《Sacrificial Hero party》 Chapter 1: A rather forceful invitation One guy at our fort is always talking about how the end of the world is coming closer. Most of us ignore him as such events already happened multiple times in the past. I sat in the corner of a carriage staring down at my elderly superior in his knights armor. So this Great Evil that got taken down 5 times already is back again. The previous attempts to put him down permanently failed. Now I have to work with others who are choosing their first path this week to take down this guy. Do you see what I have a problem with, respectfully? Sir? I question my superior knight. I was going to get my first path, class, specialty, whatever you wanted to call it as soon as I could at 20. I could already see my future, starting as a swordsman. I hoped to become an honorable knight at my second path and move up to Royal Knight, and working with dishonorable adventurers would ruin my chances. My superior takes off his helmet and sighs. Technically, though this is a secret so dont talk about this, we believe the first Great Evil to have been different from the other four times. Plus, they never fought straight forward and we have it on good authority that anyone that has their first path already would be unable to defeat them. Worry not, you will be given as much help as we think can be given without being detrimental to your future path I held my head in my hands. I, Louis Baux, heir to the Baux barony, prodigal knight candidate, one destined to work up to a royal knight, am being forced to sully my name with an evil we wont even be defeating. So whats the damage? Excuse me? My superior knight looks at me. I look at his confused, wrinkled face and sigh. Who am I fighting it with, how many in the group, how competent are they, I need details to work through as our carriage nears that fort. My elder rubs his chin and thinks for a second. Suddenly, he smirks and looks over at me. No, tell me your thoughts first. I scratch behind my ear. The first demon lord fight wiped tens of thousands. Eventually, a group of elites led the first saintess to him and sealed him. We have had a saintess in every group after this incident. In the second demon lord fight we rushed them with an entire army and lost a fifth of our population as a result. Hard to count that as a win, the commander in charge was incredibly incompetent. The carriage smoothly came to a stop. The knight accompanying me looked at me to leave. I ignored him. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The third fight was a group of twenty people who later tried to form a coup. I have not been told what happened as a result of this, given how the fourth and fifth fight went, I assume we now volunteer candidates so people have someone to blame when everything inevitably goes wrong. The knight opened the door but turned back to look at me. Glaring he simply said, Go. Instead, I looked away and continued. The fourth fight had a prearranged group that got poisoned not even two days after being announced. They almost died because others cared more about showing off than competence. The fifth fight included our current commanders brother who was continuously hitting on the saint of foresight. Before I could react I was in the air and out of the carriage. Twisting my body and covering my head instinctively, I landed hard on the ground. I was more shocked than injured as I used my momentum to get into a more defensible position. He gave me a hateful glare while putting a hand on his sword hilt and stared down seething. The tension grew as I had my hand on my sword. Given that I had no path yet, I was assuredly going to lose to someone trained and had the muscle memory given by a knights path. Stupid as pulling out my sword would be, choosing not to try to fight would show cowardice. While I contemplated my next move, he pointed towards the wooden doors to the fort in silence. I look my escort in the eye when a question comes to me. Sir, could I not just be rude enough to everyone such that nobody takes me as a member? I mean, it only took a single sentence to piss you off. He chuckles and gives a wicked grin at me. You can, but a member of royalty will be watching. The silent threat that was left unspoken was clear enough for me. I walked towards the stone fortress in mild disrepair near the edge of a cliff. I hadnt been told much but there was quite a bit I could guess based on what I saw and knew. The fortress was a great place for a meeting as many important people would be present, it would need to be able to withstand whatever threats the participants were afraid might happen. The fact that it was in disrepair meant that no threats were in the area that would warrant it being used and would leave it open to use without alerting the soldiers. I can only guess what the lack of other carriages meant. A strong hand smacked me in the back. Youre overthinking things again. Its a bad habit. Leave the overthinking to the scholars. As we walked forward to the large wooden door, the soldier outside nodded at us and waved to the man behind the gate to open. Sir, even if I am chosen, I dont have to pretend to be happy right? A set of eyes still filled with a multitude of negative emotions rested on me. No. He