《After Life》


 Prologue

    The sky was covered by black clouds, and it was pouring down raining. Thunder was raining down the sky surrounding a blood soaked battlefield. In a mountain range three figures were enveloped by a flash of lightning.


    A wild and unkempt looking man was kneeling on the ground, shifting his weight onto his battleaxe. He had long turquoise hair running down his back, with multiple recent cuts across his face. This was only the least of his wounds, as his bare chest was gashed with a deep ¡®X¡¯ in the middle. His blood trickled down his brown leather pants and boots, only to meld with the rocky terrain.


    It could only be considered a miracle how he was still alive.


    About 10 feet in front of the man was a corpse, and another man clutching the lifeless corpse of a woman to his chest. The corpse was humanoid in shape, but definitely not one. With emerald green skin with splotches of purple dancing around its skin the only thing one would think of upon viewing it is ¡°Inhuman..¡± The majority of its body was bare, except for the purple hood covering his face.


    The man on the other hand had well defined features, bright red hair, and ornery silver armor. The grief on his face was evident, and as he kept on wailing the heavens roared in accompaniment. The gash on his left eye proved he suffered from more than just emotional wounds.


    It¡¯s understandable as what was left of the girl in his arms was nothing more but a bloody mess.


    This scene kept going on for a couple minutes until the atmosphere suddenly changed. Neither of the men noticed this however until it was too late. The green corpse stood up from the ground. Gravity seemed to defy itself as pieces of fallen comrades strewn, around the battlefield slowly rose.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    When the turquoise haired man finally noticed, the green monster had a palm pointed towards the red haired man.


    ¡°ERIC!¡± as he rushed out towards the monster.


    A pure black energy started to condense at the monster¡¯s palm, but before it got the chance to do anything it was grabbed.


    The turquoise man held the monster in a nelson hold and shouted again.


    ¡°ERIC! There¡¯s a time to grieve, but we must finish this thing! Especially for Jeanne!¡±


    Eric looked up to stare at the two of them. His grief stricken face firmly resolved itself, but it faltered once again.


    ¡°If I do this you know you¡¯ll die Gerald! We might be able to defeat it again, so let go of it!¡± he exclaimed.


    ¡°Look at us Eric¡­We¡¯ve lost too many people, and are in worse shape as it is. Stop deluding yourself you know we can¡¯t beat it like this. JUST STRIKE ITS HEART AND KILL US BOTH, SO AT LEAST YOU CAN LIVE!¡± Gerald started to form tears as he neared the end.


    As Eric stood up a bright white light appeared in his hand before it slowly formed a sword. The monster struggled to escape to no avail, as it was locked tight by Gerald. The blade featured a red, leathery hilt. Two lizard like teeth came out on both sides of the guard respectively, and a pure white blade shone in the darkness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...GERRRALD!¡± Eric thrusted the sword into the heart of both Gerald and the monster. It slid in like butter and as Eric pulled it back the monster exploded¡­

 Chapter 1

    Gerald opened his eyes to a man with a beaming smile. He had turquoise hair fashioned in a man bun, and kept his beard nicely trimmed. The man stared at Gerald for a few moments, and suddenly frowned.


    ¡°How come he isn¡¯t crying?¡± the man asked to someone at his side.


    ¡°He¡¯s not showing any signs of affliction, and although it¡¯s normal for newborns to cry at birth it¡¯s not required.¡± A set of soft hands lifted up Gerald and brought his body closer.


    A middle aged lady came into his field of view with her black hair slightly graying, and wrinkles forming on her face. She examined Gerald¡¯s body for any sign of defects but found none.


    ¡°It seems like our young master is truly fine Eric and Jessica!¡± the lady handed Gerald back to Eric who sported another smile.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? I¡¯m sure I died after all¡­does reincarnation really exist?¡±


    Rumors of the possibility of reincarnation have appeared throughout history. People have speculated that you must receive a divine blessing, or maybe everyone goes through reincarnation but with no memories.


    Gerald took this all in with serene calmness. Although Gerald used to be a reckless hothead, the war against that monster changed him into a free spirit. He¡¯s definitely not the same man as before.


    ¡°I hope you two haven¡¯t forgotten about the one who did most of the work.¡± a new voice quipped in. A serene but weak voice beckoned for Gerald.


    Entering his eyesight was a beautiful lady. She had a dignified aura surrounding her, which wasn¡¯t reduced at all by the sweat surrounding her pale body. She had vibrant blonde hair, and crystal clear blue eyes. A charming smile was on her face as she stared at Gerald.


    ¡°I can only assume this¡¯d be my new mother Jessica.¡±


    The middle aged lady brought Gerald over to Jessica.


    ¡°Thank you Evelyn.¡± Jessica smiled at Evelyn. She received Gerald into her arms and stared deep into his eyes.


    ¡°What an odd baby¡­but you¡¯re still my son so it doesn¡¯t change anything.¡± Jessica said to Gerald as if he understood her.


    Eric approached the two of them and brought them into a hug. He kissed both Jessica and Gerald before asking Jessica.


    ¡°I know that look in your eyes love, you¡¯ve come up with a fantastic name for our son.¡± Eric gave Jessica an all knowing look.


    ¡°I was thinking of the name Matthew¡­Matthew Fredericks. It has a nice ring to it doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°As expected of Lady Jessica what a wonderful name. I shall fetch some more cloth for you.¡± praised Evelyn. She quickly walked out of the room.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°It feels weird having a second set of parents. It¡¯d be disrespectful if I didn¡¯t acknowledge them as my parents. I can¡¯t act the same now that I¡¯ve been granted this new chance¡­¡± Gerald frowned for a moment, but it couldn¡¯t escape Jessica¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Matthew?¡± asked Jessica.


    Gerald quickly formed a smile and laughed for his new parents. They both smiled back at him, as Eric reached for him to raise him in the air.


    ¡°The first step of acceptance is using this new name. I¡¯m no longer Gerald Smith, but Matthew Fredericks.¡±


    Matthew proceeded to raise his tiny hand in the air, as he tried to grasp at something no longer there.


    ***


    Five years passed by in a flash, and Matthew¡¯s learned a bit about his current situation. His family is of noble prestige having served, in the Great War 500 years ago and earning merits.


    The Great War started when the humans gained the wrath of the Old Gods. The Old Gods created what is currently known as the Demon King to decimate humanity. However humanity united and with the seven heroes they defeated it.


    It¡¯s common knowledge for people to know about the Great War and its key players. Matthew was one of those key players, specifically one of the seven heroes who saved the world. Gerald Smith was a proficient warrior, and wizard specialized in water and air magic. He earned himself the name ¡°Tempest¡± for his devastation on the battlefield.


    ¡°However I¡¯m no longer the Tempest, but the son of a noble family.¡±


    It¡¯s currently the first month of Sol, more specifically Matthew¡¯s birthday. His vibrant blonde hair was slicked back, and brown eyes were steady. His father didn¡¯t want Matthew to grow up like those contemptuous nobles, so he had Matthew do anything he was capable of by himself.


    He wore a white cotton shirt, brown trousers, and a pair of brown sandals. It wasn¡¯t a very noble like attire, but his parents didn¡¯t mind and Matthew enjoyed the feeling of the sun between his toes.


    Matthew walked down to a breakfast of meats and fruits. His father couldn¡¯t be here for breakfasts until the first month of Caelum.


    ¡°You do know it¡¯s your first day of school right Matthew?¡± asked his mother. Evelyn and two other maids passed by them as they conversed.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Matthew managed to muffle that out as he devoured the food. He quickly fixed himself up as he waited, for his mom to take him to school.


    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t like most noble kids, but I¡¯m reminding you to treat everyone with respect. Also don¡¯t cause any trouble for the teacher, or else your father won¡¯t be too happy about that.¡± Jessica reminded him as they prepared to exit the door.


    ¡°Also I¡¯ll come pick you up so you can help me out at the bakery.¡± Jessica ran a bakery down the street from their house. Jessica didn¡¯t want to rot in the house all day alone waiting for her husband. She had quite the following as her sweets were very delicious.


    ¡°I understand mom.¡± answered Matthew.


    ¡°My body is finally mature enough for me to start training again. I¡¯ll have to figure out a way to train my mana without catching my parent¡¯s attention. Aura should be easy enough since dad is a knight.¡±


    The pair held hands as they walked outside the door.

 Chapter 2

    The Frederick¡¯s estate featured two simple two story buildings and a small garden in front. Matthew and Jessica walked down a pathway that led them to the town of Schurr.


    Of course as a noble family they could afford carriages to take them to their destination. Jessica however thought it¡¯d be best for Matthew to navigate around on his own two feet. While he was a baby, he was always confined to the boundaries of the estate. This¡¯d be Matthew¡¯s first time exploring the city.


    Jessica passed by some of her friends along the way and chit chatted. Matthew was familiar with some of these ladies, as they visited and gossiped with his mother. He gave a polite hello, and minded his own business. His mind was too filled with melancholy thoughts to pay attention to them.


    ¡°The sky is truly beautiful. It sure is nice seeing the results of your hard work. They won¡¯t be able to see this blue sky however¡­¡± Matthew mused to himself.


    Before he knew it they wound up in front of the school. It was a moderately sized one story building, with flowers surrounding it. You could hear the laughter of children in the background, and if you looked through the glass windows you¡¯d see a group of fifteen kids playing.


    Jessica didn¡¯t forget to remind Matthew. ¡°Alright Matthew remember I¡¯ll be picking you back up, so we can go to the bakery. Have a nice first day of school honey, I love you.¡± She flashed a smile.


    Matthew flashed a smile right back. ¡°I love you too Mom.¡± He gave her a quick hug then he entered the building.


    What awaited him were a group of five year olds giving him a piercing gaze. The room was shaped like a square, with tables spread out holding three kids each. The children quickly went back to their boisterous nonsense.


    Matthew paid this no mind, and sat at an empty wooden table. ¡°As much as I¡¯m enjoying this new life, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to tolerate loud children¡­¡±


    He stared at the front of the room where a brunette woman was going through some papers. She was average looking with a set of glasses adorning her face. She looked up and stared at Matthew for a second, before she scribbled something in one of the papers.


