights barged into the basement cellar, the knights upon discovering the sick acts the owner was committing, killed the owner and they had saved the survivor. He was already traumatized by what happened and decided to quit being an adventurer shortly after the incident... I hope that a day like that would not come to us. For I fear that I may lose my sanity if that had happened to anyone in my party... References. {1} Thors magical hammer the Mjolnir. Impractical Magic Chapter 91 Sigh... back to the tunnels again... Sure it was fun after a few days, but it gets dull once you get used to seeing the tunnels. To be honest being in this dark, cold place for too long is making me kind of depressed. The adventurers guild rarely offered any quests out on the mountainside and most of those were already taken... it is probably because the dwarfs are prioritizing the mines and tunnels. "Hah... I want to go out on the snow..." [Angelica] "Do you remember the time when we hunted some rabbits for the village Angelica?" [Blake] "Yeah, your dad cooks the best rabbit stew, Blake," I say as I try to remember the time that we ate together at their home. "Rabbit stew? Sis you''re making me feel hungry." [Mooly] "Heheh. Alright then! After this quest, we''ll all eat at the fancy restaurant again, my treat of course!" [Angelica] "Yay!" [Mooly] "Angelica..." [Maria] "Yeah?" [Angelica] "Speaking of rabbits is it alright if I ordered that?" [Maria] "The black rabbit''s foot?" [Angelica] "Yep, that one." [Maria] "You do know that you can order anything that you want Maria." [Angelica] "Thank you!" [Maria] "Eh?" [Angelica] All of a sudden Maria jumped into my arms and we nearly slipped and fell. She already had one of those when I got the pay for the commission from Russel, did it really taste good for her to want one again? It sure was pricey though, so I guess that''s why she asked. "Mmm? Maybe I should try it too." [Angelica] "No! You absolutely mustn''t get one!" [Maria] I smiled wryly at her. What''s the big deal with that particular food? I''m getting more curious as to why she doesn''t want me to eat it. I''ll try asking the server about it later... "By the way Angelica, why are you bringing those magic crystals?" [Blake] "The guild receptionist told me that the tunnel for storing the livestock is somewhat dark, so I''ve bought these in order for us to see better." [Angelica] "But isn''t that the place where the animals slept? Wouldn''t it disrupt their sleep?" [Irvine] Finally! Cane boy spoke. Hey! Talk more! We need some dialog for you in this chapter!! "Similar to my other inventions. I can change the intensity of the lighting by adjusting the crystal''s output." [Angelica] "Oh, I see..." [Irvine] Up till now, cane boy had little to no idea about my enchantments of magic crystals. Well, that''s a given, he just recently joined so I understand. Maybe I should take some time to tell him all about it, despite being cocky sometimes, he''s part of my party after all. During our chatter, we managed to reach the farm area of the tunnel and have met with the owner. He seems like a nice guy and I don''t feel anything sinister coming from him. Even though we have heard about the incident about the adventurers for a long time, I use that as a reference to not simply put my trust in anyone. We mostly bring some food during long trips and cook them ourselves just to be safe. As a backup, Maria imbued some magic crystals for each of us which housed the lowest cure spell ?Detoxify? Aside from ?Heal? I was also told that there was another category for Curing. Curing spells are mostly new to this world and some forms of them are still in the experimental stage. I wish I could meet the person who discovered it and shake their hand, the future of curing spells is bright and very useful as it would be readily available than most potions which tend to be depleted or damaged without proper handling or in battle. When we were just starting out as adventurers. The veterans told us that a few adventurers had perished when their antidote potions broke during a crucial time in battle and because of that, I almost always stuff some cotton into my waist bag with the potions and I cannot tell you how many times that single tip has saved our lives and also our pockets during our greenhorn days without Maria. The farm tunnel was huge, much bigger than the nest of diggers. We set up camp at the tunnel with the animals to see if any anomaly would take place, as the reports say that most of the disappearances happen mostly at night...The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. How the heck can I know if it was nighttime in here... sometimes the guild only gives a vague description that I just shake my head. I want to write a complaint form lol... "Moo!" "Mmm." [Mooly] "Moo, moo, moo." "Ah, Eheh..." [Mooly] Our group was at the campfire and Mooly was playing around with the nearby cattle. They seem to understand each other well that I can see Mooly laughing and nodding her head; truly a cowgirl... I''ve read about them once at the royal library, on how the demi-humans came into existence. Let''s just say that the humans from before had a pecul- unique taste... I was just thankful that because of their efforts I was able to go and see animal-eared demi-humans today... Although I wish that I shouldn''t have read that... but I think the god of this world created them, yes that is the most logical explanation, humans have always tried to explain stuff in their own way and tried to take credit for some of them. "Sis." [Mooly] "Yes, Mooly?" [Angelica] "The animals said that when the others were taken, they weren''t able to sense any presence. So I ask that we all stay alert." [Mooly] "That''s good info Mooly thank you." [Angelica] "Heheh..." [Mooly] I pat Mooly on the head as a reward. "So the problem is if they cannot detect the threat then how are we supposed to know if one went missing?" [Irvine] "We just have to keep our eyes open I guess." [Blake] "Maybe there is a trap door?" [Maria] "I think that is the most likely reason for the sudden disappearance and the lack of detection." [Angelica] According to Mooly we still have more time before night comes. So she can also tell the time huh... We took the opportunity to investigate the walls which yielded nothing and also place the magic crystals around the tunnel, but due to the sheer size of the area and the small amount that I have brought, the crystals, even on max output seem like candlelight when observed from the distance. Also, the ceiling is too high that the light wasn''t even able to reach it. I then gave the remaining crystals to everyone and asked them to put it in their pockets. I said to everyone that they should immediately power them up when something happens. My butt is aching... How long has it been? Four hours, or is it a five? From waiting for so long we began to slack off, the reports did say that the disappearances happen on random occasions. Mooly is now sleeping, resting her head on my lap, Blake is throwing some tinder he picked up into the fire, Maria was reading what seemed like a magic book and Cane Boy is playing with some spells. I can see a fireball, waterball, and an airball, he''s moving them around him. "Hey, stop that, we wouldn''t want to spook th-" [Angelica] "It''s not like we''ll just suddenly disappear." [Irvine] He interrupts me again... this is the XXth time... I''m gonna give him a good scolding, right here, right now. "Listen here Irvine..." [Angelica] When I opened my eyes again Irvine disappeared... famous last words lol... The following second Blake and I drew our weapons and I woke Mooly when I stood up. Maria dropped the book and holds up her staff. "Everyone! Close your eyes for a second I''m going to use flash!" [Angelica] "Okay!" [Blake/Maria/Mooly] (Snap!) I snapped my fingers and it made a blinding flash over our heads. Above us, I saw Irvine getting covered with white sticky stuff, it was a spider rolling him into a cocoon with its thread. He was squirming really hard inside of it like a fly... I pointed my finger at it to use ?Explosion? but before I was able to do so there was a thing shuffling near me, I made a quick glance and saw a huge spider with its eyes closed. As the effects of the flash begin to wane the spider opened its eyes... There I could see my own reflection in its eight huge round eyes and I could see myself cringe... ~~~Mooly~~~ "Irvine!" [Maria] "Angelica!" [Blake] "Sister!" [Mooly] When the flash weakened, we all saw sister and Irvine each getting rolled into a spider''s web. The spiders after covering them quickly turned back and ran up the dark ceiling bringing sis and Irvine with them. "Hyah!" [Mooly] "Flame Chaser!!" [Maria] I threw my pike at it but it misses. Sister Maria uses a homing spell and it roasts one spider that was waiting for the other two on the ceiling. "Maria! Float, now!!" [Blake] "A-alright! Float!!" [Maria] Big brother Blake flew near them but stopped short, ?Float? is only good for a few meters... He jumped near the wall as he begins to descend and powers the crystal in his weapon. When it lit up, he made multiple horizontal slices on the wall and uses them as a foothold, slashing each time as he moves up, it''s like he''s making a ladder on the wall with each slash of his sword. Big brother as he does that seems to defy gravity, his silhouette begins to fade as he moved up the ceiling with his weapon being the only light source. Impractical Magic Chapter 92 ~~~Blake~~~ Angelica''s fire enchant is really useful, I was able to make use of its cutting power to carve a footing on the hard rock. If I were to use a normal sword, I was sure that it wouldn''t be able to create a dent deep enough for me to even step on and without this, I may not have been able to pursue them. As I went up the ceiling I saw the spiders enter a hole. We didn''t see it earlier because the light from Angelica''s crystals wasn''t able to reach high enough. Also, the hole was obscured by a small patch of rock like a balcony looking down the farm tunnel, so even if you looked at it from below you wouldn''t notice it until you go up the ceiling. When I entered the hole it goes up vertically... still, I followed the spider nearby, moving slowly and steadily towards it using the protruding rocks as jumping platforms. I learned this technique when I was observing Steven as he fought with the orc king. As I jumped closer, the spider used its thread to stop me, but I hacked away with it using the fire-enchanted jian. Seeing what it did was useless it pointed its back at me. (Pew!) "?!'' [Blake] On its bottom shot out a sharp stinger, I tried to cut it mid-air like what Angelica does, but my hand was bound by a strand of web. I was only able to dodge it in time by barrel-rolling in the air. Luckily, it seemed that it only has one, but because of that, the spider had once again covered quite a distance. "Dammit! If I only had another weapon that I could throw at it..." [Blake] As it got further away, there was a glow of orange and yellow light on the cocoon of web. I could see the spider struggling to get it off as the fire burned one of its legs. When it was finally able to remove itself, I could see the fiery light falling towards me. ~~~Angelica~~~ Shit... I cannot move... everything happened so fast, but I was able to piece it together. When the flash had faded, the spider jumped at me and bit me in the arm with its fangs. The fangs were hellishly huge like an oversized syringe and it sure was painful. Before I could make my counterattack, a numbing sensation covered my body, it then grabbed me and spun its web. Despite being paralyzed I can still power up the crystal with it being in close proximity to my pocket. Enjoy getting burned! As the crystal glowed my clothing begun to be encased in fire. From inside of the cocoon I could hear the spider as it shrieks in pain as the flame slowly ate away at its web. Hahahahaha! Serves you right! This imbued magic crystal is similar to what we use in my towels at the bath, where it covers the towel in a warm flame to make it dry faster while also preventing the user from getting cold. The only difference is this one to burns anything it touches, except the user. I had wanted to incorporate this into our snow clothing, but when I did, you would sink a few feet down and be stuck or trapped when you walked on layers upon layers of snow. Also, I''m afraid that if you unknowingly walked into a deep crevice you can break something or possibly lose your life from falling into them. When I was able to finally see out of the cocoon, the spider had dropped me... As it did. I used Maria''s crystal with the spell ?Detoxify? I was able to move my limbs a little, yet it was still not enough to fully eliminate the effects of the spiders venom. Still somewhat paralyzed. I cannot hold on to the exposed rocks nor change my position. I was in a freefall... Am I just going to go splat on the ground? That won''t be a pretty sight... Then, I was suddenly caught by something. When I turned to look, it was Blake who was hanging by his jian, which was stuck in the rock. But my clothing is still in flames. "Blake?! You''ll be burned!!" [Angelica]The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "It''s... alright..." [Blake] Even with my quick reaction, I wasn''t able to turn off the crystal fast enough. When I was examining Blake, I had a whiff of the awful smell of burnt flesh, the burns on his chest and arms were so severe that I could see him struggling to hold onto me and the sword. I clung to him in order to reduce the pain in his arm and immediately used my novice level ?Heal? which barely did anything... I quickly fumbled to find my waist bag for the crystal which has Maria''s regular level ?Heal? but it was not there?! Did I lose it during the fall?! My hand is starting to slip... with a worried expression, I looked at Blake. "Blake... let go..." [Angelica] "No!" [Blake] He has a much greater chance of living if he let go. Me being paralyzed had little chance to... "If you don''t we''ll both die!" [Angelica] "I am never letting you go even if it costs me my life!!" [Blake] "Please tell everyone that I-" [Angelica] "I won''t have any of that!" [Blake] I tried to reason with him, but he still wouldn''t let me go... "Why are y-" [Angelica] "Because I love you, Angelica." [Blake] "A..." [Angelica] Despite all of his burns, he was still able to confess. What is with this scenario?! This is not the place to raise any flags!! "Urhg..." [Blake] Blake can barely hold on for much longer... I was looking at him and started to cry, somehow, something inside of me felt very happy yet sad at the same time... I lessened my grip and Blake held me much tighter than before... "Do not... let go..." [Blake] His tears fell on my face, he knew what I was about to do... "This is the only way..." [Angelica] "Don''t think like that... we can still..." [Blake] I closed my eyes and wished that we weren''t in this deadlock. As I was about to let go, I felt a small pouch on Blake''s waist. It was where he hung his healing potion, with that in mind my hope was lit afire. "Blake..." [Angelica] "... Yes?" [Blake] I called his name and slid off the cork of the potion with my free hand. From our current position, he couldn''t see me with the potion and it would be hard for him to drink it... "Angelica?" [Blake] "I know that it may be painful, but can you pull me up really quick?" [Angelica] I disregarded any second thoughts and had drunk the potion. Throwing the bottle away after I emptied its contents inside of my mouth. I then used my free hand and moved it around Blake''s neck as he tugged me up. "Ange- Mmn?!" [Blake] In an instant, our lips connected... There... I was giving him the potion via... mouth to mouth... As I transferred the contents of the potion to him I kept my eyes shut. I am afraid of seeing the kind of expression he might be showing right now. I''m sorry that it is so sudden... but please bear with it for a moment... As I removed my lips from his, I can see the small red liquid dripping down from his mouth. The burns he received slowly started to disappear. When we were far enough, our eyes locked on to each other. Thinking back on what I had just done, I was filled with such embarrassment. "One more." [Blake] "Eh?" [Angelica] Now that is asking way too much! I only did it because it was a life-or-death situation!! "Angelica." [Blake] He moved closer, wait... he''s not planning on?! Slowly... inch by inch, he bridged the gap. I have to move away. ... ... ... Eh? EH?! Why isn''t my body moving?! Don''t tell me that my female body is responding to him?! No, I am not accepting this, is it because of the paralysis?! Yes! IT IS because of the paralysis!! I just closed my eyes and hoped that it would end quickly. At that moment he stopped when we heard a spider from far away. Damn spider! You are 0.3 milliseconds late! I felt our lips touch just now!! "Umm... ah... we have to rescue cane boy..." [Angelica] "A-alright... sorry. Are you able to move?" [Blake] "No..." [Angelica] "Hold on tight then." [Blake] "What do you mean by thaaaaaaaaatttt?!" [Angelica] Blake suddenly spun around as I held onto his neck. After that, he powered up the crystal in his jian and sliced the wall to retrieve it. When he got it off the rock, he slipped it back into its scabbard and used both of his hands to support me as he jumps on the rocks going up... He gave me a princess carry... I just covered my face... this is so embarrassing mannnnnnnnnnn... Why the heck is this happening to me... I would''ve felt much better if he carried me on his back... On the way to the top, we never spoke a word which made it even more awkward... by the time we got there I was able to move normally. I used Blake''s crystal which has the spell ?Detoxify? because I had lost mine from the fall. The spider venom was so potent that I had to use the crystal until it ran out of stored energy. We better be careful not to get bit again. The place was littered with half-open cocoons which had bones, hides, feathers, and fur poking out of them. It was sticky everywhere so we have to watch where we step. Slowly we made our way into the spiders'' den... Impractical Magic Chapter 93 ~~~Angelica~~~ "Hyah?!" [Angelica] "Careful..." [Blake] Blake caught me as I tripped over some cobwebs. My glance fell on him as he held me up. Why is the background behind him slowly turning pink?! And where did those roses sprout out from?! Calm down... try to think of something other than this... I slapped both of my cheeks multiple times. "Angelica, are you alright?" [Blake] "Yeeee-ah..." [Angelica] "Really? Are you sure? Your face is all flushed red." [Blake] "Kyah?!" [Angelica] He suddenly placed his forehead next to mine. My God! My heart almost jumped out of my chest as he did that! I thought that he was going for a kiss... wait... why am I thinking of that?! "The temperature also seems to be rising..." [Blake] Stop... stop giving me that concerned look... stop it! Even though I''m a guy on the inside it''s making me so mentally confused right now!! ~~~Blake~~~ I''m afraid that the spider venom may have more effects than paralysis. Angelica couldn''t focus very well as I can see her looking at and away from me, from time to time. Also, she doesn''t seem to be able to observe her footing and surroundings as much, as she had already tripped a couple of times. "Ne-nevermind that! We have to save cane boy! Time is of the essence!" [Angelica] She put her hand on my shoulder and lightly pushed me back. Even with her condition, she still worries about her party members. Her genuine concern for everyone''s safety and well-being is what I really love about her. I am really glad that I was able to tell her about my feelings, although she wasn''t able to answer them for now, it was more than enough for me. I was really surprised by when she gave me the potion, but it was probably because of the situation we are in. Every time that she trips I cannot help but look at her mouth. Her soft, warm and tender lips... Even though the experience is so brief I wanted to feel it again... is it bad of me to want to go and kiss her each time that she fell? Anyway, I have to be more vigilant. I needed to protect her and myself so the three of us can get out of this place and back to the village safely. Angelica lost her kris when the spider had grabbed her. For now, she is using a sharp bone she had picked up of similar length as an improvised weapon. Although I doubt that it would be effective, as she could only use her earth enchant on it to make it hard and retain its crude edge. She had no choice but to use the earth enchant, cause the fire enchant turned one into ash. The wind enchant upgrades the speed, but since it''s bone, it can only withstand a few hits before breaking. The water enchant relies on how deep the wounds were, considering that the edge is rubbish it can only go so far... We fought off the spiders we came across in their den, with me dispatching most of them. Angelica, on the other hand, was just using the bone as a club to break the spider''s legs and fangs when she discovered that it was more effective than slashing. I finished them off because she was incapable of dealing a deadly blow. ~~~Angelica~~~ This bone is so shitty that I regret losing my sword from the ambush, the spiders were ignoring my slashes and just kept on attacking me. I don''t know if it''s normal for the spiders to bob their heads, but it seems to me like they are ridiculing as if teabagging me. I feel so weak like a support character... Well, it''s not like I''m the protagonist of a story or something. Blake had already mastered using the enchanted jian that I gave him, he only uses the enchant whenever it is needed. Like for example if he fought an unarmored foe he would just use his sword normally. When he fights monsters that had thick shell or armor well, you get the idea... We are already far into the den and the place is full of cocoons. "What brings you to my lair human?" Are there anyone here besides us? Blake and I looked everywhere to see where the voice came from. "Above you..." Holy shit! What came to our view was a gigantic spider towering over us, we both had our mouths wide open; is it possible to keep it as a pet? Cause during my past-life I used to play with the other kids and made them fight each other on a stick. It is probably one of the insects that I don''t particularly hate, unlike roaches... fuck roaches... It spoke in a human language, I didn''t know that monsters could do that. We saw its eyes and fangs. The fangs were as tall as Blake and a single eye was about the same size as a round table... "Your... uh... colleagues brought a friend of ours, so we uh... came to... get him back?" [Angelica] "Mmn? You mean this?" [Spider] The giant spider lifts a wriggling cocoon with one of its thick hairy legs and examines it. "You''ve brought quite a neatly wrapped present." [Spider] "Do you perhaps know a person named Hagrid? {1} If you do we can talk this over." [Angelica] "I have no reason to remember the name of a snack." [Spider] "Ah, alright then... c-can we have our friend back? A-after that, we''ll take our leave." [Angelica] "Don''t try to sweet talk your way out of this human. I haven''t eaten one of your kind in a long... long... time." [Spider] It began salivating as it threw the cocoon with Irvine inside onto the pile. "We are not the kind of people to be taken on lightly, if you want to eat us then you''ll have to work for it." [Blake] "Ohhh, I needed a bit of an exercise. Perhaps I should keep one of you alive to lay my eggs in so that when my children hatch, they will have fresh food served just for them!" [Spider] (Stomp!) Blake jumped and I rolled out of the way before its leg hit the position we were at. This guy tried stepping on us! An insect! Could you believe that? It should have been the other way around! "You have good reflexes." [Spider] Blake and I immediately made a counterattack, but it quickly jumped away into the darkness.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Even though it had evaded Blake I managed to land a hit on one of its legs, but it just brushed it off with its hairs. I don''t think that my weapon could do much damage considering how huge and sturdy they were. I will just target its eyes and abdomen where it is softest. Despite its huge size, it was quite agile. We spent most of our time running after it and it''s taking a toll on our stamina, it reminded me of an annoying black-furred monster that kept on jumping and lunging around in a game. {2} I wish I had Maria''s ?Inferno? but it will also burn the cocoons which is bad. If what the spider said is true then, Irvine is the only human trapped in one of those cocoons. He should have at least shouted that he was okay or something. This is hard for me to say, but I don''t want to manually search these cocoons one by one nor stay in this place much longer... "Surprise!" [Spider] "?!" [Angelica] The giant spider suddenly appeared upside down and used its leg as it flicked me to the wall. It only made a minor damage as the cobwebs cushioned my body from the impact. It spread its legs open and raised its butt towards me. Oh, wait... (Pew! Pew! Pew!) It fired multiple stingers at me as I lay stuck on the wall. Blake rushes to my aid then cuts and deflects the stingers mid-flight. When it stopped. Blake removed the cobwebs using the fire on his jian. "That''s a nice cobweb angel, much like you." [Blake] "Muh." [Angelica] Stop it with the cheesy pick-up lines! In all seriousness, I spoke to him. "Blake I have a plan." [Angelica] "What is it?" [Blake] "Stab and hold down a leg without using the enchant. I''ll try to burn it with the crystal." [Angelica] With a nod, Blake did what I instructed him to. I trimmed a bit of my skirt and wrapped it around the magic crystal and a sharp bone. When the time came, I activated the crystal and it lit aflame as it flew towards the giant spider''s abdomen, but it shot it with a stinger as it flew and it embedded itself on one of its legs instead. "Damn you human!!" [Spider] The flame slowly ate away its leg as it cursed me word after word. I was going to inflict additional damage on it, but it escaped Blake''s hold by forcefully amputating its two legs. After, it sprayed some sticky liquid on us to escape. (Blehh!) "Angelica?!" [Blake] "I''m alright..." [Angelica] I couldn''t dodge it in time and I was dosed with this thick, white, wet stuff. It was gross and some of it got on my face and into my mouth... Urgh... I could still taste it and it is warm... disgusting... my clothing is also covered along with it. I used my fingers and scraped off what was left of it on my tongue. I looked at Blake who was just a few meters away staring at me. "What are you doing?" [Angelica] "Nothing..." [Blake] "Go distract it then!!" [Angelica] When I finished talking. Blake, with great vigor and a bleeding nose. Showed a wide smile and gave me a thumbs-up before confronting the spider again. What''s that suppose to mean?! "Douse!!" [Angelica] I used a novice water spell to remove some of the filth. I hate using spells as they take considerable amounts of energy, but it was sticky and is slowing me down. Blake had become proficient at fighting the giant spider, the damage he has inflicted on it is accumulating making it weaker as time passed and also sliced off its fangs. He had no problems facing it as he dodges whatever the giant spider threw at him. It was my turn to surprise the spider. "Gotcha Bitch!" {3} [Angelica] "Arrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!" [Spider] I had found an opening and had cut open and stabbed two of its eyes. This is payback for that gross liquid, I am never going to forget that god-awful taste. The giant spider was maimed when Blake had cut off most of its legs. "It was a mistake fighting you humans." [Spider] "I told you that you have to work for it." [Blake] "Hmpf!" [Spider] It crawled over the pile of cocoons and separated the one that was wriggling too much. "If I am going to perish here, I may as well take this one with me." [Spider] "?! No! Don''t!!" [Angelica] The giant spider as it held the cocoon with its remaining legs stabbed it multiple times with the huge stinger on its bottom. Blake had managed to stop it by stabbing it in the stomach, yet the damage was already done... The cocoon with Irvine has... already stopped moving... I was certain what the spider did was fatal... a large pool of blood began to spread out from the cocoon. "No... no... no... Irvine..." [Angelica] What... am I going to say to Maria... I knelt in front of the bloodied cocoon. "Despite being an asshole and a faggot, you didn''t deserve to die like this..." [Angelica] "Umm... Angelica." [Blake] "Blake, not now..." [Angelica] I will tell Maria that he exchanged his life to defend us from the huge spider. "Angelica." [Blake] "I won''t call you cane boy anymore... and I won''t tell Maria that you got bangged and penetrated by a spider... sniff..." [Angelica] "What the hell?!" [Irvine] "Sniff... even when dead... I can still hear your voice..." [Angelica] "I''m over here retard!" [Irvine] ... ... ... I leaned back and I saw Irvine clawing his way out of a cocoon. "Irvine? Irvine! You''re alive!" [Angelica] I quickly came up to him and helped him out. (Slap! Slap!) "Aw! Aw!!" [Irvine] I gave him a good ol'' slap on the back. "I knew that you wouldn''t die that easily!" [Angelica] "Didn''t you just mention that I died a moment ago?!" [Irvine] "Meh." [Angelica] "You wench..." [Irvine] I just shrugged and smirked at him. "But, how did you do it?" [Angelica] "When the spider threw me, I blindly crawled away from where I had landed." [Irvine] Ah, so he used the magic trick of switcheroo. "So then... what are we going to do with you?" [Blake] "This is not the end human..." [Spider] "What are you gonna do about it?" [Angelica] "I may be dying, but I''ll make sure that you also perish here..." [Spider] The three of us tensed up, the spider didn''t seem like he was bluffing. "Go get them, my children! Strip their flesh down to the bone!!" [Spider] With a last great cry, the giant spider fell and shook the floor. We all prepared for what is going to happen. At that moment, the giant spiders'' abdomen ruptured. What came out of it were thousands upon thousands of tiny spiders. KILL IT WITH FIRE!! {3} "Firewall!!" [Irvine] Irvine immediately made a wall of flame which separated us from them. "We mustn''t let these spiders get past us at all costs! If they manage to get through the village is doomed!" [Blake] If I compare it to the baby diggers, this is much more dangerous and menacing. I was sure that the town could handle the baby diggers, but these numbers are overwhelming... "I have a spell, but I need time..." [Irvine] "Alright." [Blake] "Let us handle this, for now..." [Angelica] I used my wind enchant. When the ?Firewall? dispersed I fired off a huge Crescent. What it did was actually useful, it gathered all of the cobwebs on its path and wrapped most of the tiny spiders with it giving us time. I wish that I had thought of this earlier to immobilize the giant spider. While those that are trapped struggled to get out. We engaged those that tried to harm us. I never bothered to change enchants, because of them being newborns I was sure that their shells are still soft and this bone blade would be able to cut through them. Also, because of their numbers, I needed my Speed Boost. One by one we cut them down holding our ground. Each of the dead tiny bodies begins to pile up into a wall... From the wall oozed disgusting spider innards and fluids... I can see Irvine''s face going green because of it. Please don''t stutter your incantation, please don''t stutter your incantation... Oh god, he''s going to barf. Come on don''t fail us now! "Purgatory!! Bleargh!" [Irvine] As he finished his incantation, it was followed soon after by a colorful stream of rainbows coming out of his mouth. Just as the tiny spiders broke through their constraints. A blaze erupts a few meters away from us and sweeps the whole area aflame, turning the tunnel into a ring of fire. From our position, it seemed like a burning propellant going outside the barrel of the gun. Followed by a horrendous smell of burnt everything lol. Spiders, bones, hairs, skin, feathers you name it. "Hahhh... how do you like that?" [Irvine] Irvine wiping his mouth proclaimed as he showed us a high-level fire spell. "I have to say that it was a good spell." [Blake] "Mm, mm." [Irvine] "It was good and all, but you also released something else aside from your spell, Irvine." [Angelica] "You..." [Irvine] "Huh?" [Angelica] "You finally called me by my name." [Irvine] "Well, I did say that I won''t call you names anymore, but try to change that attitude of yours a little." [Angelica] "... Okay..." [Irvine] Instead of getting a rude remark, with a slight hesitation, he agreed. At least this is a start. Then, the wall of tiny spider corpses fell on Irvine. When we dug him out he kept on saying "I''m sorry... I''m sorry... I wouldn''t make fun of insects anymore..." He had spider guts and undescribable shit all over him... To be honest, I felt bad for the guy, but he sure as hell deserved it! Insulting me for being scared of insects... now at least he knew what I felt. Blake helped him up and I smiled at them. (Drip...) Something fell on my shoulder and I wiped it off. (Drip...) Again? I pointed the light crystal at where the dripping came from... and to my horror, I''d finally lost it... "Ex..." [Angelica] "Angelica?" [Blake] "Ex...TERMINATE!!" [Angelica] ~~~Blake~~~ Going back I had to carry two frightened people that are scared as stone, but we all got back to the farm tunnel safely. There, I found Maria and Mooly who were anxiously waiting for us and we took them back to the inn. Angelica was attacked or should I say startled earlier by a cave caterpillar. Cave caterpillars are the most docile of all the insects that even when cornered they wouldn''t attack. Angelica was just spooked when she saw it... the caterpillar was just weaving its own home using the saliva from its mouth, which unluckily fell on her. She may have thought that it had tried to eat her or something... "I hate insects... I hate insects..." [Angelica] "I wouldn''t make fun of insects anymore... I wouldn''t make fun of insects anymore..." [Irvine] They were both sitting on the ground cradling while holding their legs. I''m afraid that we now have two people who are traumatized by insects... References. {1} Refers to Hagrid, the half-giant in Harry Potter who had a huge pet spider named Aragog. {2} Ref to the Nargacurga in Monster Hunter. (Author''s Note: Such an annoying bastard) {3} Ref to one of Dave Chappelle''s funny comedic jokes. {4} A meme where you find a thing so disgusting and repulsive, that you wanted to immediately destroy it. Impractical Magic Chapter 94 ~~~Maria~~~ Two days had passed and both Irvine and Angelica had refused to take on quests going inside of the tunnels, they acted like small children in a tantrum whenever we tried to get them into the guild... If this keeps up then we should probably just move to another village or city. Angelica has finally given Irvine a magic crystal with the earth enchant, which is evident from its brown shade. She told him that since his sword cane breaks from time to time, it would be useful for him if he wants to engage in close combat and she even told him that both her and Blake will train him. Also, In those two days, Angelica seems to be acting weirdly whenever she''s around Blake. Did something happen when they were in the tunnel? When I inquired Irvine about her bizarre behavior, he also doesn''t seem to know anything. There was one incident where we saw her banging her head on the wall when Blake, tried to start a conversation with her as we are eating in the room. (Bam! Bam!) "Angelica?!" [Maria] "I''m ok~ay..." [Angelica] She glanced at me with a smile as her forehead started to bleed profusely... "No! You are not okay! Your forehead is bleeding!!" [Maria] When she was banging her head I can hear her mumbling the words. Pink... background... butterflies... everywhere... "First Aid!!" [Maria] She was acting really-really-REALLY weird... Angelica, if you''re sick please get well soon... Despite acting like an old pervy man at times I very much preferred to see you that way than what''s happening to you right now... ~~~Angelica~~~ I was sitting at the balcony of the inn thinking on what answer I should give to Blake. Up until now, I''ve only seen his as a brother/friend, I was totally caught by surprise with his sudden confession. I should be careful with my answer as not to hurt him, but the thought remains on how he would react... (Creak...) The door creaked open behind me and there was Blake. "Angelica." [Blake] "Blake." [Angelica] He sat on the opposite side of the table. ... ... ... ... ... ... This silence is making me feel so uneasy... that I don''t even know what conversation we ought to should start with. "Angelica." [Blake] I glanced at him and our eyes locked. "These past few days I know that you are still bothered by my confession, but I am not expecting you to give me an answer right away. So you can take your time." [Blake] "But have you thought about what you really feel about me? You know, it might just have been some infatuation. I think that you are much better off with another girl than with me who is always reckless..." [Angelica] "I''ll say this no matter how many times. YOU ARE the only person that I like, I love you, Angelica." [Blake] My heart suddenly started racing after hearing those words. I''m not turning gay am I?! But since I have a girl''s body does it even count? No-no-no-no... since his confession every now and then I have been getting these kinds of thoughts which isn''t good for my mental health... "Blake... I don''t know if you''ll believe me but..." [Angelica] Should I tell him? The secret about me being reincarnated? "I am not from this world." [Angelica] "I... do not understand..." [Blake] "Blake... I am... reinca-" [Angelica] The floor beneath us suddenly shook. An earthquake?! "Careful!" [Blake] Blake held me as the stuff around us began to fall, when we thought that it had finally stopped another one came with much more intensity than the last. "Angelica!" [Maria] "Maria?! Where is everyone?" [Angelica] "We''re here sis!" [Mooly] "Let''s get out of here quickly!" [Irvine] Despite the shaking and confusion, we all managed to come together and exit the inn. Outside were a few who were trapped in rubble screaming for help and children shouting and crying. Around them are people trying to help and some who are also panicking. Each time that the earth shook, dust and debris fell from the ceiling of the village, some of which has gotten into my eye. I find that the shaking was very irregular because it had already happened a dozen times and at the same intervals. We moved everyone that we had rescued into the village plaza as it had the most space away from the huge buildings. "Something is coming." [Mooly] "What is Mooly?" [Maria] "I don''t know... but I have a very bad feeling..." [Mooly] ~~~???