walked past me into a courtyard filled with people talking in hushed voices. I didnt want to enter. I didnt want to join some ignoble adventuring group. I didnt want to trust my back to anybody I didnt know. I didnt want the country to be destroyed by someone less competent being sent instead. I didnt want to walk away when in many ways this was what a knight should be. I nodded at the guard who waited for me to collect myself and entered the fort. Chapter 2: Crushing dreams Inside the courtyard were at least forty people not in knights armor. It was surrounded with grey stone walls and any grass that might have grown was stamped to death. Right up front was a nobleman in a bright red shirt and pants talking to some mage in a soft blue robe. I passed up on talking to them as I had no topics to discuss with a mage. Off to another corner were two commoners. A poor farmer with a pot on his head talked to some beautiful opera singer girl. The girl was wearing a dress that showed the top of her large bosom, making any attack on her heart not even need to go through cloth. The pot didnt fit the boys head, but it was a step in the right direction. They werent people I would choose to talk to normally, but most higher-ups tended to make meetings at least a few hours long to a full day if they had to ride a carriage for a few hours. Training here would be a poor choice as well. I walked past many others that I was mentally categorizing as possible talking partners or people to avoid. I didnt have enough time to plan out an opening line to introduce myself so I went with the first thing that came to mind. Hello miss, you look lovely. Hello young man, that pot probably has better uses than as a helmet. I am Louis Baux, who might you two be. The two looked at each other for a few seconds in silence. My sudden appearance must have thrown them off. The girl, who I could swear I saw on some artwork somewhere, gave me a disarming smile. I am Dorothy, of the Frank Opera Company. I am sure you have heard of me many times over. She waited for me to nod before continuing. I have been told that there is a chance for any of us to get chosen as a hero candidate. I was just discussing what talents I am likely to uncover when choosing a path. I imagine I will be something of a magical songstress. Tales of me would be sung from every end of the country. Raining thunder down on my enemies. Everything will be mine after they give me a good path for my future. Mentally I was cringing. I dont think it showed on my face as she didnt react to me. Clearly, someone had to explain to her what she was mistaken about. Im Donnie, a farmer. I guess I came here because they wanted someone from every walk of life. Thats fine with me. I can see myself wielding an awesome sword. I started wearing a pot on my head to help me get used to a helmet on my head for when I become a heavy knight. The two of them looked so proud of themselves. They seemed like they had their futures planned around misconceptions. You guys never got told how combat paths work, have you? I asked. I got two sets of confused eyes on me, which answered my question better than anything I could say. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Let me explain a few things. I pointed at the provocatively dressed opera singer. Only idiots think they would get a path for magic without having learned at least one spell. Its like thinking you could become a great swordsman because you once touched a legendary sword and felt a connection or something. There are a few mages here you could probably get to teach you a simple spell in return for something else. I put a hand up when I saw her open her mouth. Dont ask me what to offer, I dont know. You might also get a dancer path that somehow helps you dodge, as well as having a very light sword preference you could see brought up given that sword props are likely a thing you would use. All in all, I hoped that I would help break her dream now if she wasnt going to use this opportunity to gain some magic in the few hours before they opened up the temple for pathing. I didnt even see any reason for her to hate me given that I was being helpful. I turned toward the hopeful farmer boy. Give up. His face fell. Youre a farmer. You havent been given many different opportunities to draw from. You might be strong as a laborer, but you have little to no experience with weapons. Honestly, that is intentional to keep hundreds of farmers from suddenly picking up a sword and swinging it like second nature. You might possibly get an option as an armored laborer or something, but thats it. There are bare minimum requirements to being a swordsman, and nobody here is going to let you borrow a sword and swing it long enough until you get a combat path. The entire time I talked his expression switched between anger and defeat. The girl walked away already trying to find someone to talk to, likely about magic. I figured that he would process what I told him eventually, and I already said everything I wanted to. I walked away from him to a giant man with large, well-defined muscles and no shirt. I didnt know the guy, but the tools on his side were impossible to mistake. I decided to include myself in his conversation with a mercenary of some kind. The large