    The lady suddenly stood up and signaled for everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Welcome to officially your first day of school children. You may refer to me as Miss Williams.¡±


    All of the children exclaimed ¡°Hello Miss Williams!¡± except for Matthew. He didn¡¯t realize he had to yell with the group and hoped she didn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to start off with a self-introduction from everyone in the room. Just stand up and say your name.¡± Miss Williams stated.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    One by one the children in the classroom introduced themselves. Some were shy, some were energetic, and some were outgoing. In the class there were three children of noble birth including Matthew, another boy and a girl.


    The other noble boy sported a stoic gaze on his face. Unlike the other children in the class. His black hair was kept short and tidy, while his blue eyes seemed to pierce into Miss Williams.


    The other noble, a girl, had a long set of curly brown hair. Her green eyes were wandering the classroom, and observing everything surrounding her.


    ¡°How would you all like to play a game?¡± smiled Miss Williams.


    The children all broke out in a cheer, including Matthew this time.


    ***


    ¡°Children sure have a lot of energy.¡± was the only thought that popped into Matthew¡¯s head.


    The day seemed to drag out as he acted like a kid in school, and helped his mother at her bakery. Acting like a kid was harder than it looked. Matthew had to give credit to all children for being the way they are.


    Matthew was currently laying on his bed. He still had all of his clothes on and was staring at the ceiling.


    He suddenly got up and closed the door so no one could disturb him. He proceeded to sit down on the bed cross legged, and closed his eyes.


    After what seemed like a few moments he suddenly thought ¡°My mana veins are only slightly above average. Luckily I know a technique to change that.¡±


    Matthew willed the ambient mana to draw into his body through all the pores of his body. He kept absorbing the mana like an unending void, and would disperse it all throughout his mana veins.


    He commanded the mana to forcefully widen those veins. It was a painful experience, but Matthew endured and let out no noise to notify the house. He repeated these actions until he was called for dinner.


    With a calm expression Matthew got up, ate with his family, and continued to widen his mana veins. These veins are separate from the normal ones featured in bodies, and instead transports mana that is collected from the environment.


    The wider the veins the more mana that can be transported at once. As a five year old this is the perfect time for him to temper his body.


    Matthew worked until he thought it was necessary to stop. ¡°Although my mana veins are now above average, this isn¡¯t enough. It shouldn¡¯t take me that long to get [Ethereal] veins¡­¡±


    Matthew took a bath and proceeded to keep widening his mana veins. He kept this up until he fell asleep. Once he woke up he got dressed and went back to school. He kept his training up and in three days he achieved [Good] mana veins.


    He didn¡¯t really interact with his classmates, and never paid attention to the subjects during class. Miss Williams tried to get him to be more active in the class, but Matthew played it off as being a quiet child.


    His parents didn¡¯t notice anything different with Matthew, as he kept acting the same. Of course his parents should have no reason to suspect Matthew anyways. After all he¡¯s just a normal five year old¡­right?

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Alright kids it¡¯s time for a break.¡± The love and joy of all children has finally been rewarded. After sitting still in these seats for gods know how long, they could finally run around and play more games. It¡¯s not like the class was totally boring, but the kids short attention span and desire to move left them bored.


    They all cheered and bounded for the door so they could commence some of their favorite activities. It was a funny sight seeing three kids at a time trying to squeeze through one small door. Matthew was one of the few who waited for the herd to get through first, before he got through with no problems.


    This scene only lasted a couple of minutes before Matthew could finally exit the school in peace. All of the children played their little games in the back of the school building. It featured a grassy plain that wasn¡¯t that big, and some trees planted close together to give the impression of a forest. This may have fooled the other children, but not Matthew. If anything this just made him wonder why someone, would randomly plant trees in the middle of a city.


    Although he questioned it, these trees were Matthew¡¯s hidden utopia. It¡¯s been one month since he joined the school, and to make sure his cover wasn¡¯t blown he stuck near a couple of kids. They were all commoners but that was less important than what they did every break. By playing hide and seek they gave Matthew the perfect opportunity to train his Aura.


    The difference between Mana and Aura is that everyone can train and develop their Aura. You must be born with mana veins to train your Mana. It could be counted as either luck or fate that Matthew was born with Mana veins in this life.


    Matthew walked up to the group of 4 kids and got ready to join in on their fun.


    ¡°Get ready to lose Matt!¡± shouted one of them. Matthew just replied with a smirk. He didn¡¯t pay attention when Miss Williams made everyone give their names, so he settled on giving everyone nicknames.


    The outspoken kid was chosen as the seeker while the other four split up in different directions. Matthew as usual headed straight into the group of trees. When he made sure no one was watching him, he climbed up the tree until he was out of sight. This is where he trained his Aura, and Matthew was about to enter 1<sup>st</sup> stage [Fighter].


    Although Matthew already trained his Aura before and knew of its existence, he couldn¡¯t skip past the meditation required for the first stage. A month to get there was record breaking speed, and there were no records of any geniuses in his time who accomplished this.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Matthew sat cross legged with his hands placed on his knees on a tree branch. He closed his eyes and tried to feel everything around him. The trees, the kids, the various insects all were being felt by Matthew. After some moments he suddenly shuddered and opened his eyes.


    ¡°I finally did it.¡± Matthew thought to himself.The first stage''s only advantage was the development of the sixth sense. It was minor at first but as he kept advancing throughout the stages it would become much stronger and grander.


    Right now Matthew could only sense a couple feet around him. Still it was better than nothing. He stood up and stretched as he observed the ground below him. ¡°I guess I could actually play hide and seek for once.¡± It would be good training anyways for him to run around looking for the children. Matthew jumped down and performed a roll to lessen the landing.


    As soon as Matthew arrived back in the clearing one of the kids spotted him and shouted ¡°I found you Matt!¡± It just happened to be the same outspoken one from earlier and he sprinted towards him like his life was on the line. As soon as he arrived he tapped Matthew and had a shit eating grin on his face.


    ¡°Took you long enough. Where are the others?¡± Matthew replied.


    ¡°They were looking for you but will be back soon.¡± The outspoken kid decided to sit on the grass and pick some of them off the ground. A few moments later the rest of the kids came back.


    ¡°This time I¡¯ll be finding you all. I¡¯ll show you how it¡¯s supposed to be done!¡± Matthew exclaimed. He was giggling to himself knowing how easy it¡¯ll be to find these brats. Matthew closed his eyes and counted to twenty before he started the search. He already knew which direction they headed since he felt them move.


    It only took five minutes before Matthew rounded up all four kids and they weren¡¯t happy. A collective of groans sounded out when Matthew brought the last one.


    ¡°How are you so good!? This is unfair¡­¡± complained the outspoken one.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Matthew flashed them another smirk.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll make it my life goal to beat you in hide and seek Matthew!¡± Little did Matthew know how determined this boy was. He didn¡¯t put it to heart because they were just kids, but Matthew just created a potential rival.


    Of course that was for the future. Right now Matthew was figuring out what to do next.


    ¡°I am only five years old. I should probably learn about how much has changed before I keep training.¡± There was no need to rush after all. Matthew was sure he¡¯ll do fine with this new life, since he has knowledge on his side.


    ¡°Alright kids it¡¯s time to come back inside!¡± Miss Williams yelled from a window. The herd scrambled to get back inside, incase another decides to steal one of their seats. Matt however was the only one who kept a calm pace.


    Matthew was the last one to arrive and decided to sit next to the hide and seek kids. This¡¯ll be the day he finally learns their names, and make his first (?) friend.

 Chapter 4

    A week passed by, and Matthew finally bothered to learn the names of some of the other children. The energetic seeker was Carl, and although Matt tried to learn the other participants¡¯ names he forgot them the next day and didn¡¯t bother relearning.


    The stoic boy was Nicholas, and the noble girl was Elizabeth although she always told everyone to call her Beth. Something about her mother saying not everyone deserves to say your full name. Also both of their last names were overly complicated so Matthew decided to forego memorizing them.


    As Matthew arrived in the classroom Carl waved him over to his table. ¡°Oh great it¡¯s filled with those children whose name I¡¯ve forgotten.¡± Matthew sported one of the fakest smiles of his life and said ¡°Hey guys!¡± A quick glance around the room and one would notice Beth isn¡¯t here.


    ¡°Guys have you seen Beth?¡± asked Matthew. All of the surrounding boys gave him a queer look, but Carl and the other boys at the table showed Carl¡¯s infamous shit eating grin.


    ¡°Oooo Matthew likes Beth!¡± shouted Carl. Everyone in the room, including Miss Williams, stared at their table.


    ¡°What have I told you about yelling in the classroom Carl...?¡± Miss Williams gave an overdramatic sigh and walked to the center of the classroom. The surrounding kids except Matthew and Dylan laughed at both Carl and Matthew, while the victim rolled his eyes and the offender turned beet red from embarrassment.


    ¡°Alright settle down everyone I have an important announcement to make. It saddens me to inform everyone that Elizabeth will be leaving school from now on.¡± This news was welcomed by a chorus of boos and confusion. One girl who seemed to be close to her even started crying.


    Another boy suddenly shouted ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± but was quickly subdued by the glares of fellow female classmates.


    ¡°Now settle down please children! It¡¯s important not to overreact in situations¡± A quick shift of her glasses and Miss Williams continued ¡°Elizabeth was recruited into the Valkyries. I know all of you are too young to understand what they are, but just know she¡¯s one of the few boys and girls who will grow up to serve and protect us.¡± As she finished you could see a gaze of worship and admiration on Williams¡¯ face.


    However Matthew¡¯s face was filled with confusion. ¡°What the hell are Valkyries? I¡¯ve never heard of this group or association¡­The fact they¡¯re recruiting children to serve and protect is concerning. I thought we already saved the world, but are the remnants of the Demonic Army providing that much trouble? How far have we fallen¡­¡± Matthew¡¯s somber soliloquy was interrupted by the shouting of Carl.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Miss Williams how come we didn¡¯t get into the Val-cries?¡± Carl had an indignant look on his plain face. His short brown hair made him look like a typical commoner.


    ¡°Even I don¡¯t know the answer to that. However don¡¯t let that make you feel any less special than you all already are!¡± To exaggerate her point Miss Williams raised her first in the air. The whole class erupted in a cheer, while Matt felt his headache increasing by the minute.