~~~ Earlier... Four dwarfs are digging along a tunnel network. "Come on lads keep yer pickaxes kissin gud ol mother earth." "Shut up Stryker." "Ey, no need to be mad. I''m just keepin everyone entertained Abraham." [Stryker] "That''s cause you haven''t stopped blabbering since we entered the tunnel." [Abraham] "My friends, no need to fight amongst yourselves." "Heh, would yo look at Bradley just chillin." [Stryker] "You should talk some sense into him, Bradley." [Abraham] "It''s his way of things." [Bradley] "Guys, is it really alright for us to mine without an escort?" The youngest of the group spoke as he digs with his pickaxe. "What are ye scared Sherman?" [Stryker] "We are deep in the unexplored side of the tunnels, who wouldn''t be?" [Sherman] "Have you already forgotten that all of us are retired adventurers?" [Bradley] "No, but you heard from the guild that there had been a lot of encounters with monsters lately." [Sherman] The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Give the kid a break, he''s just worried about us old folks." [Stryker] Part of the wall of rock collapses revealing a path. "Oh, did we find a new tunnel?" [Bradley] As they pry it open, they were assaulted by a horrendous smell which has escaped from the gap. "Damn man, I told you to lay off on those potatoes and beans." [Abraham] "Hey! It''s not me!" [Stryker] "Then who is?!" [Abraham] "It''s that big ol dead thing right there!" [Stryker] He pointed his finger at the humungous rotting carcass beneath them from the cliff. Climbing down they inspected the lifeless object that was before them. "Well, would ye look at that? So the stories are true." [Bradley] "Isn''t that a dragon?!" [Sherman] "No... It is most likely a wyvern." [Stryker] "Wyvern?! How could you be so sure Stryker?" [Abraham] "Because my big ol brother raises them and I know how big dragons could get. Just take a good look at it, have you seen any dragon this big?" [Stryker] "What de fuck is it doing inside of the mountain then?" [Abraham] "Ask Bradley, he told me somethin about it, but I had already forgotten the details." [Stryker] "I once heard from my pops that there was an elf who was an acquaintance of his, who told him about a story of a great battle that happened here in the Pilapil mountains. Long long ago when we dwarf, elves and humans are at odds and are actively waging war with one another, there came a time when we all settled our differences and came together to fight off a grave threat. During the war, a wyvern had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and has caused havoc and destruction across the continent laying waste to our cities. That wyvern came to be known as Verschlinger... or the Devourer. Each of the races tried to subdue it on their own, but all three had failed. Due to the casualties inflicted by the war on all sides, we were unable to stop its rampage... The cities and our loved ones who are in them whom we all tried to desperately protect from the opposing side are slowly getting destroyed and taken by Verschlinger. Knowing that continuing the war would only bring us to our demise, the three races settled their differences and had made a coalition to fight the wyvern.." [Bradley] "I thought that the Verschlinger campaign was just a myth and we just stopped the war because of too many casualties and the famine?" [Abraham] "Would an elf lie about something like that?" [Sherman] "Nah, considering how long they can live, I highly doubt that they would do so. You do know that the elves are always serious when talking about the past and stuff right?" [Bradley] "Dun forget that they also act like smartasses just bcus they live so darn long." [Stryker] "Let me finish my friends... Among the three races, there came talented individuals who had incredible abilities. An elf who had spells powerful enough to rival that of the humans, twelve old magicians. A dwarf that was able to overpower the strongest dragon with just his strength and a human whom is able to lead and organize the whole coalition against the wyvern. They said that the battle was hard and arduous but only after knocking it out of the sky and mortally wounding the wyvern, they had managed to trap it into a mountain using magic which prevented it from escaping and also to weaken it by starvation. You can still see the said wound on its skull and at its chest." [Bradley] The three other dwarfs looked at the lifeless wyvern. Across its snout is a deep gash and on the chest lies a hole, where the bones around it seem to have been charred by an intense heat. "What kinda of spell did they use?" [Stryker] "Dunno, the elf told him that he hadn''t even participated in the fight and had only heard the news when a celebration took place because of it." [Bradley] "Mmn I find that kind of sketchy. That spell would''ve been really strong if it had sealed the wyvern." [Abraham] "Still... what are the odds that we got to find something this incredible. Out of all of the mountains here in Pilapil it had to be ours." [Bradley] "Let''s carve the remaining hide and bones, they will surely fetch a huge price in the market considering that this is the infamous wyvern." [Abraham] "Shouldn''t we first report this to the village leader and the guild?" [Sherman] "So that they can get a hold on these ol babies?" [Stryker] Stryker started stuffing his sack with the hide that was scattered all over the floor. "Hey, don''t touch that!" [Sherman] "Whats a dead wyvern gonna do to me?" [Abraham] Abraham hits the skull with his pickaxe. "Damn this bone harder than rock." [Abraham] "Lemme help ya with that." [Stryker] With the pickaxe''s sharp point resting on the bone. Stryker readies his hammer to strike the pickaxe on the head. "Ready? Hmf!!" [Stryker] (Pang!) As the hammer struck the pickaxe, its pointed tip flew away missing Sherman by a thread. "Not even a scratch..." [Abraham] "Let''s go. We''ll carve it once we got the stronger pickaxes." [Bradley] "I hope nobody finds out about our discovery." [Stryker] "Nah they can''t. There was this boulder next to the entrance that we can use to cover it." [Abraham] "I''ll be going first. I cannot take this smell much longer." [Sherman] "Sure-sure run along boi!" [Stryker] "Don''t call me b-o-i alrig..." [Sherman] When Sherman glanced over his shoulder to rebut Stryker. He saw something move in the darkness at that instant he started sweating buckets. "What catgirl got yer tongue?" [Stryker] "Bebebebe." [Sherman]. "Hey, Sherman whats wrong?" [Bradley] He slowly lifts his shaking hand and points behind the group. "No use trying to scare us kid." [Abrahams] Sherman shakes his head wildly side to side as he started crying, only then did the three other dwarfs stopped their movement... (Pop! pop-pop-pop-pop!) The three were in sync slowly turning their heads behind them... There they saw the wyverns skull rise up from the floor, which made a popping sound as every bone from its body started moving again after its long slumber. "This cannot be..." [Bradley] "I thought that the dead would only rise if there were an undead contagion?!" [Stryker] "There aren''t even any traces of the undead here!!" [Abrahams] As if it had finished stretching its body in a long time. The wyvern had set its attention towards them, opening the base of its jaw. "R-r-run!!!!" [Stryker] The ground started to shake violently as the wyvern ran towards them and destroys mounds upon mounds of rocks in its path. "Bradley! Bradley!" [Sherman] Sherman shakes Bradley violently but he wasn''t responding. "Boi Move!!" [Stryker] Stryker carried off Sherman over his shoulder as they left Bradley to run up the cliff. "Why... it should''ve been dead..." [Bradley] (Splat!!) Bradley... was crushed like a pancake as the wyvern stepped over his body with its large foot. "It''s gaining on us! It''s gaining on us!!" [Sherman] "Shut yer trap boi!" [Stryker] Finally, they were able to climb to the top but... "Abrahams! Abrahams, you fucka open up!!" [Stryker] "Abrahams! Please, Abrahams!" [Sherman] They pounded on the boulder that was blocking their path. Abrahams, has sealed off the escape route and ran away. "Tch! Dig boi! Dig with your life!!" [Stryker] Stryker and Sherman went and desperately hit the boulder repeatedly with their pickaxes. (Swoosh!) Something had knocked over Sherman which made him drop the magic crystal that provided him with light. "Stry... ker?" [Sherman] When he went to pick it up, warm liquid flowed down his face. Wiping it off with his hand he saw that it was covered with blood, on reflex he threw the magic crystal away and it landed next to where Stryker had been... His whole body was cut in four equal rows, next to it is a huge, four bloodied sharp claws... "Pppplease..." [Sherman] Sherman wet his pants as he begged the wyvern. ... ... ... Abraham was running in the tunnels as fast as he could. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!" [Sherman] Abraham covered his ears as the scream of Sherman echoed into the tunnel. "I am sorry!! I don''t want to die!" [Abraham] Knowing that the huge size of the wyvern cannot fit through the tunnel, he stopped to take a breather. "Bradley... Stryker... Sherman..." [Abraham] He wiped the Snot and tears that flowed down his face. "I will never forget your sacrifices..." [Abraham] Abraham stood up and started to walk away, at the same time a sound rung from behind him that was quickly closing in. "How... did? ..." [Abraham] (Slush!) Staring down at his chest he saw a long huge bone that was impaling him... From the other end of that bone... is the wyvern that had struck its sharp tail into the tunnel... It drew the tail out with Abraham still on it... Abraham who was now losing his sight came face to face with the wyvern as it had laid him of the floor. It''s hollow eye sockets filled with what seems like small flames. As he loses consciousness the last thing that he saw was the wyvern opening up its wide jaw at him... Impractical Magic Chapter 95 An incredible force has driven itself through the tunnel area. Upon its destruction, it randomly hurled huge chunks of rock towards the village, damaging and destroying some buildings in the process. One flew our way and crashed at the plaza leaving dust and debris in its wake. It was too fast and too big for us to intercept... Landing just a few feet away from us... We were lucky enough to not get hit by it as it is just too sudden... because if it did, it would''ve spelled instant death for our group. There were those are unlucky, however... women and children were the majority of the people there while also counting a few adventurers and rescuers... From the place, I was standing on. It was like... somebody spilled over some ketchup and half-assedly wiped it off using a piece of cloth... At the place of impact lay a torn and bloodied teddy bear... around it are humanoid remains... I closed my eyes and looked away... I pray that the suddenness of the event granted them a quick and painless passing... When the dust had settled. The magic crystals that lighted the ceiling illuminated the monstrosity that towered over 30-35 meters high and 70-80 meters long as it emerged from the hole it had made using its sharp claws. Its body, almost bare bones with a few patches of its hide in between. On its back is what used to be wings of some sort and in its hollow eye sockets lies a red flame, which flickered each time it moved. "An undead?!" [Maria] I''ve heard about them from Maria and Kate. The undead can only rise if there is a pool of negative energy nearby that can reanimate them, it is not the same energy we use for invoking magic. As I''ve read at the royal library it is more like the energy of negative emotions, but it is still being concluded if it were the case as there is very little to no information regarding them. "Not just an undead it is also a wyvern..." [Irvine] "Vers-verschlinger?!!" The nearby elf screamed its name. As he did, the other elves also went into a state of shock, where a few of them ran away and those who stayed readied for battle. We can see the fear in their eyes as they stared at the giant moving skeleton that was rampaging from the distance. "Verschlinger?" [Angelica/Blake/Mooly] "It was one of the strongest wyverns that we''ve ever faced in the past. We have only managed to defeat it by combining the remaining human, elf and dwarven armies hundreds of years ago." [Irvine] As we were still baffled by what had happened a battle ensued. Near the wyvern, we could see multi-colored lights that were illuminating the building walls, they were magic spells of different elements. We hear battle cries and clashing at the foot of the wyvern. It had swung down its bony tail wrecking building after building and swiped with its claws, which sent bodies flying some of which are dismembered... It then picked up a house with its mouth and crushes it with its jaw. "Everyone! Evacuate the village now!" "Village leader!" "The guild master!" Russel who was carrying a child over his shoulder ran towards the plaza with five dwarfs that are behind him. "Please get everyone away from the village as soon as possible." [Russel] "But what about our homes? Our shops?" "You''d be much safer outside. I doubt that the other pillars can support the additional weight as a few of them had already collapsed..." [Russel] Just as he finished saying that another pillar crumbled and fell on a building that is close to the wyvern. Looking back at us he continued... "As of now, there is a very little chance that a snowstorm will generate. I advise some adventurers and a few who have combat experience to accompany the evacuating villagers from the dangerous monsters outside and I wouldn''t want them to be defenseless." [Russel] "Alright, we''ll go with them!" "Do your best!" Some adventurer raised his mace and willingly announced that they will help with the evacuation and the child that Russel carried earlier cheered on them. "Thank you, everyone..." [Russel] When they left. Russel glared at the rampaging wyvern. "We need to defeat that wyvern here or it would be bad for those who are escaping." [Russel] He judged that it will most likely pursue them when its finished with the village and fighting on snow isn''t exactly an option since it would be hard to move in. "Where are you going?" [Angelica] "We need to fetch a few stuff at the guild." [Russel] "Okay, we''ll assist the adventurers who are currently engaging it." [Angelica] "Stay safe." [Russel] We both headed on our separate ways. Russel taking the five dwarfs with him and us with a band of adventurers. When we got there it was total chaos, spells flew at the wyvern in different angles and people trying to attack it up close whenever they could. Despite being bare bones this thing moved very swiftly that the magicians had trouble aiming at it with non-homing spells. When it moved back towards me I used the fire enchant on my steel kris to cut off its bone. "What the?!" [Angelica] My fire enchant only made a dent that was probably 2-3 centimeters deep... and everyone stared at me in amazement. It was only a minor damage, but my strike fared better than most adventurers, who even with their mythril weapons, they were only able to do 1-2 centimeters and those are the impact types. The bladed mythril weapons had barely noticeable damage and low-tier weapons only bounced or scratched when it hit. My fire enchant could barely cut the bone... I am shocked and was terrified of its sturdiness. I wonder what spells and weapons they had used in the past in order to take down this beast when they fought it at its full strength... As I was about to retrieve it, it had gotten stuck. The wyvern realizing how dangerous I was to it, attempted to snap at me with its jaw. "Earth Tower!!" [Maria] All of a sudden a slab of earth shot out from the left and jabbed at the wyverns jaw, dislocating it a bit, it was Maria''s multi-casted Earth Pillar. Maria is such a good support that I can always count on her to cover my back. Mooly makes a follow-up and strikes the area where my sword had gotten stuck in, but her pike breaks in the process leaving both her and I unarmed. When the wyvern fixed its jaw, it swung its tail at an arc towards our group.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Ready your shields!" "Stand ready!" "Magicians support!" The leaders of the adventuring parties issued commands one after the other, their members willingly following their orders and putting their trust in their teammates. "Heal!!" "Overpower!!" "Minimize Damage!!" "Steel Body!!" "Defense Link!!" "Endure!!" ~~~ Support Spells ?Overpower? Pushes the body to its limits providing strength comparable to that of dwarfs. ?Minimize Damage? Area support spell, cuts down the damage received to just 1/4 but only for a single attack. ?Defense Link? Area spell, the damage each person receives is evenly distributed inside the area of effect. Effectively lowering the overall/total damage they had taken. ?Endure? Raises defense against physical attacks while making the person immune to pain for some time. ~~~ A group of twenty people lined up to block the attack, and a few of them planted their shields on the ground. When it hit, they were all pushed by a meter back... I thought that they would all go flying, to be honest, but I''m glad that it never did. "Use this!" "This can help you!" "Here!" The dwarfs cleared out their inventories of weapons and distributed them to people fighting the wyvern. This is the first time that I''ve held an arming sword that was made of mythril, the weight and feel of it is vastly different from all the other ones that I have held so far. Mooly exchanged hers for a mythril poleaxe so that she can be flexible, as the poleaxe has spikes for stabbing, a blade for cutting and a small hammer for smashing which is good for pounding the wyvern bones. At first, I wanted to invest and buy each of us mythril equipment, but it just has too many downsides. 1. It is hella expensive, The cheapest ones cost around 150-200 gold and those are only the daggers, if you wanted something bigger then you''d have to be prepared to literally sell your house. If I remember correctly the mythril greatsword that I saw the other day costs 4000 gold... I don''t want to boast, but I only earn about 20 gold per month on average and 30 if I''m on a roll. That includes the transports, processing, taxes and wages for Mrs. Helen etc-etc. 2. Repair is a pain. Despite its good durability, and strength you would need special equipment in order to repair/maintain it. Adding salt to injury they could only be found in selected villages/cities that produce mythril equipment which raises the costs even higher... and also the danger... 3. You may be targeted and also killed for it. In this world, criminal organizations typically target the high-end adventurers for the equipment they possess. In order to survive such cases, you would have to have strong and trusting friends accompanying you. It''s not like I don''t trust my party members nor undermine their ability. From what I heard "only rumors" the criminal organizations like to issue fake requests and trap those adventurers, much like the cannibal that I''ve told before, but... the criminal organizations are said to have "allegedly" a designated kill squad that is said to have been fully armed with mythril equipment from head to toe when they deal with the targeted adventurers... I would be paranoid and wouldn''t be able to sleep each night if it were the case and considering that most of my party members are female I could think of the worst that can happen to us... "Everyone! Focus all of your attacks and spells on a single point! It will accumulate the damage and shatter the bones!" [Angelica] At my signal, everyone attacked the wyvern simultaneously hitting it at the joints. They already knew where they should land their blows as a fellow adventurer it doesn''t surprise me. I used the wind enchant and inflicted multiple slashes on its tail, but despite my 6x speed boost I was only able to hit it four times because it was moving so much and so fast. "Quagmire!!" [Irvine] "Earth Shackle!!" [Maria] ~~~ ?Quagmire? Turns the ground/ floor into quicksand regardless of substance/material. ?Earth Shackle? Earthen chains that bind the enemy and hold them in place with crushing pressure. ~~~ When Blake had a chance he used the mythril zweihander he got from the dwarfs and hacked at the tail along with my fire-enchanted crystal. He was not able to hit the place I cut earlier, but with just a single swing he managed to almost sever it. The wyvern now had its tail dangling between its legs. We were steadily making progress and had broken off the joint from one of its paws, it dropped lifelessly on the ground. There is no problem I say it like that right? Since it is already dead and all lol. Without warning the wyvern unexpectedly rolled around on top of us. Trapping some of us into its ribcage as we slid inside the gaps in its bones. "Go in between the bo-" "Aaaarrgh!" "H-help! Me!'' It was like inside of a fucking washing machine. I couldn''t see anyone or anything as I spin and tumbled around, my body hurts from hitting god knows what in this dusty and debris-filled vortex. "Sister!" I heard Mooly''s voice, but I couldn''t tell where she was. (Pang!) The rolling stopped when a metallic sound rang. Mooly was behind the wyvern near the severed tail. Did it stop when she made the last blow? The dust finally settles and almost everyone that is in melee range is lying on the ground. Some not moving others writhing in pain, including me and Blake who was using his zweihander to stand. We used the new crystals we got from Maria and healed our wounds. Just then the wyvern slowly turned its head at Mooly and raised its hind leg. She was boxed in by the fallen building and the severed tail with little place to escape. She can only close her eyes as its huge foot fell on top of her, the force it generated so strong that it made a shockwave and a tremor. "Mooly!!" [Angelica/Blake/Maria/Irvine] At that moment in the darkness. There were seven silhouettes that were around Mooly, she was surrounded by seven heavily armored dwarfs. They were all supporting each other holding up the wyverns foot. That can be a good bedtime story. Mooly and the Seven Heavily Armored Dwarfs... {1} "Just in the nick of time." "Sorry, we''re late!" Lifting his visor Russel spoke wearing a full plate armor. So those armors at the guild weren''t just for decoration. "Let''s show this skeleton what we''re made of boys!!" [Russel] "Heave ho!!" The seven dwarfs lifted the humungous foot over them that it made the wyvern tumble and fall over. "Cmon! Let''s kick this wyverns arse!" Raising seven differently designed mythril war-hammers as they gave their warcry. I''m not into hammers but their designs are so badass that it makes me want to collect them lol. "Thank you!" [Mooly] "Anything for the young lady." I heard a familiar voice from one of the dwarfs. "Seymour?" [Angelica] "Aye!" [Seymour] "I didn''t know that you can fight." [Angelica] "Did I look that way to you? You thought that my muscles came from forging only or something?" [Seymour] "Uh, nevermind... we needed all the help we can get." [Angelica] The other adventuring parties were finally able to recover, while the wyvern had trouble moving was it because it lost its tail? Taking the chance I spoke to them if they had any plans. "Any ideas on how to stop this thing?" [Angelica] "We just need to make sure that it stays dead." [Seymour] Thanks for stating, captain obvious. "But how can you kill something that is already dead?" [Blake] "Kill it again of course!" [Russel] No shit, sherlock. Sigh... and here I thought that the dwarfs are a smart race... Well, you gain some brain cells and you lose some, fair enough. "We both know a strategy against an undead." [Maria/Irvine] "Get on with it then!" [Angelica] "Healing magic is devastating against the undead, but for something as big as this. We would be better off at using attack spells because healing magic is extremely exhausting to use. Also, we would need at least ten to fifteen people who have a healing spell that is comparable or equal to that of Master level to do any real damage..." [Maria] "Is there any particular element that is effective against an undead?" [Blake] "There are none, but..." [Irvine] "But??" [Angelica/Blake] Blake and I spoke in unison and glanced at one another, then instantly looked away. Don''t think of weird thoughts right now... I said to myself repeatedly. I wouldn''t want to be seen acting weirdly at a time like this. "Despite it being resistant to most elements, we can speed up the rate of its decomposition. That is, we need to use the elements of fire, water, and ice rinse and repeat. It should always be in that order for it to have any effect." [Irvine] "In a language, that we can understand please." [Angelica] "What Irvine meant is, we can make its bones brittle using the different elements. Fire heats the bones up to its innermost part, using water rapidly cools the exterior making it more brittle and the ice will not only hinder its movement, but it will also help with shattering the bone if it does choose to move because of the water inside of the bones shall crystalize leaving pockets of ice weakening the bone''s structure even more." [Maria] They are really informative on these kinds of stuff, but God these two can understand each other so clearly like husband and wife... References {1} Ref to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Impractical Magic Chapter 96 We all charged at the wyvern before it had any time to recover. So that Maria and Irvine can freely speak with the magicians and as they finish, they began casting their spells. The seven dwarfs are quite skilled in close combat, they work so efficiently together that they can easily deflect the blows of the undead wyvern with their two-handed war hammers. They were even able to break off some of its teeth and one of its horns from their engagements. "That won''t work on me again! Million Stab!!" [Mooly] It had tried to step on her again... but she wrecked its claws. It''s like watching a fighting game where you see an enemy getting air locked by a combo... The end result is like putting its paw/hand in a blender lol, the mythril poleaxe really does wonders. She is fighting quite recklessly but we''ll keep an eye out for her just in case. "Move outta the way everybody!" As we were fighting, a shout came from one of the magicians. Shortly thereafter there was a massive flood of spells that flew towards the wyvern. "Flame Lasso!!" [Irvine] "Hellblast!!" "Flash Fire!!" "Watercannon!!" [Maria] "Aqua Bubble!!" "Whirlpool!!" "Cold Embrace!!" "Frostbite!!" "Icicle Edge!!" ~~~ Offensive Spells ?Flame Lasso? Irvine''s personal spell is a long rope-like flame that is good at holding down an opponent based on the caster''s strength. While it slowly burns through them as it tightens. ?Flash Fire? A spell that is quite similar to Explosion, but only releases flames contained in a small 360¡ã area. ?Hellblast? Intense jet of flame that is able to melt boulders and turn sand into glass within seconds. ?Watercannon? Maria''s multi-casted form of Waterball which is forcefully packed into a size of a cannonball that will release immense pressure upon impact. ?Aqua Bubble? I don''t know why someone would use this spell as it is only great for trapping, drowning and bringing aquatic stuff with you as it levitates a pool of water a few inches off of the ground. I saw a few magicians using this back at the capital when they caught some fish and used this spell to keep them alive and fresh as they brought them to the market or guild. ?Whirlpool? Powerful moving current that pulls and locks its target/s underwater. Ah... so that''s what the Aqua Bubble was for... you needed a base/formula in order to use certain spells. I really need to study magic some more... ?Cold Embrace? A block of clear ice that encases its target. If the crushing pressure from the ice won''t kill you, then the freezing cold will. ?Frostbite? Brutal cold which chills you down to the bone and as it dissipates it leaves tiny air pockets that contain water which weakens and damages the tissue. ?Icicle Edge? Multiple sharp blades of ice that swing down overhead with the cutting power to that of a guillotine. ~~~ It was as if the undead wyvern was having a seizure when it was hit by a multitude of spells. They were using so many spells that I was having trouble hearing a few of them. Aside from the usual ones, there are also a few of which that I haven''t even heard of before. Ah, there goes another volley... they seem to be enjoying it because they''re nuking the fuck outta the wyvern... "Hey, Maria why don''t you use the Inferno spell? It can turn anything into ash right?" [Blake] "Yes, but If I did use it then it would be a cause for concern if the wyvern ever charges at us. As you should know that Inferno will cling to whatever it touches until it turns it into ash." [Maria] "Ahh, I forgot sorry about that." [Blake] "That''s okay you were only trying to help." [Maria] Maria gave a thumbs up to Blake who was quite embarrassed by his lack of information. I have tried to make him read books about spells, but he always makes an excuse that he has no ability to invoke them. Still... it is much better to have a bit of knowledge on what effect the spell has in order to know how to counter or nullify it in case of being in a situation where you would fight a magician for example. I''ve had some practice with Maria and Irvine and I can say that they are not the type of class whom that you can easily deal with, especially when they are using a spell that you are unfamiliar with. "Aim for the neck, spine, and foot!" [Russel] Everyone let out their battle cries as we re-engaged. All did their part and supported one another. We were only able to land a few good hits because it quickly scampered away once it had noticed that we were after its critical parts. Despite it being an undead this thing has a bit of sentience left inside of it. I don''t know whether I should be thankful or not though. You either pick a smart foe that attacks strategically or a foe that is mindlessly and relentlessly screwing with you, either way is a bad thing. "Did the wyvern just go on the defensive?" [Magician 1] "It means that it''s working so keep at it!" [Irvine] "Fire more spells!" [Magician 2] "Let''s show them the power of magicians!" [Magician 3] "Enough chatter and cast when ready!" [Maria] "Yes! Ma''am!!" [Irvine/Magicians] While yelling at them. Maria had one hand on her hip and the other holding up her staff that was pointing towards the wyvern. She had a sexy pose and is so bossy I lyk <3 I wouldn''t mind getting ordered around by her and to complete the image I''ll even make her wear some glasses and a very tight business attire to fully utilize dem curves. They let out another barrage of spells... Idling for a while watching the beautiful fireworks doing some boom... bam... sizzle... whish... ... ... ... Who the hell is writing this script? You could''ve been more creative with the sfx ya know? We noticed that each time they finish their sequence of spells the damage we inflict is steadily getting more and more effective. That even the tier below mythril which is titanium could make a noticeable damage. Somehow the rotting flesh that was still attached to some parts of its body is providing a sort of protection. When I hit it with the fire-enchanted mythril sword the damage is reduced by a lot. I wonder how strong its hides were if it was used like an armor because it seems to also somehow reduce the damage of magic. I wouldn''t find any use for this guy''s hide though cause it smelled like crap. Blake had managed to slice off parts of its bones from the rib with his mythril zweihander. Mmn... mmn... he wants those ribs so bad lol. After receiving considerable amounts of damage. In a fit of rage, the wyvern destroyed all of the buildings within its general vicinity, billowing out dust that blocked our line of sight. "Incoming!" In a panic, the elf beside us shouted just as something flew outwards at great speed from the clouds of dust. It had hit the two magicians and one archer that was on the rooftop and another adventurer when the boulder skidded through the street. "Magicians scatter!" [Irvine] Despite Irvine''s warning, another group of magicians nearby were attacked. Something had suddenly appeared from behind them and attacked their backs. It was... the tail?! "Watch out for the tail!!" [Maria] Wriggling on the floor like a worm. The severed tail then lunged at a nearby magician like an agile snake piercing his torso while scraping out his innards as it wiggled through the other side... We had totally disregarded the fact that some undead were able to use their severed parts to attack individually. The magicians are getting picked off from the confusion as the undead wyvern began throwing whatever it got at us. From buildings to rubble which prevented us from getting to melee range and also those pesky severed parts which suddenly appears out of nowhere... Maria quickly instructs the magicians to be on the defensive and only use healing and supportive spells. Our offensive ability dropped when the magicians focused on supporting those who are downed and injured to get them back into the fight. We tried to cover for the magicians as much as we can. Maria and Irvine were also targeted on multiple occasions as well, but we screened some of the attacks so they weren''t all that harmed. When most have recovered we soon got back to business. We''ve dispatched the tail which was a pain in the ass with the help of the magicians restricting it with their magic. During the long strife, everyone managed to do enough damage to the undead wyvern that the bones and joints were starting to break under its own movement. Soon the undead wyvern began to limp away which made all of us confused. "Protect the pillars!!" [Seymour] Knowing that it is close to its demise. The undead wyvern started to incessantly destroy the pillars ramming itself against it, oblivious to anyone who is attacking it. At its full strength, it had already destroyed the four pillars that are by the tunnel entrance and these aren''t the type of pillars that you can easily knock down, as it is about as thick as the guild hall which is also supported by steel beams that spiral up to the ceiling. This is the last pillar that was reinforced... I am more concerned about the pillars that are at the center of the village and those by the entrance since they looked somewhat worn and aged because most of them had a few cracks. I doubt that those pillars could take the additional load... I spoke to Russel about it and he said that they had it scheduled to be restored and added with some reinforcements at the end of this year... talk about bad timing... We needed to end this now as we are far from the village entrance. Failing to do so will make the whole mountain collapse on top of us crushing everyone else that is still left inside. Like the tail, it squirms when most of its limbs are cut and smashed. Its severed paws and legs dragging themselves on the ground attacked us, but we are ready to deal with them. The undead wyvern then coiled itself around the pillar. "It''s climbing! Strike it down quickly!!" Meters by meters it has gone up the pillar like an insect moving up a tree. Using the tips of its bones on its torso like independent legs. The head was so high up that it was out of melee range and any further use of offensive spells would be bad because it could damage or weaken the pillar even more... I came towards one of the armored dwarfs who had the biggest mythril war hammer. "Hey, what''s your name?" [Angelica] "Gerard, why do you ask?" [Gerard] "Can you give me a lift?" [Angelica] "A lift? ... ... ... Ah! A lift! You''re a one crazy woman!" [Gerard] After thinking for a bit he seems to get my point. I think... "Also, let me borrow your hammer while you''re at it." [Angelica] "Okay, but be sure to time yer jump. Cause I don''t want to break yer legs." [Gerard] "Heh, thanks for reminding me lol. Hey, Maria!" [Angelica] "Yes, Angelica?" [Maria] "Could I count on you guys to suppress its movement?" [Angelica] "Sure thing just be careful." [Maria] Maria knows how my mind works so she didn''t ask me for any specifics of what I had planned. That''s what I liked about her she will go full support if she knew that I was going to do something important. "Got it. You guys too." [Angelica] The rest of the magicians used different spells to hold down the wyvern. It was a mixture of immobilization and reinforcement spells. "Empower!!" [Maria] "Greater Strength!!" [Irvine] Maria and Irvine each used a support spell on Gerard. His body was enveloped in a magical glow from the enchantment spells. I hope that they won''t use any additional spells because I don''t like the idea of going on a collision course with the ceiling... "Ready?" [Gerard] I nodded and ran to Gerard I shouted: "Go!!" As I jumped onto the mythril war-hammer. "My muscles shall send you to the heavens!" [Gerard] As Gerard gave me a boost, his body armor soon shatters which revealed his bulging dwarven muscles. Oh gawd... must un-hear... must un-see... "Take care sis!" [Mooly] "Be careful!" [Blake] I was moving upwards at such a great speed that I was much faster than a hurricane dragon. Passing over the bones at high speed made me remember the barriers that quickly pass when you are moving along the highway. That distinct bussing sound when you move fast is like music to my ears. As I flew past its skull it attempted to snap at me. The undead wyvern glanced as I went further up, its red fiery eyes locked onto me with rage. As it struggled from the restraints. Gerard then threw his weapon as I started to fall. I caught the mythril war hammer in the air and used the wind enchant. Then like gears completing multiple revolutions per second, I gained speed and at the very last minute, I immediately switched to earth enchant when I was about to strike its skull. As if waiting to catch me, the undead wyvern opened its jaw. When I got closer I rolled to the side to change my position and then... (Boom!!) I swung the mythril war hammer in between the undead wyverns eyes and it dropped to the ground with a slam. It had finally stopped moving as the flames in its eye reduced in size and began to disappear. Soon after the severed parts has also seemed to lose their power. "We beat it!!" [Seymour] "Yeah!!" [Everyone] All celebrated at its defeat, but we are still not out of danger yet. The pillar creaked followed by dust that rained from the ceiling. A few magicians used some reinforcement spells, but one was tugged by Irvine. "It wouldn''t hold leave it!" [Irvine] Despite all of their efforts at reinforcing the pillar, it is only delaying the inevitable... I only had one good quality magic crystal with me that I keep in case of emergencies, so I imbued it on the spot with earth enchant. I placed it in one of the cracks and used its effects. In an instant, the pillar was enclosed in earth and rock. I doubt that tiny magic crystal could hold the enchantment for long since this is a big ass pillar and it would only hold it with its meagerly stored energy, but this is better than nothing... "Everyone to the entrance!!" [Russel] All of us ran as the surroundings shook from the falling rocks. (Clang!!) We heard something metallic snap and we naturally looked at its direction. The enchantment finally lifted and the four steel beams broke off of the pillar. One by one each releasing an ear-piercing metallic noise. As the pillars gave way. At the entrance, Russel and Seymour brought out a giant sled and urged us to ride in it. We were the last ones to go and with a quick push, the sled began to slide down and out of the village entrance. I can see a bunch of trail marks on the snow from the other sleds which led me to believe that they had kept them in case of an emergency. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. We made it out in time just as when the mountain began to collapse in and on itself. I offered a silent prayer for those who had perished there as we cannot give them any proper burial... "Avalanche!" The mountaintop has sunk down completely turning the whole village into a black-and-white crater. The amount of snow it generated is equal to that of a twenty-foot-high white tsunami. From the shockwave of the impact, it sent the sled flying for a few feet. We landed hard and swerved running over a rock that tilted the sled. "Ahh?!!" [Maria] I saw Maria being thrown off the sled and I immediately leaned out and reached for her arm. Her falling momentum is too great that its also pulling me off of the sled. If I don''t do something now both of us will fall out. "Crescent!!" [Angelica] I used Crescent to change the direction of our fall and in a circular motion, I swung Maria back onto the sled with Seymour catching her. When I let go of her I lost the force to get back on the sled. Then... Blake caught my hand... so cliche... it felt like I was a heroine getting saved in an anime/manga lol... I smiled at him as he pulled me closer. "It is gaining on us!!" [Dwarf 1] The dwarf that was on the sled shouted as he looked behind. "Faster! Russel faster!" [Dwarf 2] "This is all she can give... I''m sorry lads..." [Russel] In five to six seconds we will all be buried by the avalanche. In that short time, Maria and Irvine wouldn''t even be able to cast any major spells that could fend us from the avalanche. Maria also cannot use her personal no-cast spells, because she left her crystals at the inn when the earthquake started. I looked at Blake and he shook his head from side to side... I let go of his hand... I could see the terror in his eyes when he tries to reach for my hand again and again but fails. As I strayed further away, I muttered to him "Thank you Blake... and I''m sorry..." before looking back at the wall of snow that was coming towards me. I had to make a choice... either we all die or I sacrifice myself in order to save the rest of them. Despite only knowing them for a short while, all of them were still very valuable to me and I treated them as family. I was having a migraine from all of the energy that I''ve expended, but I ignored the pain and used every last bit of energy that my body can still muster and fired off another Crescent the best that I can. It is not as big as what I imagined it to be, but it was enough to slow down the avalanche temporarily. I saw them gaining distance from the avalanche which made me feel relieved. I blacked out as I was overcome by tiredness and mental fatigue, the last thing that I felt was the freezing cold all over me and a crushing pain... ~~~Maria~~~ After firing her Crescent, Angelica vanished when the billowing snow enveloped her. I never thought that Angelica would... "Angelica!!" [Blake] "Don''t Jump!" [Irvine] "Sister!!" [Mooly] I was snapped back to reality when I heard Blake and Mooly shouting. Irvine held Blake by the waist when he stood up the sled. "Blake... Angelica is..." [Maria] "No!! I can still get her!" [Blake] Blake wouldn''t calm down no matter what we do. "Hold him down! Or we''ll tip over!!" [Seymour] "Angelicaaaaaaaaa!!" [Blake] "Stop it, man!" [Irvine] "I apologize for doing this..." [Russel] "Ange-" [Blake] All of us watched as Russel smacked Blake on the back of the neck knocking him unconscious. We have managed to meet up with the other survivors at the base of the mountain. We survived the avalanche... but the whole Pilapil village was destroyed leaving a lot of people homeless... It would have been Angelica''s wish to help the refugees and give them a home back in Dalio so we made the trek back with the rest of the survivors while a few chose to go elsewhere. Even with the long journey, we got to Dalio quickly and with little to no problems because of the sleds. By the city entrance, we were met by the city folk including her parents... and was given immediate assistance. After we told them what happened to Angelica they were both devastated... Suddenly, Michelle left without saying a word and was quickly followed by Steven. We also told Mrs. Helen and the sisters and they were all left in tears with Mooly joining them as they cried... We hadn''t seen Michelle and Steven for a few days so we were worried and visited the city hall. When we got there the office was in a mess. Parchments and books scattered everywhere and by the desk scratching her head was Kate. "Kate?" [Maria] "Ah, hello Maria, Blake." [Kate] "Why are you here and where are Angelica''s parents?" [Blake] Just then we have been told that Michelle and Steven had gone directly to the capital using the hurricane dragons that we left. She said that they were all surprised at her sudden appearance as she headed directly to the throne room and spoke with the King. She made a plea to him to start a massive search operation to be undertaken at the Pilapil area. Michelle personally asked Kate to handle the matters of the city despite having very little experience and said that she is the only person she can depend on. Regina said to Michelle that she could''ve just used her telepathy, but Michelle responded that the organization for the search party will take time... In only half a day she arranged for the key personnel and they departed at dawn the next day, accompanied by the King and Regina... Hearing this Blake wanted to help with the search too, but Kate said that he will just be hindering them... As of now, the search is still ongoing... ~~~King Alexis~~~ A few days ago my daughter barged into the throne room accompanied by Kate as I was having an audience with the other nobles. Her hair and attire were messed to the point that it made the nobles think that she was a mere commoner or maid. I stood up from the throne and we both hastily walked at the same time. Meeting at the center of the throne room she grabbed my hand and knelt down... Oblivious to the stares of the other nobles, she begged me in tears to help her find Angelica... I agreed with her and she promptly made arrangements for supplies and a list of the best trackers who were nearby the capital to save time and in merely half a day she managed to assemble all of them numbering in the hundreds. I am frightened of the ability my daughter possessed for her quick thinking and resourcefulness, much more so when she needed it the most. During her elopement, I had to settle with a week of organization for her and Stevens''s search... Present day... It has been four days