man was called Andrew, a higher-ranking man in the blacksmithing guild. The mercenary next to him was Lidia, she seemed to complain quite a bit. My conversation with them was short, on account of them not considering me a conversation partner worth talking to. I had to walk away eventually as they stopped responding to me. I found a new person to talk to fairly quickly, a courier with stories from all over. Before I had the chance to ask the wanderer his name, Something pressed against my neck and cut off my breathing. Panic rose in me as the person in front of me shouted something. I couldnt make it out. I tried grabbing my neck only to find arms pressed against it. The grip against my neck tightened even more, threatening to crush my throat. I clawed at the arms for a second before thinking straight and reaching behind me. Somewhere behind me was a face and I was doing everything I could to gouge out the eyes. The head was whipping around trying to avoid my hands, then one of my thumbs touched something with a squish. I heard a cry from behind me and the grip loosened from my throat. Breathed as deep as I could while breaking out fully from the airlock. Looking at my assailant, a young man with a pot on his head was being pinned under the courier. One of his eyes was firmly shut. Guards were running over as I caught my breath. I could only hope that things would get better from here on out. Chapter 3: People and politicking I spent a few minutes with a priest who had a kind and wizened face. Im kind of glad that bruising doesnt cause one to spill blood, as others would assuredly complain if I got blood on his pure white clothing. I imagine having clothes that show even the slightest bit of dirt is probably half the reason that most priests arent known for leaving the temple given how much they must keep the image of being pure. I thanked him and began to walk to the rest of the people. A few guards were going around telling people to silence their conversations. A golden haired man in royal purple started getting others'' attention before speaking. Greetings! I am Prince Michael Aubin Villard Fraland. Thank you everyone for arriving again. Same procedure as last time. The candidate the royal family brings forth is my brother, Frederick Heddwyn Brent Fraland. He is the fifth prince and a prodigy in fire magic. We recommend him for the main team of heroes. May he bring us honor and have stories of the royal family talked about for the next few centuries, if not longer. I hope we dont have another incident like last time when one of the candidates showed a class for a rebel leader. The prince laughed at his implied warning. The smile on his mouth clearly didnt reach his eyes, and whatever the full story was it was clearly hidden from the public. He waved over someone that looked like him. A young man with blonde hair down to his chin looked down on the rest of us, seemingly measuring us. He was wearing the same royal purple as a vest over a dark blue shirt and pants, along with leather hunting boots. He already looked the part for a team. A Priest came up next, different from the one that healed me, and raised his voice. I, Elder Maxon, bring good news! We have successfully made another Saintess. As you know we need a saintess to win, so the country needs our great church to win as well. We give you our humblest thanks for inviting our group to this gathering. I present to you, The saintess of light! We, of course, recommend her for the main team. He stepped to the side, as a few others in white escorted up a tall pale lady with long white hair and red eyes. From beneath the white robes, she looked like she had almost no fat on her whatsoever and very little muscle. It looked impractical as it went low enough that not even her shoes could be seen. The young lady opened her mouth to speak but one of the attendants put his hand over her mouth and began pulling her away. She looked at her attendants in confusion but wasnt able to fight them off. It doesnt bode well if the church isnt confident enough in their candidate to not let her speak. My commander stepped forward. The knight''s order stands to protect everyone once again. We selected a candidate strong with the sword, ready to protect and do what has to be done. Many stories have been told about our great victories and sacrifices. It is time for another to be told. This is Louis of the Baux family. Recommended for the main team. I stepped forward, annoyed that he hesitated to say my family name. My family may have been on the decline, but we were still nobles. I took a step back when the next person came forward, a merchant. His candidate wasnt recommended for the main team, but he offered apologies that they couldnt yet spare their heir. Followed by the blacksmithing guild, same phrase. Different speech. Mercenary guild, another speech, recommend for main team. Northern monastery, another speech, recommend for new team. Franks Opera House, another similar speech, recommend for spare team. Couriers guild, another boring speech, recommend for spare team. Royal executioners guild, an even more boring speech than the last one, recommend prisoner for spare team. More and more groups. More and more speeches. More and more choices for the position of their candidate. Thieves guild, more droning, recommend for immediate execution. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Wait, what? The thieves guild leader was wearing a dark hooded cloak as he smiled. Did I miss anyones attention? I said I recommend this boy for execution. His father worked against the interest of the country and he should be made an example of. I effeminate young man is pulled forward. He is wearing a similar black cloak but the hood is pulled up. I couldnt see anything but piercing green eyes filled with hate and a rope tied in his mouth to gag him. The way it was made likely is causing extreme pain and possibly lasting damage, but that is of little concern considering he is to be executed. Something about this seemed unusual and rubbed me wrong. He could have been executed anywhere, but they chose here. I decided not to overthink the young thief. I couldnt imagine anyone would speak up for him anyway. Pushing past one of her candidates, the Saintess of Light ran back to the courtyard. Sweating profusely from the exertion and breathing heavily. I, I ob, I object. You cant just, just kill this man so easily. The representative of the thieves guild was shocked at her outburst, but he was not making as amusing a face as the priests behind her. One of them in particular was shaking as he spoke. Please saintess, dont speak out of turn. The filth of the world might affect your soul before you gain a path, and that would ruin everything. She turned back to them, furious. You guys made an oath that we would consider everyone here a possible party member for me and bring out artifacts that would help everyone get even the slightest bit better chances to grow stronger. You guys said you would ensure the group had the best chance to survive possible. Why are you killing him, he could be important to our group? The thief clapped slowly, taking away some of the stir that she caused to run through the crowd. Slowly walking forward, he simply said You are a wonderful example of a saintess, but if you continue to speak then you might be corrupted. The priests thanked him and began pulling her away, kicking and screaming. It seemed finalized when the saintess screamed I call for someone to represent him! Prince Michael called for the priests to stop, then looked at the girl. Pray tell, who would speak for the thief? Who would be unbiased towards a thief? Whose word could we trust after they defend a lowly thief? A mixture of panic and determination filled her eyes as she scanned the crowd for anyone who would be impartial to a thief. Eventually, her eyes settled on someone behind me. Turning to see who it was, I didnt see anyone. The prince slowly grew a smile, before speaking with an authority that had to be taught. It seems we have our representative for the young thief. The aspiring knight, lord Louis Baux. Chapter 4: False trials and consequences I looked at the prince, utterly confused. How was I supposed to defend a thief? It would not only hurt my honor but I was given no info on anything that occurred. The older thief smiled wryly. I apologize, he began. Information regarding his betrayal of the kingdom remains confidential as sensitive information could hurt multiple groups here. You can step back if you wish, nobody would think any less of you. His words cut into the heart of the matter. I was given nothing to work off of because the kids death was already decided. Most likely politics decided this and not any law. I must ask, is there any evidence for or against him that can be brought up. None. He looked at me confidently. Can I ask for him to testify? No, as he might cause lasting damage somehow like the traitor he is. Is this to be his trial then? Correct. After this is execution. His smug face made me want to spite him somehow, but I had nothing. No evidence, no testimony, and nobody spoke out against the change in ceremony. I was surprised that they didnt submit a request to change their candidate as they needed to send word of who was arriving months in advance. After his death, all evidence of whatever laws were broken would surely be erased. And then I started smiling. I agree to his execution, provided you prove you arent destroying evidence demanded by royalty. I gave the brightest, noblest smile I could at my statement. I couldnt tell if his smile vanishing was because what I insinuated was true or because I overstepped boundaries. A few of the surrounding groups glared at me for speaking out of place, yet I simply spoke as his defendant. The thief looked down at me hard, likely imagining me withdrawing before such an accusation. I hope you take back what you said, it is a rather serious accusation. I stepped forward, past a multitude of people in higher social brackets, approaching the tied boy. Whenever this meeting occurs, every group sends a representative to this place. We look at everyones 3 possible paths, which shows what kind of lives they led. Somebody who committed such a devastating act of treason would undoubtedly have that change at least one of their three paths. So we look at his possible paths, write them down for future generations to debate over, and execute him knowing you were right. The older thief opened his mouth to speak when the elder prince spoke