    ¡°It looks like I may not be having such a carefree life after all. I need more opportunities to train.¡± The rest of the day passed by like a blur, and Matthew stared at his father before reaffirming himself.


    As Evelyn and the rest of the maids placed the food on the table, Matthew finally asked what has been on his mind all day.


    ¡°Dad I want to be strong like you.¡± Eric halted the beef that was going to enter his body, and with his mouth still open he stared at Matthew. In fact everyone in the room stared at Matthew, but the only one that mattered was Eric¡¯s. He was trying to pressure him with his aura, perhaps see how strong his conviction was. Although testing the seriousness of a normal five year old raises questions in itself, Matthew was no normal five year old.


    What seemed like minutes passed until Eric sighed and continued eating his food. ¡°Alright son although you¡¯re more mature for kids your age the road you¡¯ll be walking in will be a long and arduous one. I¡¯ll give you one chance to back out now.¡± His only response was silence and so he continued ¡°I don¡¯t know what brought this up, but I can only assume it¡¯s the appearance of the Valkyries.¡± Eric gave another long sigh.


    ¡°What are the Valkyries?¡± Matthew asked. Surprisingly it was his mother who answered ¡°A joint group of elites and geniuses from the Griffin and Elven Kingdoms. Normally some forces from the Dragon Dynasty would''ve been included, however circumstances led to their exclusion. The seven heroes led them in battle against the Demon King 300 years ago.¡±


    ¡°Huh? We never did that? We were chosen by the Guardian Goddess herself. What the hell is going on here...¡± Matthew couldn¡¯t help but make another confused face. Eric noticing this gave a hearty laugh and said ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t understand all of this right now. When I enroll you in the Academy you¡¯ll understand eventually.¡±


    After dinner Matthew excused himself from his family and went back to his room. His headache was coming back in large strides. ¡°I assumed I reincarnated in the same world due to the portions of the Great War I¡¯ve heard, but is that really the case? This world¡¯s heroes have the same name, but the history surrounding the war is different. I won¡¯t figure this out anytime soon that¡¯s for sure.¡± Matt sat on his bed and started increasing the width of his mana veins. Once they finally get to [Ethereal], Matthew¡¯s veins will become part of his soul and will no longer be in his body. He¡¯ll still get all of the benefits without having to worry about crippling them in battle.


    With more questions than answers the pain accompanying the training soon drowned out his thoughts. Matthew would begin his training with Eric tomorrow afternoon, instead of going to the Bakery. Few youth trained in either Mana or Aura in the single digits, and those that did usually became legends or died trying. Matt sure wasn¡¯t planning on trying, as he has done it once and damn sure can do it again.

 Chapter 5

    A red and black aura seemed to permeate throughout the sky, as it slowly wandered the world. It resembled a fog, but the pure malice and wrath it emitted resembled a demon. No human would be able to come near it without suffering immense physical or mental pain. However no matter how many settlements it passed by no one seemed to notice its presence or aura.


    If one was able to approach the fog while maintaining their consciousness, they would bear witness to a vibrant pair of red eyes. They were constantly scanning the land below, the desperation was visible in their eyes. ¡°Where¡­Vessel...¡± were the thoughts circulating through its mind. After an immeasurable amount of time the fog finally stopped having located its target.


    Below the fog was a vast range of mountain peaks so high up the clouds were passing through them. Its eyes were on the largest peak where one would notice a giant hole about 7 meters. The fog condensed itself till it became murky, and slowly approached the hole. Inside the cave it was pitch black, except the steady breathing of a great beast. This darkness wasn¡¯t able to impede the fog¡¯s vision however, and was met with a great griffin.


    There was no doubt about it, this was the vessel this fog was searching for. The griffin was huge to say the least, and its size alone justified it being the rival of a dragon for the title of ¡°Ruler of the Sky¡±. The griffin was resting in a nest near a set of eggs. The feathers on the griffin started on its white head and stopped at the upper half of a white brown torso. Although the wings were tucked in, it didn¡¯t leave much to imagine of the beast¡¯s huge wingspan. It was equipped with sharp talons that could probably slice through a rock.


    The aura the griffin imposed naturally even while sleeping was full of majesty. The scar across its left eye however, made sure creatures knew the ferociousness lying dormant. This was all for naught as the fog slowly approached, surrounding the cave with its demonic aura. The griffin quickly woke up, its piercing yellow eyes scanning for its enemy.


    The malevolent fog and griffin locked eyes for a moment, before they both made their moves. The great beast quickly got on all fours and instantly swiped its talons generating two [Wind Slash]. It wasn¡¯t fast enough as the fog-like aura upon the griffin in mere moments. The aura condensed itself, and pierced into the griffin¡¯s head.


    The great beast started to spasm on the floor of the cave, followed by ghastly wails that reverberated throughout the walls into the opening. All of the griffins residing in the surrounding mountain peaks stared in the direction of the screams, with concern but none dared to approach the cave. After some time the screams gradually died down, until they were all left with the sound of silence.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    All eyes were on the entrance to the cave where the fog entered, and what emerged wasn¡¯t the griffin from before. It was something more volatile, something darker and not in appearance alone. The normal brown and white color of the griffin¡¯s feathers was replaced, with a mostly black body. Bloody red feathers outlined the griffin¡¯s wings, and a demonic aura replaced its old noble one.


    Where the griffin¡¯s were slow to take action during the earlier transformation due to shock, after sensing and seeing the visible change in the griffin they all flew towards it with talons at the ready. The demonic griffin¡¯s red eyes just took in the scenery of hundreds of griffins ready to tear him apart with a mocking grin.


    ¡°You all are an embarrassment for siding with Humans¡­¡± was the last thing it said before all the griffins crashed into it.


    ***


    Matthew groggily entered his room and nearly collapsed on his bed from exhaustion. He was currently ten years old, and the fact his father pushed such an intense training regime on him baffled him. His current thoughts were that Eric is damn near insane, and that he¡¯d get revenge for all the pain his body is suffering through.


    Although he knew physical training and Aura training were a necessity, Matt couldn¡¯t help spew a couple more curses as he took off his clothes and entered the bath. The warm embrace of the water slowly drifting him to sleep.


    As Matthew slowly opened his eyes he realized there were too many things that were different. One thing that was still the same was that he was still naked floating in a pool of water. Except he was no longer in his ten year old body, but in his battle-hardened body from the past. Matt lifted his head and realized instead of being in a bath, he was in a seemingly never ending ocean.


    The water was exceptionally clear, and there was no indication there was even a bottom of the sea. There was no life present in both the blue ocean and black sky, but instead what greeted Matt were a boundless amount of stars. Each one seemed to shine so bright they would nearly blind anyone who would see.


    Suddenly waves started crashing into Matthew¡¯s old body, and the stars started to radiate even brighter than they were before. A crack started to form in the sky, which only got bigger over time. Matt watched all of this with confusion apparent on his face, as he realized how similar this scenario was.


    The sky was filled with countless cracks, with golden lights seeping through them onto the ocean and Matt. Eventually it couldn¡¯t take it any longer, and a massive rift appeared in the sky bringing with it a divine aura. Two golden hands enlarged the rift even more, and a giant female head popped her head out.


    ¡°Hello again Gerald, or do you prefer the name Matthew now?¡± asked the head. This question however answered Matt¡¯s question, on whether he would ever live a peaceful second life. There¡¯s no rest for the wicked or good in this case.

 Chapter 6

    ¡°I figured I would be meeting with you eventually since I¡¯m going through this whole reincarnation thing.¡± Matthew replied in a steady voice unlike his first encounter with the last deity on this god forsaken world. A slight chuckle escaped his lips, as he recalled how flabbergasted he was originally.


    The goddess in question responded with a smirk of her own. If she were step foot into any piece of land, men and elves alike would be waging wars over her beauty. Sporting skin as white as ivory, and her long golden hair radiated a golden divine aura that stuck to her skin. Where there should be eyes, one would be met with hollow sockets that were filled with a golden light.


    ¡°My memory failed to reimagine your beauty, but what brings you here to my soul Rebecca?¡± Matt was certainly enraptured by her appearance, but he understood her visitation meant more serious matters.


    ¡°As you already noticed the history of your world and your memories don¡¯t align together. To put it simply, I recreated the world using my divine power.¡± This gave Matt more questions than answers, and the biggest question in his mind¡­


    ¡°But wh-¡± Before he could finish his sentence he was cut off by Rebecca.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t interrupt me Matthew. I don¡¯t have much time with my limited amount of divine power. Save your questions till the end after I finish explaining everything.¡± Taking his silence as signal to continue, Goddess Rebecca released a profound sigh.


    ¡°We failed Matthew. Yes you all killed the Demon King and its army, however the Old Gods were more thorough in their preparations than I expected.¡± To hear that all the effort and struggle he went through was for nothing was heart wrenching.


    ¡°If I let the old world continue on its current course, the Demon King would¡¯ve been reborn stronger than ever. Humanity was too devastated to mount any sort of defensive measures, which would¡¯ve led to their demise.¡± Matthew sported a grim look on his face, as he realized just how fractured the world could¡¯ve been after the Great War.


    ¡°As the Guardian Goddess of Humanity, it¡¯s my utmost duty to defend your species as a whole from extinction. Remaking the world, and reverting the Demon King back has taken a large toll on my divine power.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to assist you for a decade or two after I¡¯m finished talking with you Matthew. It¡¯ll be up to you to defend the mortal realm from the onslaught of the demon army. I know I¡¯m asking a lot, but with all of your regrets I hope you¡¯d consider this a second chance. It¡¯s not like I will be leaving you empty handed after all.¡± As she finished her last sentence, Rebecca¡¯s smile returned to her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the current pope of my church about the current situation, and he should be contacting you within the coming years. My final gift for you, will be granting you access to some of my power.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense Rebecca, I thought you needed to restore your pool of divine power. Wouldn¡¯t using some of your abilities just diminish the supply?¡± Although Matthew would appreciate the ability to use her holy arts, he¡¯d much rather be able to communicate with her in case anything important came up.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°You would provide a negligible difference due to the amount I¡¯d be restoring and how many can even use my abilities anyways.¡± A sudden frown appeared on her face.