and we still hadn''t found anyone... I fear that if a body was left it may have been feasted upon by the beasts... At first we have tried to search for the adventurers guild because the adventurer card will appear at the last location where the adventurer took his/her final quest prior to their death, but the deep snow and solid rock left us with no leads, adding to that no one knew if the location changed during and after the avalanche. My daughter assisted with the search in every way that she can. Marking a spot on the map after searching it thoroughly. She made sure not to leave a single stone unturned while still coordinating with the other search parties with her telepathy. She is exerting herself too much and would only rest for an hour at most... Seeing her unable to sleep and at her wit''s end is so heartbreaking... There are times when she loses focus and is making incorrect judgments... My fears were soon realized when Elaine collapsed under immense fatigue. She didn''t listen to me and to her husband when we advised her to rest after we noticed that she hadn''t slept much in these few days. I also wasn''t safe from the fatigue... because I was also desperately searching for my granddaughter with little to no rest. I was about to collapse at one time but I managed to regain control before falling to my knees. My subjects gave me concerned looks, but I''ve told them that I only lost my footing. Although I wasn''t able to hide it from Regina and Terrence for which they suggested that I should take a breather... Elaine had just recently woken up, but she is in no condition to assist with the search so I restricted her to only stay back at the camp. By the second week, we called off the search because of the constant snow storms and the dangers of more avalanches. It was snowing so hard that it is piling up much faster than we can look. On our way back to the capital, I saw my daughter on the dragon staring into nothingness. It is the most heart-wrenching thing I''ve ever seen... If possible I wanted to continue the search myself, but going any further is fruitless and would only endanger everyone who is present as the snowstorm gains strength... At the castle... "What are you doing here Walter?" [King Alex] When we got back. I was informed by one of the castle guards that my son had arrived a few days ago and is currently waiting for us. We found him in the throne room and I saw him playing with the crown. Looking behind me I instructed everyone else to leave aside from Elaine and Terrence. "Hello father, how was the search?" [Walter] "It was..." [King Alex] I glanced at Elaine who was motionless as she was being held by Terrence. "I feel so sorry to hear that... sister, I offer my condolences." [Walter] I don''t know whether he was trying to taunt us or not, but from the way, he said it is like there were no feelings behind those words... "It is indeed such a loss... her magic could have been put to better use." [Walter] "Walter!!" [King Alex] Speaking like that against the dead and most of all our family member at most! "What? Isn''t it the truth father? You were also after her magic, but when you discovered that she was sister''s child you rejected that thought." [Walter] "I was only..." [King Alex] "I understand very well why you wanted to use that magic as a weapon. I too would''ve done the same if I had known, but worry not. As we have now discovered the way on how to imbue the magic crystals. It was quite a pain really. There were some sacrifices, but we are steadily improving our imbuing process." [Walter] Even still now he still hasn''t quenched his thirst for blood... "Seeing that sister is incapable right now. I guess it would be much better if the throne is left in my care~" [Walter] ~~~Steven~~~ THIS!! If he only wasn''t part of her family. I would''ve stabbed him to death with my trident! The lowly bastard is smirking at us enjoying himself as he watches Elaine who was in grief. Showing no sympathy for his sibling who shared the same flesh and blood! "Despite our past disagreements, I''ll keep my end of the bargain and leave Dalio untouched. Also, if you stay out of my way, no problems shall come to you." [Walter] "Would you really use such underhanded methods just to get what you want Walter?" [King Alex] Walter shrugged just as he was about to give an answer, but... (Knock-knock) There was a light knock on the door and it slowly opens revealing a beautiful girl with long blonde hair who was wearing a headband and a dress that was intricately designed. She makes a tapping sound as she trotted along to the center towards us. "Alicia! Didn''t I tell you to stay with your maid!" [Walter] She flinches for a moment when she got scolded by Walter. "But... I wanted to see grandfather..." [Alicia] Seeing his daughter dejected he brushes up his hair and sighs. "... Hah... we''ll continue this for another time..." [Walter] Walter, then walks out and leaves the three of us along with his daughter. "Hello, grandfather. Long time no see." [Alicia] "Alicia! You''ve grown so much since the last time that I saw you. You became much more stunning." [King Alex] "Heheh thank you..." [Alicia] Alicia played with her hair when she felt embarrassed by the compliment. "I am sorry again for father''s attitude. He always seems to be stressed about something." [Alicia] "There''s no need for you to apologize my child." [King Alex] King Alexis patted Alicia''s head. Noticing our presence she glanced to our way. "Good day sir, madam." [Alicia] After a bow, she shows a smile as she greeted. She was very polite and her attitude towards us who looked like commoners was completely different from that of Walter. She moved closer, shooked my hand and also Elaine''s. "Ah... um..." [Alicia] She seems stuck for a moment when she opened her mouth. Most of the women who are nobles do this when they were unfamiliar with the person they are talking to. I guess this is just a polite way of asking for someone''s name. I had thought of whether or not that I should tell her our real names, so I glanced over to the King. As if he understood, he gave me a slight nod that it was alright, he seems to trust this child so I introduced Elaine and myself to her. "Elaine? Aunt Elaine?!" [Alicia] To my surprise, she knew who Elaine was even though this is the first time they actually met. "I heard from father that I have an aunt who was missing and is finally found. How are you? Where have you been? Why didn''t you contact the family?" [Alicia] Elaine wasn''t able to answer as she was bombarded by Alicia with questions. Seeing that Elaine is troubled, Alicia realizes her mistake stopped. "Ah, sorry I was just excited to see another family member..." [Alicia] "That''s alright..." [Michelle] "I also heard that I have a cousin named Angelica where is she now? I wanted to..." [Alicia] At the mention of Angelica''s name. Tears fell from Elaine''s eyes. "Ah? Eh? Was my grip too strong?!" [Alicia] Looking back and forth at her hand and to Elaine. She was clearly in panic when Elaine started to cry. "No... I just... lost my daughter a few days ago..." [Michelle] "I-I... I am sorry to hear that... I apologize for being thoughtless..." [Alicia] "Sniff... It''s alright..." [Michelle] They were both feeling down and I could sense the gloom coming from them. "Alicia..." [King Alex] "Ah, yes grandfather?" [Alicia] "I am sorry to disrupt your conversation, but Elaine is still quite unwell and she needed some rest. I know that you are excited to know more about them, but if you want I can entertain you." [King Alex] He says it playfully like enticing a child to change their attention. "Alright... please pardon me Aunt Elaine, Uncle Terrence." [Alicia] Uncle huh... Alicia seems disheartened, but Elaine and I both needed some time together... Our beloved daughter... wherever you are now. I hope that you are watching over me and your mother... Impractical Magic Chapter 97 Somewhere at the border of the Asta Empire. "Stop if you know what''s good for you!" "Never!!" "Get him!" (Whistle!) "Lassie! Get!" "Hahh... hahh..." A boy was running through the woods trying to evade his pursuers. Wearing a flat brown leather cap, white long-sleeved shirt, and slightly loose denim pants whilst carrying an oversized messenger bag at his side. "Ah?!!" The boy shrieks when the wolf pounced on him from behind. It gnawed at his shirt trying to tear it apart. "Go away! Go away!!" "Hey! Don''t kill him!" "Nah we''re good. Lassie! Stay!" At his master''s command, the wolf stood still beside the child. "You gave us a bunch of problems you know, but thanks to you we''ll strike it rich!" "Give me the bag!" "No!!" (Grrr...) When one of the pursuers took the bag from him the boy tried to snatch it back, but the wolf stepped on him keeping him on the ground. "What the heck is this? Herbs?" "Can I see?" "Here." "Aren''t these the herbs they use to make healing potions out of?" "Did we get the wrong person?" "Nah, it can''t be. Hey, kid!" "Ugh!" "Where did you hide it?" The man kicked the boy in the stomach-turning him over. "Hide what?" While in pain he held his stomach, as he glared at the person asking him. "Don''t play dumb. The empire wouldn''t such an extravagant bounty on you if they don''t have any reason to get you alive." "Look through the bag thoroughly. He may have just hidden it somewhere inside, seeing that he was anxious to get it back." One of the men tips the bag over dropping its contents on the ground. Then the man beside him picked something off of the floor. "What''s this small round thing?" "It is more like an oblong shape though." "I know that! Hey, runt." Both of the men examined the tiny unfamiliar object. Unable to understand what it was they went back to the boy. "Urgh!!" One kicked the boy for the second time in which the child nearly spat out, but it gave him the chance to slid his hand into his pocket. "Tell us what thi-" (Shatter!) The child threw a thin glass ball at the wolf. When it hit, it broke releasing a dense smog. "SON OF A?!" "Violent smoke? Poison?!!" "Antidote! Antidote!" While his pursuers were disoriented. The child used this time to snatch his bag and escape. After some time... the wolf was staring at both of the men who were holding their necks gasping for air while rolling on the ground. "Huh?" "This is just smoke! We''ve been had!!" The child ran as fast as he could till he got to the stream. Catching his breath he leaned on a nearby tree. "What''s that awful smell?" Following the smell. He immediately covers his nose and mouth when he sees where it was originating from... He saw with his own two eyes. Bodies, a lot of them floating in the stream. A majority of it had gotten stuck in the bank. "The wolves had the scent!" Hearing them nearby, he panics and shoves his bag into the hole of the tree he was leaning on. He then ran to the bank to where the bodies were. "Where''s the kid?" "Dunno, Lassie led us here." "What the fuck is that smell?!!" Both of the pursuers immediately covered their noses upon seeing the corpses. "Where did these bodies come from?" "Judging from the current these may have come from the Pilapil Mountains..." "Do you think that they fell off a cliff?" "Who knows..." "Oy, there''s a chick here." They saw a woman lying by the bank. Her wet golden hair covering her face. "Too bad she''s dead she was good looking though." (Whiz!) When one of the pursuers used his foot to spread the woman''s legs open. A large arrow suddenly went past in between them and hit the tree that was on the other side of the stream. The force of the impact made the tree lean over a few degrees, displaying the power behind it. "What do you think you''re doing?" There were five people by the trees. One had her mythril longbow angled at the ground. They all wore magnificent clothing with the same rising closed-fist crest by their left arm. "The empire corps?!" "Why are you spending time looking at a woman''s privates instead of searching for the boy?" "O-our apologies the wolf brought us here." The woman angrily approached and questions them searching for answers. "Artemis, I know that you are disgusted by these kinds of acts, but can you let it slide for now?" "I''m sorry I lost my composure, Lionel." [Artemis] The woman glanced back as she offered her apology. "That''s ok I understand why you did that." [Lionel] "So the scent huh? Any idea where the kid went?" "No... he may have crossed or swam down the stream..." Another person asks the trackers but he felt unsatisfied with the answer they had given. "What do you think Grant?" [Lionel] "He couldn''t have gotten far." [Grant] "Hughes?" [Lionel] "It would be much more efficient if we split up. That way we can cover more ground quickly." [Hughes] "Do you want me to cast a web in the area?" "Appreciated Lynette, but no need. By the time you finished invoking the kid may have been out of range by then." [Lionel] "Understood." [Lynette] "Well, then how about you guys?" [Lionel] "We will uh..." "Go back to town, we''ll take over from here." [Lionel] "But we took the bounty request first! If we go back empty handed we''ll have to pay for the fine!!" "You''ve already received a sum as part of your payment for tracking the boy, but you weren''t able to catch just a simple child. The Emperor is very unpleased at your performance that he has decided to send us in order to retrieve him." [Lionel]Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Didn''t the Emperor call us because we are the best of the best? We are certain that we can catch him just let us have more time!" "We are moving under the direct orders of the Emperor! If you chose to delay us any further then we will have no choice but to dispose of you." [Artemis] Artemis lifted her bow and aims it at the man. The projectile is an arrow made out of titanium the size of an arm. "Wait-wait!!" "We concede, do what you want!" One immediately raised his arms to show that he wanted nothing out of it, while the other grunted at them. The five waited until the trackers left the area and soon after they scattered. (Splash!) "Pwah!" The boy rose out of the water catching his breath. The small straw in his mouth was filled with water that he used to breathe in air, but the uneven flow may have let some water inside of it... There was a small indentation in the rocks behind the woman that could fit a small person. He was under the blonde woman and used her clothing as cover. He was relieved that the trackers hadn''t noticed him when they moved the woman''s skirt. "I''m sorry for using you as cover, but I hope that you''ll forgive me. So to make up for it I will give you a proper burial..." The boy held the unmoving woman by the arm. "Cold..." As he was about to pull her off to the bank. (Thump-thump... ... ... thump-thump...) "A heartbeat? She''s alive?!" The boy looked everywhere troubled on what to do. "Ahh?! Her pulse is dropping!" Due to the direness of the situation, he quickly put his small arms around the woman''s shoulders and tugged with all his might. Slipping a few times here and there from the mud till he got the woman out of the embankment, where she was on dry ground shone on by the warm sunlight. Running back to his bag he immediately searched for its contents and brought it over to the woman. "Please let this work..." The boy took out something small and puts it into the woman''s mouth and prayed for the best. Like magic, moments later the woman''s pale complexion reverted back to their natural color. "Yes!!" "Urgheh! Urgheh!" As if having the water being forcibly taken out of her lungs she gagged and spat. "A-are you alright?" Slightly opening her eyes, she glanced at the boy before falling out of consciousness again... "Hey?!" Nightfall came as the boy waited for the woman to wake up. He was sweating profusely because he needed to move her to a place that was out of sight. He started a small campfire to keep themselves warm and to dry their clothing. At first, the boy thought of leaving her by the campfire, but it would only defeat his purpose of saving her. The border between the Blackrock Republic and the Asta Empire is known to be riddled with monsters because the border acts like a protected zone where there is little to no disturbance coming from either side. The Asta Empire had once waged war with the Blackrock Republic about a decade ago and both sides have received massive casualties during their battles. Knowing that continuing the war will only weaken both countries they have issued a ceasefire. It has only been three years since the ceasefire was in effect, but the scars of war still remained... "Mmn..." The woman groans as she curled up from the cold, so the boy moved to her side to help her warm up. Checking out his pockets he pulled out a couple of silver coins and a few bronze coins. Wedged in his shoes were a small dagger which had a couple of nicks on its edge, not from use but from the low standard it was made. He sighs and shakes his head. Looking up at the starry sky as if trying to forget his worries. Soon after his stomach rumbled, his face flushed red he turned towards the woman, he was thankful that she was still sound asleep. The boy remembered that he hadn''t eaten much in days from running continuously away from his pursuers. (Rustle...) The boy jumped upon hearing the bush move. He brought out his dagger and pointed, anticipating something to come out. (Rustle... rustle... rustle...) "Eek!" He screams when the thing jumped out of the bush. When he took a second look at it his tension relieved. "Just a deer..." He marveled at the deer that was in front of him and somewhat felt hungry while watching it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it was breathing heavily looking around with its ears perked up scanning its surroundings. A second later... something pounced on the deer. It pinned it on the ground with its fangs against its throat. It was a sabertooth... The boy watches in horror as the deer struggles kicking and moving its head side to side trying to break free from the hold. The sabertooth bit harder and it sent blood flying all over the surroundings. When the deer ceased the sabertooth licked its dead carcass and the blood from its paw. It''s like it wasn''t even bothered that they were there... Afterward, the boy and the sabertooth gazed down at one another. It then glanced at the woman who was sleeping by the fireplace. "I-I won''t let you pass!" The boy moved in between the sabertooth and the woman. He tried putting on a brave front but his shaking body and voice showed the opposite. The sabertooth soon made its move and it slowly tries to go around the boy towards the woman. It made a few false charges because the boy kept blocking its way every time, but the sabertooth soon had enough of his meddling and it tackled the boy to get past him. He fell but managed to pull at its leg. Making the sabertooth hit its head on the ground. When he reached for his dagger he couldn''t grasp it. Perturbed he desperately searched, only to know that it had fallen somewhere. The sabertooth then jumped on top of him. It attempted to bite at his exposed neck, but he used both of his arms to push away its jaw. "?! Ahhhhhhh!!!" Pain surged through the boy as the sabertooth buried both of its sharp claws at his shoulders. The boy cried knowing that there is nothing he could do as the saliva fell from the sabertooth''s mouth on top of him. Closing his eyes wishing this to end quickly so that he wouldn''t feel any more pain and suffering. (Swish!) The sabertooth stopped moving and all of a sudden its lower half fell on his left and the upper half fell on the right. Bewildered he sat upright and right in front of him whose silhouette was overshadowed by the fire, was the woman holding the dagger. Its edge dyed in a radiant crimson. Impractical Magic Chapter 98 As the woman knelt before him and he stared directly into her eyes, he was mesmerized by their golden color. When the shock had worn off, the boy felt the stinging pain return to his arms. The woman inched closer and muttered something to his ear. "First... Aid..." Soon, tiny green glowing balls appeared and they then orbited around the boy''s injury which slowly closed his wounds. "T-thank you. U... um..." (Thud!) "Miss?!" "So... tired..." The woman fell on top of him. So he quickly sprung to check on her but soon relaxes once he saw that she wasn''t in any real danger. She may have just needed more time to rest. The human body isn''t designed to spontaneously recover and be jumping back into action the next second. Twenty minutes had passed... He sat by her and had the woman''s head rest on his lap. While contemplating whatever the crimson light that was on the dagger. "So you were here all along..." "?!! H-how did?!" The boy quickly turned his head behind and he saw a man that stood only inches away. He couldn''t sense the person despite being in close proximity to him, as there was no sound nor vibration from the ground. "Anyone will discern where you were if you scream loudly like that." He thought of that time when he screamed in pain when the sabertooth took hold of his arms with its claws. He slowly removed the woman''s head from his lap and grasped for the dagger that was next to him. The man looked at the dead sabertooth near the boy and the woman, he deduced that the boy was harmless after examining the dagger and the boy''s shaking figure. Then the man quickly lunged forward and when the boy went to slash him, he gracefully maneuvers behind and holds the boy''s hand up containing the dagger. "Drop it or I''ll break your arm." "Tch." Clicking his tongue the boy lets go of the knife. "Good, what''s your name boy?" "... Matthew..." [Matthew] "Lionel." [Lionel] "I don''t get the reason why you needed to know my name." [Matthew] "We''ll be keeping each other company for a short while so I find it less troublesome to always call you a kid or boy." [Lionel] "Keeping me company?" [Matthew] "I''m taking you to the Emperor." [Lionel] "The Emperor?!" [Matthew] When the man mentioned Emperor. Matthew felt rage surge from inside of him. "You people... it''s because of you that my mother was!!" [Matthew] "I have no idea what you are speaking of. We are only tasked by the Emperor to take you to him." [Lionel] "Fuck you and the Emperor!" [Matthew] "Stop struggling or else I will have to kill that woman over there." [Lionel] "So you''re going to kill the person who saved me just now? Hah! You of all people should be thankful that I''m still alive because of her!" [Matthew] As if sensing something, Lionel focused on his surroundings. Then, people started to slowly appear around them, one by one in different directions. "Heh, I was right, if anyone were to get the kid it would-be leader." "Grant." [Lionel] "Hey, Hughes! You owe me a drink!" [Grant] "Yeah-yeah." [Hughes] Looking somewhat annoyed Hughes shooed away Grant who put his arm over his shoulder. After moving out from cover Artemis noticed the woman. "I thought that she was dead?" [Artemis] "All of us did. Maybe it had something to do with why the Emperor wanted him to be captured." [Lionel] "Still this cut though..." [Hughes] Hughes examines the remains of the sabertooth. "Do you think that this person is a professional fighter?" [Grant] "Even a talented individual would have trouble making a cut as clean as this." [Lionel] "How about magic?" [Artemis] "Possibly so... there is a small trace of it in the area." [Lynnette] From behind a tree Lynnette exclaimed as she moved out into the open. "You''re late Lynn." [Artemis] "My apologies Emi, physical stuff isn''t exactly my strong point." [Lynnette] "See, I told you to get a lighter robe." [Artemis] With tons of sweat pouring down her face, Lynnette gets teased by Artemis. "But Emi I love this one because it''s very comfy whenever I fall asleep." [Lynnette] "You really do love sleeping don''t you?" [Artemis] "My line of work also demands adequate rest." [Lynnette] "Alright, I get it jeez..." [Artemis] "Lynnette, can you prepare on sending us back?" [Lionel] "On it, please give me twelve minutes." [Lynnette] As Lynnette began to cast her spell, Hughes took a rest by leaning on a tree and Lionel examined what seemed like a map, while Artemis sat beside Matthew. "Damn I never noticed that she had a nice figure once you got close enough." [Grant] Seeing that everyone is doing their thing Grant walked up to the woman. "Get away from her!" [Matthew] "Easy, I won''t do anything bad." [Grant] Grant moved the woman''s hair to get a clear look at her face. "Oh, aren''t ya a cutie." [Grant] "Listen to the boy and move away from her you letch." [Artemis] In an instant, the temperature dropped below freezing. Grant peeked at Artemis who was now staring daggers into him. "Knock it off you two. Cant, you see that you''re giving Matthew a hard time breathing?" [Lionel] "Matthew?" [Artemis/Grant] Once they understood who Lionel was referring to they had both stopped. "Hahhh... w-was... that... killing intent?" [Matthew] As if he was just released from his bind, Matthew wheezed. "I apologize, my comrades don''t know how to hold themselves back." [Lionel] "I''ve finished casting." [Lynnette] Lynnette calls them over raising her hand. "Everyone huddle up!" [Lionel] "What about the woman?" [Artemis] "We''ll bring her with us, she may prove to be useful." [Lionel] "Alleyup! Oh! She''s light as a feather, unlike someone that I knew of." [Hughes] Hughes picks up and carries the woman over his shoulder and then made a joke. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator."I heard that the mud here tastes different, do you want to try some of it, Hughes?" [Lynnette] "Uh, sorry no thank you..." [Hughes] Hughes'' face turned blue when Lynnette threatened him. He knew that she wasn''t joking and that she would do it in a heartbeat if challenged. "Guys let''s go! I''m hungry and tired!" [Grant] "... ... ... Transfer!!" [Lynette] "W-wh?!" [Matthew] The floor had suddenly lit up in a violet color and at their feet lay multiple spinning magic circles. Before Matthew was able to finish his sentence the magic circles made a blinding flash and all seven of them had disappeared... Opening his eyes it was somewhat dark, he stepped forward and felt the floor beneath them has now changed from soft earth to hard stone. When his sight adjusted, he saw soldiers that were lined up in formation, they were in an enclosed corridor. "The captain has returned!" A soldier greeted Lionel''s group with a salute. When Lionel raised his hand the soldier gave way for them. "Where... are we?" [Matthew] "Herxheim, to be accurate at the castle of the Empire''s capital." [Artemis] Matthew couldn''t believe that they were in the capital so he rubbed his eyes to make sure that it was not all an illusion. The corridor is massive with paintings at the sidewalls and also on the roof. "How did we get here?! Weren''t the capital three months away from where we were!" [Matthew] "It is because of our good ol magician here." [Grant] "Huff... hahh... flattery... will get you... nowhere... Grant..." [Lynnette] "Complain later, here take my shoulder." [Grant] "... Thanks..." [Lynnette] Grant supported Lynnette who was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. She became really exhausted from using that single spell alone. "Sorry, Lionel." [Lynnette] Lionel nods and Grant helped Lynnette back to her room. In his mind, if there were any alternative to Lynnette''s spell he would use that to lessen the burden on his fellow subordinate. "Artemis, Hughes. Can you also take the two of them to a room? The woman still doesn''t seem well and Matthew is probably hungry from all that running." [Lionel] "Alright." [Artemis] "Roger that captain." [Hughes] "What do you mean by?!" [Matthew] Matthew tried to rebuke him but his empty stomach growled turning his face bright red. Lionel left the group and went to the throne room. He saw that it is almost empty except for a single person. There was an old man sitting by the table beside the throne. On the table were old brown papers and a tome, it seems fragile enough that even flipping the pages will tear it apart. It was written in a language that Lionel cannot decipher, although he can recognize a few symbols which are from magic circles. "Good evening, Malik may I request an audience with the Emperor?" [Lionel] "Same to you Lionel. Sorry but I''ll have to decline, for now, the Emperor is currently residing within his quarters. He mentioned that he may only be disturbed if it is urgent or if there was an emergency." [Malik] "I see... if you meet him tomorrow please tell him that we have the boy." [Lionel] "Ahh, he will surely be pleased. I will inform him as soon as possible." [Malik] "Thank you, Malik I will now take my leave." [Lionel] Malik just silently flips a page as Lionel left the room. ~~~Matthew~~~ Artemis and that big guy whose name is Hughes if I remember correctly left me and the woman in a vacant room. It was complete with a bed, wardrobe and a window that is almost 40-60 feet high and a metallic door thick enough to prevent an escape. There is also a dining table filled with exquisite dishes. To be honest, I expected that I would be treated badly because they were after me. I knew that they were only treating me like this because they were after my mother''s work, but I wouldn''t let them have it that easily. Mom dedicated her whole life on it and I will not let some other people take credit for what she had done. Especially since they are the sole reason for my mother''s... "Mmn..." The woman who saved me woke up on the bed. She was brought there earlier by Hughes. "Who are you?" Prepping herself up she posed a question. "I am Matthew, thank you very much for saving me from that sabertooth earlier..." [Matthew] "Oh, Welcome Matthew my name is Angelica." [Angelica] I think that Angelica is a good person since she saved me. If it were some other people they may have already turned tail and ran... "Can I ask where I am?" [Angelica] "We are inside the Herxheim castle... at the capital city Herxheim of the Asta Empire..." [Matthew] "Wait... Asta Empire?" [Angelica] "Uh, yes..." [Matthew] "How close exactly is the capital from the Pilapil Mountains?" [Angelica] "You''re from Pilapil? How did you get t-" [Matthew] "Please answer the question." [Angelica] With a serious look, she interrupts me. She seemed to be distressed about something. "About three months away..." [Matthew] "THREE MONTHS?!!" [Angelica] When I said how far we were she became even more confused... "Well, to give you a short explanation. While I was running from some people I found you by the border, you were floating in the river and I rescued you from the brink of death. Then when you fell unconscious after saving me and we got captured then brought here by a magician using magic." [Matthew] She can probably piece together what had happened from there... "Hah... thank God... I thought that I was in a coma for three months or something..." [Angelica] "Coma?" [Matthew] "Nevermind... so... you were being chased by someone... have you... don-" [Angelica] "I HAVEN''T DONE ANYTHING BAD!" [Matthew] She was taken aback when I shouted at her. I wouldn''t blame her for my sudden outburst, people usually just jump to conclusions. "Sorry... it''s just that... I''ve had my circumstances..." [Matthew] "... Ok, I won''t delve any further." [Angelica] (Growl...) "Hungry?" [Matthew] She blushed as held her stomach with both of her hands. To break the awkwardness I offered her a plate of pork asado. After biting off a small piece, she wiped the plate clean in merely a second... I never knew that there is another person much hungrier than I was... I''ll take this time to rest and recharge while I plan for my next escape. Impractical Magic Chapter 99 ~~~Angelica~~~ After filling up my stomach with delicious goodies Matthew and I had a small chat, somehow he opened up to me a little and told me a few things. He told me that his mother was a researcher in medicine and that she had made a discovery that would revolutionize healing medicines as we know it. When I asked him what it was he didn''t give me any immediate answer. I was sure that he doesn''t trust me that much yet, so I''m not that offended and regarding his mother''s condition, I chose not to pry into it. It seems that the Empire wanted to use the newly discovered medicine for their own merits. Hence, the reason why Matthew''s mother refused to help them despite being offered a gracious sum of money. She was an inventor like me, but regarding her circumstances, she wasn''t well protected like I was, because the people around me kept me off of trouble from shady organizations to greedy merchants and despicable nobles. Whereof which I will tell you about that story some other time. Now, I am thankful that I was born into a family with connections. Because if it weren''t for them I may have already been exploited or forced to do other people''s biddings. Matthew dozed off a few minutes after laying in bed. I was amazed that a small and frail child such as him was able to evade his pursuers for so long. I sat beside the window using the chair I got from the table. I was thinking of how I could return back to the Blackrock Republic and how I could get out of this situation. I can deny any involvement with Matthew so they would release me, but from the fact that he saved me, I feel obliged to return the favor. However... how was I still alive? The avalanche could have crushed or buried me to death. I was also aware of the river at the base of Pilapil village and maybe the avalanche pushed me off there, but from the drop before hitting the water is so high. I was certain that I would have something broken if I jumped off the ledge and hit the river at breakneck speeds. Although I wasn''t sure of how deep the river was because if I smashed into rocks that would''ve spelt the end of me and I also could''ve drowned if I ever did manage to survive all of that... Also, what state was I in when Matthew found me? For sure a simple medicine won''t do a thing if you''re near death... Now, it makes me even more curious as to what that medicine was... I kept on rewinding this stuff in my head over and over. Maybe I was just really lucky I don''t know... "I need to pee..." [Angelica] As I was lost in thought I never noticed that the moon from the window had already switched from the ten o''clock to the two o''clock position. I don''t know how long I was out, but now I feel a great urge to take a piss. I knocked on the steel door. "Helloooo is anybody there?" [Angelica] "What?" Oh, there''s someone there. I wanted to check if there was someone from the other side, cause if we are going to try escaping now would be the right time. "Can you open up ''cause I need to use the toilet." [Angelica] "How about, no." "Please, I really really need to pee!" [Angelica] "Stop wasting my time and go use the chamber pot!" "There''s pot?! Where!" [Angelica] "I said CHAMBER POT!!" I was joking lol. Kids, don''t do drugs. I scanned the place and saw it at the very edge of the room. It had a couple of flies flying all around it and as soon as I opened it... Oh, hell no! I quickly covered it up again. It''s filled with all kinds of disgusting *beep* "Um... the thing you said hasn''t been cleaned for a while. So can I use the toilet now?" [Angelica] "Sorry but I cannot. I am tasked to keep watch on both of you." So he''s alone that''s good. "If you open up, I''ll let you watch~" [Angelica] "Ehem-ehem... I''ll only make this an exception, don''t tell the captain that I let you out." "Okay~" [Angelica] This fucking-perverted-ass-sicko... While I can hear him fiddling with the keys I woke Matthew up with a whisper. "Mmn... is it morning?" [Matthew] "We''re going to escape you and I." [Angelica] "Ah, okay!" [Matthew] "I will open it now, move away from the door." (Ka-chink!) When the door opened, using my earth enchant I hit him on the head with the wood that I broke off from the chair. You may be thinking why not use any other weapon its because we were disarmed when they locked us up. There weren''t even any utensils at the dining table that I could use. I only wanted to knock him out for the reason he hasn''t done anything bad, plus I would rather not take a life of a random person under any such circumstances. Unless... if they do plan on doing something... To tell you the truth, the first and last time that I had actually killed a person is the knight that had tried to rape me and kill Blake... There are quests that you can take from the guild under the rogue section. In those quests are people who have done despicable and inhumane things to others. I''ll spare you of the details, but it would certainly warrant for the taking of their life. Although there are some instances where the captors would turn them over to be judged and imprisoned. Still... we avoid those quests like a plague because of Maria and Mooly. Luckily, there was no rule by the guild that would force us to take them which I can say is a sigh of relief. I took the short sword off the guard and peeked out from the corner. "Ssssshit..." [Angelica] "What is it, Angelica?" [Matthew] When I put my head out I saw a couple of guards... they were lined up front to back probably doing a patrol... all of them staring blankly at me swords drawn. God of all times why the heck should they be there... (Clunk) This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. As I moved my foot I hit something metallic. I stared down and saw the greaves of the guy that I had knocked out earlier, they were out in plain sight at the corridor... I silently pulled the unconscious guard inside our room without breaking eye contact with the guards outside, then hid. Soon one by one, they ran into our room and one by one, they flew out hitting the wall. Thereafter Matthew and I ran while the guards were still stunned. "For a girl to be able to overpower those knights. You''re really strong!" [Matthew] I don''t know if that was a compliment or an insult lol. Running all over we encountered guards one place after the other. "Just how long is this freaking corridor!!" [Angelica] We''ve been running non-stop for quite a while now, but still no sign of an exit. Shit, I still need to take a leak... I stopped momentarily at a balcony. "Angelica?" [Matthew] "Matthew, can I ask you to turn around and keep watch for any guards? I need to check where we can make our escape." [Angelica] "O-okay!" [Matthew] When Matthew left... At a certain place below the castle... Two knights are talking to each other, one of whom was counting his money. "Hey, how much did you get?" [Knight 1] "About a 100 silver." [Knight 2] "A 100?! How come you got so much!" [Knight 1] "Old man... I''ve had four fucking straight shifts. I worked my ass off for these." [Knight 2] "Blah! If I were any younger I''d probably get more than you." [Knight 1] (Drizzle...) "Has it started raining?" [Knight 2] "It hadn''t rained for a while now. This could be a blessing." [Knight 1] "Wait... why is it only at this spot?" [Knight 2] "Yeah, that''s odd... and it''s a clear sky tonight." [Knight 1] "Then where the heck is it coming from?" [Knight 2] The two knights looked up and they saw the liquid falling out from the balcony. "Do you smell that?" [Knight 1] "Hey now, I just took a shower before duty." [Knight 2] "No, not you..." [Knight 1] (Sniff-sniff... sniff-sniff...) "This isn''t rain! This is?! This is!!" [Knight 2] ~~~Angelica~~~ "@+#$=%^ ¡Á&*¡Â!!!!!!" While I was taking a piss there was a loud commotion from below the castle. When I finished, I peeked from the balcony and saw two people running towards a stairwell near us. Crap! Has our escape already been discovered?! "Angelica whats happeniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing?!!" [Matthew] In a hurry, I grabbed Matthew at the waist with one arm and ran like a bat out of hell. "Hey! You there!" We got spotted by knights when we went downstairs, so I smacked both of them on the head. "Damn! Properly wash first before you go after someone okay?" [Angelica] I don''t know why but those guys smelled just like... oh fudge... I placed my hand on my face when I realized the reason why. Then for some reason, I felt a cold chill when coming near an intersection. Should I bolt it? Or slow down and make a quick glance? Better be cautious, I''m in unfamiliar territory after all. As I neared the chill feels much stronger on the right side. Naturally, I looked to my right, when 1/4th of my face was in the open something grazed my left cheek. In an instant felt a sharp pain and lost my balance, throwing Matthew and I at the center of the intersection. "Matthew!" [Angelica] As soon as I recovered from our fall I checked on Matthew. "I''m alright. Angelica?! Your cheek!" [Matthew] I held my cheek and saw a streak of blood two inches across my hand. "First Aid!!" [Angelica] When I was sure that it had closed up, I focused my eyes to where I received the wound and saw a woman pointing her bow at me. She was giving off this icy glare. "Artemis?!" [Matthew] "I knew it, that leaving her unshackled will cause us problems." [Artemis] "You know her Matthew?" [Angelica] "They are the ones who captured us." [Matthew] Ah... so let''s see what we''re up against... An archer armed with a mythril longbow, a quiver tied to her thigh full of arrows from iron to titanium and an anchor? There are two weapons crossed behind her back which looked like anchors, made of what seemed like mythril. A melee weapon? That''s unheard of... It''s extremely rare for archers to carry stuff that would sacrifice their agility. I stood up and pointed the short sword at her. "How amusing, a magician using a sword." [Artemis] She thought that I was a magician? Well, I can use that to my advantage. "And an archer with an anchor lel." [Angelica] "Oh, this? It''s an arrow." [Artemis] She points with her finger on the thing at her back. What the fuck? That thing is an arrow?! "Surely you jest." [Angelica] "If you want... you can try some. I''m sure that it will enter you effortlessly despite its size~" [Artemis] "If you say it like that then... You''ll probably also like this sword, even though it is short, its girth may be too much to your liking. It''ll be painful at first, but it will feel good later on~" [Angelica] Fight innuendos with innuendos. "Hmm... lewd... but I approve." [Artemis] "Ah, I see that you''re a woman of culture as well~" {1} [Angelica] "What is she saying Angelica?" [Matthew] "Some R18 stu..." [Angelica] "What''s R1-" [Mathew] "Sorry Matthew, it''s an adult thing." [Angelica] I cut him off, he''s too young for these things. "Well, should we start?" [Artemis] "If you can properly hit me that is." [Angelica] "I wasn''t planning on killing you earlier. I could hear you long before I shot my arrow and they easily found their mark." [Artemis] It was like she had already calculated to where the arrow will hit... Based on the look on her face she wasn''t