up. Wonderful transition. We representatives must head over to the shrine room to look into the futures of our promising youths. The church has been kind enough to allow access to a mirror to ensure everyone else can read the names of their paths, it doesnt give more insight into them like the monocle of truths unfortunately, but we can debate what choices would be best for the future. Please go through the room the priests are in front of and lay a hand on the relics of the past. It is rare, but you may get a path based on an innate gift related to it. I was interested in if they meant the best for the countrys future, the teams future, or our future. Nevertheless, I was more interested in seeing the results of other peoples lives up to this point. We could only pick a first path at 20 years of age, with everything we did being relevant to it. It was a very personal choice. Because of how much everyone did in their daily lives, we couldnt be perfectly certain of any requirements behind how paths were determined. They just were. One guy could swing a sword 9,999 times and get the same class offered as if he swung it a final time or a change could be based on another number. Most of those swings may not have been helping him because he had bad form, which might or might not matter. He might have gotten a better path if he practiced running as well. Swinging around an ax as well for an hour might give you a more generalized path than just swords. People gave up studying it centuries ago, now only philosophers discuss it. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.I walked into the large room. It was nothing but smooth gray walls with a few podiums brought in for today. It was likely meant for meetings, and I brushed against most of the things I was told to touch. I was interested in the stories behind some of the items. They included some very strange things: an offshoot of a sacred flame, the heart of a corrupted earth elemental, an old sword that was forged in the blood of monsters. Honestly, I might have been asking about any of the maybe thirty objects they brought any other day. Now I could only wait to get a path. I knew they only brought these things out on the off chance somebody reacted to something and could give the heroes a better chance of winning. Still, I wasnt choosing a path based on them. I waited as I saw people doing their last preparation for getting a path. In particular, the singer was casting a small light spell and concentrating on it. The higher ups all went into the shrine room first. They brought the thief boy and the saintess as well, which probably meant they were going to check if he needed to die. A few conversations were happening around me, but none of them included me. I didnt need anyone to teach me about how this worked and didnt care to debate the finer points with others. There were only three paths that were shown to a person. The ambitious path was whichever one that the divines considered hardest to get and you usually barely completed the requirements to get. You likely gained strength, but it wasnt guaranteed to help you most of the time. The humble path, the path that you met the qualifications for the most times over. Usually, people who choose this path would perfect the basic actions in their lives. It was a lot better than it sounded. The final path was the curious path. It was a path based on things you have touched upon, but not done much with. The singer might get a sword or magic based curious path, while mine might be horseback riding. The younger prince came up to me. On his face it was obvious he looked down on everyone. When he opened his mouth, he spoke with a confidence only royalty can bring. I am glad to know you will be protecting me, baron. I would rather not have somebody between me and the Great Evil that would quickly die from being stabbed. At that statement, I turned to look at him. How do you know who is part of the team? Simple, you overstepped your boundaries greatly. There was never meant to be a trial here, and my brother wasnt likely to put much weight in that mans words. You spoke out against one of our guests in front of us. The simplest solution would be to make you a part of the heros team. Either you live as an icon with good standing, or you die. Either way, the problem gets solved. Dont worry, Ill make sure at least somebody remembers your familys name if you die. Oh, and when we decide who is going to be the leader, you better pick me. At that, his name was called to enter the shrine room. A minute after that it was my turn. Chapter 5: The choice not given I walked into the shrine room. Inside was a large piece of obsidian partially submerged inside a shallow pool of water. Surrounding said piece was about twenty people who had expressions from hatred to indifference to something more bloodthirsty. Please step forward." A priest looked up at me and back down at a list. He spoke with so little enthusiasm I was amazed he was even chosen for this. Following the Frank Opera Houses choice, is the choice of the knights order. Please step into the water. No, you will not drown, it''s ankle deep. Yes, we have done this before. No, the reason why such a formation works for the first choice is still a secret. Yes, we will also