    ¡°It looks like my time is up, but I just wanted to let you know that all your friends sent you warm wishes.¡± Matthew visibly shook at that last statement. It has been at least ten years since he has seen some of them, and others even longer.


    ¡°Tell them I¡¯m glad they¡¯re finally feeling a sense of peace up there¡­¡± A look of melancholy appeared on his face but he quickly shook it away.


    ¡°Goodbye and good luck my chosen.¡± Rebecca disappearance wasn¡¯t as grand as her earlier entrance. She simply vanished, and as Matthew watched the sky slowly repair itself he felt a connection to something larger. Much larger than anything he¡¯s ever felt before.


    The ocean in his soul suddenly started getting warmer, and as he looked down he noticed the clear blue ocean turned into a resplendent gold in color. It felt relaxing just to be enveloped in it, and so Matt let himself slowly sink.


    ***


    After an unknown amount of time Matthew woke up in his bath. He reexamined his body and saw the same prepubescent body. The connection to what he assumed was divine power was still there too.


    Recalling the conversation he had with Rebecca, Matthew realized he was all alone in this. Sure there¡¯s the pope and the church backing him up now, but from what Matt has learned from his past experiences he can¡¯t disregard the power of politics.


    One man can only do so much by themselves, but many can do that and much more. The biggest problem in this world is infighting. Matthew has no knowledge of what¡¯s going on in the elven territory, but the division between the Dragon Dynasty and Griffon Kingdom will be crippling in the oncoming war.


    What the world needed was a hero, but what exactly defined someone as a hero? Matt thought about the other six heroes, and how they acted before and during the Great War. Although all seven heroes were chosen by Rebecca, it didn¡¯t mean they were all sunshine and rainbows. The type of hero Matt was looking for was a symbol of hope. They would be able to unite everyone together under one banner to fight the demon army.


    Only one man out of the group of seven represented the word hope more than any other.


    ¡°Eric¡­¡± the word escaped his lips as a whisper. The man was a real inspiration, he was charismatic and a competent leader. The most important thing however, was that he had a large amount of renown which gave his feats and abilities credibility.


    Before he was coined with the title of hero, Matthew was a simple mercenary living a day by day struggle. Due to an unfortunate incident Matthew could hardly afford to get a decent paying job. Even after his strength was revealed and he participated in the campaign, he still couldn¡¯t escape criticism and doubt.


    What Matthew needed to do was develop a solid reputation based on his developing strength, while maintaining a decent social standing. If he didn¡¯t have this conversation with Rebecca, he may have just bided his time in the shadows. Now he couldn¡¯t afford to not be in the spotlight.


    ¡°Rebecca may have been right when she said this could be my second chance.¡± Matthew mused to himself. He finally got out of the bath and got ready to train some more. It was the only thing he could do at this point after all.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°How strong are you dad?¡± It was an innocent question, yet Eric¡¯s flinch couldn¡¯t escape Matthew¡¯s eyes. Matthew mentally sighed himself for asking as he already knew he wouldn¡¯t like the answer, but it was something he would find out eventually. Also his hopes weren¡¯t high in the first place seeing the lack of grandiose in his home compared to nobles he has met from his past.


    Scratching the back of his head and caressing his turquoise beard it took a few moments before Eric replied. ¡°Honestly¡­although I feel slightly embarrassed telling you this, it doesn¡¯t really matter in the end."


    ¡°Strength isn¡¯t everything son. Although it certainly helps if you have no equal in the world, but if you have no friends to back you up¡­¡± Eric gave a suggestive smirk, and Matt could only roll his eyes in response.


    ¡°Anyways I¡¯m no magician, and I only have ordinary talent in Aura Strengthening. Being a 5<sup>th</sup> stage [Warrior], I¡¯m only as strong as the average soldier. Still at the very least I can protect you and your mother from a common bandit.¡± Eric observed Matthew¡¯s face for any sign of disappointment, but finding none he released a mental sigh.


    ¡°Matthew on the other hand, you¡¯re an absolute genius. I¡¯ve never heard of a ten year old reaching 2<sup>nd</sup>stage [Fighter], especially considering I haven¡¯t properly taught you the beginning steps¡­¡± Eric gave a hearty laugh as he slapped his son¡¯s back, and the room reverberated with a meaty slap.


    An ordinary man would¡¯ve surely fallen, and Matt would¡¯ve too if it weren¡¯t for the fact he was training with his dad nearly every day. The first two stages of Aura only set up one¡¯s foundation, and provided no strength benefits. This didn¡¯t stop a small groan from escaping Matthew¡¯s lips.


    The day after Rebecca¡¯s visitation, Matt decided to write his thoughts and future plans in a journal. The material was nothing special, with dark brown leather as the cover and dull pieces of parchment inside. It¡¯s not like Matt had an eidetic memory, and one of his main concerns was forgetting vital pieces of information that may benefit himself or others.


    From detailed information on various monsters, to a list of milestones Matthew planned on accomplishing in this life. Excluding defeating the Demon King, the very first objective is mastering magic. A common misconception among non-magic users is identifying someone with the title wizard as powerful.


    Sure he got the title, but being a wizard only means you have the ability to cast slightly more advanced spells. Matt struggled to even learn them due to not receiving formal training, and had to rely on paying other magicians to teach him.


    There were too many hardships placed on his path, too many regrets that could¡¯ve been prevented if he were just a little bit wiser or ¨C Matthew blinked twice as he realized he zoned out again. Matt only did this when people kept talking too long and its contents were boring, or irrelevant. He got too lost into his thoughts, however Eric kept blabbering on like he didn¡¯t notice.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°¨Cwhich is why I will be sending a letter to the Royal Academy where your talents will be further developed. You still have a couple years till leaving us though, and much more to learn. I have high expectations for you son.¡± As Eric spoke he placed both hands on Matthew¡¯s shoulders, and looked him straight in the eyes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down father.¡± Matt could taste the irony as he spoke, as he has said a similar line only to go back on that promise. He shook his head before he got too muddled with his thoughts, and realized Eric was now at the entrance of his room.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m old, I¡¯m not senile to the point where I can¡¯t notice my own son is practicing magic. I can¡¯t believe you were lucky enough to be born with a mana heart and veins, since your mother and I can¡¯t cast any magic¡­¡± What followed were some hushed whispers and the continued stroking of Eric¡¯s beard. He promptly left the room to his office, leaving a somewhat shocked Matt staring at the door.


    Honestly Matthew felt like an idiot. It was only a matter of time before his parents would¡¯ve become suspicious of him. Every day he would stay in his room training behind closed doors, so the fact his father checked on him while he was training isn¡¯t surprising. The reason Matt was shocked however, is due to his stupidity of secluding himself from his family to train. There was really no real reason to be doing it in the first place, as it¡¯s not like it would affect his progress in anyway.


    Also he felt like he truly wasn¡¯t appreciating his new set of parents. One of Matthew¡¯s many regrets in his former life was his treatment towards his family. Being a typical hot-blooded teenager, Matt obviously wasn¡¯t interested in the family trade and ran away to become a mercenary. That one bad decision was the start of it all, and it still left a sour taste in his mouth. Matthew got up and looked out the window towards the garden situated at the back of the house. The sun was exceptionally bright, and his mother and various servants were working hard caring for the various bushes and plants.


    In the center lied a rectangular area about 15 meters in width and length, with 2 pathways on the western and eastern sections that led into the garden. In the middle of this area was a pool surrounded by wooden tables, chairs, and benches and it was here that some servants would relax while enjoying the scenery.


    This would be where Matthew planned on training from now on. It would be killing three birds with one stone as he¡¯d be able to interact with his mom as she took breaks, practice magic and aura, and enjoy nature while he¡¯s at it.


    A few moments later Matt found himself in front of the pool where he sat down and practiced his Aura. The few servants on break were surprised by their young master¡¯s sudden intrusion, as he has never visited the back of the manor before. Jessica strolled into the area to take a break, and then noticed her son sitting by the edge of the pool in deep concentration.


    She simply dragged a chair over, and sat down as she observed Matthew. A small smile crept onto her face, and before she knew it she fell asleep. The servants not wanting to disturb this scene of serenity quickly left back to work, leaving the pair to bask in the sun¡¯s warm embrace.

 Chapter 8

    Eric opened the entrance to his study. Various thoughts flew through his mind, but the most prominent one was the fact his own son was a bloody mage! The most shocking fact was to learn that Matthew was lucky enough to be born with mana vessels and a core, even though both Jessica and himself didn¡¯t have any to begin with. Eric has heard stories of kids without any magical lineage having the ability to wield the elements. Now his son was one of them and he couldn¡¯t be prouder.


    Matthew was already a genius when it came to Aura, and Eric was sure he¡¯d become stronger than he ever was. Add on the ability to use magic, and maybe he could become one of the powerhouses of the kingdom. One thing Eric knew for sure, was that things were looking up for the Fredericks family.


    Although there were questions to be raised about how Matthew already knew how to cast spells, Eric brushed it aside with the label of self-taught genius. Besides there were more important things to do, like writing a letter of recommendation to the Royal Academy. If Matt were able to obtain a free ride to the academy, Eric would be able to move his family to the capital itself.


    Jessica always wanted to see the capital¡¯s giant castle, but being an off-duty field officer only provided enough pay for a mediocre villa on the other side of the kingdom and their son¡¯s future education. Eric knew Jessica wasn¡¯t a materialistic woman, but he still believed she held onto her childhood dream of seeing those impenetrable walls with her own eyes.


    Now they¡¯d both be able to leave this damned countryside city. The only problem was his current job overseeing the iron excavation at the dungeon. It was an easy job, but Eric didn¡¯t want to be stuck there while his family was across the country. It may be possible to convince his superiors if he signed back up for active duty but that brought in another set of problems.


    War. Even the most ignorant of people could tell relations between the neighboring empire and kingdom were impossible to repair. Ever since the assassination of the Dragon Dynasty¡¯s first king, Francis Dragonborn, the subsequent leaders have taken radical views towards the kingdom and magic itself. Their empire did the impossible by being fully anti-magic.


    The soldiers they produced were strong, and it¡¯s a damn shame the two countries are at an impasse¡­although it seems unlikely that will last for long. Rumors have been floating around that the empire has been getting ready these past decades for an invasion. If Eric had to risk going into war for his wife¡¯s happiness, and son¡¯s future it was obvious choice.