screwing around. Dangerous... this person is dangerous... If I can, I wish to finish this quickly to avoid capture. References {1} A dialogue used to express good taste in a specific hobby or interest (https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ah-i-see-youre-a-man-of-culture-as-well) Impractical Magic Chapter 100 Waiting on who will make the first move felt like an eternity. Man, she must''ve had good arm strength for keeping the bow aimed at me this whole time. "Since you''re a magician how about I give you a head start?" [Artemis] "Then you''ll shoot your arrow as I cast? No thanks." [Angelica] "Suit yourself." [Artemis] After finishing her sentence she immediately fired at me and I ducked down. When I did another arrow came flying and scratched my knee. "Ugh..." [Angelica] "Don''t tell me that you''re that weak." [Artemis] "Air Cutter!!" [Angelica] "Hmf..." [Artemis] The heck? She just stepped aside and let my spell flew past her. "Heh, pinning a magician to an archer at this range is like cheating." [Angelica] "I can still fight you even at your maximum effective cast range." [Artemis] She''s so confident that she could beat me... I hope that she doesn''t see through my act. "Hey, no use standing there all day." [Artemis] "?!" [Angelica] In her right hand, she held four arrows in between her fingers. Next, she shot all of them in quick succession... Goddamn! She did all of that in just under a second?! I dodged all three by doing a somersault and deflecting the last arrow with a flick of my sword. After deflecting it I charged straight at her. She wasn''t even batting an eye despite me closing in this quickly. (Clash!) "..." [Artemis] I crossed my sword with her bow. Mythril is really amazing, the bow doesn''t even bend when I struck it in full force. I wonder how it would fair if I used the fire enchant or earth enchant? I haven''t tried it yet so it can be a good experiment. While I was in thought, I got hit in the ribs. She held the tip of the longbow and swung it sideways with both hands. I slumped and jumped back a few meters. In pain I held my stomach, she certainly is a skilled archer... Normal archers would carry only wooden bows and chose to dodge than parry attacks. "You''re not a magician aren''t you?" [Artemis] "What are you... getting at?" [Angelica] I''ve had trouble breathing from the hit earlier... "Stop the bullshit. I can see right through you." [Artemis] I glared at her, so she saw through my guise. "How?" [Angelica] "Your movements. They aren''t that of magicians, more like a swordsman." [Artemis] She had already read me in just a few moves. No use hiding it then... I waited for her to draw more arrows before I made my move, the reason for this is I can see her hand as she held her arrows in her fingers, I wouldn''t want to rush in then be surprised if she suddenly drew something else. I lunged when she fired, then I deflected all of her shots with the wind enchant without dodging and soon... "?!" [Angelica] She grabbed the large arrow on her back and made a long draw, the mythril long bow bent at such an extreme angle where I initially thought the string would break under the intense load, is the string also made up of mythril or some thread that I haven''t heard of? It bent like the modern fishing rods back in my old world, the ones that they specifically use to catch sharks. Knowing that the arrow was made of mythril I switched to fire enchant. (Shatter!) Sparks fly as I attempted to slice it in half, but even with my fire enchant a section of the steel short sword shattered upon impact. The mythril arrow had its trajectory changed and it broke through the wall behind us, where it left a giant hole. It had also pierced the wall from the other side of the quadrangle that was seventy or so meters away. If I saw it correctly I''ve only sheared off about 2/8ths of its arrowhead. It is that tough, but it''s a no-brainer if you compared steel to mythril. Scary... if I was hit by that it would''ve left a hole in my body or tore me in half... "No one has managed to survive my mythril arrows till now. That magic you used... was it an invoke type?" [Artemis] "Who knows~" [Angelica] How did she know that I was going to use my enchant? I checked out her equipment. Ahh... there was a tiny round magic crystal clipped to her waist. From the looks of it, it hasn''t been imbued yet. "Were you impressed by my body?" [Artemis] "Yeah. Later if you want, we''ll bang, ok?" {1} [Angelica] "Wha..." [Artemis] Wide-eyed, she became flustered. Eh? Did my pickup line work? Man, her flushed and embarrassed face is too cute. I felt that it was weird for a woman to say so I looked away. The moment I took my eyes off of Artemis, she dashed in and slid towards me. She recovered so quickly?! She bends and swings her leg in a circular motion trying to trip me. Ohhh, it''s green today... When I jumped she made a follow-up and swung her bow. She hit me in the knee while I was in mid-air. The length of that damn longbow far outreaches my sword... Heck, it is almost as tall as her. I wish I was that talented with the bow and had a mythril one so I can fight like her. Maybe, I should''ve put more stats in dexterity lol. After that, I lost my balance and fell. She reached for an arrow in her quiver, she was very close so I thought that it was my chance. "Argh!" [Angelica] All of a sudden she stabbed the arrow in my knee!! It stings! "Angelica, dodge!!" [Matthew] While I was holding my knee. She reached for an arrow again, this time its the last mythril arrow on her back. (Clang!) Managed to roll away in time when she tried to slash me with it. The mythril arrow''s structure is also like that of a sword... Dang, it!! This one is barbed! After taking a deep breath I pulled it out. I haven''t thought that the arrow in the knee joke would happen to me. {2} Artemis smirked as I use ?First Aid? Hahhh... hahh... I''m wasting too much energy on her... As I recovered I swiftly re-engaged and she fired a volley. "Bladestorm!!" [Angelica] My blades of wind had cut a few of them, while the rest had their trajectories changed by the wind. I saw Artemis firing the mythril arrow so I used the speed of the wind enchant and before hitting it switched to the earth enchant. I did this to the undead wyvern so maybe it had the same effect on the mythril arrow. I struck it hard like a baseball bat and the mythril arrow flew in circles before impaling itself on the roof. Artemis paused in awe, she didn''t see that coming. I switched to the water enchant. I''m sorry about this but our lives are more important. At arm''s length, I can certainly hit her. She doesn''t have the time to aim at me so she fired the arrow earlier to maybe swing her bow. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "That''s not where I am!" [Angelica] "You''re already dead." [Artemis] "Nani?!" {3} [Angelica] When my eyes followed the arrow, I saw its trajectory curved?!! Crap-crap-crap! I cannot dodge it! It''s going to go through my temple at this rate!! (Grab) "Didn''t I tell you to keep them alive, Artemis?" "Lionel?!" [Artemis] He was holding the arrow only a few centimeters away from my temple. How was he able to suddenly appear beside me?! I haven''t even felt his presence. "I''m sorry, but that woman is a threat. It would be better if we dispatched her now." [Artemis] "Threat, is she?" [Lionel] He gave me a mocking look. Weren''t they wary of me? They are just speaking casually to each other. Since he is the closest I took a swing at him using my wind enchant. (Bam!) He had hit me with something faster than I can see. All of a sudden my body felt heavy and I began to stagger... "Goodnight." [Lionel] "Angelica!" [Matthew] "Damn..." [Angelica] (Thud!) ~~~Matthew~~~ Before Angelica was able to hit him. Lionel brought out a weirdly designed sword and swung it at her back, it''s giving off this faint yellow-green light. I had thought that she was cut down but when I saw her back, there weren''t any injuries present, is his ability the same as Angelica''s? "Take them back and make sure to put a magic inhibitor on her." [Lionel] "Understood." [Artemis] "Sorry to disrupt your free time Artemis, but can I ask you and Grant to guard over them?" [Lionel] "Can I be with Hughes instead?" [Artemis] "... Alright... but remember Artemis, they''re watching." [Lionel] "I''ll keep that in mind." [Artemis] They had moved us to another room on a different floor. I had my hands cuffed and Angelica... She was shackled and cuffed while they put a magical inhibitor on her head. Magic is our only chance of escaping, but with this... ~~~Angelica~~~ When I woke up the next morning I had this metallic thing on my head. I tried to get it off, but it seems it was glued up there really good... Matthew explained to me that it was the magic inhibitor, he said the people in the Empire call it the crown. I tested it to see if I could use any of my enchants, but what he said was true. I also couldn''t use basic magic... Well, this is going to be problematic... how the heck am I going to go back to the Republic then? Lionel came and brought us over to the throne room. He was beside Matthew and I was surrounded by his colleagues, I knew Artemis except for the other three. We stopped halfway and they forced us to kneel along with them. "We have brought the child, your Excellency." [Lionel] "I have to thank you Lionel and your group for always succeeding the tasks that I''ve given." "We are humbled to hear your praise." [Lionel/Artemis/Grant/Hughes/Lynnette] The one whom they called Emperor was sitting on the throne. His head, slanted to the left resting on his knuckle, crossed-legged. He looked exactly like those ikemen targets from a gal dating sim. Next to him is an old dude who was minding his own business by the table. "You''ve made quite a ruckus running around." "Fuck y-" [Matthew] (Slam!) "Matthew?!" [Angelica] I will not stand idly while you mock his Excellency." [Lionel] Lionel grabbed Matthew''s head and smacked him on the ground. "I will... never forgive you." [Matthew] With blood flowing down the corner of his lips Matthew declares as he glared at both Lionel and the Emperor. "Hmf... we''ll put you to work soon enough." Then he placed his eyes on me. "And who is the woma..." I looked at him blankly, baffled at why he didn''t continue talking. "Elaine? Elaine?!" The Emperor quickly rose up from his throne and walked briskly towards me. "It''s me, Lucius. Don''t you remember?" [Emperor Lucius] "Lucius?? You knew my mother?" [Angelica] When I mentioned the word "mother" he abruptly stopped in his tracks. "Mother?? Ahh... sorry I may have mistaken." [Emperor Lucius] He may have discerned from my eye color. Mine was gold while Michelle had crystal blue eyes. "So... you''re Elaine''s daughter?" [Emperor Lucius] "Y-ea...h." [Angelica] He tried to break a smile, but for a moment I think I saw his face cramp when he heard me say that she was my mom. God, why did I say that?! I didn''t even know who this person is! "Release her restraints." [Emperor Lucius] "Eh?" [Angelica] "Pardon your Excellency?" [Lionel] "I said. Undo her restraints! Don''t you know how important this person is?!" [Emperor Lucius] I am... important? "As you wish... Grant! Take the restraints off of her." [Lionel] "O-okay." [Grant] They did as they were told and had immediately taken it off. I massaged my wrists and ankles, having those things on were hard to move in. "But leave the magic inhibitor on." [Emperor Lucius] Emperor Lucius knelt before me. "I am sorry for not trusting you completely, but mind you, this is also for my safety." [Emperor Lucius] "I... understand..." [Angelica] "Take the boy back to his room, we will deal with him later." [Emperor Lucius] "He''s the one who saved me, if possible can you also let him go?" [Angelica] I know that it is a long shot, but he if knew my mother then we may get off the hook easily using our connections. "He is... very important for our cause, but I will think about it... Firstly, could you come with me? I wanted to hear what happened to Elaine in all these years." [Emperor Lucius] Upon his request, I followed him on a whim, but deep in my gut I felt that there''s something wrong with him... We stood by a door that had a lion statue facing it, does the statues have any meaning? "All of you stay here." [Emperor Lucius] "But your Excellency! She can b-" [Lionel] "Have I given you permission to speak, Lionel?" [Emperor Lucius] "My apologies your Excellency..." [Lionel] We entered the room, inside is a small library. Tons of shelves filled with books of different colors and a huge study. There was another door positioned at the center and he edged me to go in. In the second room, it was really dark that I could barely see where I was going and it has this musty smell... Lucius lits a fire from the entrance and the flame crept all around the room, at that moment the dark room was lit. I gasped at what I saw... They were... paintings... of my mother. Each painting is taken from different angles and she wore different expressions... almost all of them had this white and yellowish stain on the surface... (Click) I turned around and saw Lucius locking the door behind him. He''s giving me this lustful stare and below him... was his thing poking from within his pants... "So Elaine''s taken, but since you''re her daughter and looked almost the same as her you''ll do fine as a substitute~" [Emperor Lucius] "Substi...tute?" [Angelica] He smiles and licked his lips. References. {1} A meme created by mans1ay3r on the mass effect series https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/well-bang-ok {2} Funny Skyrim meme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vncIBREXCwU {3} The "Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru" Meme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxKBHX9Datw Impractical Magic Chapter 101 "For the first time that I saw her. I have always wanted to make her mine, but... that bastard of a King tricked me and hid her away." [Emperor Lucius] "But... they didn''t hide her..." [Angelica] While speaking to him I was checking the place out for anything that I could use as a weapon. "?!! Then I shouldn''t have given the order to..." [Emperor Lucius] "Order?" [Angelica] Raising his voice I faced and asked him. What did he mean by that? "Well, all is done. Anyway, there is nothing I can do about it now~" [Emperor Lucius] Is he... talking to himself? "At least I have you here... An-ge-li-ca..." [Emperor Lucius] From zero to a hundred he changed from an ikemen looking to that of a crazy mofo. His smile extends from ear to ear and the way he squints his eyes towards me is making my hairs stand. I feel goosebumps all over just by staring at him. Suddenly, he lunges and pushes me down. What is with this crazy strength?! "Get off me you freak!" [Angelica] "Hahaha-hahahah!" [Emperor Lucius] While on top of me, he grabbed my butt then buried and smothered his disgusting face into my chest, with him being unarmored I elbowed his face and kicked him in the balls. "Oh, yes! Hit me more!" [Emperor Lucius] He wasn''t even phased by that? "Ahh.... hahh..." [Emperor Lucius] The way he moans as I hit him sounded so disgusting. I really hate this girly strength that I have. He brought out his thing and started masturbating as he squeezed my butt with his other hand. "Hahh... Angelica... Angelica!" [Emperor Lucius] Gross! He began sliding his thing up and down my thighs! "I shall now shower you with my love!" [Emperor Lucius] This person!! He squirted his nasty stuff all over me! I cannot help but feel so disgusted and scared!! "Hahh... hah... I have to thank you for this... I haven''t came this much in a long long time." [Emperor Lucius] Just when I thought that he had finally let go. "But don''t worry there is more where that came from!" [Emperor Lucius] He dragged my foot while I was crawling away reeling me close to him with my back turned. I can feel his thing sliding in the middle of my butt. Come on! Work! Magic! Work!! "It''s no use struggling. Just be grateful and bear my children! If you want, you could also become my Empress." [Emperor Lucius] "Pweh! Who would want to be your Empress you damn psycho!" [Angelica] I spat on his face. "Mmm... so tasty..." [Emperor Lucius] He licked off my saliva that dripped on his mouth. "I''m pretty sure that the liquid from your lower portion would taste much better~" [Emperor Lucius] When he said that I stiffened up and closed my legs. "You know, you''d make me feel even more excited if you did that!" [Emperor Lucius] With his strength, he used his dirty hands to pry open my legs. "No!!" [Angelica] "Hah!! Mmn-mmn-mmn!" [Emperor Lucius] This perverted fucker started licking at my thighs, he wasn''t even grossed out that he slid his thing there earlier. Then, out of nowhere, he brought out a syringe. "What''s that?!" [Angelica] "Hush... with this everything will start to feel good." [Emperor Lucius] He puts his finger close to his mouth and showed me a sickening smile. He''s going to drug me?!! "Fireball!! Air cutter!! Gush!! Explosion!! Earth spike!!" [Angelica] Please work! Please! "Heheheh... it''s no use, Angelica~ with the magic inhibitor on, you won''t be able to use spells ku-ku-ku." [Emperor Lucius] Just like before I prayed for some miracle to happen, but unlike before there is no other person here that I could rely on except for myself... And then... I felt something vibrating from my pocket. I quickly reached for it and saw that it was the magic crystal that I had snatched from Artemis during our fight. Does imbuing bypass the effects of the magic inhibitor? I have a crappy concentration and now that I am under pressure I''m not sure if I can do it. Throwing my hesitation to the wind, I imbued the magic crystal with the wind enchant. Don''t screw up, please don''t screw up! I muttered to myself. "What''s happening?!" [Emperor Lucius] He was blinded by the yellow-green light given off by the magic crystal. "Crescent!!" [Angelica] I swung my arm in an arc and it was soon followed by a strong gust of wind. Among my enchants the wind enchant is the only one where I could freely use Crescent and Bladestorm without having a physical weapon, although the tradeoff is a drastic drop in its effect/power. "?!!" [Emperor Lucius] (Boom!) "Akk?!!" [Emperor Lucius] He flew to the wall so fast that it made a sonic boom. Oh, no... I fired it without thinking. I was afraid that I may have instantly killed him. "Ah... more! Angelica, let me feel more of your love!" [Emperor Lucius] How was he still able to survive that?! This person is absolutely insane!! He stood up with a bleeding head and smiles at me with his red-colored teeth. Doesn''t he even feel pain?! "Angelica..." [Emperor Lucius] "Don''t come any closer, you psycho!" [Angelica] "Hihihihi." [Emperor Lucius] (Bam!) "Your Excellency are you alright?!" All of a sudden Lionel bursts into the room together with his group. "Lione-" [Emperor Lucius] (Flop) "Your Excellency?!!" [Lionel/Hughes/Artemis/Lynnette/Grant] The crazy Emperor became unconscious and dropped on the floor. "You bitch!! What have you done!" [Lionel] A torrent of killing intent from multiple people flooded the room, all of them being directed at me. The pressure itself is so overpowering that I can barely breathe and it feels like I''m being crushed... "It is self-defense, that crazy freak tried to have his way with me." [Angelica] "Impossible! The Emperor wouldn''t do such a thing." [Grant] "Look around you, is this the kind of room a normal sane person would have?" [Angelica] I lift my hands and showed them around, they glanced from corner to corner. They were so focused onto me that they hadn''t even noticed their surroundings. I could also see the disgust coming from Artemis''s face when she saw the paintings and my clothes that were littered with that pervert''s liquid. A woman with a thick cloak hurriedly went near the Emperor. I was sure that she was planning on healing the bastard. "Hold it right there!" [Angelica] If I let them have the upper hand it will be the end of me or worse, become a toy of that prick when he wakes up. "Do you really want your beloved Emperor to die by your own hands?" [Angelica] The woman stopped and glances at me. While Artemis points her loaded bow. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you~" [Angelica] "Why?" [Artemis] "I''ve put a magical curse on the Emperor." [Angelica] "A curse?" [Lionel] "What about the magic inhibitor?!" [Grant] "Hmf! Do you think that a mere item such as that can hold back the power of an Ascender-level magic?" [Angelica] "Ascender?! You''re lying!" [Hughes] "Heh, why do you think that was able to beat up that psychotic Emperor despite me having this?" [Angelica] I tapped on the magic inhibitor with my finger. Judging from the looks on their faces they seem to be taking my bluff more seriously. I''m not sure if this was true though, so just to be on the safe side I picked the highest level magic. "You could''ve done a better job at lying." [Artemis] Shit... She''s really good at reading people. C''mon Angelica get your poker face on! "Emi, wait!!" [Lynnette] "Lynn?" [Artemis] "She isn''t lying. I can feel a great presence of magic that was just released in this room." [Lynnette] Ahahah!! Thank you for covering for me, magician girl! She''s like a bloodhound of magic, I find that ability of hers to be useful and troublesome at the same time! "Tch..." [Artemis] Artemis frowned when I smirked at her. "Do you think that a person such as myself as for being a part of the royal family, would not have access to spells that were best-kept secret? We have been taught to use some of it while we were young for self-defense and emergencies." [Angelica] Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "But didn''t spells of that caliber take so much energy to use?" [Lynnette] Oh?!!!! I had completely forgotten about that fact!! "I was in a do-or-die situation. Plus, I can only use it for once a month." [Angelica] "Once a month huh~" [Grant] "Oh, crap?!" [Angelica] Heh, like fishing you need to loosen up from time to time, to keep them on the hook. When I finished my sentence, Lionel appeared behind me and slid a sword underneath my throat. What is that sword? It has this yellow-greenish aura around it with a weird writing at its center, a magical weapon? "So... you''re the same as me huh~" [Angelica] "What do you mean?" [Lionel] "Where did you get the sword? Or more like how did you make it?" [Angelica] "It''s confidential, there''s no need to tell it to someone who is about to die." [Lionel] He didn''t give me an answer. I wanted to know if it''s a magical weapon or if he had the same ability as mine. "Planning on killing me? Well too bad~ If you did, then he would also die." [Angelica] He began pressing the sword against my neck. So I decided not to investigate further. "What are you saying?" [Lionel] "The curse that I''ve put him in has the soul link effect." [Angelica] "Soul link?" [Lynnette] "That means if I die, he dies, simple as that~ The same can be said for him." [Angelica] "Then shouldn''t you be worried about him dying too?" [Artemis] "It''s a gamble that I needed to take. I wasn''t going to use it, but you forced me to draw my hand." [Angelica] "What about healing him?" [Lynnette] "The effect of necrotic essence. It changes the bodies structure to that of the undead. If you had common sense, then you can guess why I stopped you." [Angelica] "You monster..." [Grant] "Hahahahahah! Hahahaha!!" [Angelica] I gave them the evilest of laughs. This isn''t my style... I sounded like an antagonist... "What do we need to do for you to take off the curse?" [Lionel] "Ahah! Now we''re talking!" [Angelica] Now for my escape plan... "First, teach me how to take this magic inhibitor on and off. Second, bring Matthew to me. Third, have that woman teleport us out and far away from this place asap! Fourth, bring me spare clothing I wanted to get that perverts filth off me and Lastly, bring me a sword!" [Angelica] They aren''t budging... was I asking too much? "WELL, DO I HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF? CHOP-CHOP~" I say as I clapped my hands sarcastically. "Do as she says..." [Lionel] Lionel bit his lips as he bitterly agreed to my demands. When they came back. Grant was holding Matthew by the arm. "Angelica!" [Matthew] "Matthew!" [Angelica] He released him and Matthew bumped into me as he came running. "The Emperor?!" [Matthew] He was shocked to see the Emperor who was bloodied and unconscious on the bed. "Now, how do you get this off?" [Angelica] "You need to have two people pour a bit of their energy into the magic inhibitor to set it on or off." [Lionel] "I see... then get on with it." [Angelica] "Lynnette, Artemis." [Lionel] The two of them walked by and touched the magic inhibitor. Artemis is giving me this icy glare, afterward, she glanced over to Matthew. "No monkey business, bow girl~" [Angelica] "Emi..." [Lynnette] I saw her right brow twitch just now, she was certainly pissed off. Heheheh, I know what you''ll do. Don''t use the kid as a bargaining chip. (Zing!) There was a sharp metallic ring and the inhibitor came off. "Matthew, bring this with you." [Angelica] I took the magic inhibitor from whom they called Lynnette and chucked it to Matthew. He then hid it snugly in his bag. "Umm... here is the clothing that you asked for..." A maid walked inside with a bag in her arms. "Eek?!" [Maid] "Hey, don''t drop it!!" [Angelica] She almost dropped the clothes after seeing the "stains" I don''t know if there were any on the floor though. So I raised my voice to snap her out of it. God, the smell is so disgusting... I should''ve been used to it for me being a guy in my past life. Maybe I should invent the tissue in this world for Christ''s sake. "Seriously? A maid uniform...?" [Angelica] I looked at them questionably. "We only have maids and butlers working here, or would you prefer to wear armor instead?" [Lionel] "No thanks, this will suffice." [Angelica] "The teleportation spell is ready." [Lynnette] "Just in time. I couldn''t stand staying here much longer. Matthew, come." [Angelica] Just in case to not get him separated, I kept Matthew beside me and held his hand. "O-okay!" [Matthew] "Do your end of the bargain." [Lionel] "Same to you~ If you teleport us somewhere else, I''ll cut off my soul link and use the curse to end the Emperor." [Angelica] "Wouldn''t it be much more beneficial to you if you ended him after you teleported?" [Lionel] "If I had killed him, then the whole Empire would be hellbent on searching for me. Which will only render my escape useless and I wouldn''t want that~" [Angelica] "You are very wise..." [Lionel] "Weren''t you forgetting something?" [Angelica] "Ah, right." [Lionel] Lionel tosses me a cinquedea which is made up of mythril. These guys are really looked after by the Empire... "Hey! This isn''t a swo-" [Angelica] "Teleport!!" [Lynnette] The place was dyed violet and in a mere second, our surroundings have changed. ~~~Matthew~~~ "Are we back to where we were?" [Matthew] They had only teleported us outside of the city. We are currently next to a mountain cliff overlooking the capital city of Herxheim. "Matthew." [Angelica] "Yes, Angeli- Angelica! Are you hurt?!" [Matthew] When I turned to look at her. I saw her crying. "I''m no-" [Angelica] She felt a tear drop on her hand... Angelica raised her hands and felt her face. "Why am I..." [Angelica] (Thud!) She fell on her knees as she begins to wipe the tears pouring down her face. "What happened..." [Matthew] I have only noticed it when the moonlight shone on her. The clothes she was wearing were all ruffled and wet on what seemed to be like white liquid. "The Emperor... he..." [Angelica] I was very slow to pick up what she said, but it soon came to me that she may have just been... "That bastard I am going to kill him!!" [Matthew] "It''s ok Matthew..." [Angelica] "Are you sure?" [Matthew] "Yes, thank you for being worried..." [Angelica] Despite what she has been through, she was still able to show me her smile. The Empire is a very cruel place to be in and what the Emperor did to Angelica is really unforgivable! "Matthew, I''ll just wash and change clothes so can you stay here?" [Angelica] "Okay, but we don''t have any water..." [Matthew] "I can manage, thanks..." [Angelica] Angelica took the maid uniform and walked away at an unsteady pace... I will not forgive them for what they had done to my mother and Angelica. I wish... no... I WANT the Empire to burn and fall into ruin. ~~~Angelica~~~ Now that I was away from Matthew I took off all my clothing. I could feel the disgusting liquid touching my skin as I took it off... I used the water enchant on the cinquedea because I was too deprived of energy that even the water spell ?Spout? is troublesome to use. I needed to conserve as much energy as I can in order for us to get as far away from here as possible. Water flowed down the cinquedea''s edge creating a mini shower... I glanced to my right and saw a small tree with a couple of leaves on its branches. One by one I picked them off then rubbed the leaves on my skin over and over. They aren''t exactly pleasant but I still kept on rubbing them. "Ah..." [Angelica] Again... my eyes became clouded with tears as it started to fall from my face. This time, it is much more than before... Why am I crying so much... nothing really bad happened so... Then I felt pain on my thigh so I stared down. I was rubbing the leaves so hard against it, that it began to bleed, but... not only my thighs but my arms, hands, and chest too... I kept on rubbing despite it hurting so much... It was as if no matter how hard I scrubbed, I still felt dirty all over... (Sniff... sniff...) Why... why... WHY do I feel this way?! I don''t understand!!! Impractical Magic Chapter 102 When I finished changing I made sure to get over it before I got back to Matthew. To be honest... I am not really sure what I was crying on about... I don''t want people to ever see me exposing my weak side... I ditched my old ones cause no matter how much I washed them, the filth would still cling on. Trust me I know, I''m a guy lol. "It looks good on you Angelica." [Matthew] "But, it''s so frilly and girly." [Angelica] I really don''t like the feeling of this maid outfit. It''s the standard black and white one that has frills on the edges of the skirt. It would''ve been fine if I could take the apron off so that it would look like a plain black skirt, but noooooo the apron is finely stitched onto the skirt, what the hell is the big ass ribbon on the back for decoration?! Also, the skirt is so long and heavy that I could easily trip over it. The clearance above my ankles is only 3-4 inches dammit! Seriously, though... it baffles me how the maids effortlessly move with this thing on. Other than that, they also gave me a pair of black shoes, a small black ribbon to tie my hair with and black stockings that you can strap in the skirt with a hook. I threw away the maid cap and said screw that. I''m not going full cosplay. "You don''t like girly clothes?" [Matthew] Try saying that to a guy! "Angelica?" [Matthew] I put one hand over his cheek and lifted his face towards mine. "You know, looking closely you do seem like a girl." [Angelica] "E-eh?" [Matthew] "You''d make a fine trap." [Angelica] "Trap??" [Matthew] I see multiple question marks flying on his head. I''d bet if I put him into some girly clothes people wouldn''t even notice that he was a boy. "Nevermind... Do you know a way out of this place?" [Angelica] "To be honest my mother only brought me here once when I was a child so..." [Matthew] "That''s fine, we can ask the locals for directions when we get back to the city." [Angelica] "Get back?! Why!" [Matthew] "When escaping what do you do?" [Angelica] "Get away as far as possible." [Matthew] "That is somewhat correct, but I don''t trust the magician. Since she is the one who teleported us she may know our location." [Angelica] I''m not sure if it''s possible to teleport people to random places, but the thought of being randomly teleported over the cliff scares me. The risk of teleporting at random is so great that they probably wouldn''t risk us dying in a freak accident and just sent us to their usual spots. Also, once they discover that my curse was a ruse they will most likely go after us. "Ah! So we can confuse them while they desperately searched for us here on the mountain." [Matthew] "Uh, huh." [Angelica] When we get to the city we''ll ask around for information and if possible hitch a ride with someone going to the nearest border of the Republic. "Matthew, let me carry your bag." [Angelica] "N..." [Matthew] At first, he hesitated but gave his bag soon after. As I slung the bag, I said to him "Trust me on this." He must''ve been betrayed so much that it was hard for him to trust anyone. I''m so thankful that the cities in this world barely had any walls except for castles and fortifications. We can enter the city anywhere with little to no repercussions. When we got there, the atmosphere inside the city is a little disheartening. I saw people men, women and children on the streets begging for food and money. Most of the children were malnourished, their bones visible from their arms and legs, and they wore ragged clothing not suitable for the cold... I wanted to help them, but in my current situation, I wasn''t able to... In the corner of my eye, I saw a woman sitting in an alley. Her body was bruised all over, her lips popped dripping with blood and her clothing was all torn up... "Angelica?" [Matthew] Matthew, followed me as I walked up to her so I can offer to heal her wounds, but... as I got closer I came to realize that she has already passed. Her lifeless eyes looking up at the clear blue sky... "You''re free now..." [Angelica] I used my hand to close her eyelids and offered her a prayer. "Hey, what''s in the bag?" Turning my head back I saw Matthew and I were being surrounded by thugs. "It''s none of your business!" [Matthew] "C''mon was just asking." "May I know what is the problem?" [Angelica] "Hi, there sexy, mind showing us what''s inside the bag?" "What if I told you no?" [Angelica] "Then, you''ll be just like that woman over there~" He smirks and points at the woman to whom I just offered a prayer to. "..." [Angelica] "You seem to get the idea." "Psst." One of the guys whispered to the one talking to me. As he whispered to him, I saw his eyes scan me from top to bottom and as he finishes both of their mouths formed a smile. "Mmn, good point." My blood boiled as I glared at the lecherous scum that was in front of me. "Lady, do you wanna come with us? We''ll take you to a place that can pay you much-much more~" "Is that so?" [Angelica] "Angelica! They''re just tricki-" [Matthew] "I know." [Angelica] "Heh, so what do you say?" "Instead of coming with you. I want to show you something." [Angelica] "Please do." I lifted my skirt up just below the knee revealing the black stockings. "Ohhhh!" "You like that?" [Angelica] "Higher-higher!" This time, I pulled it up to half of my thighs. It showed the end of the stockings with their strings hooked up. "Arf! Arf!!" "More!!" "Do you want to see it?" [Angelica] "YESSSSS!!!" I lifted it then. "What''s that?" "A knife?" I tied the cinquedea to my waist cause I have no place to stash it at and knowing that people rarely do checks on certain areas of the body I used that to my advantage. "Ha! A little knife won''t scare us." "Bring it on bitch!" "We''ll mess you up before selling you to the slave merchant!" Again... I''m getting sick of it! Is that the only thing going through their heads! "Go easy on her we don''t want to damage the goo-" (Drop) "David?!" "Ggurgh?!" [David] I used the wind enchant and slit the guy''s throat in a flash. He lays on the floor holding his neck as he choked on his blood before dying moments later. "I''ll kill you bitch!" Then I switched to fire enchant. "Arrgghh?!!" "Noel!" Sparks fly as I intercepted his attack. Slicing his sword down the middle up to his arm. Like a crab claw, his right arm dangled in two pieces with the bones sticking out from either side. The wound opened and closed instantly like magic, the fire enchants cauterized his arm to a fine crisp preventing the blood from spilling out. "Potion! Edmond!" [Noel] "Here!" [Edmond] He caught the thrown potion and quickly gulped it down healing the wound in an instant. Despite being low lives they were able to procure expensive potions such as those maybe from their criminal/illegal activities. "A magician?" [Noel] "Aren''t magicians supposed to be weak up close?" [Edmond] "Her dagger is also made up of mythril... she isn''t a normal servant..." [Noel] "Who the hell are you calling a servant you prick!" [Angelica] I got mad and forgot to control myself. My fire enchant went and covered the whole cinquedea in an inferno. Luckily it hadn''t melted, I''m starting to like mythril equipment. The two of them panicked when they saw my enchant. "We''re no match for her, we should make a run for it!" [Noel] "Let''s tell the guards that they murdered David." [Edmond] This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. They turned tail and ran... (Slash, Stab) Consider this as karma for what you did to the woman. "..." [Angelica] "I need to hea- guh?!" [Noel] "Noe- ak?!" [Edmond] (Gush!) Blood came rushing out of their wounds like it was being drawn out by a pressure washer. I had just used the water enchant on them. I wasn''t planning on killing all of them, but we have already wasted too much time here, and it''ll be problematic if somebody else had seen us. "Matthew let''s go." [Angelica] I called him, but there was no answer. "Matthew?" [Angelica] I glanced behind me and saw Matthew on the floor. He was giving me this scared look. "Y-you killed them?" [Matthew] "There was no other way." [Angelica] I wasn''t planning on ending them, but once they said that they''ll tell the guards they left me with no other choice. ... I have killed people again, this time it was three... this still counts as self-defense right? They did threaten to harm us. "We''re looting them now?" [Matthew] Matthew asked as I checked their pockets. "Let''s see... some high-grade potions... and a ton of silver coins." [Angelica] Wow, these guys are loaded. I know that stealing is bad, but they had probably taken these off of other people too and we needed some funds for our escape. "Hey! You there?!" "It''s the guard''s Angelica!!" [Matthew] I was startled and dropped the remaining silver coins. What the hell is with this crazy response time?! They even put the police response time in my past life to shame!! My head is currently in overdrive trying to think of a way out of our situation. "Kyahhh?!!" [Angelica] "Angelica?!" [Matthew] "What happened here?! Are you alright?" I acted like I slipped and fell on my butt. The guards hurriedly ran to us swords drawn. "T-these people tried to k-kidnap me and my master, but a rival gang f-fought them so they c-could have us all to t-themselves!" [Angelica] "Mast-?!" [Matthew] I held Matthew from behind and put my hand over his mouth, please bear with it... "Where are they then?" "They ran when the guys at your side shouted. They bolted down that alley!" [Angelica] "Okay we will handle this, you may go and thank you for your cooperation!" Whew... crisis averted... "Anlc! I cndbrht!!" [Matthew] "Oh sorry, Matthew." [Angelica] He gasped for air. I forgot that I was still covering his mouth tee-hee. "Master, huh." [Matthew] "Isn''t it a good cover?" [Angelica] "Alright, we''ll go along with that, but still, being called master..." [Matthew] Heheh the way he tried to hide his embarrassment is so adorable. We got out of there quickly so if the guards returned we won''t be there for questioning. "At last we''re here." [Angelica] "The market? This is perfect!" [Matthew] He and I are on the same wavelength. While in the market, we shopped for food, spices, and supplies. Why the spices you ask? Because we may run out of food and may have to rely on the land. We have also managed to get our hands on a map which is extremely helpful. I checked the distance from here to Pilapil and almost fell to my knees... and no, I''m not being overly dramatic, because-it-is THAT far!! After looking for a while, we had finally gotten ourselves a transport. It was a plain wooden wagon with a roof, the owners were apparently newlyweds and they are planning on settling down away from the city because they were used to living in the countryside. I have told them that I was an adventurer taking a quest to escort Matthew safely on his journey. Then they asked me about the maid outfit... I just said, "This is my cover so that the bandits would let their guard down." But, before agreeing I saw the wry look on their faces. They aren''t buying it... they had probably thought that I''m into some weird shit... A week passed by without incident, but Matthew and I were both having migraines due to lack of sleep. The fear of being caught and captured prevented us from sleeping properly so I chose to stay on guard whenever I can. I ride shotgun with the wife in the morning while the husband and Matthew rode in the evening. The sole reason why I chose to ride with the woman is to not create a friction between the couple. For instance, if I stayed up with the husband the wife may become a bit... jealous. Yes, I may think that way, but you will never know what goes on in people''s heads. I don''t want to be blamed or bothered for something that isn''t true and be kicked out from our ride... By evening, Matthew swapped with me when I was finally able to sleep from the amount of fatigue that I have accumulated. I saw him sleeping a couple of times with the husband while on watch, but good thing the husband is fine with it. Matthew and I were both subjected to the same type of stress, as with him being a child he could easily be affected by it. It''s not like I''m doubting the couple or anything. I wouldn''t exactly want to be caught with our pants down if we were suddenly ambushed by monsters, bandits or those guys from the Empire. (Sigh...) Being on the wagon started to get boring after a while. We only made frequent stops when we needed to use the toilet or to camp for the night. The scenery is the same-old, same old. Sometimes forests sometimes plains and mountains. We rarely got to engage in monsters which is a blessing and also a curse. No monster = no meat and no meat = no food... Great thing that the couple are good at picking and preparing fruits and vegetables for us to eat. They may seem plain at a glance but they''re actually really-really delicious. I wish things were this peaceful until we get back to Pilapil. ~~~At Herxheim Castle~~~ "Imbeciles!!" (Clang!) Emperor Lucius due to his anger threw a cup filled with red wine at Lionel, its contents splattered all over Lionel''s face and clothing, dyeing it red. His group kneeling next