see what options are available for you through a mirror. No, you may not choose a choice before we decide on one. Yes, choosing an option other than the one we picked is punishable by death. I will assume you have no questions so please step forward. I walked into the water to the obsidian stone and placed my hand on its cool surface. Ghostly words floated in front of me. Earthen spellsword Great swordsman Cavalryman The bottom two I understood. I had taken care of some horses for mounted units when I was still learning the sword. I hadnt gotten much practice, so unconsciously doing the right thing when riding horses would cut down the time needed to be effective. Great swordsman was likely because I lived my life swinging a sword. I would be nearly perfect in basic swordsmanship just by choosing this. The first one had me completely stumped. The church believes that giving him a horse would be a waste of resources. Animals would be too easy to kill, cost a lot to take care of, and the cost of replacing them would be better spent on replacements for when a member of the main team inevitably dies. Another voice behind me continued the conversation. This is the most promising example of someone accustomed to wearing armor. We should continue the conversation with the assumption that he is going to be partnered with some of the other first choices of ours. Seconded. Agreed. Think we can get the thief kid to die under his watch? It would make everything so much neater for us. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He wouldnt protect the boy, even when defending the kid he didnt seem concerned with him. A few conversations like those were going on around me. They didnt even whisper when talking about me in front of me. I wanted to pick one and be done with it, but they had already warned me what that entitled. I tapped my foot, sending ripples through the small pool. He has already shown that he doesnt understand what he is implied to do The others will help him learn his place. I wanted to speak out in protest, but doing so when they had just insulted me for speaking out was hard. A merchant in front of me spoke up. Given the thief is loved by the wind, and the prince is primarily fire based, lets give him the spellsword path. As long as we find someone associated with water we can explain away why we took that thief into the team. They broke down into multiple conversations again. I tapped my hearing a few people protest that they needed a dedicated person for taking enemies head on. I heard the prince''s voice while everyone was still arguing.We have decided your future for the heros team, you are to become an Earthen spellsword. I wasn''t sure how it was decided, since quite a few were still discussing. I felt the color drained from my face as my dream was shattered. I didn''t even know any magic. I couldn''t believe what I was about to do. I forced my lips not to tremble as I spoke aloud the path. Earthen spellsword. With that, it was done. I turned and walked away before asking if I could. My dream just got shattered, I wasnt going to entertain any more conversations around myself. I hoped the transition into the path this night would be painless. I opened the doors to the room and closed them in front of the priest who expected to leave behind me. Looking around now. I realized that many of the others werent looking too happy. The farmer was still angry while the singer looked like she was smiling through tears. A sailor looked lost beyond any hope. Now my face probably matched theirs. Quiet footsteps came up behind me. Excuse me? Sir knight? The androgynous thief boy called out to me. I wanted to thank you for standing against the new head of the thiefs guild. I doubt you had as much of an effect as you wanted, but it helped prevent him from making any deals with others here. It is far easier to maintain dignity when you havent been publicly talked down to by a squire. Im Logan He stuck out a hand to shake my hand. Louis. He pointed towards the rest of the people who got a path and started calling out to a few by name. He grabbed my hand and started walking over to them. I reluctantly followed behind him, knowing I should get a better understanding of my soon to be teammate. Chapter 6: Standing together and first argument I walk with the thief to a well dressed merchant boy. Most of the conversation goes over my head as taxes and tariffs are not common knowledge to me. The thief sounds like he is doing better, having been changed into a simple green shirt and brown pants. My thoughts led back to how he looked when tied up when I drew a blank. I realize that I dont actually remember much about how he looked earlier, but decided to ignore the thought as unimportant. Realizing I am staring at his face, Logan looks back at me. I hope you are having only chivalrous thoughts while looking at me so strongly. I hope you arent trying to imply anything. You have a very nondescript face. I apologize. I dont know how to put this into words, but have you ever dressed as a woman before? It might be necessary. Logan looked at me as if I told him to impale himself on a sword. What? Why! The people in the shrine room spoke as if I was joining with you and the prince. That leaves the saintess and one other