    Eric sat down in the wooden chair and prepared the materials for the letter. Before he started however, he looked outside the glass window to see Matthew and Jessica in the garden. Matt seemed to be mumbling some words, before some of the water in the pool gathered into a ball in his palm. He shot it back into the pool and repeated the process, and all the while his wife sat there knocked out.


    A small chuckle escaped Eric¡¯s lips as he focused on the task at hand. He picked up the pen and started writing.


    ***If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Headmaster we¡¯ve received another letter of recommendation.¡± A young man navigated throughout the clutter of thick books, and old scrolls scattered across the room to arrive at a dark oak desk. It was bare except for a calendar notifying anyone that it was the 3<sup>rd</sup> month of Caelum. Unsurprisingly this meant it was a month of strong winds, and you¡¯d see the occasional article fly through the room.


    The man placed the letter on top of the calendar, and maintained a stalwart bow until the Headmaster took the letter. A few moments later the man could see through his peripheral vision the letter quickly levitate and fly forward, which signaled he could finally stand. A quick adjustment of his glasses and fix of his messy dark brown hair allowed him to see the letter snuggle itself in-between an old man¡¯s two fingers.


    Well although this man seemed to be old judging by his dull gray hair, his body was full of well-built muscle that wouldn¡¯t lose to any veteran soldier. He had tanned skin that was covered by a gray robe with the markings of a cloud on the back, and cuffs of the arm. Typical grey martial artist¡¯s pants that were slightly frayed at the end followed, by bare feet on the wooden floor helped give an image of a wandering master.


    There was plenty of wind blowing throughout the room messing with various papers and such, including messing with the young man¡¯s outfit, but it didn¡¯t seem to affect the older man even though he was right in front of the entrance to the balcony.


    ¡°Thank you Adam, you may leave now.¡± A deep but soft voice reverberated throughout the room, and Adam could see the headmaster¡¯s head slightly turned in his direction. His beard was well kept, although his hair was long and wild as it cascaded to his shoulder. Adam finished observing the headmaster and quickly left the room before he disturbed him any longer.


    With a quick swipe of his finger the contents were revealed to the Headmaster. In all honesty he didn¡¯t have high expectations, since most of what he received were nobles flattering him endlessly then shamelessly recommending he take their son or daughter under his tutelage. The majority of these children would have no exceptional talents, so he¡¯d just throw the paper away in a random corner of the room.


    His expectations weren¡¯t disappointed as the first two paragraphs were unnecessary flattery. However as he kept reading his expression slowly changed. His eyebrows were raised in curiosity by the first sentence of the third paragraph. By the second his eyes widened in shock, and his original calm green eyes turned a piercing yellow. A boisterous laugh thundered through the streets around the Royal Academy.


    ¡°Not one but two incoming geniuses within a span of a year. This is a sign of good tidings for the academy indeed. With the amount of money we¡¯ll be receiving from Randolph, it¡¯ll be possible for a mass renovation!¡±


    With impeccable timing Adam once again entered the room and navigated towards the desk. He waited some moments for the laughter to cease, but it wasn¡¯t long before the Headmaster¡¯s jovial mood turned somber once more.


    ¡°Prepare two letters for the city of Erebos and town of Schurr. I would like all youth in both areas that¡¯ll become 14 within the next four years to consider joining our academy for free all four years.¡± This nearly elicited a gasp from Adam however he quickly regained his composure, so he could perform another structured bow and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Also write another letter for the Fredericks¡¯ house informing them of their successful recommendation. Although this boy shall be arriving here in four years, we¡¯ll need to make some improvements before he and the other lad arrive¡­especially with the influx of students that¡¯ll be arriving in the coming years¡­¡± The headmaster drifted off in thought for a moment, and Adam didn¡¯t dare make a sound to not disturb his thought process.


    ¡°Schedule a total personnel meeting for next week. That¡¯ll be all Adam.¡± With a wave of his sleeve the old man went back to gazing through the balcony. King Randolph should be pleased with another emerging genius in the kingdom. If nothing triggers the Dragon Dynasty into launching a preemptive invasion, he¡¯ll probably use the two as leverage to hold them back. In all honesty though, the headmaster and Randolph both knew that peace wouldn¡¯t last for long however.

 Chapter 9

    A ball of water materialized from thin air above Matthew¡¯s palm. With only a thought he started spinning the ball rapidly. The clear blue liquid didn¡¯t spill anywhere, and was safe for human consumption. As Matt stared at the revolving ball, a smirk formed on his lips. He willed the [Water Ball] to shoot into the pool, and got up from his cross legged pose.


    Typically when a mage first starts training, they¡¯re unable to form any spells since their mana heart hasn¡¯t fully developed. Thus if a beginner wanted to train their spells, they¡¯d have to go to a source of their affinity like fire or a pool of water. Once you advance to the 2<sup>nd</sup> stage of sorcery,


    Matthew stared at his reflection in the pool. Smooth pale skin featuring the face of a boy showing signs of gaining maturity. His brown eyes naturally drew one¡¯s attention, and his vibrant blonde hair was still slicked back. Ever since his meeting with Rebecca, one of the most notable changes was the fact his hair seemed to glow in the dark. Albeit it was only a small shimmer, waking up in the middle of the night to glowing hair was an interesting experience.


    Also Matt still couldn¡¯t figure out how to use any of Rebecca¡¯s abilities. He tried praying a bunch and reciting some random religious mumbo jumbo from the past, but nothing has happened. It was getting to the point where Matt started to doubt if Rebecca had any sort of divine abilities for her followers, yet she said she gave access to him so there must be something. Still four years with no progress on that end did leave a sour taste in his mouth.


    ¡°Well at least I¡¯ve progressed in other areas.¡± Matthew¡¯s sour attitude quickly took a change for the better. What fourteen year old could claim they¡¯re a 4<sup>th</sup> stage [Warrior] and 2<sup>nd</sup> stage [Apprentice], all without any help from teachers? Right now he had the strength of the average adult, only because he was young and he hasn¡¯t reached his physical limits yet for this stage. A couple months of hard training should fix that though.


    Training the physical body was the easy part. The hard part was developing his magical ability, as Matthew never received formal training as a magician. The farthest he¡¯s ever gotten was the 4<sup>th</sup> stage, which serves as a border between those with and without ability. Matthew had no clue how to advance past that, but his enrollment in the academy should fix that problem.


    Of course before Matthew even worried about that he had to increase his knowledge of the world. The only reason he didn¡¯t do so previously was because he was too small to reach the door without alerting his dad. Yes it was a stupid reason in hindsight, especially since there was no real reason for Eric to be mad at him for pursuing knowledge. Honestly it was the paranoia of his awareness being discovered, which was also why Matt trained behind closed doors.


    What Matthew focused on was learning more about the lay of the land, since he knew nothing in the subject. Basically the continent was around four thousand miles wide and eight thousand miles vertical. The area was split by the three factions and various unclaimed land left to monsters. They were all situated on the eastern half of the continent, with the Griffon Kingdom being north of the Dragon Dynasty and the Elven Lands to the left of the kingdom.


    The Royal Academy was situated in the capital, and is a state of the art training and education facility ran by and for the kingdom. Anyone who can would be scrambling to send their sons and daughters there, even if they couldn¡¯t afford the tuition. The Academy has a program where as long as you enlisted for a decade, you¡¯d receive a free ride for the full four years. Many lower class citizens would send their children there in hopes they¡¯d make a name for themselves in the army, but more often than not they¡¯ll wind up being a foot soldier.


    The sound of approaching footsteps entered Matthew¡¯s ears, and as he turned around he was greeted by an old lady. There was a slight hunch in her gait, and the previous head of mostly black hair has turned grey. Wrinkles were lining her face, yet she moved with a vigor exceeding her age. Clearly this was the head maid of their household, Evelyn, and she walked until she was two feet away.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Young master your parents have called for your presence.¡± Her voice came in a dull soft tone, an effect of her clearly increasing age. Matt never bothered to ask how old she is, but he¡¯s heard that Evelyn has been serving the family since she was a young lady.


    ¡°Alright tell them I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± Evelyn walked back towards the villa, and Matthew got up and performed some stretches. Being a 4<sup>th</sup> stage [Warrior] obviously his body would be fit, and his typical cotton outfit couldn¡¯t hide his ever-developing frame.


    He quickly navigated the lush garden and made a brisk pace towards the villa. Matthew always wondered how his mother could maintain a garden and run a bakery full time. It¡¯ll remain another unsolved mystery since he quickly arrived inside and saw his parents waiting for him.


    Eric¡¯s turquoise hair was now switched from a man bun, to a nice flowing mane that extended to his neck. His beard was still nicely maintained, and although 14 years have passed he still looked to be in his early twenties.


    Jessica on the other hand looked exactly the same as she did nine years ago, which is shocking considering the fact she doesn¡¯t practice aura or magic. Matthew chalked it up to good genes. He sat down on the grey sofa across from his parents, and Evelyn brought a tray filled with sweets made by herself and Jessica that Eric promptly got to work on.


    ¡°Today¡¯s your last day with us until the caravan for the Royal Academy arrives. How are you feeling?¡± Matt could hear the concern in her voice, as any parent would be worried sending their child away from home.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry mom I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be there alone for the whole four years, since you¡¯ll be coming after the second month.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not worried about you Matt, but the various nobles and potential swindlers you¡¯ll meet. Don¡¯t look down on Elyssia son, it¡¯s a big city and you¡¯re still quite ignorant of the world. The academy will wind up being a valuable life lesson for you¡± Eric interjected and Matthew could only roll his eyes at this (internally since Eric would work him to death if he found out). Experience was the one thing he didn¡¯t lack especially with people.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind but I was wondering why they decided recruit all the kids in this town. I don¡¯t understand what they¡¯d get from that.¡± Maybe it was a political thing? Either way Matt couldn¡¯t piece together the bigger picture yet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I¡¯m assuming they were just so happy with your attendance that it became a spur in the moment decision.¡± Jessica took an optimistic approach, but Matthew had a bad feeling about this.