to him paid no attention as if nothing happened just now... "You mean to say that you haven''t found them yet?!" [Emperor Lucius] At this time Matthew and Angelica were able to throw off the Empire Corps for a week. After discovering that the curse was fake, they had immediately healed the Emperor and gave chase in the mountains, knowing that they couldn''t have gotten far. "My Excellency, I deeply apologize for not being able to track them properly, but I do assure you that we will find them." [Lionel] Still, with his head down. Lionel apologized to the Emperor in a calm, professional, manner despite him being splashed with wine. "Sigh... I am sorry Lionel." [Emperor Lucius] "It is our duty to serve you, you need not to apologize." [Lionel] When Lionel finished, the Emperor smiles at him. He knew that his subjects show absolute loyalty to him that is why he felt that he could get away with doing whatever he pleased no matter the demand. "Thank you... It is just that... when I thought that I have finally had something within my grasp, it slips away from me again..." [Emperor Lucius] "We will get them back your Excellency." [Lionel] "Oh, and don''t forget, I want Angelica alive and unscathed~ Hahahahahah! Hahahahaha!" [Emperor Lucius] The Emperor rested his head on the seat, he looked up with a sinister smile as he licked his lips, breaking the silence of the room with his maniacal laugh. "... I''ll do... what I can..." [Lionel] Lionel hesitated a bit, but not only him everyone present at the throne room was baffled at the changes the Emperor was exhibiting. From the usually elegant and majestic demeanor of the Emperor that they all know of was gone, it was as if he was a totally different person. Impractical Magic Chapter 103 At the plains, a certain wagon was being attacked by a group of kobolds. Kobolds are a race of bipedal wild dogs, with some form of intelligence, they were able to craft and use a variety of weapons and armor, although most of their equipment are improvised. They are not particularly aggressive towards others except when one enters their territory. "Angelica on the right!" [Matthew] "Got it!" [Angelica] A kobold jumps a few feet off the ground to strike the woman with its makeshift club. Retreating a step back, the woman in a maid outfit easily dodges and counters with the thick knife in her hands. Drawing a crimson arc, she slashes it diagonally in half killing the beast and filling the air with the smell of its burnt flesh. She had already dispatched to around six of them, but they had just kept on coming. Kobolds, much like orcs and goblins tend to move in groups when taking down stronger opponents, overwhelming them with their superior numbers. "Help!" Eight kobolds surrounded the wagon, they had intentionally drawn her away to get to the ones inside the wagon. They swarmed the wagon stealing food and materials in the process. The others pointing their arms at Matthew and the couple. "Why you!" [Matthew] (Shatter!) Matthew threw a glass bottle at one of the kobolds, when it broke it released this red haze. The two kobolds near it gagged and covered their eyes, as they swung their weapons blindly. "Is that... pepper spray?" [Angelica] With a chance presenting itself, Angelica used her wind enchant and releases a flurry of slashes towards the three kobolds. She deemed that saving everyone as her first priority. Seeing them die, the rest of the kobolds began to retreat with their loot. "I won''t let you!" [Angelica] The maid, looked cool as she ran after them like an arrow. Then... (Bonk!) She had tripped over the maid skirt, magnificently planting her face first on the ground. Lifting her face dirtied with mud, she shed a small tear. In her mind, she screamed, "THAT WAS SO EMBARRASSING!!" She stares dead ahead at the kobolds who were running away. They were laughing at her comically as they looked back making fun of her. Pouting her lips and glaring at them, she lifted her hand. (Snap!) (BOOOOOM!!) The kobolds flew in different directions when a large explosion rung out from the center of their group. "Hahahahaha!! Who''s laughing now? Serves you right!" [Angelica] She laughs at them while raising her hand showing a censored finger. Everyone was clueless about what it was for, but they had soon forgotten about it once things calmed down. "The food is all..." "Those were supposed to be for emergencies..." Meters from ground zero, is the sole casualty, the food that they had stored for the whole journey. "That''s alright Angelica..." [Matthew] "Uh..." [Angelica] Huddled in the dark corner of the wagon is the depressed Angelica. She was covering her face with her knee as she embraces them. The couple couldn''t take seeing her like that so they tried to comfort her. "No worries Angelica. At least none of us got hurt." "Yeah, what good is all of us were safe." She raised her head when she felt cheered up. "But honey... didn''t those come from your families savings?" "Guh..." [Angelica] She was again reminded by the expenses the couple had shouldered. During the past week, they got to know the couple better when they shared their stories. The couple both came from farming families. The man, Spencer is good at planting various stuff and the woman, Jody is a professional at caring for animals. They met during a yearly celebration where farmers had gathered to exchange produce, cooking and eating together celebrating the bountiful harvest. After the celebration, they started a relationship and saw each other every week. It is due to the distance between them, they meet up at a certain spot so that the distance between them is halved. Fast forward, they decided to marry each other, to cover their wedding expenses and to get extra money, Jody''s family gave them animals to sell at Herxheim. While Spencer will be given a bunch of seeds and fertilizers when they got back to the countryside. The total amount equates to about 300 silver. Right now Matthew and Angelica''s money combined is only 26 silver, which is why our heroine is so depressed. "Ah, wait." [Angelica] "Yes?" [Jody] "Is there any nearby town or city?" [Angelica] "In three days we would be passing Nielitz." [Spencer] "Do they have any shops there?" [Angelica] "From what I know of Nielitz is mostly a mining town." [Spencer] "What do they mine there?" [Matthew] "Magic crystals." [Spencer] "Sorry, come again?" [Angelica] "Magic crystals." [Spencer] "Oh!! It seems like I would be able to pay you back after all!" [Angelica] Upon hearing that our heroine became thrilled, she was really glad that something so convenient was just right around the corner. "Hmn... now the problem... how can I purchase the crystals without cash?" [Angelica] "You can always barter for stuff." [Matthew] "Really?" [Angelica] "Yes, although they will more than likely give you the bare minimum." [Spencer] Pondering for a second she thought up a way to make money. Then, she stood up and rummaged through her skirt. "Spencer don''t look!" [Jody] "Wha, I wasn''t." [Spencer] Jody covered Spencer''s eyes the instant Angelica pulled up her skirt. "There." [Angelica] She took out the mythril cinquedea. Its blue blade glittered from the light of the fireplace. "You''re planning on selling your mythril equipment?!" [Spencer] "No-no-no it''s too much Angelica." [Jody] "This is an emergency. So I''m fine with it." [Angelica] "What are you going to use for a weapon then?" [Matthew] "Easy, I''ll just get myself a titanium or some other type." [Angelica] "Still... mythril is really expensive... in my lifetime I probably wouldn''t even be able to own one." [Spencer] "That''s fine~ this isn''t even mine to begi..." [Angelica] Angelica sweated buckets at this point realizing her blunder. "Huh?" [Jody] "I-I mean the quality isn''t that good and the condition of the blade is already bad, to begin with." [Angelica] "I see..." [Jody] She was relieved knowing that Jody hadn''t heard her... she''ll try to be more careful on what she says from now on. ~~~Angelica~~~ We had finally arrived at Nielitz and it is not what I expected. It had only a few wooden buildings which I could count with my fingers... it gives off the feeling of being deserted... I can see a lone dog walking in the middle of the street along with rolling tumbleweeds. We are not in the wild west, aren''t we? (Creeeaaaak) From the wagon, we all glanced to the direction of the sound. It was those typical half wooden doors that swing open with a little push. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Then, out comes a guy pulling a lady by her hair. Another person followed them at the back and knelt as if begging the guy to let go. He was soon kicked over and spat at... He was pointing at his shirt, where of which seemed wet. Ah, I think I know the reason why... The punk was now barraging the lady with insults and profanities. I cannot take seeing that anymore so I jumped off the wagon. "Angelica..." Jody whispered to me. She was giving me a concerned look. I smiled and waved to let them know that it was alright. She is a redhead with twin tails and freckles, she somehow reminds me of a restaurant chain mascot. {1} "Hey, mister." [Angelica] "The fuck you want?" "Can you let the lady go?" [Angelica] "HUH?! You also want some of this bitch?" He tugged the lady closer to him. She was showing a painful expression as her hair got pulled. "Really, let her go. If not I''ll make you." [Angelica] Then, the lady spoke in a low voice and said "Kno..." "You said something bitch?!" He brought his face close to the lady with his saliva flying out his mouth as he talked. "I said... KNOCK IT OFF!!" (Pow!!) "OHHHHHH?!" She kicked him right on the nuts. The thug rolled on the dirt holding his man berries while he simultaneously moaned in pain. Seeing it also made me unintentionally close my legs... RIP, Mr. Ballsack you shall not be remembered. "Father are you okay?" "I''m alright... but you need to be more concerned of yourself..." The lady ran to where her father was and held him up. "H...e-lp..." Now the punk was asking me for help... "P-lease... *chu-chu* he-lp" Gross!! He kissed my shoe! "Disgusting..." [Angelica] I glared at the lower lifeform who was still going at it. Soon, people at the other buildings came with weapons or should I say pickaxes drawn. I gulped when I saw their numbers, not more than eighty I presume... But... how do they manage to fit in that many people? All of the buildings are single floor only and aren''t wide enough. From what I can see, the whole place can only accommodate up to thirty people max. Don''t tell me that they all slept like a bunch of sardines in a can. They trembled when I took out the cinquedea. I don''t... want to murder any of these people... "Rah!!" "Eh?" [Angelica] They rushed towards me and went past. The people surrounded the thug and beat him to a pulp. "Hey thank you for earlier." The lady talked to me while the crowd proceeded to give the thug a beatdown. "Uh, no problem, but it seems like you don''t need my help after all." [Angelica] "I dunno about that. This is actually the first time the townspeople stood up against these types of guys." "First time?" [Angelica] When they were finished with the thug they left him out to dry in the sun. The lady brought us to one of the buildings. She told us that her name was Anna and she explained the situation regarding the town while treating her father with a potion. Nielitz, was known for their poor living conditions because of the Empire. To them, magic crystals were only a means of detecting magic and nothing more. Also, mining them was easy due to their abundance so they buy them dirt cheap. Because of that, the workers were not treated well and are only given meager salaries without any benefits. In our terms, slave labor... Due to this, the town has barely developed and traders mostly chose to skip this one over the next town/city where trade is profitable. I hope that the place where they mined the crystals in the Republic is not the same... When I started imbuing them the price has since skyrocketed due to my demand. I wonder if me being gone would cause an impact? Maria would most likely keep the business running since she now knows how to imbue them with her magic. The town is oftentimes visited by sharks who would prey upon its citizens giving them money to buy their supplies while burying them with debt that they could barely even pay. That one guy they beat up was one of them. He was "apparently" with a group of thugs that kept coming back to get their monthly cut. By now, most of the townspeople are already drowned in debt and are sick of their constant overcharging. The families here could barely have three meals a day and the children are getting ill because of it... It had only started when Anna had an altercation with the shark to reduce their debt and he slapped her which led to him getting poured on with water. "What is that?!" [Angelica] "An elevator." [Anna] "I know but." [Angelica] "Heh, Let''s go to town." [Anna] "You meant the buildings outside isn''t the town?!" [Matthew] "Well, part of it." [Anna] Inside the building was a wooden elevator, a literal elevator. It was large enough to fit twenty people, but since it is made out of wood it is probably fewer for safety reasons. "Angeli-kyah?!" [Matthew] Matthew got startled when I hid behind him and hissed as we got out. Tunnels! Lots of them! It''s like Pilapil version 2.0!! The only difference is the houses and shops are dug into them whereas in Pilapil they dug into the whole goddamn mountain. The corridor is jam-packed full of people coming and going, it is actually much much smaller compared to the tunnels in Pilapil which makes it seem crowded. Only four people could fit through here, side by side, shoulder to shoulder. "Isn''t this place kind of dangerous?" [Spencer] "Because it''s underground? Nah, there''s no earthquakes nor flooding in this area." [Anna] "How about monsters?" [Matthew] Good question Matt! "I haven''t even seen a single monster here since I was born." [Anna] "Seriously?!" [Jody] "Seriously." [Anna] "Insects/bugs?" [Angelica] "Nada." [Anna] Ohhhhhhh! I''m starting to like this place! Anna gave us a tour and showed the shops. Since this place is free of monsters there was no need for the adventures guild nor shops for weapons and armor. The only shops that I can see are the ones that sell food, but most of them had already closed down... there were a few pubs here and there and not much else... Anna also showed us where they raised animals, though not as grand like those in Pilapil and another place where they cultivated underground plants to produce breathable air. We ended the tour at Anna''s house where her father slept in a separate room. "So what brings you here?" [Anna] "Can you give us your magic crystals?" [Angelica] "You''re planning on stealing our only source of income?!" [Anna] Anna stood up with her fist at the ready. "Wait-up!! Wait up! I''m not stealing, I just want to trade." [Angelica] "Trade?" [Anna] "Yes. Also, I may also be able to help you with your living conditions." [Angelica] "Alright... but first the money?" [Anna] "Sorry I don''t have any on me right now tee-hee~" [Angelica] "... ... ... Hahhhhhh?!" [Anna] References {1} Wendy''s Impractical Magic Chapter 104 I managed to talk Anna into it with a bit of... correction, A LOT of convincing. "Are you sure that you wanted to trade this mythril dagger?" [Anna] "Yes." [Angelica] "You know, with this you can get more than just a single wagon." [Anna] "There is nothing I can do, as we only have one at the moment." [Angelica] Anna sighs and scratches her head. When I said that I''ll trade the mythril cinquedea for the magic crystals she looked at me wide-eyed and quickly snatched it from my hands toexamine it. Once she determined that it was genuine, she hadalmost dropped it. I wasn''t worried about it getting dropped since it wouldn''t even be able to dent the darn thing let alone scratch it. I am well aware of how expensive mythril is, what I don''t know is howmuch are the magic crystals in the Empire? The reason why I hadn''t asked this is that they may make it look more expensive. Yeah-yeah say what you want. I have trust issues~ When I was finished with the transaction I asked Anna to get me a private room and bring four small sacks of magic crystals. I recommend small because the room is tiny. I let Matthew and Annastay with me while Spencer and Jody took a rest at Anna''s house. "Hahh... here goes." [Angelica] Inhale... exhale... now picture what enchants that I want to put in them... "The crystals are... flying?" [Matthew] "And they are glowing in different colors?!" [Anna] I couldn''t see what was happening as I kept my eyes closed... Despite Anna exclaiming my concentration hadn''t wavered, is it because of the shock treatment that I received from the crazy Emperor? Which led me to be able to concentrate properly? Sigh... I better clear my head or the imbuing will fail... After some time the imbuing finally finished. "It took you almost an hour Angelica." [Matthew] I nodded. Whenever I imbue a lot of crystals time seems to fly by without me noticing it. Maria, once commented that I was like in a trance. "Wow they''re pretty..." [Anna] Anna held two crystals that wereimbued with the wind and water enchant. I noticed that most of the crystals were in their unpolished state, I forgot that back at Dalio Mrs. Helen gets them polished up from the jewelers before sending them to me, to be imbued. A lot of them would be wasted as they are unpolished. Because a magic crystal, once imbued cannot be broken into separate pieces for when you try tobreak it the whole crystal''s effect would become null. So itneeds to be polished before imbuing. Well, it''s my fault for not checking. I''ll just ask Anna ifthey had any jewelers here that could polish them. Although I was quite surprised to see that most of the crystals here are around good/high quality, unlike those in the Republic. It may have been the location, I don''t know, I wasn''t even aware of where they mined theirs. "Angelica?" [Anna/Matthew] I massaged my forehead. Uh... I feel so tired... this always happens whenever Iimbue a lot of them. It seems like imbuing takes a bit of your energy and puts it intoeach crystal to program your magic. Maria doesn''t seem tobe drained evenafter imbuing them, is it because she had much more energy? "I''m fine. I only needed to rest." [Angelica] "Here..." [Matthew] Matthew took my hand and dropped a small item which is colored blue...I picked it up andspun it around, it lookssimilar to a pill. "Is this?" [Angelica] "Yes... its what my mother researched. It will help you recover your lost energy." [Matthew] "Do I need water or should I just swallow it?" [Angelica] "Either way is fine." [Matthew] So it is indeed a pill. I popped the blue pill into my mouth and swallowed. A few seconds later myfatigue faded and I felt re-energized. It''s like drinking an energy potion. "My mother discovered a way to create them in powdered form so that it could be stored and transported without much hassle." [Matthew] I looked at Matthew. He always seemed dejected whenever he talks about his mother. SoI rubbed his head. Now I know why the Empire wanted to get their hands on him so badly... Something of this caliber is surely a game changer for medicine and also warfa... I paused. Why haven''t I thought of that earlier... aside from selling them for a profit. Soldiers would also be able to carrymore of them, unlike potions which are cumbersome with the glass and liquid. This would be a good alternative since with the pills you wouldn''t have to worry about them shattering and spilling their contents. "Thanks, Matthew." [Angelica] "Whew, that was entertaining to watch. I''ve completely forgotten how hot this room was." [Anna] "Hot, you say? Try to think up a gentle breeze Anna." [Angelica] "Heh, this is an enclosed room there wouldn''t be a breeze h- whoa?!" [Anna] The magic crystal in her hand glowed and released a cool breeze. She activated it nonchalantly... "Was that because of your magic Angelica?" [Matthew] "Yes." [Angelica] "What do the other crystals do?" [Anna] After I told them the functions of each crystal,Anna had immediately put them to use in the village. I will nowrefer to them as the fire, water, earth, wind crystals to keep it short and simple. They replaced the firewood with the fire crystal to cook their food because it filled the roof of the tunnels with soot, ash, and smoke which is suffocating them making it a health hazard. The water crystal solved their water shortage and cleanliness, no more looking for wells and streams. The wind crystal circulated fresh air in the tunnel and kept it cozy. The earth crystals were used to support the roof and walls of the houses/tunnels, they also used that to expand the passageways so more people could pass through them and they again expanded the place where they raised the plants and animals. Someone has ingeniously used one of my fire crystals andmade use of the light it emitted as an alternative to the sun. I''m not sure if it''ll work but I provided them with some good quality crystals just in case, so that it can sustain the same luminosity for a much longer period. I will try to experiment on this when I get back, because if this somehow works then we could grow crops/plants at a much faster rate. I''m really happy whenever people utilize my inventions. The daily necessities of our world that we all took for granted, I will bring them here. Meanwhile, I''m in my underwear with Anna who is tailoring my outfit at her room. "Are you sure you want it short?" [Anna] "Yes. Could you also stitch a pocket in between the skirt and the apron?" [Angelica] "Oki-doki." [Anna] Anna is such a great help. She convinced the village leader to let us stay and offered us with a few supplies, currently, we have been staying here for three days. During that time Spencer and Jody imparted their knowledge on farming and cooking which helped the villagers. Anna had also asked one of her friends whose family are jewelers to polish the rest of the magic crystals. "Here, done!" [Anna] "Thanks." [Angelica] I wore the maid outfit and checked the size. Anna modified the skirt to best fit me, now the skirt is cut just above the knee. Where you can see the ends of the stockings along with the strings. It also had this hidden pocket in the apron. After fixing my skirt Anna brought me to a storage space because I asked for a replacement for my weapon. During our walk there I received a lot of stares, not that I mind though. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I found out that the weapons here were mostly rusted.Not one has been used since the day they were brought until they were stored and mostly forgotten. All of them are made out of iron. Most are swords and a few daggers, they were probably brought in bulk because they are all identical. I held two swords and used my fire enchant where only the one at my right lit up, which is normal. I then slid it along the other sword, lightly touching each other enough to release tiny sparks. As if using a magical eraser the rust on the sword vanished. I learned of this when I saw a video on youtube during my past life where they used a laser to remove rust. "You can even repair metal?!" [Anna] "Heh, I wish that was the case. I was just chipping away the corroded parts." [Angelica] "Could you also do it for the rest of the weapons?" [Anna] "I will only do it if you make sure to maintain them after, it''s not like what I did is permanent." [Angelica] Anna sighs when I said that. If you wouldn''t do it then don''t ask for it!! Hahh... I glance over to the tower of rust. There are about two dozen of them, this is going to be a pain... I might as well ask Matt to massage my shoulders later. "Fire! Fire!!" "Fire?!" [Angelica/Anna] We rushed towards the scream and by the elevator... "What happened?!" [Anna] "The gangs attacked and left all the buildingsat the surface to burn down!" [Village Leader] "Say what?!" [Anna] "Ugh! Ugh!" The villagers are doing their best to put out the fire, but because of the wind crystal, it kept the flame alive due to the constant supply of oxygen. "Don''t inhale the fumes! Get everyone at the deeper side!" [Angelica] It may look counterintuitive going deeper but smoke rises. So the deeper you go the safer you are as long as there is oxygen. I knew the only thing that would ignite is the buildings on the surface and the wooden elevators. I was sure that the fire won''t spread into the tunnels because the nearest door to the elevator is a hundred meters away. "Angelica what about you?!" [Anna] "I will handle this. Keep Matt and everyone else safe!" [Angelica] I gripped the water crystal and used it, letting out a bluish glow. Using it at maximum power it let out a torrent of water similar to those of a fire hydrant. ~~~At the surface~~~ The gangs congregated watching the buildings burn. "Are you sure we should be killing them?" "There''s no need to keep them alive since most of them are dead broke anyway." "But isn''t this one of the Empire''s few mines where they get the magic crystals?" "Are you worried about the corps hunting us?" "Who wouldn''t be? They are known to be merciless to the enemies of the Empire." "We''ll just have to make it look like an accident and nobody will know. The fire had probably suffocated most of them by now." (Hssshhhh...) "You guys you hear that?" "Hear wh-" (HISSSHHHHHH!!) "The fuck?!" A jet of water gushed out from one of the buildings destroying it and leaving an opening. "Look at what you did to my clothes..." From the burnt rubble Angelica emerged andshot them a question. The gang members were mesmerized by her beauty despite her having been dirtied with mud, soot, and ash. "You have some nerve ganging up on a defenseless village." [Angelica] As she finished her sentence she drew up an iron sword. "I shouldn''t have left the cinquedea..." she whispered to herself. "This should suffice." [Angelica] "Hey, you thinking what I''m thinking?" "Yeah." (Slice!) When she had heard enough she sliced at their necks sending the two nearby gang members heads flying. Their amazement waned when they realized that the two of their guys died on the spot. She dispatches gang after gang member easily with her enchants. No matter what material or thick the weapon and armor they have she effortlessly cuts through them. The members who had throwing knives and crossbows were soon cut down with an invisible force from the distance. Most of them survived as their armor absorbed some of the impact. While the others who were unlucky enough had their fingers severed and their exposed parts cut open. Despite cutting down multiple people she paid no heed. Angelica was in a hurry to end it because she was worried that there are villagers who were still trapped in some of the buildings. She stabbed the downed opponents one by one and each of them died soon after when their blood gushed out from the inside of their bodies. When things died down Angelica, scanned her surroundingsshe soon barfed at the sight of bodies. She counted about eighteen or more scattered around her all dead. In her head, she thought of how scary it was. She was so focused on saving everyone due to the time constraints that the thought of committing murder hadn''t even crossed her mind. Thinking fast, she used the power of the water crystal and drizzled the rest of the buildings dousing the fire. ~~~Angelica~~~ "Angelica!" [Matthew] Matthew stepped forward as I descended from the steps that I created using the earth crystal. Patting his head as Itold everyone that the gangs aretaken care of the villagers soon cheered. The cheersfaded once they saw bodies outside. The villagers were frightened of the fact that I was able to take out a fully armed gang while being ill-equipped and uninjured myself. In the end, despite being grateful we were still asked by the village leader to leave... Anna was saddened by this because I told her earlier on how I would transform the village if we had managed to stay longer.I toldher that they can keep the gang''s equipment while I got their money. We said our goodbyes and continued on with our journey to the Republic... I cannot help but also feel sad for not finishing my project there, but they are probably well off by themselves without my help... A few days later at a nearby city. Anna was speaking to a shopkeeper to sell the cinquedea she acquired from Angelica. "I would like to sell this mythril cinquedea." [Anna] "Whoa?! Is this real mythril?" "Yes." [Anna] "How much do you want for it?" "How much can you give?" [Anna] "Let''s see..." The shopkeeper inspected the cinquedea turning it side to side looking for imperfections, damage and the like. "?!" "W-what is it?" [Anna] Anna asked when the shopkeeper became unsettled. "Please pardon me, but if may I ask how were you able to acquire this item?" "Someone... gave it to me because the village we are in is financially stricken." [Anna] "I-I... see... and may I know the name of the village?" "Nielitz..." [Anna] "Oh, it''s the mining village down at the south right?" "You know our place?" [Anna] "When I was young I used to pass by your village all the time." "Ah, heheh good to know that somebody still remembers our village." [Anna] "Now then, I''ll give you 300 gold coins for the cinquedea." "3-300 Gold?!" [Anna] "It seems to be used quite a bit and since it''s not new. I will give you the middle price for it." "T-thank you very much!" [Anna] Anna completed her transaction and happily walked out the shop with the bag of coins. "Lewis." "Yes, pops?" [Lewis] "Could you go to the adventurers guild and request for a messenger?" "Sure, but why?" [Lewis] "It is urgent." The shopkeeper took a smoke beforeagain examining the cinquedea and at its pommel lay the symbol of the Empire Corps. Impractical Magic Chapter 105 The Empire Corps had recently received an intel that Matthew and Angelica were at Nielitz and promptly teleported themselves there and upon arrival, they interrogated the villagers. "Where are they?!" "I don''t know!" "Lying with us could get you trialed for treason and sentenced to death!" Anna was sitting on the floor with her hands bound behind her back, her body was badly bruised with violet spots all over her torso and knees. She was being questioned by Grant who is holding a wooden club. "Please, she really didn''t know where they went." "Village leader..." [Anna] "If she won''t talk, then you talk old man." [Grant] "After the woman killed those gangsters we hastily sent them off from fear of retaliation!" [Village Leader] "Even after seeing one of your residents get beaten you still won''t tell me where they are?!" [Grant] Grant raised the club as he prepares to smack the old timer, but was stopped. "Stop it, Grant." "What Hughes?" [Grant] Hughes had grabbed the club. "Can''t you see that they are afraid?" [Hughes] "Despite your intimidating appearance, you are always a softie." [Grant] "Captain I''ll talk to them." [Hughes] "... Go ahead." [Lionel] "Captain!" [Grant] "Stand down Grant." [Artemis] "Shut up Artemis! I''m not talking to you." [Grant] Grant faces Lionel. "I cannot help but notice the preferential treatment you are giving to everyone except me." [Grant] "It''s not that Grant." [Lionel] "What is it then?! Do you want me to tell my father?" [Grant] "You should learn from Hughes." [Lionel] "To be soft? It doesn''t always work that way, Lionel!" [Grant] "G-Grant..." [Lynnette] "You too! Lyn... ... ... sorry I was outta line." [Grant] Grant halted when he noticed Lynnette wince at his tone. "... Artemis, heal the woman." [Lionel] "Got it." [Artemis] "I will heal her captain." [Lynnette] "Thanks, Lynnette, but you need to conserve your energy for the teleportation." [Lionel] "O-okay..." [Lynnette] Artemis knelt before Anna and took out a potion bottle from the inside of her quiver. "I''ve finished asking them, captain." [Hughes] Hughes walked towards them and behind him is the village leader bowing at him. "What did they say?" [Lionel] "He said that they passed through here on a wagon looking for supplies where they traded your cinquedea for magic crystals. They were asked to leave when they killed a whole gang that attempted to wipe out the village. They went to that road southeast maybe towards Witzlarn." [Hughes] "Magic crystals?" [Artemis] "They aren''t that bad if they chose to help the village." [Lynnette] "Yeah..." [Hughes] "Witzlarn..." [Lionel] "What''s wrong Lionel?" [Artemis] "Nothing. Lynnette, prepare to teleport us to Witzlarn immediately and everyone be prepared when we get there." [Lionel] ~~~Angelica~~~ It had been four days since we have left Nielitz. I wonder how the village is keeping up with the changes? "Cmon Angelica sing with us!" Jody edged me to participate while poking my side with her elbow. "I don''t sing..." [Angelica] "No need to be shy. It''s just us here." [Jody] Spencer, Jody, and Matthew were all singing a song that I was not familiar with. I never really paid much attention to the songs in this world because I was so busy learning other stuff. Like my body, magic, swordsmanship and again my body, yeah I''m a fan of narcissus, joke. "Hmm..." [Angelica] I thought of a song that would be good for my voice. "Hi no michiru kono heya Sotto toki wo matsu yo~ Kizukeba fukan de nagameteru hako Onaji mesen wa naku~ Itsushika kokoro wa hakushoku futoumei Yuki ni ochita hikari mo chiru~" [Angelica] {1} Despite being a delinquent and the shitty life that I''ve had I found refuge listening to songs that are mostly related to anime. It''s just that there is something in their songs which give me an uplifting feeling, despite not being able to understand them. "Kumo kara koboreru tsumetai ame Me wo harasu no wa tooi harukaze dake~ AZAREA wo sakasete Atatakai niwa made~ Tsuredashite tsuredashite Nante ne~ Shiawase dake egaita otogibanashi nante na Wakatteru wakatteru Soredemo ne Soko e ikitai no~" [Angelica] Ok, that''s enough. I better stop now or else I''d get sued lol. "Your singing is really-really great Angelica." [Matthew] "D-did I really sound that good?" [Angelica] "Umu." [Matthew] Matthew nods as he compliments my singing. "What language was it?" [Jody] "I... uh... learned it from a traveling minstrel. Yes! A minstrel!" [Angelica] "At least your singing is much better than my wife haha-ow?!" [Spencer] "You were saying?" [Jody] "Ow-ow-ow I get it, I get it!" [Spencer] It seems that Jody is grinding Spencer''s foot, she''s also giving him the death smile. Protip, never anger your wife! "If you sing you''d be popular Angelica." [Matthew] "Heheh, but no thanks. I prefer being an adventurer." [Angelica] "Is it really fun being an adventurer?" [Jody/Matthew] "It is fun, you can go anywhere. Do a bunch of quests and fight alongside your frien..." [Angelica] I feel depressed all of a sudden... "Ah, Let''s talk about something else." [Jody] I wonder how is everyone? "Angelica?" [Matthew] How is Steven and Michelle? I''m worried that Michelle may do something drastic in order to search for me... and Steven stopping her will all he can... Did grandfather''s health improve? Are Mooly and the sisters eating well? What about Mrs. Helen and the shop? The school? Maria? Irvine? Blake... "ANGELICA!" [Matthew] "Ah, eh?" [Angelica] "You were having this grim look that was scaring us." [Matthew] "Sorry if we asked something that we shouldn''t." [Jody] They were both apologetic and kept on bowing their heads. "No, no its okay. It''s just that people who are important to me may think that I''m now dead..." [Angelica] "Why would you say that?" [Spencer] Spencer asks as he leans back from the driver''s seat. "I was separated from them when an undead wyvern destroyed Pilapil village." [Angelica] "A wyvern?!" [Matthew/Spencer] "Whats a wyvern?" [Jody] "It is a really really big and strong monster." [Matthew/Spencer] They''re in complete sync. I''m surprised that Spencer also knows what a wyvern is despite being a farmer. "I saw the Empire soldiers parade a dead wyvern once, but only its head." [Spencer] "How huge was the head?" [Jody] "I don''t exactly remember, but the size did scare the hell out of everyone." [Spencer] "So what happened after Angelica?" [Matthew] "We''ve managed to beat it, but the at the cost of the village caving in on itself... that is when we got separated..." [Angelica] "I''m sure that everything is fine." [Jody] "I hope so..." [Angelica] I was hugged by Matthew from behind. "Everything is gonna be okay." [Matthew] "Thanks..." [Angelica] I could see Matthew holding back his tears. Hey now, I should be the one crying... "Anyway, let''s change the subject." [Spencer] When Spencer suggested changing the topic I immediately jumped to it. "What place are we going to pass through next?" [Angelica] "If my memory serves me right we will soon be at the town of Witzlarn." [Spencer] "Didn''t they abandon that town recently?" [Jody] "Really? I hadn''t heard any news of that." [Spencer] "My dads long time friend is from there. They said that the soldiers just sprung out of nowhere and evacuated the place due to unknown reasons." [Jody] "Kind of creepy." [Matthew] "Yeah." [Jody] "Should we avoid going there?" [Angelica] "There is another route, but its very difficult to pass through." [Spencer] "How difficult?" [Angelica] "Well, we''re talking about cliffs with a drop numbering in the hundredsof meters and the area is prone with landslides." [Spencer] "Better not to risk the wagon then, but we are allowed to pass through there?" [Angelica] "So far there was no word of a blockade and at Herxheim, we also haven''t heard of anything happening there as merchants pass them through it all the time. So I think we should be okay." [Spencer] "What about the route that you took going to Herxheim?" [Angelica] "That one is further away which took a lot of time, this route was suggested by a fellow merchant as a shortcut." [Spencer] "I see." [Angelica] After some time we arrived at Witzlarn... This place is sizable and well developed despite it being only a town. The paint on the buildings still looksrather new and at the distance, there were a couple of them still left in construction. We are unfamiliar with the place so we navigated each corner in order to look for an exit. The place is so eerie and as they said it is indeed abandoned, but the weird thing is I couldn''t even hear any birds. In Nielitz even with a few buildings, you could hear the birds chirping everywhere. I have a bad feeling about this... Witzlarn is a town that situated at the base of two mountains, which is a good place to build a fortress/castle. It is a natural choke point to prevent invaders from entering the Empire. But... why abandon such a place of vital importance? Could the frequent landslides be the cause or was it something else? We turned to a corner and saw a wagon blocking the way. So I went down to investigate. This one seems like it had been here recently. It was a bit high so I tiptoed to get a look inside. There were a few things which I presume is someone''s belongings neatly placed at the corner of the wagon. I couldn''t get a good look because it was at the opposite side from me. I walked by the side and saw a couple more wagons right in front of it. When I got to the front I saw the part where they chained the horses where of which were broken. It seems like it was damaged deliberately... just when I noticed... I caught a whiff of a foul stench.