    Eric reached into his bosom and placed a brown leather pouch on the table. The clinking of metal resounded throughout the room. Matthew grabbed it and noticed it was deceptively heavier than it appeared, although he could still easily fling it around. Matt looked inside and discovered some gold and mostly silver coins, all engraved with the marking of a Griffon. Everyone used the common copper, silver, and gold coins as currency but depending on where you resided the markings on the individual coin would be different.


    ¡°That should be enough money to last you until your mother and I move to Elyssia in 2 months. Make sure you keep it close with you.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any more help packing sir?¡± Evelyn stepped forward and retrieved the now empty tray. Matthew didn¡¯t even get a chance to try any since Eric kept swallowing them in seconds.


    ¡°I should be fine now but thank you Evelyn. I should go finish packing my stuff now.¡± After he finished addressing his parents, Matthew got up and started to climb the stairs only to be interrupted by Eric.


    ¡°Remember what I told you yesterday.¡± Eric waved him off and went back to convincing Jessica to bake some more sweets. Matt only shook his head at this, as his father kept trying to ingrain in him not to abuse commoners. At least once a month he would always remind him about his behavior since Eric wouldn¡¯t be there to supervise him. Frankly he was starting to get annoyed with it, especially since Eric would praise him all the time about his behavior yet stay obstinate regarding this.


    Matt entered his room and jumped on the bed. He decided to take a nap now then pack and train later. Tomorrow would be a long day anyways, and his experience with caravans always resulted in some back pain afterwards.


    ¡°God I hope the caravan doesn¡¯t fuck up my back again¡­¡±

 Chapter 10

    A stone archway marked the exit to Schurr, and the safest way to travel to other settlements was to follow the dirt pathway that led to the King¡¯s Road. It was a paved road that stretched for countless miles to both ends of the kingdom, and was regularly maintained by regiments of soldiers. If you weren¡¯t in a rush the safest route was without a doubt the King¡¯s Road, but otherwise you took shortcuts that may or may not result in your demise.


    A group of people, young and old, were waiting with varied emotions for the academy¡¯s caravan to escort the town¡¯s youth to their new residence. Matthew was excited for the upcoming change in scenery, but he would miss the calm environment here. Also he hated riding in caravans. Jessica, Eric, and Evelyn were the only ones who¡¯d be seeing him off as any extra was seen as extra, and Matthew didn¡¯t really develop a bond with the other servants as he did with Evelyn.


    He stood relaxed with his luggage, as the sun only just started to rise in the sky. They were told to be ready early in the morning for the caravan, and as Matt observed the rest of the teenagers he assumed some of them stood up late due to nervousness or excitement. Some teens had visible bags under their eyes and their very being oozed lethargy. They all wore shades of brown or tan tunics and trousers, and since Matthew came from a noble family he is allowed to wear a turquoise set.


    ¡°What¡¯s up pipsqueak!¡± An energetic voice shouted before approaching with two others. A tall, lanky young boy was the source, and Matthew face palmed internally but was otherwise happy to see Carl. Out of the fifteen students who are present Matt developed the closest bond with Carl and his two lackeys.


    Rather than friends or fellow students lackey would be the best word to describe their relationship to Carl. The two boys who followed Carl around all the time were Zack and Dylan, who both happened to be nearly identical twins. They both had crew cuts and the only way to tell them apart was, by Zack¡¯s blonde hair and blue eyes or Dylan¡¯s brown hair and green eyes. They were both an inch shorter than Matt, but were clearly dwarfed by Carl.


    As he approached the height difference between Matt and Carl became more apparent. It¡¯s not like Matthew was small for his age as he was 5¡¯5, but Carl was an astonishing 5¡¯9 towering over his peers. He placed his hand on Matt¡¯s head and proceeded to ruffle his hair, one of the annoying habits Carl developed as his height and ego grew.


    Matthew sent a threatening glare Carl¡¯s way and he eased his hands away. ¡°My bad co-captain I just couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Carl shrugged his shoulders and the twins let out a soft chuckle. Apparently Carl formed a group with Matthew being second-in-command without his knowledge, but he went along with it since they both knew who was really in charge.


    ¡°Anyways is this who¡¯s coming with us? It¡¯s not even the full class what the hell¡­and that freak is coming along too.¡± A scowl formed along Carl¡¯s face and Matthew could only sigh. The boys all looked in the direction of ablack haired boy and an elder with one arm who were clearly distanced from the rest of the crowd. Matthew could tell by the older man¡¯s gait that he was a warrior before he grew old and lost the arm. The man was explaining something to the boy in hushed whispers, and the look of stoicism on his face despite being so young was shocking.


    Ever since Nicholas corrected the misinformed Carl and the whole class (except Matthew and the twins) laughed or giggled amongst themselves, Carl developed a personal vendetta against him. He tried to rope his group into harassing the boy, but Matthew quickly put a stop to Zack and Dylan¡¯s interference. If Carl had a grudge against someone he could handle it on his own instead of bullying the kid. Besides Nick was a no-nonsense kind of guy, as he repeatedly shut down any attempt of superiority from Carl.


    Eric broke his conversation with another parent to glance at the entrance to the town. ¡°Look the caravan finally arrived!¡± Confirming Matthew¡¯s thoughts that Eric did sense the approaching vehicle, a middle aged lady shouted as she pointed in the middle of the archway.


    A brown horse led a covered wagon on the pathway to Schurr, and the man at the front seat was completely relaxed. He wore blue leather armor which featured a white griffon on the right shoulder strap. He had disheveled curly black hair, and was chewing on some stalks of wheat. His overall appearance made one think of a bum, but the pristine sword and shield next to him belied that impression.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    When he finally arrived he got off the seat, gave a cursory glance to the group, and grabbed a rolled up piece of paper from his pouch. ¡°Matthew Fredericks.¡± His voice was deep and after Matthew stepped forward he gave Eric a quick nod before checking something off on the list.


    ¡°Carl Rauch.¡±


    ¡°Dylan Jameson.¡±


    ¡°Zack Jameson.¡± The man railed off the fifteen names and prodded the group of teens to get in a group behind him. As Matt observed the man he noticed the armor seemed to hide his lean, muscular figure.


    ¡°Alright this is your chance to say your goodbyes, so don¡¯t screw it up kids.¡± Matthew hugged his parents and Evelyn before he walked back behind the wagon driver. As Carl finished talking to his mother, she glanced at Eric and Jessica before approaching Matthew.


    She was the same lady who announced the caravan¡¯s arrival, with slight wrinkles adorning her cheeks and her brown hair starting to turn grey. ¡°Hello again Sir Fredericks.¡± She performed a quick curtsy, while Matthew waved her off to stop her sign of respect.


    ¡°Carl talks about you all the time at home. I hope you know he really admires you¡­The point is that as I¡¯m sure you know about my boy¡¯s hardheadedness, and I¡¯m concerned about him. Sure he¡¯s got Zack and Dylan with him, but I know you¡¯ve got a real good head on your shoulders. If you could just watch after Carl for me while ya¡¯ll are in the academy¡­I¡¯ve already lost my husband, but if I were to lose my boy too¡­¡± By this point Carl¡¯s mother was silently weeping to herself as she grabbed onto Matt¡¯s hand.


    Matthew in return grabbed her hands, and looked her in the eyes with a resolute expression. ¡°I¡¯ll take good care of your son ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°It was nice to meet all of you, but it¡¯s time for your children to go.¡± The curly haired man turned the covered wagon around and got the horse ready. Matthew told Carl and company that he¡¯d prefer to be in the back so he could feel the wind.


    As the horse started to get moving, all of the parents formed a big group and waved them away with shouts of encouragement. The four boys could clearly see their respective families smiling at them, and pride started to swell in each of them. This was the start of their journey.


    ***


    ¡°I¡¯m booooooored.¡± Carl droned on for must¡¯ve been the umpteenth time. It¡¯s been five hours since they started their ride to the city of Ethel. James, the curly haired man, said they would be riding to Ethel to pick up their real form of transport, which will considerably lessen their travel time. He wouldn¡¯t tell anyone what the vehicle or animal was, especially Carl as he kept trying to squeeze the information out of him.


    Matthew was laid back on the backboard enjoying the scenery, and noticed one of those messenger birds flying overhead in their direction. Thankfully the King¡¯s Road was a smooth paved surface so there¡¯d be no occasional bumping, thus no back pain for Matt.


    ¡°Could you pleeeease shut up Carl. Thanks!¡± A girl interrupted Carl before he could speak again, which he returned with a snort before finally shutting up. She had twin pigtails and Matt remembered her name was Tori. She had a petite body and it seemed like Zack had a crush on the girl by the occasional glances he sent her way. That was also part of the reason why Carl didn¡¯t try to argue with Tori.


    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive in Ethel by midday and I¡¯ll give you kids some time to explore the city before meeting back in a designated area. We¡¯ll sleep there and continue to the capital tomorrow morning, so don¡¯t stay up too late like some of you did today.¡± James said to the agreement of many in the wagon. After a few more hours they could finally see the steel gates of Ethel. The group could still hear the hustle and bustle of the city, despite the fact it was surrounded by high stone walls.


    As the guards already recognized and trusted James by his armor they promptly opened the gates. People were walking to and fro, and there were various stands on the sides of the roads selling food and wares. As they ventured deeper into the center of the circular city, they noticed an increase in the number of actual shops before they arrived at a tavern.


    Everyone looked up at the sign hanging on the building. ¡°I wonder why it¡¯s called The Familiar Spade.¡± Dylan voiced the thoughts of a couple kids. It was a two-story wooden building with a stable off to the side. There were glass windows that allowed one to see various young ladies serving drinks to tables full of men.


    ¡°Meet back at here in four hours. I have to take care of our transportation.¡± James entered the establishment, and was greeted by cheers from some of the locals. That left the group of fifteen teenagers outside wondering what to do. Carl put his arm around Matthew and Dylan and exclaimed, ¡°Time for some adventure boys!¡± He motioned Zack to follow and dragged the boys around looking for something to kill time.

 Chapter 11

    The group of four separated from the rest of the teens and proceeded to head deeper into the city. The sound of steps or wheels travelling on the cobblestone road reverberated in their ears. Matthew felt his bosom for the pouch filled with coins, and recalled he was given 3 golden coins and countless silver ones. A thousand copper coins were worth 1 silver coin, while a thousand silver coins were worth 1 gold coin.


    His reason for feeling the money pouch was because they were in the commercial district, where nearly every building on both sides of the road wanted to relieve your money from you. Besides the increased amount of shops was the shift in appearance of people passing by. When they first entered the city most of the people wore sets of tunics or cotton. Now though you¡¯d see the occasional person in leather or chainmail with a weapon strapped to their back.


    The variety of level in their equipment meant they shouldn¡¯t be militia, which meant they had to be mercenaries. Matthew sensed the Auras of the mercenaries around him and found they were mostly red or the sparse blue. This meant they either trained in body strengthening (red) like Matthew, or relied on emotional empowerment (blue) for strength. ¡°Woah look at the beast that guy has!¡± Carl pointed at one particular man carrying a metal cage with a small humanoid creature in it.


    With a doll like face, and creamy white skin only helped enhanced the image of a distraught child who¡¯s lost it all. At least it would¡¯ve if you ignored the obvious signs of her monster heritage. She had golden brown wings attached to her human torso where arms would normally be, and equipped with a set of chicken legs. Clearly it was an adolescent harpy who was most likely captured for the tasty eggs they¡¯d produce. Matthew glanced at the rest of the boys and noticed the intense curiosity in their gaze.


    ¡°Where do you think he¡¯s going with it?¡± Dylan asked what was on the three boy¡¯s mind, which only prompted Carl to respond with ¡°Onwards!¡± and followed the man with his friends. The man stopped outside of a two story building made out of ironwood giving it reddish-brown color. A sign attached near the double oak doors featured a painting of crossed swords behind a red and white shield.


    ¡°Why am I not surprised the mercenary guild used the same symbol, although the colors on the shield are different this time¡­¡± Matthew sighed to himself mentally. The man entered the building and Carl was about to announce something, but the ringing of church bells resounded throughout the city. ¡°I was an idiot for not checking if there was a church of Rebecca in the city!¡±


    ¡°Before I was interrupted I was about to say let¡¯s hurry up before we lose them.¡± Carl proclaimed with a few steps forward before he realized Matthew wasn¡¯t walking forward with them. The trio looked around and realized he vanished from their sights.


    Dylan turned back towards the building and realized the man had already went inside. ¡°Forget about Matt he¡¯ll just miss out on seeing the monster.¡± With Dylan prodding the other two the boys finally entered the mercenary guild.


    As the boys entered they were overwhelmed by the variety of armaments and mercenaries in the room. From pale to brown skin, from swords to halberds every mercenary in the room carried themselves with a swagger to their every stride. The mercenaries were split amongst themselves in the spacious building.


    On the right side was a caf¨¦ where mercenaries would relax by themselves or with their group to the comfort of a warm meal. To the left was a massive wooden board with various papers attached that people would occasionally take and wander to the final area. In front of them were 4 separate queues of mercenaries, and Carl spotted the man they were following earlier nearing the attendant in one of the middle lines.


    Although Carl was mainly interested in the monster due to it being the first monster he¡¯s ever seen, but as he looked at its sad eyes that would wander around he realized he felt a connection to this beast. Something was calling him towards this monster and as both of their eyes met each other he rushed towards the man. Carl brushed aside some mercenaries as he squeezed by eliciting some curses, and confusion why a child was in here alone.


    When he finally arrived at the man¡¯s side Carl was out of breath and grabbed the same arm that was holding onto the metal cage. As expected of a mercenary, what greeted Carl was a coarse voice like gravel.


    ¡°Who the fuck do you think you¡¯re touching so casually kid?¡± He was a muscular tanned man with tattoos all over his bare arms. There was a scar lining across his face that Carl noticed as soon as he turned to face him. ¡°Are you gonna keep gawking at me or say something brat?¡± Shaking himself out of his trance like state, Carl realized most if not all eyes were on him at this moment.


    Carl gathered his bravado once he realized he was nearly the same height as the bald man. ¡°What do you plan on doing with¡­that thing?¡± He gestured towards the cowering creature that was only the size of a toddler.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°This thing is an adolescent harpy with a mana core. It¡¯s gonna earn me a lot of coin, and I don¡¯t see how my money is any of your business.¡± He finished with a snort and went back to disregarding Carl. Something within him told Carl he had to obtain that harpy at any cost.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten silver for the harpy!¡±


    A boisterous laughter erupted from the crowd and Carl could feel his cheeks grow red from embarrassment. It was clear he just made a fool of himself and could only stand there in awkward silence. The twins took this chance to squeeze past the crowd and backed up Carl.


    ¡°How much did you guys get from your parents? I really need to get this harpy or I¡¯ll regret it for the rest of my life.¡± Carl turned to the boys in desperation and they shared a look amongst themselves before they each responded.


    ¡°My brother and I both only received ten silver and that was only after beg-¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Carl us bros got your back!¡± Zack and Dylan both spoke at the same time and Zack shot Dylan a glare, when he realized he almost gave up both their precious cash.


    ¡°Ignore my brother and take it.¡± Dylan pressed two small pouches towards Carl, while Zack realized his brother somehow took his money without him noticing.


    ¡°Alright how about thirty silver?!¡± You could hear a bit of desperation coming out of his voice, and the twins were wondering what was going on with Carl. Another round of laughter came from the crowd but ended quicker than last time.


    ¡°Kid I don¡¯t know why in the hell you¡¯re so bent on getting this harpy, but you¡¯ll probably never be able to afford him in your lifetime. Now scram you¡¯re getting annoying brat.¡± The man was finally next in line but before he could proceed to the counter Carl grabbed his arm again.


    Without any warning he thrust an open palm at Carl¡¯s chest, which blew the boy back into his friends whom nearly fell while catching him. Although the strength was great it was clear the man was still holding back.


    ¡°Mr. Tyson I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware we don¡¯t tolerate violence in this establishment. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re also aware of the 100 silver fine.¡± One of the ladies at the counter remarked with a cold voice. Before Tyson could respond a smooth voice responded followed by four sets of footsteps coming down a set of stairs.


    ¡°Who knew a mercenary would stoop as low as to hit a kid, and none of you so much as battered an eye¡­¡± The group of four finally arrived from a set of stairs to the right of the counter. As they approached the crowd naturally made way for them, and the trio noticed their equipment was a step above the rest.


    The man in front was around 6ft with flowing brown hair and a bit of a stubble on his smirking face. He had a great broadsword strapped to his back, and his plate armor was abnormally white. Any seasoned mercenary would know the armor was made out of mithril, one of the world¡¯s strongest metals.


    The beautiful lady to his left was even taller than him at around 6¡¯3, with chocolate skin filled with muscle and a blonde ponytail. She wore olive green brigandine armor, with metal gauntlets and chausses for extra protection. As her eyes wandered the crowd, her face adopted a scowl that seemed like second nature to her. It may have been the intimidating aura around her or the massive battle-axe on her back, which made some of the weak-willed mercenaries flinch when her eyes wander over them.


    The other male in the group wore a black cloak that hid nearly all of his face except his black beard, but what grabbed the crowd¡¯s attention was the 6 foot gnarled wooden staff in his hand. The wood at the top was wrapped around a shiny red orb that naturally drew everyone¡¯s gaze. He was whispering to their last member while they both occasionally glanced at Carl.


    Looking at her elongated, pointed ears and creamy skin would immediately reveal her identity as a Lunar Elf. She was equipped with a set of light green leather armor, and her weapon of choice was a longbow. The odd thing was there was no quiver in sight on her body. Elves were a rare sight in the outer ring of the Griffon Kingdom, and the boy¡¯s mouths were agape at not just her beauty but the fact of seeing an elf.


    ¡°Lads I¡¯m trying to help you out here but it¡¯s a little awkward if you keep gawking at my teammates.¡± The man in armor chuckled before throwing a pouch at Tyson¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯ll buy that harpy off of you at a better price than the guild.¡± Tyson grabbed it with his free hand and opened it to find several gold coins.


    ¡°You got yourself a deal mate!¡± Tyson hurriedly payed the fine before scrambling out of the building. This left Carl, Zack, and Dylan staring at the group of four in sheer awe and curiosity. After a few moments of staring at each other Carl finally decided to say something.


    ¡°Um thanks for the help Mr¡­¡±


    ¡°You can just call me Philip.¡± Philip smiled again before continuing. ¡°Anyways I believe this belongs to you.¡± He handed Carl the metal cage and watched the natural developing affinity between boy and beast.


    While Carl and Dylan were fawning over the harpy, Zack couldn¡¯t get the question of ¡°why¡± out of his mind. He looked back at the cloaked man and elf hoping for one of them to spit out an answer.


    ¡°Well we should probably go somewhere where we won¡¯t be bothered with a crowd.¡± Philip gestured to the crowd that remembered they had other business to do and slowly went back to forming lines. The group walked outside and after making sure he had the boys¡¯ attention he continued. ¡°The whole reason we bought you that harpy, was because we¡¯re trying to invest in you Carl.¡±


    ¡°Wait how do you know my name?¡±


    ¡°Your friend said it remember? That¡¯s beside the point.¡± When Philip noticed the streets weren¡¯t as congested as they were earlier he whispered in Carl¡¯s ear. ¡°How¡¯d you like to be a Beastmaster.¡±


    ¡°Uhh what¡¯s a Bea-¡° The warrior beauty quickly blocked Carl¡¯s mouth with her hand and shot him a stern glare.


    ¡°We can talk more at this tavern called The Familiar Spade. I¡¯m sure you heard of it.¡±


    Dylan broke his attention away from the adolescent harpy as realization dawned on his face. ¡°Hey we¡¯re staying there for a bit before we head off to the Royal Academy! Rebecca sure works in mysterious ways¡­¡± Philip¡¯s smirk only seemed to get bigger in response.


    ¡°Cadets huh? She sure does work in mysterious ways¡­¡±

 Chapter 12

    As the tolling of the church bell resounded throughout Ethel, people would occasionally glance in the direction of the church and offer a quick prayer of appreciation. Others would just ignore the bells and continue on with their day, while a rare minority would make a face of disdain. Matthew passed by all of these citizens as he jogged in the direction of the church bells.