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. It smelled just like... ... ... blood?! I briskly walked back and whispered to Spencer to turn the wagon around. There are too many red flags... I don''t want to stay here any longer, we better head out while we still can. "Why are turning back?" [Jody] "We will take the alternate route." [Angelica] "Isn''t this one safer?" [Matthew] "The alternative is much much safer." [Angelica] "If Angelica says so then I''ll trust her on that." [Spencer] I''ll use the earth crystal to reinforce the path. Hmm... on second thought I''ll just pave a road and improve itlike I did in Dalio. (Neiigh!!) From watching movies I knew that when horses make that sound whenever they were spooked. "Spencer, floor it!!" [Angelica] "Floor... what?" [Spencer] "Argh! Get us out of here now!!" [Angelica] I jerked back when Spencer pulled the reins so swiftly that it made the horsefucking wheelie whichalmost tipped us over. (Tak-tak-tak-tak-tak!) "Where is that sound coming from?" [Angelica] While I was trying to pinpoint its location the tent of the wagon sunk down all of a sudden. "The roof!" [Matthew] (Tear!) I drew the sword in preparation but didn''t cut at the tent as my fire enchant may burn it. Also, the wagon is shifting left to right so using the wind and water enchant will be a problem. Then... an idea hit me. I rummaged through one of the sacks and took out an earth crystal. I brought it next to the tent and used its effect, turning it into a concrete-like roof. The thing on top realizing that it cannot tear through the tent jumped at Spencer who is at the front together with Jody. "Eah?!!" [Jody] "Jody!" [Spencer/Matthew/Angelica] I moved to the front and Jody came flying towards me pushing me back inside. "Jody are you ok?!" [Angelica] Matt and I checked her for injuries and saw four scratches on her arm. "Spencer pushed me in... Spencer... help, Spencer!" [Jody] "Matt!" [Angelica] "Got it!" [Matthew] Wasting no time I maneuvered through the maze of sacks and got to the front, from there I saw Spencer pushing and kicking at something while simultaneously steering the wagon despite with wounds all over him. Truly a man that should be looked up upon. As I got closer the stench of decay flew to my nostrils and made me gag. "Get off me, you damn ghoul!" [Spencer] Ghoul? An undead?! The ghoul from the looks of its skin has been decaying for some time, it had bite marks all over its body where a good chunk of flesh is ripped off. It had a mixture of red, brown and dark spots on its skin and it had one eye It attempted to gnaw at Spencer, but he''s putting up a good fight. Carefully I waited for an opening before slashing at the ghoul.As a weak undead, the fire enchant would be my best option. "Hyah!" [Angelica] When it had gotten on top of Spencer I shaved the back of its torso exposing its spine, being an undead it didn''t even faze it. I tried again and managed to amputate an arm, afterward, I kicked it off of Spencer and it fell from the wagon tumbling multiple times before hitting a fenceand impaling itself. "Angelica, help!" [Matthew] "?!" [Angelica] "I can manage... go tend to them..." [Spencer] "First Aid!! Sorry, Spencer,we will properly threat your wounds later." [Angelica] I head back inside and there was a ghoul hanging at the back of the wagon pulling on Matthew''s leg. I saw Jody trying to pry Matthew but to no avail. I was about to cut its hand but stopped when I saw three ghouls all on fours crawlingridiculously fast towards the wagon. We still haven''t left the town, it may have been the pinging of the horseshoes that attracted them, but damn... as undead, they sure do move fast, which reminds me of a certain game {2}. Being melee I wouldn''t even dare to engage in a large group. Kate did say that it forced countries to bond together despite their differences in order to eradicate the undead. God, I could only imagine what nightmare it could''vebeen for those guys who engaged them. The three ghouls leaped simultaneously so I slashed the nearest one mid-air using the fire enchant. Due to its trajectory, the other half of its body flew inside the wagon. I then focused my attention back on the two oncoming ghouls. I briefly reset the position of my sword and stabbed one in the skull spreading brain matter all over Jody and Matthew. "Eek!!" [Jody] Next, I glanced over to the last ghoul and was about to slice at its neck, when... (Grab!) "Aww?!!" [Angelica] The instant I felt painsurge through my body I stared down only to see the ghoul that I had hit earlier. What was left is it''s upper torso, left arm and head, it grabbed my thigh and bit at my calf. I got bitten?! I raised the sword and was about to cut it down but was interrupted mid-slash, when the last ghoul landed on me and we fell inside the wagon bumping into the sacks of magic crystals. It was on top attempting to get a clear bite, I was going to stab it beforehand, but the one at my feet ripped off the part it was biting which made me flinch and drop the sword. "Argh?!!" [Angelica] "Angelica?!" [Matthew] I and the two ghouls scrambled on the sacks of crystals a few of which pricking my body with its sharp edges.Using my arm to shield me from being bitten at the neck, I was instead bitten multiple times on the arm and leg. Kicking and punching don''t work on them as they feel no pain and being an undead they were much stronger in physical strength. (Crack!) "Ahhhhh?!!!!!" [Angelica] The ghoul on top twisted and broke my right arm whilst biting at my left, while the other kept on tearing at my leg. The amount of pain I felt was so insurmountable that I wasn''t able to think straight. "First Aid!! First Aid!!" [Matthew] Matthew was holding the magic crystal that I''ve imbued with my novice level healing spell. I created a few of them just in case we run out of his pills. The effects of my spell were only able to halt them temporarily. "Rwnfngb?!" [Ghouls] There was a brief pause in their attacks and I reached for the sword and struck down the one at my feet, hitting it at the temple and shaving off its skull cap. When I flincheddue to the force of my strike it deflected the sword''s trajectory towards my leg slicing a part of my flesh injuring myself. "First Aid!!" [Matthew] "Gyargh?!" [Ghoul] The ghoul turned its head at Matthew which made Jody froze. Pulling myself together Istaggered towards the ghoul grabbing it from behind and shoving it out. The ghoul that was hanging crawled up exposing its head and as it did that I delivered a swift kick to its face. It released Matthew and rolled alongside the other ghoul. When the two ghouls recovered they again gave chase. "Fuck you..." [Angelica] (Snap!) (Boooom!) I snapped my fingers and the two ghouls were erased from existence by the Explosion spell, the spell was quite powerful that it shook the entire wagon. Afterwards, my feet folded and I slouched on the sacks. "I got bit..." [Angelica] At the corner of my eye, the sword came into view. I held it and placed it at my neck. "I''m bitten..." [Angelica] Memories of watching zombie films flashed through my head, the conversion after the bite made fear crept over me. The number of times I was bitten may speedup up my conversioninto an undead... "Angelica, stop!" "I''m going to turn like them..." [Angelica] "Angelica!" "No... I don''t want to be an undead..." [Angelica] "Angelica snap out of it!" "I''m scared..." [Angelica] "ANGELICA!!" "Matt... hew?" [Angelica] "You''re not going to turn into an undead!" [Matthew] "I... am not?" [Angelica] "Yes, now put away the sword." [Matthew] "But... I got bit..." [Angelica] "That doesn''t matter, c''mon now give it to me." [Matthew] "O... k..." [Angelica] My eyelids felt heavy... "Angelica? Angelica!! Jody, hold her up and open her mouth!" [Matthew] "But! She had already lost a lot of blood!" [Jody] "Jody!!" [Matthew] "Y-yes!" [Jody] As my vision fades I felt something entering my mouth, moments later my body felt warm all over. "Angelica, are you okay?" [Matthew] "Is she fine?" [Jody] "Angelica?" [Matthew] "Ahh... what happened?" [Angelica] Still quite dazed I answered him. "You idiot! You were this close to dying!" [Matthew] He scolded me as he used his two fingers to show how little time I had left. "Hah... next time listen to me ok?" [Matthew] Sighing in relief he checked Jody next. "My wounds are gone?" [Angelica] I checked myself and saw the chunks of flesh that are ripped off earlier are restored. I even touched the place I got bitten just to be sure. "That stuff is amazing Matthew." [Angelica] "Thanks for the compliment, now... how do we clean this up?" [Matthew] Arms crossedwith his hand under his chin he looked at the wooden floor. I followed his gaze and spotted a pool of blood that was under me, it stained my clothes and is a little bit slippery. "Matthew can you also give Jody and Spencer that medicine?" [Angelica] "Already on it." [Matthew] As I said that Jody had already popped a pill inside her mouth and Matthew was on his way towards the front. "Now then..." [Angelica] I used the water crystal towash the bloodon my clothes and off the floor, it seems Ineeded some soap to rinse off the blood completely. Then, I used the fire crystal to get myself dried. It has been a while since we have left the village and are now on the cliffs, it was about seven hundred meters above overlooking the village and five hundred meters away. As we were there I made use of the earth crystal and created a level road, since the place is prone to landslides I made a roof that wasembedded with earth crystals and hid them for obvious reasons.I also made a small opening at the cliff side every fifteen meters or so. I refused to create a tunnel for one, it will require both fire and wind crystals for the lighting and also ventilation. Two, creating a tunnel near that village is going to be a death trap for anyone passing through if those ghouls ever chose to move out and block both ends of the tunnel. I was at the front with Jody and we both had the whole village in view. I noticed the wagons that were blockingour path earlier, I counted that there were more than two dozen of them. The one at the very front was overturned near the exit and the rest piled up from behind it, from the looks of it we weren''t even as close to the center and it made me feel goosebumps. I have thought, what if we had gone deeper? The number of ghouls there may have beenmore than enough to overwhelm us. The reason the merchants at Herxheim hadn''t heard anything bad happening here is probablybecause there were no survivors to tell them... When we get to the nextsettlement I will ask the adventurers guild if they could do anything about it,or just spread the news that the place is dangerous. While scanning the village from afar I saw aflicker of light and stopped Jody to see what it was. References. {1} OregairuOP ->https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQpJ_ielWrc<- {2} Left4Dead Impractical Magic Chapter 106 ~~~Angelica~~~ A lone street in Witzlarn was soon disturbed by a strong gust followed by aviolet glow. "What''s that light?" [Jody] "It can''t be..." [Angelica] From afar ourhero-inespots four silhouetteswith the reflection of the moonlight. She then noticed a large group of humanoids quickly homing in on the four, crawling and jumping from one roof to another and shuffling from street to street are ghouls, they were like ants drawn to a pile of sugar. "Couldthey be people like us? Quick, we need to warn them!" [Spencer] "There''s no need." [Angelica] "What do you mean Angelica?" [Spencer] "They''re trouble." [Matthew] "They will be if we don''t do something soon!" [Jody] Judging from Matthews reaction he may have come to the same conclusion as me. How were they able to track us so quickly? "It''s too late, they''re already too deep." [Angelica] All of the places they can to teleport to, it has to be the center of the god damn town. Well, it''s not like we''re going to help them anyway. "But..." [Jody] "I know what you feel Jody, what I am more concernedabout is our safety. Whatif those ghouls caught sight of what we''re doing?" [Angelica] Jody lowered her head when she understood what I was trying to say, at least a part of it was true. "There, they come," I muttered asI stared at the ghouls that wereamassing towards the Empire Corps. From the looks of it, I estimate the ghouls to number three-hundred or more since the town is quite big, also... from those wagons that the people left behind... Gee, five of them are already troublesome let alone a hundred. I could manage maybe 9-14 if I were aloneand not worrying about protecting others, or maybe more if I had the gang with me. But... at the sight of those numbers, it gives me goosebumps... If you were caught by those number of ghouls it will most likely lead to a grueling death. In the worst case scenario, there will probably be nothing left of you when they are done... I''ll gauge their strength on how they fare against the ghoul''s and if they could wipe out more than half of them without issue, we will get out of here while they are still busy dealing with the rest. ~~~Lionel~~~ "We have arrived." [Lynnette] It has been so long since I''ve stepped foot in this forsaken place. "Something... feels strangely off..." Says Artemis, as she scans for her surroundings. "Yeah, I don''t see any people." [Grant] "It is also completely silent." [Hughes] "Ready your weapons." [Lionel] "Lionel?" [Artemis] "What''s wrong Lionel?" [Hughes] "I could sense a familiar magic that was used nearby." [Lynnette] "Something is approaching us swiftly, could it be her?" [Artemis] "Did she plan on fighting us?" [Grant] I''m certain that each of ushas the ability to take her down, she would be suicidal to rush at out numbers... ... ... ... "It''s not her! Everyone,create a perimeter!" [Lionel] I thought that I had already ended things here. "Prepare for engagement!" [Lionel] As I finished, multiple ghouls flew down at us from the roof using it as a trampoline. "Where the did these ghouls come from?!" [Lynnette] I sawmore swarming us from all sides, had I left one alive? I made sure to exterminate all of them before I left. I never imagined that they would get this many in this short time, it had only just been four months since the extermination. (Swish!) Artemis shoots the ghouls in the air, simultaneously flipping them around as her arrows struck their skulls with deadly accuracy. "Lynnette! Our weapons!" [Grant] "Ah, alright! Open Dimensional Storage!!" [Lynnette] A violet void manifests at our center. At the same time, we inserted our hands and clutched at the objects inside, pulling out our weapons except for Artemis who always had her mythril bow slung on her back. Hughes had a tower shield made of mythril. Grant, a bladed mythril mace. Lynnette with her magical tome and I with my sword. Grant bashes a ghouls head in and decapitates another that has attempted to bite him. "Gravity Crush!!" [Lynnette] Violet light encircled the ghouls and soon after they fell on the ground as if some unseen force is pinning them. The force itself is so great that the limbs and bones of the ghouls began to crack under pressure, the audible cracks resemble those of firewood crackling... there are also miniature craters being created underneath them. Lynnette used her personal spell whichheld a group of them in an area. Hughes slammed his shield against four oncoming ghouls which sent them flying to a wall crushing their bodies. Artemis keptsniping those from afar and occasionally shoots those who manage to breach through our defenses. "Great Wall!!" [Hughes] Hughes made a wall of light with his shield which protected him while simultaneously preventing others from entering his space. "Onslaught!!" [Grant] A self-buff of Grant which increases his attack power depending on the number of enemies he has killed for a short duration. A very useful buff but wedislike the fact thatyou needed to kill toincrease its effect... "Quad Strafe!!" [Artemis] Artemis fired four arrows at four targets simultaneously hitting their mark. "Aimfor their heads!" I shouted as I disposed of the ghoulsbeside me. "Flash Step!!" [Lionel] In an instant, I appeared behind the ghoulsusing my immense speed which made them startled, who knew the undead also has that kind of expression. ~~~Angelica~~~ These guys are total monsters! They have already defeated aton of ghouls in a short time and they are still kicking butt?! Around the corner of my eye, I saw something shiny shuffling about, they were moving at a swift pace, due to the reflection you could see them clearly even at this distance. Were they also ghouls perhaps? This should be interestingto watch. ~~~Lionel~~~ (Clank-clank-clank!) "Our soldiers were here too?!" [Lynnette] A different kind of ghoul emerged among the others with armor dangling on them, as evident from the bloodied insignias on their armor they were the second platoon ofsoldiers that we recently sent in to check...so they too have fallen... I was right that something happened to the first because they still hadn''t come back to report the situation. From what my eyes can see, the buildingsall around us are coveredby ghouls some with armor, some weren''t, they were like a mass of ants moving steadily to overpower their prey. "There''sno end to them!" [Grant] "Kyah?!" [Lynnette] Lynnette screamed as she was draggedby a ghoul by her cape. It rose up underground and had grabbed her. "Lynnette!!" [Grant] Grant tries to go after her, but was boxed in by the ghouls. "Hahh!." [Hughes] Hughes used the edge of his shield and dropped it on the ghouls head turning it into green mush. "T-thank you Hughes..." [Lynnette] "Curve Shot!!" [Artemis] Artemis''s arrow deviates from a straight line and passed by Hughes'' shoulder hitting the ghoul behind him. "Don''t slack off! Focus on the ones that are targeting Lynn!" [Artemis] Despite raising her tone it is just Artemis'' way of saying she was just worried about the group. "Lynnette your spell!" [Lionel] "Y-yes! Pleasebuy me some time!" [Lynnette] The undeadknew whom to attack first that''s why they are after Lynnette. Artemis and I kept close toher to ensurethat she can cast her spells without worrying about being harmed. The ghouls are exhibiting a different behavior from what I''m used to. It''s like something is controlling them... "?! Everyone! Be vigilant if you spot a high-level undead!" [Lionel] "Roger" [Grant/Artemis/Hughes] A high-level undeadhas the ability to control and direct the lower leveled ones, apart from those being another threat themselves they are somewhat difficult to kill. "Arrgh!! Shit!" [Grant] Two ghouls emerged from the ground andbound Grant''s arms, then another two sets of hands pierced the floor just below him, they were tugging at his leg bringing his body deeper underground. "Grant!!" [Lynnette] "Lynnette! Don''t stop casting!" [Artemis] "B-but!" [Lynnette] (Whizz!) Artemis fires the two remaining arrowsin her quiver which hit the ghouls holding Grant''s arms killing them. "Lionel, I''ll be going close combat." [Artemis] I nodded and Artemis draws the two hugemythrilarrows from her backthen uses it as a sword to cut down the ghouls who were closing in on Grant. "Earth Splitter!!" [Hughes] Hughes bashed his shield against the ground next to Grantwhich made a small cavity, soon after the ghouls who were pulling Grant lost their grip. The damage may not be noticeable on the surface but below it is a different story. (Crack...) "?! Everyone get awa-" [Artemis] At that instant, the ground gave way and we''ve sunk down into a sinkhole. "Ah..." I heard a whimper and saw Lynnette on her back clutching her leg. "Lynnette?!" [Lionel] "Lionel my foot..." [Lynnette] Her foot got stuckin a boulder... I checked and attempted to remove it to no avail... "I can''t move it... can you still cast your gravity magic?" [Lionel] "I will try..." [Lynnette] I gave her two greater healing potions. Due to our fall, there may have been some internal damage to her body. I told her to drink the first one to heal any immediate injuries she has and the other when she removes the boulder. I stood by her and protected her from the few stray ghouls. "Artemis! Hughes! Grant!" [Lionel] "I''m okay!" [Artemis]If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. I saw Artemis on the highest peak of the debris engagingwith a group of ghouls. When she finished she jumped down to where we were. "Are you alright Lynn?" [Artemis] "Yes, somewhat..." [Lynnette] "Wheres Grant and Hughes?" [Artemis] When Artemis finished her sentence we saw some rocks being flung. "Gross! Get off me, Hughes!" [Grant] Hughes raised his shield and chucked the rocks asidewhileGrant drinks a healing potion. "Damn ghouls, they pulled so hard it dislocated my knees." [Grant] "Not even a single thanks for protecting you from the rubble?" [Hughes] "Shut it, softie!" [Grant] He looks around and sees me, Artemis and then Lynnette. "Lynnette!" [Grant] WhenGrant saw Lynnette, he hurriedly ran and sat next to her checking her condition. "How are you, Hughes?" [Lionel] "My arms feel quite sore." [Hughes] "Just give it a good massage." [Lionel] He heads over to me while complaining about his arm holding the tower shield. Based on his answer he sounded fine. "Zero Gravity!!" [Lynnette] Lynnette finished casting and the bouldersaroundher began to float and with a light tap of her finger, the boulder that was on her leg slowlyrolled away in the air. Grant inspected her and saw thatthe bone was broken. (Gulp... gulp...) After drinking the greater healing potion, Lynnette was bathed in a greenish light. With our own eyes, we saw the damaged bone repair itselfas it slowly closed the wound. For some reason, the ghouls halted their assault which made us worried. We looked around and to our horror, we saw holes... There were human claw markson the holes which the ghouls may have dug out these past few months. After realizing that the ghouls appeared from each hole. They were like water gushing out of the drain. Staring up from the pit the ghouls on top began to crawl down from the walls. "?! On top of the house!" [Lionel] "Isn''t that a reaper?!" [Grant] Reaper... a floating undead spirit. They wield an enormous scythe and wore a dark cape hence their nickname, normal attacks wouldn''t work as they just pass harmlessly through them. They''re also very agile which makes the possibility of hitting them with non-homing spells close to nil. So that''s the reason whythe ghouls were after Lynnette... My sword would be able to damage it, but it''s too far away and if I leave there would be a gap in our formation. Even if I did manage to engage it I would become surrounded by ghouls and everything will fall... "Lynnette!" [Lionel] "Yes! Wind Seeker!!" [Lynnette] Lynnette fires a ?Wind Seeker? it is a homing type wind magic that follows its target whenever it goes and dices them. (Slash!) "It had cut the spell with its scythe?!" [Hughes] "Artemis! Ready your mythril arrow!" [Lionel] "Okay!" [Artemis] I threw her a greater healing potion and she splashed it all over her arrow before shooting it at the reaper. "Piercing Arrow!!" [Artemis] "Hgya?!" [Reaper] The mythril arrow laden with healing properties hit the reaper dead center. When it swung the scythe at it, it underestimated its power and when it made contact with the scythe it broke the bladed tip shattering it to pieces. The reaper gripped the mythril arrow with both of its bony hands attempting to pull it out. "Artemis, fire another shot at the arrow!" [Lionel] There was no time to douse the second arrow witha potion instead, I instructed Artemis to target the first one so that if it hits it canpush itright through the reaper. "Snipe!!" [Artemis] Artemis used her skill which focuses her attention on a single target. This skill enables her to hit even a walnut-sized target for about a kilometer away. Before the second arrow hits its mark the reaper got hold the arrow impaling it and used it to deflect the second arrow. Artemis'' second arrow flew back only inches of me. The reaper glared at uswith the flames in its eye sockets as it threw the mythril arrow aside. Its bony hands smoking from what I guess is from the effect of the healing potion.Therewas a white hole from where the arrow had hit earlier. It pointed its finger at us before melding itself on its surrounding and the rest of the ghouls simultaneously attacked. Were trapped... "Lionel!" [Grant] "Lionel what are we going to do?!" [Artemis] "Leader..." [Lynnette] "Your orders, captain?" [Hughes] I''ve miscalculated... But... If we are going to perish here... We will not go down without a fight! "We will fight to the death!!!" [Lionel] "To death!!!" [Artemis/Grant/Hughes/Lynnette] My shout was soon followed by theirs as if they had understood what I wanted to say, they''ve already prepared themselves for this... ~~~Angelica~~~ Seems like they are being overrun, good riddance, that''s one less problem off our tail. "Hahahaha! Serves them rig-" [Matthew] "Shhh... Matt." [Angelica] I covered Matthews mouth with my hand, he should really learn to keep things to himself... Aside fromSpencer and Jodybeing unaware that we''re being tracked by the Empire, it is also in bad taste toridicule someone who is about to be killed. "Those peopleare struggling..." [Jody] "There is nothing we can do for them, we had barely escaped with our own lives." [Spencer] "What''s that floating thing on top of the house?" [Matthew] Matthew sees something and I took a look at it. "Let''s go before the ghouls find their way here." [Angelica] We walked to the wagon and I turned back to look at them onelast time... ~~~Lionel~~~ Seeing my comrades desperately fight with all they can from this endless wave... with deathupon the horizon, I wondered if those two had alreadyperished at this place before we got here? If so, then we have accomplished our task at tracking them... All of us began to fall on the ground one by one as we are overpowered... scratched... bitten... slashed... it was like all our efforts are for naught... Just when I thought that everything would fall apart. Blades of wind cut through the ghouls. We were all dumbstruck for a moment but used this chance to finish off the remaining undead. Soon, a great wall of wind leveled a part of the town launching dust and debris all around. After, a house fell down the pit which created a bridge of rubble leading up. At the same time, we saw the reaper staggering nearby. "Lynnette, your spell!" [Lionel] "Venom Sting!!" [Lynnette] The reaper managed to dodge her poison magic, but I won''t let it escape! "Hughes, shield!" [Lionel] "Captain." [Hughes] "Now" [Lionel] Using the shield as a springboard. I was launched by Hughes at the reaper. "Energy Slash!!" [Lionel] Upon the mention of the skill, my sword gave a yellow-green glow. The reaper attempts to block it with its hands but fails. I slashed it from top to bottom and it jerked uncontrollably before tearing itself into pieces and disappearing. I looked back from where the wall of wind came and saw someone at the mountain, walking towards a carriage. "Everyone! Push through the wreckage!" [Lionel] With haste, we movedup the bridge while dispatching the ghouls blocking the path. "Stampede!!" [Hughes] Using his shield Hughes rams groups upon groups of ghouls some of which were sent flying. Hughes, despite being very strong is a gentle giant. "Levitation!!" [Lynnette] Making use of the wagons that are on the street, Lynnette swings them at an arc toclear the left side of the bridge of ghouls. "Mighty Swing!!" [Grant] Grant''s special skill whereit amplifies thestrike of his weapon and delivers extensive damagewhilst ignoring the armors toughness. "Sword Cannon!!" I shot a ball of energy with my sword that knocked off the ghouls who were on the right side of the bridge. "Maximum Draw!!" [Artemis] Artemis crouches and draws her bow up to a V-shape, would it not have been made up of mythril it would''ve already broken into tiny pieces. She fired hermythril arrow which managed to pierce through most of the ghouls that were after us before losing its power. I onceadvised her that instead of taking different arrows along with her; she could bring as many mythril arrowsthat she wanted, but shejust told me that it would be a waste of resources. When the reaper was taken care of, dispatching the ghouls became much much easier. The ghouls just randomly attack anyone within their vicinity which let us concentrate on defense. "We''re out!" [Grant] "Not from danger we aren''t." [Artemis] "Lynnette, teleport us out of here now!" [Lionel] "Copy! I''ll be using a short-range teleport spell to save time." [Lynnette] "Alright. Artemis, Grant, Hughes focus only on defense. Lynnette''s protection is top priority! If you get injured we''ll deal with it after we get out." [Lionel] "Okay!" [Artemis/Grant/Hughes] Without any arrows. Artemis resorted to using kicks and bludgeoning with her mythril bow. "Shared Wounds!!" [Hughes] Hughes used his personal skill that transfers apart the injuries we sustained onto him lessening the damage we obtained. Grant, picks his targets accordingly while staying close to Lynnette. I slashed at anything that tried to harm them whenever I can. Not letting even one ghoul get through us, because if we fail here we''ll all die. "The teleportation magic is ready!" [Lynnette] "Gather around Lynnette!" [Lionel] While still engaging the ghouls we slowly walked back to Lynnette who was at the center of the formation. "Teleport!!" [Lynnette] A violet magic circle appeared below us and our surroundings went white. As much as I hate to admit it but we are in her debt... only for this time... ~~~Angelica~~~ Walking back I held the two now broken high-quality magic crystals in my hand because I had used them totheir fullest potential. It was a big waste on my part, but I''ve come to grasp how powerful they were... I hopped on the carriage and Matthew shot me an angry look by the entrance. I feel like I can hear him saying"Why! Why did you save them, Angelica?! They would of better been off dead!" all in my head. "I... don''t know..."I said to him with an apologetic tone. Then I sat for a minute and gathered my thoughts. This isn''t like me... our problems would''ve been solved if I had left them to their fates. Just, what the heck was I thinking? "Angelica?" [Jody] Jodylooked at me to check if I was alright. "Sorry, let''s proceed to the next place..." [Angelica] "Thank you... for saving them..." [Jody] I nodded at her and we started moving. ~~~Somewhere~~~ The Capital of Angonoat the Blackrock Republic... "Are you sure about ceding the throne?" [King Alex] "Yes." [Michelle] "I know that Angelica''s disappearance had an impact on you, but please think of the people." [King Alex] "I''m not sure if I could handle managing the Kingdom..." [Michelle] "For sure there would be a time of hardship, but I willassist you in any way that I can. There is also your husband Terrence and also my friends Howard and Jose who will oversee your rule." [King Alex] As if it was timed Walter suddenlybursts through the throne room door while Michelle was consulting with King Alexis. "She is not fit for the throne." [Walter] "Walter... were you listening in on us?" [King Alex] ''Who knows? I would also like to know the reason why I wasn''t told that we are going to have this important conversation regarding your succession." [Walter] "Elaine is a much better ruler than you Walter." [King Alex] "Better? She is a nobody! Barely anyone could rememberher after all these years and yet you expect them to follow her? Are you really that short sighted father?" [Walter] "Stop it! Walter, why are you doing this?!" [Michelle] "You... You! Andfather know too well why I''m doing this!" [Walter] As Michelle fell silent, King Alexis tried to pacify Walter''s anger, but Walter started a heated argument with him. "If the populace knew the reason of what happened do you still think that they will support you?" [Walter] "Let it go, Walter. The past is in the past." [King Alex] "Let it go? Hahahahahahaha!! You must be kidding me!" [Walter] "It''s not worth it Walter." [King Alex] "Not worth it huh? Do you remember what you said to me before? That I have sent countless men to their deaths during my campaigns." [Walter] "Walter, please listen to father." [Michelle] "Listen?! Like what you did sister? You were the sole reason why this all happened!" [Walter] "Ah..." [Michelle] Michelle was taken aback when she saw the rage in Walter''s eyes as he pointed his finger at her. "Hmf!" [Walter] Walter gave Michelle a look of disgust, as she wasn''t able to answer back to him. "..." [King Alex] "Speak up old man! The number of deaths that I''ve caused is just afew digits compared to yours! And you''re lecturing me about preserving lives!" [Walter] "My son, I..." [King Alex] "So... you don''t care about what happened to mother... and... Ophelia? You''re going to turn your backon them is that it?! Where did that thirst for revenge of yours have gone to?!" [Walter] "My son I did what I-" [King Alex] "YOU ARE A SORRY EXCUSE FOR A FATHER!!" [Walter] "Ugh!" [King Alex] "Father?!" [Michelle] "Your Highness!" [Howard] King Alexis gripped his chest as he stumbled onto the floor. Everyone who is near him went to his aid. "Get his highnesses to the infirmary! Andsummonthe healing court magicians quickly!!" [Regina] Multiple knights carried the King on a stretcher and with haste proceeded to the infirmary. Regina glared at Walter before hurrying back to the King''s side. Walking alone in the corridor inspecting the flowers is Alicia. "Whats..." [Alicia] She saw a commotion among the knights and saw someone being brought away on the stretcher. Noticing the lying figure Alicia ran towards them. "Grandfather?!" [Alicia] "Please move out of the way!" [Knight] News traveled to Kate so she quickly made her way to meet up with the knights. When she got there she saw Alicia holding up the attendants. "What happened?! Please tell me that he''ll be alright!" [Alicia] Ignoring Alicia''s pleas, Kate directly asked Regina. "Regina! What happened to his Excellency?!" [Kate] "Walter..." [Regina] "My... father? ..." [Alicia] "Excuse us, princess." [Kate] "Go, now!" [Regina] Kate and Regina glanced asthey passed Alicia, in turn, she could only look at them as they took King Alexis away. Wanting to know the reason why she ran towards the throne room. "Brother... why?!" [Michelle] "Do not stand in my way sister." [Walter] Walter turned his back at Michelle as her feet gave way. "Aunt, Elaine?" [Alicia] At the doorway, Alicia saw Michelle sitting on the floor sobbing. "Father! What happened to Grandpa?!" [Alicia] Walter gritted his teeth. "Father! Please, answer me!" [Alicia] (Slap!!) Stunned, Alicia fell on the floor holding her reddened cheek. "Fa... ther?" [Alicia] Seeing what Walter had done Michelle rushes to Alicia. "Why did you slap your own daughter Walter?! She did nothing to you..." [Michelle] Walter slowly puts down his hand and walks away leaving the two in the cold throne room... ~~~Maria~~~ Journal entry #XXXX A month has passed since Angelica''s... I became a temporary instructor at Angelica''s school alongside Jose and Thelma. I used the knowledge that I''vegained through adventuring as I taught the children and students so that they would not meet a disastrous fate like what other people had experienced. I also experimented with new spells that I learned from master Jose and teacher Thelma. Irvinewas supposed to be with us, but he was called in by the court of magicians due to an emergency at the capital. Mooly, took it upon herself to care for and supervise the sisters to help them be independent and have a better future, sometimes she and the sisters got together to train with Evelyn. We also discovered from the guild that Angelica had saved up quite a lot of money to support the sisters which made them thankful yet even sadder... Having sold all of her inventions, the shop has currently been closed down so Mrs. Helen was hired by Angelica''s parents and she now works at the City Hall to earn some money. The loss of Angelica took a toll on all of us, but Blake took it the hardest... Blake stayed at her shop and rarely left. Whenever I got the chance to see him, he was either randomly walking somewhere in the city orto places where we have been together with Angelica... His eyes looked dead... it was like... he has lost it all... I always check on him because I feel that he may do something recklesswhile I''m not around. Sometimes I''ll cook for him and if I try toconverse with him he just answers me incoherently with "Ah... Yes... and Yeah..." I feel really bad that this has to happen to him and not being able to do anything... The sisters also took care ofhim whenever he strayed to the sisters building. Cooking, bathing and setting up a place for him to sleep or rest, they knew how painful it is to lose someone precious and they wanted to support Blake by comforting him in whatever way they can like Angelica did for them... Angelica... you and Blake gave me a chance to change and made me realize the that I could do better... Thank you... for saving me... I will forever owe my life to you... End of journalentry #XXXX. (Sniff... ... ... ... sniff...) I closed the journal and rested my back on the chair. Staring at the dark sky from the condominium window, wondering what will happen from tomorrow onwards. Unbeknownst to us, a raging storm is brewing. The one... thatwill forever change all our lives... Impractical Magic Chapter 107 ~~~Lionel~~~ The surroundings flashed and it took a few seconds before ourvision normalized, wegot teleported to a woodland along with a few other ghouls whom we easily dispatched soon after.We had to use the remaining healing potions. While Lynnette, threated the rest of our wounds using her healing magic, when she had finished, she gulped down two bottles of energy potion before resting under a tree. "What fuck happened at Witzlarn Lionel?! It''s like you already knew what was going on there!" [Grant] Grant angrily walked over and grabbed meby the collar. "Get your hands off Lionel!" [Artemis] Artemis swiped at Grant for grabbing my collar. I wouldn''t blame him because I deserved it. "Grant, stand down." [Hughes] "This isn''t your problem, Hughes. No more games Lionel, spit it out!" [Grant] "G-Grant..." [Lynnette] I stared into Grant''s eyes and recounted the events that happened that day. A few months ago, the Emperor received a report that a town had unearthed a book during a renovation on one of its old buildings. It is said that the book contained magical symbolsfrom ancient times. Malik, who was intriguedby it, asked his Excellencyfor meretrieve it along with a few soldiers. When we had got to Witzlarn the one whounearthed the book had disappeared with it, the person of interest has no particular affinity nor knowledge of magic. So, we assumed he may have fled and sold it somewhereafter discerning that it was rare and very important. Exhaustedat the distance we traveled, I instructed the soldiers to take a rest andsince the whereabouts of the book is unknown, I told them that at daybreak we will fly back to the capital. The following day, a few townsfolk came to us looking for help, therehad been two people who had recentlygone missing. Some of them had accused us that we had done somethingand I knowing our soldiers,have denied any involvement and immediatelyconducted an investigation. As the days passed more and more people have gone missing, from our findings, the disappearances only happenedat nighttime. We had initially thought that it was a monster attack, but the absence of bodies and remains led to something else, possibly human involvement. After issuinga curfew it has somehow halted, that is... until it is our soldiersthat who had begun to disappear... The total number at that time was seventeen, which gradually ballooned to twenty-two the following day.Before nightfall, I orderedthe soldiers to gather the remaining townspeoplein the townhall and create a perimeter. Two days had passed and it was uneventful,but at the third... the ghouls attacked. Being prepared we easily fought them off and managed totrack a lone ghoul that retreated into the woods. It went back to a person you could say as it''s master, whoworea black hood over its head. The ghoul spoke in an unintelligible dialogue as if reporting to its master what had happened. The master stroked the chin of the undead and with a nod, led it into the forest. It lifted both of its arms in the air and began to chant words that we were not able to understand. Only then, that I noticed that it was holdingthe book in its right hand... when it began to show strangemovements we ambushed them. I had amputated the head and hand of the master, then I checked fortheir identity and pulled down its hood, the head was that of a human... "Wait, a human that could control the undead?!" [Artemis] "Yes, I was also astonished when I discovered that." [Lionel] "Could that book be a..." [Lynnette] I nodded to Lynnette. Since she is a magician who likes spending her time at the imperial library, this information isn''t new to her. "Grimoire..." [Artemis] "Eh? Are you familiar with grimoires too Emi?" [Lynnette] "My parents used to tell me stories about them ce- back in the day." [Artemis] For a split second, Artemis and I made eye contact and I continued on with the story. The book in its hand had this unusual cover which made out of skin of some sort. I wasabout to pick it up but stopped shortwhen it gave me a weird feeling. Just then, a magicianwith our soldiers took it and flipped at its pages, I observed from afar and saw that everything was normal. With the book in our custody, we went back to Witzlarn and as we arrive the magician held his arms up. I was only able to know when I heard a fellow of his who was beside me asking about the magicians weird behavior. I killed the magician to the soldiers surprise and shouted not to touch the book, soon after, screamsbegan to echo at the townhall. As we got there, wespotted a black magic circle that was dissipating over the building, we only barged inwhen it has ceased... Everyone inside was screaming as their bodies twitched and twisted, bending into unforeseen proportions. Their neck turning at 180¡ã and spines bent in the opposite direction. Aside from it being already horrifying just to watch. It also began to happen to the children... their eyes turned bloodshot watered with red tears running down their face as they cry in agony...moments later, their lifeless bodies littered the hall.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Soon, there was again a sign of movement, a soldier went to the aid of a child that was slowly moving its fingers. Taking a potion from his pocket and before administering it... he was bitten at the neck. The child had ripped a huge chunk of flesh that it sprayed blood all over him. Afterwitnessing what had happened I shifted my focus on the other bodies and realized that they had allstarted to move too, with haste I ordered the soldiers to surround out of the building and shouted not tolet even a single ghoul escape, as it is still not clearly understood how they can multiply... As the ghouls exited the building, our soldiers were baffled at the sight of them. Though most look normal, their contorted bodies gave away their facade. A few soldiers refused to strike down the women and children which made it somewhat troublesome... The fight was intense but we only hadminor losses, althoughthe same couldn''tbe said for the townspeople... they were all wiped out by whatever that spell was in the book... To make sure that a diseasewouldn''t spread, we cremated all of the dead. Shortly thereafter, Idestroyed the book because I deemed it to be far too dangerous, for I fear that if anyone were to randomly come into contact with it and they''ll use it against us, let alone inthe capital... Only when we got back that I was told by Malik that the book was indeed a grimoire. "What are they? Those grimoires?" [Grant] "They are accursed bookswhich had powerful spellslocked inside of them. It is said that whoever gets a hold of a grimoire is able to use the spells within it despite not having prior knowledge, nor the ability to wield magic, but at the cost of losing your own sanity..." [Lynnette] "Isn''t what you''re holding also a..." [Grant] "No, this is a tome that I had created tohelp me efficiently cast my spells because they were too complex." [Lynnette] "I see... but who is crazy enough to make those books?" [Grants] "They say that it was created by a race who were banished a long time ago. As for their purpose, no one knows..." [Artemis] "Which race are they?" [Hughes] "From what I had read, they were once a race whom we fought during theancient war. As for their name, however, it was omitted from the history books." [Lynnette] "Thesaid race wassaid to have been so powerful that the Humans, elves, dwarfs, and demi-humans were forced to band all of their armies together in order to fight them." [Artemis] "So they were like the undead and wyverns?" [Hughes] "No, Hughes. They were much... much worse..." [Artemis] "Grant, do you remember the tale of the four great heroes?" [Lynnette] "Yes,I used to play and act like them duringmy childhood." [Grant] The four great heroes, people who hailed fromthe coalition of races,they were all brought together by grief, tragedy, and hardship. Fighting for the ones they love and theothers they had lost...they are the only people who are capable of fighting the saidrace on equal footing... Most of the things weuse and know today came from them. From the human''sweapon skills,demi-humans body strengthening, elves Invoke and Cast type magic, and the dwarfs for the discovery of Mithril.There are a few others, though some were lostthrough the years... "Then, what about the reaper?" [Grant] "It may have only wandered into the town while we were absent." [Lionel] "Alright... and that woman we are after?" [Grant] "What about her?" [Lionel] "Don''t lie to me! I saw you looking at her after she used thatweirdmagic. She had no reason for saving us!" [Grant] "I am just as confused as you are." [Lionel] "Bullshit! Maybe you are both into something?" [Grant] "Gra-" [Hughes] "Don''t bother Hughes, he won''t listen to whatever I say." [Lionel] "I will reportyou and see to it that somethingto be done at your actions!" [Grant] "Wait, Grant! You shouldn''t!" [Lynnette] After hearing that Lynnette stood up ran up to Grant. Most of us knew that Grant is from anoble family that is close to the Emperor and knowing him, his words could sway some powerful figures. "Are you sureabout that?" [Lionel] "Yes! And when I''m done I will have you tried for conspiracy!" [Grant] "Then you are aware that what you''re going sayis going up against the Emperor?" [Lionel] "That''s..." [Grant] When he realized his mistake, Grant backed down. "Lynnette, toHerxheim please so we could restock our supplies." [Lionel] "... Okay..." [Lynnette] It is most likely that by the time we finished resupplying, they will have managed to pass through the trail could be anywhere by now...The other side of the mountain is chock full of towns andvillagesseparated into multiple pathsthat it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Searching after this is going to be difficult... ~~~Angelica~~~ (Yawn...) My back hurts... "You okay?" [Jody] "Yeah," I answered while stretching. "Ifmy hunch is correct we are almost out of the trail." [Spencer] "That''s good to hear!" [Angelica] I felt recharged when I heard that the end was in sight,for some time now I had been managing the road nonstop, sitting at the front the saddle likethe statue of liberty with one hand up. Well, the reason forit is because I needed to aim the magic crystal in order to create the road as we slowly progressed through the path. Hmm... how could I explain it in simple terms... It''s like using a remote to operatethe television, as the remote being the magic crystal and the television as the designated target. We all know the fact that if you don''t point the remote towards the television then it won''t pick up the infrared signal from the remote''s lens, so it wouldn''t turn on/off or change channels. Although that is not always the case... because some spells had different requirements like thoseof areaof effect. Isearched for Matthew andfound him still moping from where he sat from earlier, he''s not glaring at me which is a good sign or he''s probably thinking up a few ways to kill me lol. "Spencer! Could you take a look at this?" [Jody] I was startled when Jody called for Spencer. When I looked back to the front there were multiple diverging paths all of which are unmarked... "Well, this is a problem..." [Spencer] That doesn''t sound good... Jody and I worriedly exchanged glances. "No need to be all serious. I was just joking hahaha!" [Spencer] I was also going to laugh but then felt a negative aura beside me. "Seems like we forgot to leave someone back at Witzlarn." [Jody] Jody glanced at me as if asking for my input. Sheis probably isn''t in a joking mood right now... "Y-yeah, maybe you want t-to take a stroll back to the c-city Spen... cer..." [Angelica] Jody smiles as she hunched by Spencer whispering something into his ear. "I-I''M SORRY!! C-COME LET''S USE THE P-PATH ON T-THE F-FAR RIGHT!" [Spencer] Spencer walks in a robotic fashion as he points towards the path. "Spencer, get in the wagon." [Angelica] He doesn''t even hear me as we pass. "Err... Jody?" [Angelica] "Mmn?" [Jody] She looks my way while still maintaining her smile as if saying "is there a problem?" I rest my case and ignored Spencer who was slowly being left behind... Impractical Magic Chapter 108 After passing through Witzlarn and a few villages we still haven''t seen a trace of the Empire Corps. Could they have given up after being saved? Nah, considering how crazy the Emperor is for me it''s a no brainer... They were probably wary of the ?Crescent? that I had used because up till now it is on a grander scale than the one in Pilapil, they are most likely planning on how to counter it. Well, not that I care I will just use it as a bluff to scare them again. Although I would like to say that in order to save them I wasted a high-quality magic crystal... If I hadn''t used it till breaking point I could''ve utilized ?Crescent? at least ten to fifteen times on normal usage before the crystal needed to recharge. Currently, we are eating out while camping in the wilderness. Jody made a soup out of the spiked boar that I had taken down earlier. "Open your mouth..." [Angelica] ... "Say, ah..." [Angelica] The person whom I was speaking to is Matthew. After I had made that dumb move at Witzlarn he has refused to talk to me for days. "C''mon, you wouldn''t want your stomach to come growling now, won''t you?" [Angelica] "?!" [Matthew] His face flushed, he was going to refute what I had just said but, bit his lips in the last minute. During the past few days, we shared the same bowl when eating in the wilderness. It was due to when the ghouls chased us out that we began to notice we were missing a few things in the wagon. Before we eat it was somewhat in sequence that Jody distributes the bowls to Spencer then he, in turn, passes it over to me and I to Matthew. So you get the drill, because of that he either has to wait for me to finish or find an alternative to do it on his own. I had suggested that we share the bowl and eat at the same time, but then he ignored me. It was only when I heard his stomach growl that I began teasing him about it. Being unable to talk back, I felt like teasing him to get him to open up. "Aah..." [Matthew] Oh! Finally, he opened his mouth, his face is still beet red though... I gave him a spoonful and he chewed whilst staring away at least this is a good sign. After finishing our supper and cleaning up we all slept by the campfire. The place we are at is known to be inhabited by harmless fauna so there''s no need for a lookout, although it wouldn''t hurt to keep an eye out just in case. I created a perimeter fence that was made of mud and has been enchanted with my earth crystal, although what came out seemed like a birdcage lol, at least it would prevent the entry of anything bigger than a toddler. Spencer and Jody shared a blanket while Matthew and I slept opposite of each other. I was staring at the stars and wondering about what I should do. Then I noticed Matthew who was moving around in his blanket. I stood up and took a glance at him and noticed that he was still sleeping. It''s quite chilly tonight so he might have been cold... I picked up my blanket and huddled right next to him and placed my hand over his blanket. In a mere second, tiny flames sprouted all over erasing the chill. The next thing that happened is he clung to me with his arms wrapped around my waist and because of his small stature, his face was now directly at the level of my chest. (Pomf...) His little head made a sound as it l sandwiched itself in between my chest. I could feel every ounce of his breath that escaped from his mouth... If for some reason someone were to see us like this, they would most likely think of us as siblings sleeping right next to each other. "Mom..." [Matthew] When he finished, a small tear traced down his face... I had almost forgotten how rough things are for him, being at a young age I could only feel sorry for him. I hugged and stroked his head as he slept. When I did that his expression lightened up a bit. Next day... "Mmnm." [Matthew] I woke up from Matthew''s movements, he was snuggling at my chest lol. Not that I would mind if it were Maria''s I''d probably do the same while asleep. "Eh?" [Matthew] He released his embrace and jumped back the moment he realized that he was clinging onto me. "Wha-wha-wha?!" [Matthew] "Slept well?" [Angelica] While he''s still flustered I asked, he could barely look at me in the eye due to his embarrassment. "Y-yeah..." [Matthew] I have to admit that his reply made me smile because I wasn''t expecting it. I outstretched my hand and helped him stand, slowly but surely, we are making up.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. We packed up our stuff and continued with our journey. It seems that the next destination is Gorkow. Which is a town and as per Spencer, there isn''t anything particularly interesting since it''s similar to all the other places we''ve been to except that this one has a small adventurers guild. When we got there Matthew and I stopped by the guild. "Hello, good day, how may I help you?" Earlier the female receptionist was slouching at the desk and upon seeing me walk up to her she quickly perked herself up asked in a polite tone. "Hi, I hope that you could help me with something." [Angelica] "If it is within the guild regulations I would be happy to." [Receptionist] She seemed quite helpful which made me feel at ease. "I have recently lost my adventurers card when fighting a monster." [Angelica] "May I know your name is to clarify things?" [Receptionist] "Angelica." [Angelica] I told her my name, she probably requires it as a standard procedure. I haven''t really delved into what I needed to be done if I had lost my adventurers card so this is quite new to me. "Do you remember where you had lost it? Ms. Angelica?" [Receptionist] "I lost it while fleeing the city of Pilapil as it began to collapse." [Angelica] "Pilapil? ... ... PILAPIL?!" [Receptionist] When she let out a shout the few adventurers who heard it glanced towards our direction. "Can you tone it down a bit?" [Angelica] I cupped my hand and whispered to her. "Ah, my apologies. Should I prepare a room?" [Receptionist] "Aren''t those only reserved for high ranked adventurers? I don''t have anything to pay you with right now." [Angelica] "It''s alright, this is a very important matter after all." [Receptionist] She led us to a room at the end of the corridor and gestured us to enter. (Click!) "Now, then..." [Receptionist] Upon hearing the door lock from behind I quickly turned and saw the receptionist showing a wide smile. "Sorry, did that startle you?" [Receptionist] She questioned me when she noticed that I was holding onto the hilt of the sword tightly. Then, suddenly... she lunges at me. Shit! She''s fast! Before I could do anything else she had already gotten a hold of my dominant hand. Has the Emperor issued a capture quest on me?! "Please! Tell me the details about the battle with the wyvern!" [Receptionist] I relaxed my grip when I saw the glitter in her eyes as she held my hand. Fast forward, I told her what had happened. It turns out that she was only curious about the events on Pilapil but goddamn! Hearing the door lock so suddenly scared the living hell out of me. I needed to give credit to that fucking mofo for giving me PTSD! "Wonderful... good thing that you''ve passed through our town, stories like that are hard to come by." [Receptionist] "Really? Didn''t information such as this get circulated around the other branches?" [Angelica] "Bits and pieces only, sometimes we rely on other adventurers on the news." [Receptionist] The receptionist heaved a sigh. It must''ve been very boring to stay in such a small town with nothing much to do... "Uh... about my adventurer''s card..." [Angelica] "Oh, about that. Shed a drop of blood and apply a bit of energy as you put your hand over this parchment." [Receptionist] She presented me with a rolled paper which she had undone, it was colored green and had these weird writings on it. "Can I ask what this is for?" [Angelica] "This is a request form for the reissuing of a lost card which we will send to the main branch. It uses your blood and handprint so that we can find you in our database in order to retrieve your rank and stored money within the card, it also serves to make sure that there are no forgeries." [Receptionist] "Ah! I remember now, when I first signed up I let them take a sample of my blood in order to process my card. So by that time was I being registered at the database?" [Angelica] "That is correct." [Receptionist] "I never knew that it was so convenient." [Angelica] "Heheh, you should thank the guild administrator for that." [Receptionist] "Administrator?" [Angelica] "The guild administrator is the one who manages all the adventurer guilds." [Receptionist] "I see..." [Angelica] Ah, so it is equal to the position of a president/ceo. "Are you going to be staying here for a while?" [Receptionist] "I planned to keep on moving because as you know, my residence is within the Republic." [Angelica] I don''t want to tell her that I couldn''t stay for long since the Emperor has the hots for me lol. "I figured as much..." [Receptionist] She put her hand on the side of her face as she looks away. "Is there a problem?" [Angelica] "It takes a while for the reissuing to be processed. Even if I sent it now, it might take about a month or a half for you to get your card back..." [Receptionist] Crap... "Could you use any other alternative?" [Angelica] "Mmn... ... ... Ah!" [Receptionist] She tapped her fingers on the table and clapped when an idea had struck her. "I can send it over to the next branch that is along your path." [Receptionist] "That would be great!" [Angelica] The receptionist rolled a large map which covered the whole table. It is very detailed compared to the one in Herxheim, heck, it even shows the location of some monsters. As expected from the adventurers guild, it''s giving me RPG vibes just by looking at it. "So, where do you want it to be sent?" [Receptionist] "Hmn." [Angelica] There is so much stuff in here that it is making it hard for me to choose... "How about this one?" [Angelica] "The port city of Wimbern, good choice. You can hop on the ships going to the island of Troizin which is a neutral territory, then hitch another ride to the port city of Cavite which is within the Republic." [Receptionist] She has a good understanding of the transportation in the area. I wonder if this is the result of good training from their management. "Ms. Angelica, would you want to notify your party members and parents about your location and status? because if you are currently missing they may be delighted to hear about it." [Receptionist] I felt Matthew pulling my sleeve so I glanced at him and he shook his head. "No need, I will go and see them myself." [Angelica] It is the last thing that I would want them to do... I don''t like the idea of them coming here in order to search for me. So as long as they are safe back home it would keep my mind at ease. Matthew may have come to the same conclusion earlier hence he tried to warn me. "Alright, it''s done." [Receptionist] "Thanks, it would help out a lot." [Angelica] "Angelica, wait!" [Receptionist] "Er, yes?" [Angelica] "Here is a temporary card. This will set your rank as a default AR1 so you cannot undertake any quest higher unless your rank is confirmed, it can, however store the current quests that you''ve fulfilled and also your money. Which will carry over to your reissued card once it is verified." [Receptionist] I took the card with both of my hands and presented a bow. Soon, Matthew and I left the adventurers guild. I also wanted to get Matthew an adventurers card, but in order to raise his adventurer rank (AR) we have to stay in the same place because you needed to report at the same branch where you undertook the quest and that would be counter-intuitive... When we met up with Jody and Spencer I thanked them and said that we will separate at the next place which is the city of Gaushorn. Impractical Magic Chapter 109 At last, we''ve arrived at Gaushorn.By the entrance, we said our goodbyes to Jody and Spencer and also thanked them for dropping us off before continuing to their hometown. As a measure of goodwill, I had left them with half of my enchanted magic crystals, which they could use for their farming. I have imparted some of the things we did atDalio to them so that they could utilize the crystals to their fullest potential and maximize their production. Matthew and I entered the main gate, the security here is quite lax but it''s better than the rest who had nothing. They let me enter without any problemswhen I showed them my temporary adventures card and by the guise that I was Matthew''s escort. The difference of this city was night and day compared to others. The streets were all well paved and the walls from the main gate stretched as far as the eyes could see. Also, noticeably there were no signs of beggars which could say a lot of good things about the city. According to Jody, Gaushorn is known to be managed by a noble whose family have hailed from humble beginnings. So it is most likely the reason why this place seemed more developed than others. I rented a small pull cartwhich I saw at the entrance that also came with a horse. The total amount was 150 silver and that was for the whole week which is reasonably cheap. The reason that I rented this isbecause the other half of the crystals are in my possession and you wouldn''t expect me to carry all of them now would you? Sure, with the help of the wind crystal I could carry them all with one hand. However, it would certainly look weird if people saw me juggling all those sackswhich would get me unwanted attention lol. An hour into the city Matthew and I are scouting the place out for a place we could stay. I had him sit atop of the cart to deter thieves as I pulled it from alleyway to alleyways scanning for hotels and inns. The weight of cart with him on it isn''t difficult to pull, as I secretly used the wind crystal which made it feel like you were tugging along a toy wagon. Whilst I was busy looking I felt a sharp pain on my foot. "Argh?! Goddamn!!" [Angelica] Matthew was startled when I suddenly dropped the cart, but he immediately recovered and checked to see if I was okay. (Neigh!) I glanced to see who was the culprit and saw there was a horse by my side that is walking back. "You, there! Watch where you''re going!" A coachman shouted at me who was on a carriage. I was about to shout back at him when I noticed that I swerved out my lane. "Sorry." [Angelica] I apologized to end things quickly and moved to the corner to inspect my injury. Ah... frik... it hurts... I mumbled as I removed the shoe and saw that thefoot was a bit swollen, it had this huge bruise as if someone stamped a U-shape on it. "A-are you alright?!" "Yaw?! Ow-ow-ow!" [Angelica] Before I had the chance to heal I heard a woman''s voice. She exited the carriage and all of a sudden held my foot. "It is okay ma''am we can take care of it." [Matthew] "No, we are also at fault here. Please get on and we will get her treated." "But... miss Stella." "No, butts Roy." [Stella] Roy''s retort was routed by the lady named Stella. We just came along because were swept by her insistence. The woman named Stella askedthe othercoachman tobring my cart to their house. At first, I thought that it was some kind of scheme to stealthe crystals, but when I saw her how expensive her clothing is I was put at ease. From the looks of it, she may be a rich person or is part of a rich family. Her hair was colored sky blue and arranged similar to a pigtail. Hmm... she also has a very nice figure, kinda like a bottle of coke.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. "Does it hurt Angelica?" [Matthew] "Mmn... mmn..." [Angelica] Let''s see... B or a C? Probably a C. "Are you sure? You don''tseem you''re hurting to me." [Stella] She leaned forward with her low cut dress and inspected my foot while I inspected for something else. "Tch?!" [Angelica] "?! Sorry!!" [Stella] I flinched when she poked at the bruise. Darn! I could almost see it!! ... ... ... Wait... just how stupid am I?! Why am I enduring it this pain while I could just use the crystal to heal! I brought out the green magic crystal and used it on my foot. The inside of the wagon wasfilled by small orbs and greenish light, then, the orbs entered my foot and disappeared slowly healing it back to its original state. "Owoooo!! That is amazing! What is that?! Is it for sale?! How much would you want for it?! Would gold be enough?! Do you have more?!" [Stella] I appreciate the amazement, but geez girl, calm your yourself! I let her hold the crystal and she closely inspects it. "What... is that?" [Angelica] When she looked up I saw hearts in her eyes. "Mmn?" [Stella] I thought that I was just seeing things, so I rubbed my eyes. Looking for another time I saw her blue eyes and it has... Heart Shaped Pupils?! "M-matthew, do you see what I''m seeing?" [Angelica] "What is it?" [Matthew] "Umm, is there something on my face?" [Stella] As I stared at her question marks began popping up on Stella''s head. "Your eyes!" [Angelica] "Eh? My eyes?!" [Stella] Stella, panics, and fumbles as she struggled to get a hold of a mirror that is stored beside her seat. "I see nothing wrong with her eyes, Angelica..." [Matthew] He looks at me weirdly as if doubting what I had just said. "Whew... you scared me I thought there was something there..." [Stella] She moves the mirror side to sideoblivious to her heart-shaped pupils. SERIOUSLY?! That IS considered normal?! "Sorry, it must have been from the pain." [Angelica] I just made an excuse and let go... this worldnever fails tosurprise me lol... "Miss, Stella we have arrived." [Roy] "Here already?" [Stella] When we got to her residence, Stella was the first to be escorted off the carriage, she was helped down by her servants. All of them looked prim and proper withmostbeingenthusiastic greeting her return. Next, we had our turn and saw Stella''s residence,to our surprise itis only a house that is three floors high.For someone as rich as her to be living in a simple housesuch as this, because I expected her to at least residein amansion. "Stella, my beloved! I have missed you so much!" A man came running out of the house in open arms. The first thing that I noticed is he had shaggy black hair that covered his eyesand that he wore the same expensive clothes as Stella, judging from his words he is probably her husband. "Henry! I''ve missed you too!" [Stella] Stella ran up to him and as Henry caught her; he happily swung her around in his arms. (Chu~~~) As he let her down they kissed each other right in front of us without reserve. I on reflex covered Matthew''s eyes and said to him not to look. "I am not that young to know what a kiss is Angelica." [Matthew] He said that as he pried off my hand. I can''t help it, I was raised that way when I was a kid. As Stella and Henry were talking to each other she excitedly showed him the green magic crystal that I used earlier to heal my foot. He glanced towards our direction and made a slight bow, I felt his gaze fell on me despite not seeing his eyes. He looked at me for a mere second before smiling back and replying to Stella. "Hello, my name is Henry. I have heard from my wife about what happened." [Henry] Henry walked up to me and shook my hand and also Matthews while introducing himself. "I cannot help but ask if you wouldn''t mind. but how can you see with your eyes from that hair of yours?" [Angelica] I try to get a better look at his face, but his hair is in the way. He looks like one of those typical hentai guys lol. {1} When I said that Matthew shot me a look as if saying "Tf iz wrong wit u today?" Don''t tell me that this is normal too?!! "I get complimented by that a lot, but I had already gotten used to it during the years." [Henry] "I see..." [Angelica] "Darling, thank you for looking after the city while I''m gone." [Stella] "Anything for my beloved." [Henry] "Looking after the city?" [Matthew] "Oh dear, haven''t I told you earlier?" [Stella] "Nope." [Angelica] "I and my husband are the oneswho are governingthis city." [Stella] "You''re the nobles of Gaushorn?!" [Matthew] Matthew was taken aback. Atthe start, I had alreadydeduced that she was high-class and was very humble after the mishap. Stella giggled at the fact that Matthewhadn''t realized it earlier. Then, Stella embraced Henry from behind giving himan ample dose of those vitamin C''s. While he, in turn, leans a bit towards her smiling. These two are a really good couple and are very likable, the only problem is their eyes... Wait... big tiddies... heart eyes... hentai guy... I raised my hand. "I have several questions." {2} [Angelica] "Why not discuss those over inside with some tea?" [Stella] We entered the house and soon after my cart arrived with the other coachman, who is wheezing heavily from pulling the wagon. I forgot to tell him about the wind crystal but oh, well... References. {1} Hentai guy is a term used to describe a typical male hentai character whose eyes is always obscured by either a shadow on their face or by their hair. {2} "I have several questions." is a meme that is started by JonTron. It is used by users whenever a questionable yet interesting subject arises to show their funny sense of humor.https://media3.giphy.com/media/P8hKeTm4L2Qs8/giphy.gif Impractical Magic Chapter 110 As we were guided into the living room, Henry and Stella had gone upstairs. While they took their time, Matthew and Iexaminedthe living room and found that most of the stuff here is what you would normallyfind in a non-noble household.Soon, Henry enters the room who was later followed by Stella, they wore the same clothes as the everyday person you wouldsee on the street. "Why are you-" [Matthew] "Wearing those clothes? Fufu~" [Stella] Stella giggled when shesaw Matthew''s reaction, she really liked teasing him is she perhaps a closet shota? (Knock-knock...) "Seems like our tea is here. Please come in." [Stella] A maid entered the room pushing a tea trolley, even the trolley and also the teacups are plain and simple. "Madam..." After greetingStella the maid began to serve us one by one, skillfully and gracefully placing the cup down on the table. When it was thetime she came toserve mine, the maid looked at me weirdly, so I checked myself out and forgot that I had also worn a maid uniform. She might have thought that it was weird for me to be sitting close to Matthew instead of standing behind him as a normal servant would. I can''t blame her because I wasn''t even a real maid, to begin with. When she finished serving everyone the maid presented a bow before silently exiting the room. "Believe it or not we are once scolded by our people because despite being the ones governing them we always wore the same clothes as they did." [Henry] Henry started talking as soon the maid leaves, is it considered bad manners to talk while being served? Or they decided not to talk so that the servantswon''t hearany irrelevant information? "They said that it wasn''t good for our image so in order to satisfy them we had to dress up like the nobles." [Stella] As they said... when in rome, do what the romans do. "I can somehow feel your pain..." [Angelica] When I was managing Dalio the people there also said that I should dress up exquisitely to look the part... they probably just wanted to see me in a dress... "Hahh... talking about this makes me remember all the troubles we''ve had before." [Henry] "Yes, the amount of reforms and the red tapes we had to go through is very frustrating, but all in all it was worth it." [Stella] Both of them let out a deep sigh. Henry is crying a waterfall despite him not having eyes... creepy...both of them looked so gloomy and the way they''re acting right now is like they weren''t even nobles lol... "Now, Angelica." [Stella] "Um... yes?" [Angelica] I was caught off guard when Stella switched to a serious tone. "Angelica... can I... ... ... No..." [Stella] She paused to collect her thoughts, what''s will all this seriousness? It''s making me nervous... "I will get straight to the point. Angelica, I want to employ you. But not without seeking Matthew''s approval first." [Stella] Stella stood up with both hands on the table facing me, before glancing at Matthew. She really thought that I was an adventurer escorting him. Earlier when we were at the carriage I told her that I was the one who enchanted the crystal, which is probably the reason why she wanted to employ me. Well, anybody can do it as long as they could use magic. "How about it Matthew is it alright?" [Stella] "Angelica?" [Matthew] He''s not fine deciding it by himself so he looked at me waiting for my input. "I really appreciate it Stella, but there is also another reason why I am escorting Matthew." [Angelica] "May I know the reason?" [Stella] "Apart from escorting him, Matthew''s destination also ends near my hometown. I haven''t seen my family and friends for quite a while now so I decided to pay them a visit." [Angelica] "Ah..." [Stella] Stella was saddened knowing the fact that she couldn''t do anything to change my mind. Given the chance I would''ve liked to stay here and help... but due to the situation Matthew and I were in we cannot afford to get captured again... Henry was just sitting there and is being awfully quiet... is he the type who doesn''t talk much? "However..." [Angelica] Stella raised her head. "I wouldn''t mind selling you the magic crystals that I currently have. As an addition, I will also include a tutorial on how to use them for free." [Angelica] "Really?!" [Stella] After I said that Stella''s face lit up. It''s a good thing that she had shown some interest because I''ve had problems earlieron whether or not I should discard the crystals due to it weighing us down. After I sell them, I will ask the guild todepositthe money into my adventurers'' card, so that I wouldn''t have to worry about it getting stolen. Also, I can use the card at some places to do my transactions, much like a credit card which is very very convenient. While it''s still early I had Henry and Stella accompany me outside. I took one sack from the cart and brought out a red, white, black and yellow... {1} wait... correction... its a red, blue, brown andyellow-green magic crystal respectably. Just like at Nielitz, I showed them what each crystal could do and how it can be used. Stella was the mostecstaticbecause apparently, it is her first time touse magic, due to the fact that she and Henry came from poor families and in order to learn magic money is required, unless they are taught independently which is rare... So from the lack of funds they were unable to practice and develop their bodyto utilize magic... Somehow I felt sad upon hearing it... but also glad that I had established the school back in Dalio. I told Henry that he can do a demo with one of the crystals, but he obliged and kept on observing both me and Stella. Feeling let down, I urged theservants to join in and we played using the magic crystals. There was some splashing, being blown off by a strong gust... trappingsomeone in earth... aaaaannnd... some barbecuing... I squinted my eyes hmn... not sure if they were playing or trying to kill each other... {2} lol. Later in the afternoon most of us were drained from playing too much. Theywere so thankful enough that they let us stay the night for free. Since the house couldn''t accommodate that many people they asked both Matthew and I to stay at the sameroom. Midnight came and I wasn''t able to sleep so Iwent out. Before when I was a lookout, I got usedtostayingup so late that it''s starting to mess with my body clock... The house at this time is somewhat silentit is most likely thateveryone is currently asleep. I went outsideto get some fresh air and left the door open, the reason behind it is because I didn''t have a key. I found myself wandering at their backyard and intothe garden, there were some vegetablesalong with a few flowers. As I squatted down, I immediately recognized that they weremigration lilieswhich hadn''t bloomed yet. Michelle really loved these flowers... (Rustle...) The grass rustled from behind me, but there was no windso I cautiously turned around. There, at the corner of my eye, I saw Henry who was standinga few meters away staring at me. "Geez, Henry you scared me..." [Angelica] "Isn''t it quite late for you to be outside?" [Henry] He might''vefound itpeculiar forme to be out late at night. It''s his house soit is normal for him tobe worried heck, if someone who I barely knew was snooping around our home at night I would also be on alert. I told himthat I wasn''t able to sleep and we talked for a bit. "I have to thank you for providing us with your crystals and for helping my wife." [Henry] "You don''t have to thank me, Henry. I''m doing this on my own accord." [Angelica] "..." [Henry] "Is there anything you would like to say?" [Angelica]Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He seemed hesitant about something... I''m not used to being with people who don''t talk much because it makes me feel awkward. "I want you to leave immediately after you finish teaching Stella." [Henry] I felt the hostility in his words just now, I can''t quiteput my fingeron why he would say something like that. "Is there any particular reason why?" [Angelica] Being curious I asked him upfront. "You are named as the inventor at the Repu-" [Henry] Where did he?!I reflexivelydrew and enchated the knife thatwas on my waist and brought it close to his neck, the glow fromits crimson edge lighted both of our faces in the dark. "Quite nice of you to brandish a weapon at an unarmed civilian." [Henry] Because I couldn''t see his eyes I wasn''t even sure if he was fazed by my threat. "Would you care to put it down? You wouldn''t want me to stain the rug now would y-" [Henry] Did he just threatened to kill me?! I was alarmed at what he said, so I increased the output of my enchant. Now, instead of the edge, the whole blade was lit aflame. I saw his mouth twitching weirdly, so I brought the knife much closer to his neck. "Wai-" [Henry] Slowly he lookeddown, so I followed his gazeand what I saw was... his legs... they were... shaking uncontrollably... I made a surprised pikachu face {3} and slowly retracted my blade.So that''s what he meant... "Thank you..." [Henry] "Don''t... mention it..." [Angelica] Well, this is fucking awkward... "Sorry, but you sounded so threatening... you could''ve picked some better lines..." [Angelica] "That''s because you didn''t let me finish talking!" [Henry] He started yapping at me for acting stupid and jumping to conclusions. I felt like a child that was getting scolded by my parents lol. The shock from almost being murdered by me must have got him high on adrenaline... "Hah..." [Henry] He finally calms down once he had it out of his system. "Soooo~ why am I not welcomed again?" [Angelica] "As I''ve said... You are the inventor from the Republic correct?" [Henry] "Yeah, so how did you know?" [Angelic] When I asked, Henry showed me a red magic crystalthat was in his pocket... is that why he was silently observing me earlier? Because he already knew who I am? "I just know things." [Henry] "Usingmagic?" [Angelica] What he said is quite vague so I poked him to get answers. "No." [Henry] He shook his head. I thought that he was some kind of psychic, hmm... ifit isn''t magic then he may have gotten that information from spies... "You better not have any assassins at the Rep-" [Angelica] "No-no-no, doing that would onlylead to another war and I''m not willing to bring suffering to my... ahem, toour people." [Henry] He paused and corrected himself. He must''ve been referring to Stella since the Empire is treating most of their populace like shit. I have to give him props though because he really does seem to love her, despite looking like that he had hit the jackpot. "Anything else?" [Angelica] "I also knew that you are being tailed by the Corps because youarefancied by the Emperor." [Henry] "Ho, and where did you hear that from?" [Angelica] "My trusted sources." [Henry] This dude... not only does he have peoplein the Republic, but he also spiedon their own kingdom... "I planned on sparing you earlier, but on second thought, you know too much~" [Angelica] "Hey now, I''m not a person of violence!" [Henry] He raised his arms up so fast that it made them blur for a moment... "But in all seriousness, please leave after you have taught Stella." [Henry] He said in a serious tone, I can say that he is quite remarkable for being able to switch from a scaredy cat to a serious person in a snap. Maybe he just wanted us out because he doesn''t want to get involved with our troubles, if I think of it like that then it doesn''t soundtoo bad. Morning came and ItoldMatthew that we have to leave, for some reason he began clinging to me whenever he has fallen asleep. After breakfast, I said to Stella that we will be going and she and a few servants who were presentbecame depressed. It pains me to say it but its better than to just disappear without any prior notice... before we had the chance to go. Henry and Stellainvited us fora tour around the city for which I was thankful forbecause we had only been here in just a day. The tour was spectacular, almost everyone knew and greeted them on the spotwhile the shopsgave us generous discounts and we even ate at a fancy restaurant for free. They also escortedus at the guild for my deposit and at the city exit. "Thank you again, Angelica! Matthew!" [Stella] Stella tugged Matthew and he fell in between her bosom. In my head, I mumbled, "Why you lucky little..." While I was deep in thought I had also got tugged by her which resulted in the same scenario. "Even though it was short I will miss you guys." [Stella] "Mmmmmmm! I will miss these too..." [Angelica] *Snuggle-snuggle... snuggle-snuggle...* Henry could only look helplessly as I got spoiled by Stella with her vitamin C''s. While my face is half buried I smirked at him and he returned me a wry smile. We said our goodbyesas they sent us off... They are one of the few people whom I considered to be good role models.If only the Empireand also thatMofo weren''t in this sorry state, then maybe... Blake, Maria, Mooly, Irvine, Matthew and I are having a fun with our adventure here... ~~~Henry~~~ A few dayssince they hadleft... we were visited by someone. A lone man jumped down from a dragon and walked over to us, from afar I could already recognize the insignia on his shoulder... They came much sooner than I had expected. "Good day, Count Henry and Countess Stella. My name is Lionel I am from the Empire Corps." [Lionel] "Hello, Lionel what brings you here?" [Stella] "I was tasked by the Emperor to find two fugitives who had recently escaped captive, we have come to an assumption that they may have traversed through your city." [Lionel] "Fugitives?! Oh my..." [Stella] Stella covered her mouth from shock. "Are there any more of you coming?" [Henry] "No, I came alone." [Lionel] "Seems like you have come a long journey, would you like to have some tea? We''ve just finished brewing the tea leaves that we ordered from overseas." [Stella] This is what I love about my wife, shehas always been so hospitable even towards strangers. "That would be lovely, Countess." [Lionel] At the living room, we were sipping tea... "This tea tastes marvelous!And this fragrance... it relieves me of my stress..." [Lionel] Heraised the teacup and praises thetea highly. "I''m glad you liked it, the connections we have made with merchantsgave us more chances to expand the city through trade." [Stella] "I never knew that you both hadit in you. In merely a short time you''ve managedtochange this once rundown city that had been ridden with crime into a now prosperous and safe metropolis." [Lionel] "Why thank you, Lionel, that was very kind of you." [Stella] "It is also because we came from those same rundown families whom you spoke of. They were the ones who we have always thought of as we fought tooth and nailin order to change this city, so that the next generation wouldn''t have to suffer the samefate as we did." [Henry] "Henry..." [Stella] Iplacedmy hand over Stella''s aswe reminiscedthepast together. "..." [Lionel] "Have I said something?" [Henry] Why was he silent all of a sudden? "Count lets cut to the chase. I never expected you to assist a criminal." [Lionel] "Dear, what did he mean by that?" [Stella] Confused withLionel''s sudden remark, Stella glanced at me. "My love, can I ask you to leave us for a moment?" [Henry] Slowly she got up from her chair and walked up to the door and left, but notbeforeexpressing her worry... "I don''t understand what you are talking about, would you care to elaborate?" [Henry] Iasked whilst glaring at Lionel. "There is no use in hiding it,I know who you got those crystals from." [Lionel] He pointed at the shelf which had Angelica''s magic crystals. He walked towards it and he held a small red crystal, asit resonated a flame covered his finger. Fuck... I should''ve hidden it... "You have met with someone named Angelica am I right?" [Lionel] "Yes, from what she said she is an adventurer who is escorting a boy named Matthew." [Henry] "That card won''t work on me, Count. I am aware that you already knew them long before, from thoseservants of yours whoare always hanging aroundat Herxheim." [Lionel] This person is dangerous... despite being with the elite soldiers I could barely get any info on him. He''s either good at covering his tracks oris tight-lipped from where he is from. "My employees are free to do whatever they want, as I haveno power over them." [Henry] "So... you are telling me that they are funneling very sensitive information to you on their own accord? Count... I am not a mere foot soldier, even if you are a noble with a high rank we could still have youtrialed and as punishment the Emperorwill confiscate all of your lands." [Lionel] Dueto our exchange,the mood in the roomhad already become heavy. "Could you tell me exactlywhy she became a criminal in the first place?" [Henry] Itried playing it cool, but deep inside,I wanted toend this discussion so badly... "She had links to the Blackrock royal family." [Lionel] Did he just... tellme something that I didn''t know?Well, thanks to you I''ve got another critical info... "So being inthe royal family automatically makes her a criminal?Isn''t it a much better idea todisclose this information to the public so that they are aware and vigilant? If you did that she may have already been captured by now." [Henry] "Due to theEmperor''s request,if this goes out itwill only give theRepublic some excuse to..." [Lionel] Finally! An opening! "Then, you have just answered my question." [Henry] "Pardon?" [Lionel] "You kept this under wraps, hence I am not aware that I was assisting a criminal. Had youbeen more openbeforehand I would''ve gladly handed them over to you on a silver platter." [Henry] "Still acting like you know nothing huh..." [Lionel] "Do you have any proof of your accusation?" [Henry] "Count... you are treading on dangerous waters." [Lionel] Lionel turned his back on me as he snatched his capeat the hangarand departed, moments later Stella re-entered and she ran towards me. "What is it about Darling?" [Stella] "Nothing, it was all a misunderstanding." [Henry] I don''t want to make her even more worriedso I had to lie to her. "Hahh... thank goodness..." [Stella] Stella held her chestas she heaved a sighof relief. I held her close not letting her gofrom my embrace. "... ... ... There... there..." [Stella] It''s like as if shehad realized something and Stella began to caress my back and stroke my hair. I only wanted to protect her happiness and hoped that I had dodged an arrow... ~~~Somewhere~~~ The Corps members met outside the city and were sharing information amongst themselves. "How was on your end Emi?" [Lynnette] "No luck." [Artemis] Artemis glanced to Grant''s general direction as if asking him. "Same. Hughes?" [Grant] Hughes just shrugged and shook his head. "They had been here before," Lionel said as he was the last to show up. "Have you founda clue leader?" [Lynnette] "More or less." [Lionel] "Captain, how are we going to find them?" [Hughes] Lionelraises ared colored magic crystal and shows it around to the Corps members, slowly it resonates and a small flame began to envelop his hand to the members surprise. (Booom!) "Lionel?!" [Artemis] "Leader!" [Lynnette] Just before the flame got any bigger Lionel crushes the crystal which made an explosion filling their surroundings with smoke. The proximity was small, so everyone around him wasn''t affected, but they were visibly shaken at what just happened. As the smoke settled Lionel remained standing despite being in the explosionhe was unscathed... What remained in his hand was the dust from the now shattered crystal. "Follow the crystals." [Lionel] They all noddedwhen they understood what he meant. "Empire Corps, fan out!" [Lionel] References. {1}Title reference to RWBY. {2}Reference to the Futurama "Not sure" memes. {3}Surprised pikachu facerefers to a screenshot from thepokemonof the characterpikachuwith its mouth agape, as though it were surprised at something. It was used as areaction imagepaired with captions where a set-up leads to a predictable outcome that nevertheless leaves one surprised. Impractical Magic Chapter 111 At an office, there is a woman who is hunched down under a desk with her bum sticking out. She is currently reaching for the stray parchment that had fallen from her desk. (Creak...) The door opens and... "Hello! Long time no see!!" (Bam!) Upon hearing the familiar voice, the woman looked up in surprise and had hit her head, she had completely forgotten that she was under it. "Maria, is that you? Are you okay?!" "O... owww..." [Maria] When the person heard her, he peeked down. There, clutching her blue hair under the desk whilst crying in a fetal position is Maria. "Hi... Irvine... long time... no... see..." [Maria] Maria answered while still visibly hurt with small tears on her eyes. "Err... sorry." [Irvine] Upon realizing it was his fault, Irvine apologized and used his regular level healing magic. The novice level is already enough for that kind of injury, but he only did it just to make sure. "Thanks!" [Maria] After being healed Maria instantly regained her composure. "How have you been?" [Irvine] "Still struggling on how to teach the students. However, I amslowly getting the hang of it, you?" [Maria] "Somehow... it''s difficult to be at the capital." [Irvine] "You''ve had it rough there too huh..." [Maria] Irvine has been away for quite some time now. He said that theemergency summonswas due to KingAlexis having been struckby an illness... "How about the others?" [Irvine] Maria had toldIrvine, that they are somewhat doing alright. Michelle and Steven seemed tohave returned to normal, although shecannot help but notice them being mournful from time to time... Since Angelica''s disappearance, Mooly had taken on the role as their big sister, sothe sisters aredoing well and seemed to have increased in numbers. From what I heard from Michelle she has said that when the word had gone out that we were taking in orphans the children from all parts of the kingdom started flocking all over to Dalio. I have spoken to some of them and discovered that the orphans whether it be in a town, city or village.Would all travel together using what little moneythey have to get here, therewerealso those who had nomoney, so asa solution to that the other orphans would pitch in for them so that they could alsotag along. Because of that every three or four weeks we had newcomers coming over. Also since we have started accepting them we have seen an influx of boys. We had originally designated them as sisters, because it is due to the fact thatthe orcs only left the girls alive due to their usefulness to them... Now, thegirl to boyratio in the sisters building is at 9:1. I can only hope that they all get along well with each other.So I''m currently wondering if weneeded to change the names of the building and organization. I had reopened theshop due tothe demand for Angelica''s imbued magic crystals. As of now, they are selling well, however... I canonly replicate her enchant withthe use of spells... so the effects were a bit different. The wind crystal can only be used as a fan without the effects of weightlessness and speed. The earth crystal is almost similar to hers albeit not as indestructible...the only thing that is the same is the water crystal which could give you a clean source of water. The fire crystal worked the same as before, but... the flames can harm you. Ihavereceiveda lot of complaints when I sold itbecausea lot of people got burnedwhenthey first used them... Mrs. Helenstill worked at the City Hall. Apparently, becauseshe used to work atAngelica''s shop, it honed her skills of memorizing the inventory of items. So when Michelle had trouble with the stocks and inventory, Mrs. Helen had become her go-to person.Oftentimesshe would also helpus restock on magic crystals to sell in the shop. The daycare thatAngelica has devised managed to help out alot of parents. Because before, the parents couldn''tleave their childfrom the worry thatthere was no one to look after them. Now they can drop them off at the daycare and be all at ease. At the daycare, the children are taken care of and were also taught how to read and write much likeat the school. Speaking of School, master Jose and teacher Thelma had been gaining recognition for teaching magic that a few of their friends had decided to move in and become professors.