    Thanks to his fitness regimen which mainly consisted of stamina boosting activities (not to say he completely disregarded strength building exercises), he was able to maintain a fast pace and quickly transitioned from the commercial district to the residential. Matthew had a lot of questions regarding the four Old Gods that have been pestering him ever since his conversation with Rebecca. Like why are the months designated as consecutive trimesters of each Old God? Everyone had a story of how the emergence of the Demon King and its army ruined their life, but in Matt¡¯s case it took away the last good thing going for him in his life.


    Matthew sighed and purged himself of the dark emotions latching onto him. They would only serve as a distraction and bring back bad memories if he kept thinking about his hatred for it. Besides he already arrived in front of a small church. It was made of stone and featured tinted glass on the sides allowing sunlight to shine through. The building was surrounded by stone walls that came up to a meter, with freshly maintained grass and plants inside.


    He followed the designated pathway that led straight to the doors and entered. The first thing that entered his eyes was a giant mural depicting Rebecca shielding a child with her body from a variety of monsters.


    ¡°Excuse me young man are you by chance Matthew Fredericks?¡± A voice broke him out of his observations. A pudgy bald man hurried down the red carpet that lined the aisle in between the pew style wooden benches. His brown gown was held together by some rope under his bulging belly, and in his grasp was a letter with Matthew¡¯s name fancily written.


    ¡°Were you expecting me?¡±


    ¡°Yes as soon as you were to arrive I was to hand you this letter.¡± The man thrusted the letter into Matthew¡¯s hand, and proceeded to observe him in detail. ¡°To think you would personally know the Pope at such a young age¡­¡± Matthew¡¯s ears perked up at this and almost ripped open the letter before remembering he wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°Thank you Father. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Matthew exited the church to the disappointing gaze of the priest as he too was curious of the contents of the letter. Once he was outside and made sure no prying eyes were nearby he opened the letter.


    Dear Matthew Fredericks,


    Congrats on your acceptance to the Royal Academy, of course this result is to be expected of Rebecca¡¯s chosen. Rebecca has been watching over you and acknowledges confusion and concerns you may have, so it is my duty to answer them for you. As for why you¡¯re unable to use air magic, it seems Rebecca had to sacrifice that magic in order to strengthen your affinity with water and ice.


    Matthew paused and couldn¡¯t help but feel extremely annoyed with the Goddess. It was only annoyance though, as the prospect of wielding ice magic was extremely appealing. This didn¡¯t mean Matthew wouldn¡¯t miss the utility of air magic, especially due to the fact it had some of the easiest to control flying spells. Not that he ever got advanced enough to utilize any of them.


    On to your second question, it would be too difficult to train you in our divine abilities through text alone. When you arrive in Gryffindor, I shall naturally seek you out and we¡¯ll develop those skills thereafter. As for your final question, people felt betrayed by the Old Gods once they learned of the Demon King¡¯s origin. They unleashed their misguided anger on. Once humanity relearned of her efforts to protect them that malice became gratitude, although there are still people who distrust the gods.


    I have digressed a bit from your last question. The reason the months are named after the Old Gods is due to the insistence of the Magic Research Association. They believe that disrespect of the Old Gods will weaken their magic. If you have any more questions, I¡¯ll be sure to answer them when we meet each other.


    Safe Travels,


    Pope Alexander II


    It was a plausible justification as chanting spells requires people to speak the respective God¡¯s name somewhere in the process. Although Matt recognized the MRA, he wasn¡¯t completely well-informed regarding some details. He did know they were a group of magicians pursuing any possibility with mana, and he was unable to join them due to their strict requirements which created an elitist perspective amongst themselves. Matthew made a mental note to add ¡°Join the MRA¡± to his journal, and proceeded back to The Familiar Spade.


    With the setting sun accompanying Matthew¡¯s stroll back, he observed any mercenaries he passed by. Most of them were nothing special judging by some of their mismatched armor, and Matthew categorized them in the E-D range. As he finally saw The Familiar Spade in the distance, a group of four exited the building. The way they carried themselves and their equipment was a clear indication that they were considered the cream of the crop.


    The only person who spared a glance at Matthew was the cloaked figure, as the other three were busy discussing the pros and cons of adding a new member. Once his attention went back to his party, Matthew focused on sensing out their respective auras to gauge their strength. Excluding the bearded man as he was clearly focused on magic, Matthew was unable to read the levels of any of the remaining members.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Huh they¡¯re all at the very least at the 6<sup>th</sup> stage.¡± He stared in their direction until they disappeared out of sight, before entering The Familiar Spade and was greeted by the typical tavern atmosphere. Hardy men and women letting loose after a hard day of work with cheap booze and food. A young lady in an apron noticed Matthew¡¯s entrance and guided him to the rest of his group in one of their private rooms.


    The private room was filled with various pieces of furniture for people to relax on, and d¨¦cor to brighten up an originally dull wooden room. The teens in the room were separated in their small social circles, and Matt noticed his three friends sitting on chairs observing a caged creature.


    Carl noticed his gaze and approached Matthew while practically shoving the caged harpy into his face. ¡°Look at this bad boy! Wait it¡¯s a girl though so that wouldn¡¯t make sense... You get my point though right?¡± The harpy shot Matt a pleading gaze but he dismissed it as he was more curious as to how Carl got this monster off of the man¡¯s hands.


    ¡°This is the same harpy we were following before right? How¡¯d you get it off of that guy¡¯s hands?¡±


    ¡°There was this group of four people who said they bought the beast for Carl if he¡¯d consider joining them in the future! There was an elf too!¡± Dylan responded as he and his brother approached Matthew.


    ¡°What happened to you? You suddenly disappeared back there.¡± Zack queried.


    ¡°Oh I forgot my mother told me to visit this shop. More importantly I think I passed by your mysterious benefactors Carl.¡± Matthew shifted the topic of the conversation, as he knew Carl loves having all the (good) attention onto himself.


    ¡°Apparently they¡¯re a B rank mercenary group! That means they¡¯re really strong and I¡¯ll be one of them when I grow up.¡± Matt blew a sharp whistle as they may have the potential to become an A rank group. Mercenary ranks were based on a G F E D C B A S scale ordered in weakest to strongest. Anyone whose overall strength was ranked S could contend with an army and demolish cities single handedly. The only existence that Matthew knew in that category was the Demon King, and it took the full might of the seven heroes to slay it.


    He was interrupted from his thoughts by James grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. ¡°Alright you all have had your fun now it¡¯s getting late so try to get some rest. Boys and girls will be in separate rooms, and don¡¯t worry your luggage is already in your rooms. If any of you try to enter a room with a different gender I¡¯ll drag you back home myself got it?¡± James was particularly mean mugging the boys as he said this.


    There were eight girls and seven boys, which meant three of them would have to be in a room with James. He handed each group of four their own set of keys and guided them to their rooms which were all on the same floor. To the delight of the four boys they were all put in the same group, and wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the awkwardness of being supervised by an adult in the same room.


    They all changed into their sleepwear and Matthew tried to fall asleep, but his friends would much rather talk late into the night. Thankfully James came by and told them to go to bed already which they quickly obliged. The next day everyone grabbed their luggage and followed James out of the tavern.


    He led them all towards the western entrance of Ethel (they all entered from the eastern entrance) saying that they were going to continue their journey. They were greeted with an expansive green plain that stretched ever onward, opposite of the dense cluster of forests that surrounded them on their way to the city. There was a fort in the distance a few miles out that was connected to Ethel via The King¡¯s Road.


    Instead of heading to the obvious landmark, James led the group off into the plains which rose questions and concerns amongst the kids. One of the boys couldn¡¯t contain their curiosity asked ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re doing Mr. James? I thought we would get another caravan and now we¡¯re walking to the middle of nowhere¡­Just what are you thinking?¡±


    Matthew observed the group and could tell some of the weaker boys and girls were starting to considerably slow down. He looked to James who recently stopped for an explanation.


    ¡°I just needed sufficient room that¡¯s all. You guys can put your luggage down by the way.¡± A symphony of thuds and sighs resounded in the field while James took out a golden whistle and blew it sharply. This drew confused looks as no one could hear anything, but Matt realized he was summoning a mount as our transportation. After a few moments a rapidly approaching blur appeared from the sky.


    ¡°Hey what is that?¡±


    ¡°Are you seeing what I¡¯m seeing?¡±


    ¡°Did he attract that thing?¡±


    Various voices spoke out their concerns which only fell on deaf ears. As the figure of the beast became more apparent, Matthew identified the creature as a griffon. ¡°Holy shit this man tamed an A rank beast?!¡± The griffon was clearly bigger than most its breed at around 6 meters, imposing its figure upon the group as it landed. Its mixture of brown and white fur didn¡¯t even have a speck of dust on it, and a steel box slightly bigger than it was strapped onto its back.


    Carl, Zack, and Dylan all dropped their jaws like the rest of their fellow classmates. James turned back towards them and said ¡°Close your mouths and follow me if you want to make it to the capital on time.¡± Its eagle head sent a penetrating stare at every one of the students, and an especially long one at Carl and his plus one.


    ¡°I think that Griffon thinks your harpy is a snack¡­¡± Dylan¡¯s thoughtless comment caused the harpy to panic. Carl slapped the back of Dylan¡¯s head and tried to comfort her. As the group approached the side of the griffon, the beast lied down so James could jump onto the platform and open the door. He came back with a ladder and told everyone to throw their furniture to him.


    Everyone threw their luggage and climbed the ladder one by one. They were greeted by a spacious interior with walls inscribed with all-manners of sigils. The room was bare, so people opted to sit on the cold metal floor. James locked the door after he entered, and for a moment everyone inside felt weightless but it came back in seconds.


    Matthew re-examined the sigils from the wall that were now glowing with a purple arcane energy. He didn¡¯t understand what they all meant, but assumed they were supposed to adjust the gravity of the room. This was just another example of progress in the field of magic the past 500 years.


    He looked back at the rest of the kids who decided to form a giant group and talk about their expectations for the Royal Academy, the fact they were riding a griffon, and what to name Carl¡¯s new harpy. James told them it would take five hours for his griffon, to enter the Griffon Kingdom¡¯s inner ring and arrive in the capital, Gryffindor.


    Instead of participating in this discussion Matthew opted to take a nap that would hopefully last the whole ride. The wall was a bit uncomfortable at first, but he got used to it and eventually fell asleep. Hopefully no one would bother him on the way there.