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Evelyn had been brutal with the training ofour new students. Iwas able to observe her classes once and all I can say is whenthey were done with her training the students dropped down like flies... despite all of the protests, the students said that her training does pay off. People who strived to become adventurers also sought after her training. When we had more students a few rascals seemed to have slipped in... those who they think of themselves as "entitled" just because their families held some kind of position. At least most of the studentsfrown upon those kinds ofattitudes, so the problem will die out sooner or later. Russel and the dwarfshave become well adjusted totheir life here at Dalio.I have been told that their profits have gone down due to needing to import metals, but they said that it was a fair trade-off. Almost everything is coming together, but all is not well... "And Blake?" [Irvine] Maria shakes her head. "I see... so he still hasn''t gone over it..." [Irvine] As he finished he saw Maria shed a tear. "M-Maria, I-" [Irvine] When Irvine was about to apologize Maria had put her hand up to stop him. She then smiled and said that it was alright, but behind that smile of hers, Irvine knew that she was still affected by it... Angelica has really influenced her... the old Maria is a far cry from the one he had known up till now. Irvine wanted to thank Angelica for what he did for his friend, but now he wasn''t able to do so... "Shall we go see him?" [Irvine] "Who?" [Maria] "Blake." [Irvine] ~~~Sisters Building~~~ "Ah, big sister Maria is here!" While they walkedat the ground floor, a small child that was playing had recognized Maria and called out to her, the other childrenwho were around ran up and greeted them. "Hey-hey is he your boyfriend?" "From where did you hear that?!" [Maria] Maria had gone beet red when she was asked by another child, she cannot comprehend how a child so young could know of such a word. She was aware that she is blushing so she looked away from Irvine to hide her embarrassment, unbeknownst to her Irvine was also the same. "Ahem... ahem..." [Irvine] Hecoughed and the children looked at him. "Have you seen where Blake is at?" [Irvine] He saw Maria''s reaction earlier so he tried to change the subjectin order toget over their awkwardness. The children then huddled together, it was like in a comic where each one was giving him small glancesas they whispered stuff toeach other. "You are mean for not answering big sister Maria''s feelings!" [Children] "Eh?" [Irvine] "Meany!!" [Children] They allbooked after shouting atIrvine which lefthim stunned. After the children had run Mariasaw a girlwho was left behind soshedecided to ask her. "Have you seen Blake?" [Maria] When she asked, thegirl pointed and looked upwards. "The roof? I see, thank you." [Maria] The girl smiles as she getspattedon the head. Then, shescoots offto her fellow sisters, who were waiting for her. When they got to the roof, they have caught a glimpse of Blake who was leaning by the wall, blankly staring at the sky. "Hello, Blake how are you?" [Irvine] "..." [Blake] Irvine attempted to strike a conversation but was ignored. "Hi, Blake, its Maria how are you?" [Maria] "O... k..." [Blake] "Damn man, you are getting thin have you already eaten?" [Irvine] "... Yeah..." [Blake] He looked at Blake and noticed that he has lost some weight since the last time he saw him. "Isn''t it about time you get over her?" [Irvine] Worried, he only said that in order to help Blake. "Shut up..."Blake said in a murmur. "Er, can you speak a bit louder?" [Irvine] Irvine politely asked when he hadn''t heard him. "I said shut up!!" [Blake] Rage filled Blake''s eyes and all of a sudden he stood up andpunched Irvine by the cheek. "What''s your problem man?!" [Irvine] Irvine stumbled on the floor and as he got up he also attempted to punch Blake, but he managed to evade it and had hit Irvine again this time on the stomach. "You! It is because of you that Angelica''s!!" [Blake] "If I hadn''t done that then both of you would''ve died!" [Irvine] Irvine wheezed as he answered angrily, he then brought out his cane and wasreadying to cast a spell when... "Both of you stop it!!!" [Maria] Maria shouted at the top of her lungs which made them halt, her eyes were swelling with tears... "It''s not his fault... If only I hadn''t fallen off the sled then..." [Maria] "Maria..." [Irvine] They all felt that they could''ve done something to prevent what had happened but... they were unable to do so. Then, the three noticed that some of the sisters wereeavesdroppingat the corner and when they have been discovered the sisters hid and ran. "I could''ve..." [Blake] "Maria lets go." [Irvine] Blake and Irvineknew that it is unsightly to show the children that they were fighting so they just decided to end it there. "But..." [Maria] "There is no use talking to him."[Irvine] Irvine held Maria''s hand as he forcefully pulled her away. Evelyn had just finished her activities at the school and was coming to the sisters building toeat and rest. There she saw Irvine holding Maria''s hand as he hastily pulled her,she noticed that tears were streaking down Maria''s face. Knowing that Blake had been there she had already concluded that hehad done something stupid so she went to check up on him. "So...how long do you planto stay cooped up here?" [Evelyn] "That''s none of your business." [Blake] "Oho... now answering back at your master eh?" [Evelyn] "Let me be. I just want to be left alone." [Blake] "Are you sure that Angelica would''ve wanted that?" [Evelyn] Evelyn changed from playful to a serious tone. "Stop it..." [Blake] "Do you think she will be happy if she saw the state you are in right now?" [Evelyn] "Just stop!!" [Blake] Blake began to cry as he answered back to her. "I just... don''t know what to do anymore..." [Blake] When he cried. Evelyn, not knowing what to do; scratched her wolf ears as she looked away, she wasn''t bullying him or anything.She had only wantedBlake to open up but shehadn''texpected it for him to cry. "Hahh... you damn kids..." [Evelyn] Evelyn leaned on the same wall right next to Blake. Next, she placed her small palm over his head and petted him. "She would be delighted if you returned back to your normal self." [Evelyn] She offered him some emotional support because it pains her to see him that way. "Here, use this to wipe away your tears." [Evelyn] Evelyn didn''t have any handkerchief on her, so she presented to Blake, her silver fluffy tail. "Master... thank you..." [Blake] "Well, it''s also my duty to support my stude-" [Evelyn] (Sneeze!) "Hey, you little fucker!I didn''t say you could sneeze on it!!" [Evelyn] Impractical Magic Chapter 112 ~~~Blake~~~ When I woke up the next morning for some reasonmy body felt light and hungry. So I went downthe kitchen and saw the childrenmerrily preparing forbreakfast. There''s one choppingsome carrots, a few whowere peeling potatoesandanother that was tiptoeing on a step-stool while stirringthe pot.Lastly, two little children are racing back and forthholding the condiments with their small hands. In order not to bother them with their preparation I headed straight towards the dining room. When I got there,a few were already sitting at the table waiting, so I silently sat next to them. Twenty minutes had passed and the children at the dining room had increasedto abouttwenty or more, the otherswere probably still asleep upstairs. (Clang! Clang!) "Wakey-wakey! Time to eat!" A small girl entered the dining room while hitting a wok with a ladle. It was slightly deafening that the other children covered their ears as she continues to hit it. "Breakfast is ready!" The smell of soupfilledthe dining room as the children who were cooking earlier pushed a serving cartthat was at least double their size. It had this huge bowl that was almost filled to the brim with soup, which had made it wobble fromside to side. "Good morning." [Blake] While they werelaying down the dishes and utensils I greeted them. They all froze and stopped what they were doing as they shot me a weird look. Have I said something weird? "Brother Blake?" A little one next to me looked up and asked. "Is... something the matter?" [Blake] Then, they all swarmed at me. Poking my face, pulling my cheek, checking my eyes and messing with my hair as if looking for something... "Uh... um..." [Blake] "Brother Blake is cured!!" I was embraced by the children all over. "Cured?" [Blake] "Because you seemed to always be gloomy..." So they were worried about me... I feel the need to apologize to them for all the troubles that I''ve caused till now. "I''m fine now, thanks to all of you who took care of me and sorry for worrying you guys..." [Blake] "No need to thank us! We are just returning the favor you and onee-chan gave to us!" [Children] "Ah..." They all muttered and went silent... Theymight''ve thought that mentioning Angelica would make me depressed. It''salright, I know that they were just being considerate... "C''mon lets eat before the soup gets cold!" [Blake] To lighten up the mood in the room I changed the subject. (Growl...) We all glanced to where the sound came from and saw a boy whose face is turning red. "I feel like I could eat a lot today!" I shouted so that their attention would fall on me. Then the boy giving me a bow, hewas thanking me for covering him. While we ate I asked the children where Mooly had been. They said that she had gone with Steven for the whole weekfor her intensive training, they didn''t seem bothered by it so I didn''t ask any further. Moments later... "Argh... my stomach..." [Blake] When Iwas far enough from the sisters building I hid at an alleyway and grasped at my stomach. Due to my declaration, I was forcefully fed by the children, one spoon at a time... but the servings that I ate weren''t much. It must have been because I haven''t been eating well and the sudden surge of food made my stomach upset. I walked around and found the plaque with the words Impractical Magic written on it. I hadn''t noticed that while I was limping I had walked right in front of Angelica''s shop. (Creak...) Iturned the knob to see that thedoor was unlocked. The shelves and tables were stacked full of imbued magic crystals as evident by their different colors, the wholeshop is spotless and free of dust. "W-welcome to impractical magic... how may I help you? ..." When the backroom door opened I heard a familiar voice, it was from Maria. When she saw me she wiped her eyes and showed me a smile. "Hi, Blake are you going to be staying here?" [Maria] As Maria greeted me Isaw her reddened eyes, she may have been crying the whole night dueto the discord from yesterday... "..." [Blake] "Do you want to sit in your usual spot?" [Maria] She pulled out a chair and gestured me to sit on it. It never came to me that she had been doing this almost every single day since I was depressed. "Maria, I am fine now..." [Blake] Maria was so startled at my response that it had left her mouth agape. "I needed to apologize to you and Irvi-" [Blake] From where she was standing Maria made a full sprintas she embraced me tightly with tears flowing down her face. "That''s okay! I''m just... so glad that you are back! Uwahh!" [Maria] Mariashook her head and started to cry, I wasn''t sure of what to do so I just patted her head the same way as master did for me.It helpedand afterMaria finished crying she scolded me for makingthem worried, shortly thereaftershe had decided to close up shop so thatI could see everyone. We had gone to the City Hall first to see Angelica''s parents.While there, we bumped into Mrs. Helen whowas on her way to Michelle''s office with a folder containing info about trade, we chatted with her and she was glad to see that I have gotten over my problem. (Knock-knock!) "It''s me, Helen." [Mrs. Helen] "Come in..." We waited forMichelle''s invitation before we came inside. "I have brought the reports." [Mrs. Helen] "Thank you, Helen could you leave it on the table? I willgo overthemas soon as I finish with these." [Michelle] Inside, Michelle was at her table reading a long parchment, Mrs. Helen gave us a short bow as she left and closed the door. WhenMichelle finished reading, she had laid down the document and it was only thenthat she had noticed us in the room. "Ah, Blake, Maria, what brings you here?" [Michelle] Her demeanor changed when she saw us,I can barely feel the warmth in her words...She had eyebags which tells me she hadn''t been sleepingwell. "We... just went by to see how you were..." [Maria]The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "I see..." [Michelle] "Michelle I just want to say that I''m sorry for not being able to prote-" [Blake] She had cut me off and stared at us with her blue sunken eyes... "Blake... I understand." [Michelle] "As her parent... when I permitted Angelica to become an adventurer. I have alreadyguessed that thismay happenoneday. But...even withall the preparations that I make... I still cannot..." [Michelle] Wesaw Michelle as she tried to holdherself back from crying... shegrittedher teeth, while her fist trembled uncontrollably and her eyes... which reflected the lightas it slowly accumulatedtears. "My apologies... can you two... please give me some time alone?"Michelle said as sheslumped back at her seat andturned it in theoppositedirection away from our gaze. I wanted to say some comforting words but, Maria stopped me when she put her arm on my shoulder and shook her head. I havepromised to her and Steven that I would protect Angelica... and seeingMichellelike that felt like a stake had been driven into my heart... I felt dejectedas we left Michelle.Someday... I promise that I will make it up to her... Wepassed bythe Marketand found the weapon shop of Russel. It was noticeably bigger than therest of the shops here and most of the workers there are dwarfs, fromoutside I could recognize a few of their faces. There were the guys who helped us subjugate the wyvern and a few smithswhowere from Pilapil, their shop is fully packed with adventurers who were looking forward to testing out their weapons. Due to the destruction of Pilapil, most of the talented smiths migrated here at Dalio cause it is theonly place that is nearwhere they can seek safety and shelter. Upon our entry, we both have been greeted by Russel who has his arm over at a desk. The adventurers nearby glanced at us for a second and returned toshopping weapons. "How were the people from your village?" [Maria] "Thefellas are integrating well. In fact, after we came here there had been a lot of drinking contests at the pubs lately hahahah!" [Russel] "That''s good to know!" [Maria] True, before I went into my depression I saw a lot of them having drinking parties, they liked challenging the other races on who can drink the most alcohol but only a few could get head to headwith them. We discussed a few other topics here and there and are about toleave when... "Ah, before you go." [Russel] (Thud!) Russel proceeds to take out a long wooden box and drops it on the table which made a loud sound.Curious, thepeoplearound the shop approached usto see what the contents were. He then opens it and itrevealed a few weapons that are made most of titanium grade material. It contained a staff, cane, spear, and sword each haddesigns that are so intricate and unique that I can hear a few people from behind asking how much they were. But much to thecustomer''s dismay, Russel said that it is a gift for us and it is not for sale. After he said that the people around us went back to their own window shopping... Russel leans forward and says."I wanted to give you guys this." "Can I ask why?" [Blake] "While we were back at Pilapil, Angelica had thoughtsome weapon designs that she wanted to test out. I knew that after the wyvern incident most of your weapons had either been too damaged or lost as we fought. So as our thanks, we have pitched in to give you guys some replacement, although I am not sure of some of the designs because Angelica and I weren''t able to finalize them in time..." [Russel] After a few moments, Maria and I noticed thatthe sword and spear hadfour sockets which containeddifferent magic crystals... they had the color of yellow-green, blue, red, and brown. While the staff and cane only came with the yellow-green and brown but it held much more sockets, Angelica may have guessed that since they are the weapons of Maria and Irvine they wouldutilize their own imbued magic crystals for their spells. "We wanted to give you guys mithril grade weapons, butwe were short on supplies..." [Russel] "That''s fine we understand." [Maria] Giving us mithril would''vesent them bankrupt. If we did not accept this offer it will make all of their efforts feel insignificant, so wetook out the staff and sword. Then I asked Russel to deliverthe rest tothe sisters building. Most of the children knew them soeven if they went there; there wouldn''t be any problems. Next, we went to the School and saw the orphans in their school uniforms as they mingle with their fellow students.Angelica wantedto provide them with education to prepare the orphans, so that later in their life they would be ableto standand support themselves. At thequadrangle,we saw Evelyn training the newbie adventurers. "Alright, break time!" [Evelyn] She saw us walking towards her so she gave the trainees a break and they dropped like flies. They all sweated profusely and some are wheezing trying to catch their breath. When I set my attention back to her, Evelyn was nowhere to be seen. As I was looking for her, Maria shouted,"Blake! Lookout!" So I shifted my focus and saw Evelyn below me drawing her tanto from its scabbard. She was going for my stomach. (Clang!) I sandwiched her blade in between my guard and its scabbard locking it in place. "Oof?!" [Blake] When she couldn''t use her tanto she thrusts her scabbard to my stomach, releasing my hold. (Pang! Cling! Clang!) I couldn''t draw myweapon because of her relentless close combat attacks. Master has always foughthead-on and the accuracy and speed of her strikes would leave most people surprised. She is the type who will keep on attacking you forcing you toexposeanopening, whereas unlike me who waits forthe chance to present itself. For the time that Iwas trainedby her, I had observed that there was adrawback to her stylewhere she will tire out much sooner, if you could keep up and stay on your wits you could beat her in the end. But if this was a life or death scenario being able to dispatch a foe as soon as possible can also be beneficial so that you can cull multipleenemiesat once which further reduces the danger on yourself and to others. Unable to draw I used the same technique as her and just attacked with the scabbardand swungit overhead. "Wrong move." [Evelyn] Masterheld the tanto on reverse with herright hand and used the tipto effortlessly deflect my strike.The momentum forced my body to go forward so I used the scabbard planting it in the ground to stop my fall, by that time master had already made her next move and in her left hand was her own scabbard. The last thing that I saw is her scabbard going towards the middle of my forehead and then I blacked out... I woke up to the sound of Maria calling my name. When I came to I saw master sheathing her tanto and sliding it in the sash behind her waist. Before Iused to fight herevenly but now I have really gotten rusty and it makes me feel so pathetic at my skill... "You got slower because you skipped on training." [Evelyn] "Sorry." [Blake] "Don''t apologize!" [Evelyn] (Whack!!) "Oww?!" [Blake] Shehit again me on the head with her scabbardthis time it was a light tap but still enough to hurt me. Master was only trying to cheer me up when she saw how sad I was at being beaten. "I''ll make sure you get back into shape, so the next timeyou come runningtome for training I will show you hell." [Evelyn] "Thanks... I will train harder this time." [Blake] Evelyn smugged as she crossed her arms I can see that shefelt satisfied with my answer. "Alright maggots, break time is over!" [Evelyn] "Eh?! Butit has only been four minutes!" [Newbie Adventurers] "Do you think a monster would give you a chance for a fucking break? Pick up your assesor I will extend your training time!" [Evelyn] "Yes, ma''am!!!" [Newbie Adventurers] Thenewbies all stood upwith their backs straightened, we can see that some of them had tears in their eyes... Evelyn''s training is indeed tough, but you''ll learn a lot from it. Inside the school building, weasked one of the professors if they had seen Jose, Thelma, and Irvine. He said thatthe threewere currently having a meeting in Jose''s room which is the principal''s office so we headed there. When we arrived Maria turned the doorknob and went inside without much notice, I guess she can do it freely since she is also one of the heads of staff. "Teacher?" [Maria] "Maria? You came at the right time." [Thelma] "Sorry to intrude on you." [Blake] I followed her from behind and greeted everyone. "If it isn''t the young lad.Are you fine now?" [Jose] "Yes, sorry to worry all of you." [Blake] "..." [Irvine] Irvine crossed his arms andglared at me. Figures, he still hasn''t forgivenme for what I said. "That''s good to know." [Thelma] "Is it alright for him to be here?" [Irvine] "Irvine. Blake had already apologized." [Maria] "I know, but that isn''t the case here Maria... The information that I am about to share right now isonly been giventouscourt magicians and the nobles.What we are going todiscusswill shake the very foundation of the Republic." [Irvine] Bothmy and Maria''s eyes widened at his remark. "You can tell it to them Irvine." [Jose] "But, Jose." [Irvine] "Irvine,both Jose and I give you permission as court magicians." [Thelma] Even though I was an outsiderthey bothagreed to disclose the information. My throat felt dry just bythinking of it... what coulditpossibly be? "... Blake, Maria. What weare about to say in this room stays here am I understood?" [Irvine] We both nodded in unison. "Hahh..." Irvine started with a sigh... "Four days ago... King Alexis has finally succumbedto his illness..." [Irvine] (Gasp?!) When Irvine revealed the information, Maria held her mouth in disbelief, even I was left speechless. Jose and Thelma just closed their eyes as if they had already known beforehand... "Shouldn''t we tell this to Michelle?" [Maria] "I fear that if we did that she may put herself in danger..." [Jose] Indeed, considering Walter''s temperament, if she shows herself now, it''ll certainly cause an uproar at the capital... "How about Steven?" [Blake] "Not sure, but there is a chance that Terrence may have already caught wind of this from his juniors." [Jose] "Speaking of Steven I haven''t seen him for a while now... have they still not finished with Mooly''s training?" [Maria] Regina may have already told him but I think that he should be with Michelle because she will need all the support during this crucial time... "There is also another matter we needed to discuss..." [Irvine] At the same time as King Alexis''s funeral, Walter had immediately taken a hold of the situation and has claimed the throne. There was some displeasure from the advisors because the people were still mourning for the King and he just selfishly announced his crowning right then and there... They could only shake their heads as they could not do anything about it. After his crowning ceremony, Walter has ordered the reform and plans to increase the strength of our military. Everyone feared of the sudden changes because they figured that Walter may be preparingfor another war with the Empire... the peacethat everyone haslonged for was short-lived... The last thing that Irvine heard before heleftwas some of the knights broke off afterWaltergave the order. They clearly didn''t want to get involved withthe troubles he will bring so the said knights moved their families and businesses out of the capital overnight which fueled confusion and rumorsinthecapitalthat the knights might start a rebellion... We just hope that we can weather the storm until things return back to normal... Impractical Magic Chapter 113 ~~~Angelica~~~ Before we left Gaushorn I brought a horse using five gold coins that I''ve received from Stella as payment for the crystals. I could''ve only paid 300 silver if Itold the owner that I was going to rent it, but since I don''t plan on returning I just brought the horse outright. The main reason is I don''t want them to come running to Stella or Henry and demanding them to pay up. I am not fond of being remembered negatively after all that they have done for us. "Angelica." [Matthew] "Yes, Matt?" [Angelica] "How long are we going to do this?" [Matthew] Due to Henry uncovering my identity we''ve constantly avoided settlements day and night. Because I wasn''t certain whether he had the balls or not to contact the Corps but it''s better to be safe than sorry. Also, even though I hadn''t told him of our next destination they could easily get on our tail once they found out that we had been there. Since I had sold most of the magic crystals that I have it is only a matter of time before those are discovered. (Tokk-tokk... crush... crunch...) "Hey, Matt I have been wondering for some time now. What''s that you''re crushing in the pestle?" [Angelica] The same as me before we left he also bought a ton of herbs from the herbalist that it almost made his bag overflow. I didn''t mind the additional weight and stuff but the smell of these herbs is hellishly overpowering. "Ah, this? It''s a berserker leaf." [Matthew] Berserker leaf? I looked inside the pestle and saw a blood-colored paste with a few remaining residues of a leaf. As Matthew noticed my clueless expression he took out a single leaf from his bag and began explaining what it is for. "This is the berserker leaf it is mostly used for gambling purposes, particularly for blood sporting animals/monsters." [Matthew] "So I can guess from the name that they went berserk after consuming the leaf am I correct?" [Angelica] "Yes, but that''s not all. When an animal or monster ingests this their strength is increased many times over but at a price..." [Matthew] "Which is?" [Angelica] "It would lose its sanity and make it hostile to almost everything even to the same species." [Matthew] "Oh, okay... now I want to ask... WHY-THE-HECK-ARE-YOU-HANDLING-SOMETHING-SO-DANGEROUS?!" [Angelica] I raised the tone of my voice to show my concern. "Don''t worry nothing will happen even if you ate a ton of it. A lot of people have attempted to harness the leaf''s effects doing a bunch of experiments and stuff but failed." [Matthew] "So from what I''m guessing you want to research it." [Angelica] "Uh, huh." [Matthew] "You''re going to weaponize it aren''t you?!" [Angelica] "Not quite... but that can be a good idea to incorporate it into my smoke bombs." [Matthew] He doesn''t know what trouble he''s getting himself into. "Don''t worry Angelica it is only for self-defense." [Matthew] Even that kind of reasoning wouldn''t work on me. "Have you ever thought that if the enemy could manipulate wind they could use that against us." [Angelica] "Mmn... good point..." [Matthew] He stopped mixing and went into a thinking pose. "Hey, this isn''t a thing that you should be thinking over! I could see a thousand things that could go wrong with this." [Angelica] "I only want to know how to activate the leaf''s effects and if needed be I''ll just minimize the dosage so that it can be safeto use." [Matthew] "That''s not the point here! What if people attempted to forcefully take the formula from you?" [Angelica] "Easy, then I will just give them a fake one." [Matthew] I know that he''s smart but... this is not a thing that he should dabble on thoughtlessly... I am having visions of these being used for war where countless kingdoms could fall to ruin as their people go and massacred one another. Some would seekentertainment for their cruel and sick acts, for example, forcing families or friends kill one another... and those are only a few of the worst things that I could think of right now... "Matthew... if you ever succeed in finding out how to utilize the berserker leaf... take it to your grave." [Angelica] "Well... I''ll tr-" [Matthew] I put my finger over his lip and looked him straight in the eyes. "Instead of try, I would rather hear you say I will." [Angelica] "Ok... I will." [Matthew] After confirming the determination in his eyes I sat back and relaxed. "Hahh..." [Angelica]This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Enjoying the warm breeze while in the shade is so revitalizing. In an hour Matthew finished crafting the herbs into pills doing a mix and match kind of thing, then he put on different labels on the pills to differentiate the mixture contained in each one and logged them into his tiny logbook. I cooked some pork chops from a wild boar that we had luckily came upon yesterday while traveling. It''s a chore to remove the skin and guts whilst trying cut out the edible parts. I miss Blake and Jody... because they are the ones who always handled the gory stuff. Soon,my confidence dropped when Matthew took over once he saw that I was struggling. He efficiently cleaned the boars'' carcass down to the bone. I got bested by a kid... yeah, git gud... As we had our fill we rode the horse and continued.The followingdays were uneventful and without much hassle, I found it odd that the paths wehad gone through are lacking monsters,is it because of the herbs? Oh well, less trouble for us I guess... "Hahh... hahh..." "Hmn? What''s that?" [Matthew] "What is it Matt?" [Angelica] Matthew stopped the horse and pointed straight at our path. "Isn''t that... a bunny girl?" [Angelica] It was a small girl with rabbit ears protruding on top her head, she is running towards us. "A demi-human?!" [Matthew] I got startled when Matthew raised his voice. I can understand where his surprise is coming from. The Empire is known for their cruelty towards other races be it male, female or children and to them, only humans reign superior... that is why only a few demi-humans were present here who are more than likely enslaved. I jumped off the horse to meet her and Matthew followed me from behind. The reason that the child is running is that maybe she is being chased by a monster, considering that we are in the forest in the middle of nowhere. We were about at an arm''s length when... (Swish-swish-swish!) Right in front of me, the little bunny girl fell to the ground and behind her was a sickle impaling the bunny girls back... I was stunned at what transpired for a moment. "Matthew! Give me your strongest healing pill!!" [Angelica] I simultaneously glanced back at him as I shouted. "Matthew!!" [Angelica] He was frozen so I called for him to snap him out of it; with his still trembling hand, he rummaged through his bag and passed me a red pill. "Hey, stay with me it''s going to be alrig-" [Angelica] "W-whats wrong Angelica??" [Matthew] As I picked up the little girl and turned her; I saw her eyes... they were... open and lifeless... I then checked for the sickle. It had gone straight through her heart which killed her instantly... It filled me with both sadness and anger. Who in their right mind would do this to a mere child... I noticed that the sickle was worn down. Could the weapon come from a monster? What came to my mind are kobolds, goblins, and orcs. I stayed vigilant and scanned the treeline to prevent an ambush. "Hey there!" "?!" [Angelica/Matthew] "Good thing that you cornered that bunny girl for us she was a handful." Two people emerged from the treeline, I had barely noticed their presence. They were a man and a woman both of whom worn leather armor and bandanas. The man had a curved axe while the woman had a sickle similar to the one that struck the bunny girl... "Gosh hunting these strays are a pain in the butt." [Woman] "I told you that they got used to hiding from being hunted by the Empire." [Man] They were... hunting demi-humans? "Don''t you feel any guilt from just killing a child?!" [Angelica] "Yeah, you could''ve just caught her and sent her off to a slave trader." [Matthew] I felt relieved that Matthew had backed me up, I expected that he was unable to answer due to the shock. "But... What''s the fun in that?" [Man] "Fun? Killing a harmless child is fun?! What the fuck is wrong with you!!" [Angelica] "What are you so riled up about? It''s not like you''re a companion of this pest or are you?" The woman said as she retracted her sickle from the girl''s body. They both released their hostility towards us as they looked. My palms began to sweat. Why do I feel so threatened by them? Most of the people that I have fought up till now felt nothing compared to them, except those guys from the Corps. "We were just passing through here and was just caught off guard when you guys executed that bunny girl." [Angelica] Matthew nervously glanced at me, I know that he didn''t like what I said, but I needed to do it for our safety. The woman furrowed her eyebrows when she noticed Matts reaction. "You seemed a little suspicious... why are you traveling out of public roads?" [Woman] "Oh, I haven''t thought of that! It is certainly fishy." [Man] Shit! Improvise Angelica, improvise!! I racked my brain trying to think up an excuse. "We had lost the map while my master and I were chased off by monsters. Perhaps would you two be so kind as to point us to the nearest path so we could go on our merrily way?" [Angelica] I explained as calmly as I could. "Your master?" [Man] With a smile I lightly bowed with one hand on my chest and gestured my other hand towards Matthew, doing that maid like thing that I always see in anime. "So she''s your servant huh." [Man] After scanning me from top to bottom. The man glanced at Matthew trying to gauge his reaction, but Matt was already in his poker face mode. "... Go there it''s about three kilometers." [Woman] The woman looked and points at the far east with her finger. "Why thank you very much for showing the w-" [Angelica] I tilted my head back to thank her and just then, I saw something shine from behind her. I''ve got only a fraction of the second to react and had pulled Matthew by his jumper. "Argh?!" [Angelica] Just as I was grabbing him pain had coursed right through my shoulder. I turned and saw an arrow wedged in it... "A third person?!" [Angelica] "A-angelica?!" [Matthew] Those mother fuckers!! The arrow was going right for Matthew''s skull! If I was late even with just a milisecond he might''ve been dead. "Heeeeeeeeey, where are you going? The path to the afterlife is that way! Hahahahaha!" [Woman] Her laughter echoed through the forest. It may sound shitty, but I turned tail and ran. Three on one isn''t a good idea, especially when I''m getting that weird feeling towards them. Occasionally I''d slip a few glances here and there to see if they had thrown or launched any projectiles our way. The fear of being killed unknowingly from behind scares me. I thought that we had lost them so Matthew and I hid behind a fallen log. "Huff.. huff..." [Angelica] I restmy head on the log as I try to catch my breath. "Aw... damn." [Angelica] I groaned when the arrows'' tip brushed against the log as I sat down.I looked at it and saw that itwas stuck in between my right clavicle and scapula. I am really thankful that the adrenaline helped me ignore the pain up till now... "I''ll cut it and quickly pull it out." [Matthew] I grabbed a fallen branch and bit on it, then nodded to Matthew once I had prepared myself. Using the fire crystal that I gave him the edge of Matthew''s dagger lit in a bright crimson. (Snap!) "Mnghgn!!" [Angelica] I cussed and cussed in my mind as I let out a muffled cry. When he cut and pulled at the arrow sudden motion made my wound open up a bit. "Here, Angelica." [Matthew] "Thanks... Matt." [Angelica] I swallowed the healing pill that Matthew gave, it always had this herb like aftertaste that I wasn''t used to. I much preferred drinking a healing potion because it tasted like normal water, but beggars can''t be choosers... At the next second my whole body felt warm and my wound closes. I hate the healing mechanics in this world, because before you can heal you needed to take out the object that was occupying your wound or else the said object would be left there during the healing process. There is some news in my past life about someone who had surgery and during the operation, a medical staff had forgotten to take out a tool, for example, a scissor and it had been left in your stomach. After they had stitched you up you only discovered it during an x-ray from your follow-up. "No, I''m the one who should thank you for shielding me. Did you know why those people attacked us?" [Matthew] "I have no idea..." [Angelica] I try to think the reason why those people and during mid-thought. "Found... you..." "?!" [Angelica/Matthew] We heard a voice and Matthew and I snapped our head backto see the axe-wielding man hunched over at the top of the log that was behind us. We were frozen like rabbits caught in headlights.