person. If the saintess is the only girl, that leaves many times for others to try to assassinate her. I would prefer someone to guard her while she bathed and slept for the night. Logan looked down at my comment. The merchant took this time to see themself off silently. I see, that makes sense. He glances up at the empty spot where his former conversation partner stood. Lets meet the saintess quickly and give her a heads up on the current team dynamic. Also, I need to thank her. He stuck a thumb out in the direction of her and her entourage of priestly guards, armed with cloth clothing and hands that never saw a day of combat. A chuckle escapes my lips. Sure, just look out for when the priests get scared and cry for help. We weave through the crown to the other side of the room. Three of the priests look at us approaching and get in front of the saintess. Before we even get close I can see them shaking. Stop. Dont get any closer. Im warning you! The saintess is not to be approached. Logan turns to me with a sarcastic grin. Funny, how do you think they plan on having her protected by her team when she cannot be approached. The priest opens his mouth again when the saintess speaks up. I am fully willing to talk to them. NO! You cannot let yourself get closer to them. Youll become impure. I was wondering what they meant by impure, and the look of confusion on the saintesss face made it clear she thought the same thing. I will talk to them from where I am standing then. She gives a very bright smile to us, her white hair framing her face perfectly. I am Alice Presley. I am the saintess of the party they are forming. I thank you, Louis, for preventing me from needing to see, youre going by Logan I believe, a needless execution. I must say, it is quite vexing that I do not get to decide who is a part of my party. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I hesitated to speak, as I did not know what party she was talking about. I thank you in turn for saving my life. You may gain insight into the teams members from Louis, as he eavesdropped on a conversation. I turn to him, reaching out to try to clamp his mouth shut. Unfortunately, he dodged out of the way with practiced ease. My lady, I did not eavesdrop on anyone. They held the conversation in front of me at the shrine. The group seems to be me, the thief, the prince, an undecided water based person, and you, my lady. The saintess put her hands on her hip. The four major elements make sense. In that case, we are likely getting the monk, sailor, or prisoner. The other one that the royal executioners guild brought. Im fairly amazed that they formed a guild around that, I wonder what sort of benefits it gives. As a member of the thieves guild, I can tell you that having an official guild for something helps make a path dedicated to those actions. The executioners likely can kill even the hardest of people with ease as long as the right conditions are met. I doubt they would tell any of us what those conditions are. I do have to wonder about that thief they brought. I feel confused at her mentioning the four elements, as I didnt think I gave any indication that was what they based it off of. Worse still was her knowing the potential paths for those gathered here. If it would not be rude to ask, what is your title as a saintess, my lady? The previous was known as the saintess of foresight. What is your title? One of the priests covers her mouth instantly. He glares at us but says nothing. Logan mumbles to himself And I thought I would be the suspicious one. Attention! Prince Michael walks out of the shrine room with every other representative. We have reached a conclusion on the members of the party. The primary members will be: the pure martyr Alice Presley of the church; the prodigal flame mage Frederick Heddwyn Brent Fraland of the royal family, the earthen spellsword Louis Baux of the knight''s order, the one of fluid movements Faith of the northern temple, and the child loved by the winds Logan of the thieves guild. Please make your way to the prince to accept your honorable task. The three of us made our way past the others to where the other two just arrived. The princes blond hair and purple clothes contrasted greatly with Faith. She was short, wore a very pale blue robe, and had dark brown hair wrapped in a bun behind her. The prince was partway through introducing himself before waiting for the rest of us to arrive. Will be leading this team to victory with my practiced skills and leadership abilities. We wont need to vote, I am the best candidate. Faith looked at him with the eyes one would give a snake. Lets stick with tradition. I wasnt raised to break traditions that have a purpose. Lets vote then. I nominate myself. The prince wore the smug smile I have come to expect on him now. He paused for a half second. While the saintess raised her hand he suddenly exclaimed No other nominations so I am the leader. I nominate the saintess actually. I turned to the prince with a frown. You should have spoken sooner, I am the leader because we cannot afford a leader that would hesitate for even a second. The thief spoke up. I second the nomination for the saintess, as I owe her my life. I nominate the saintess as well, as being hasty would lead to us dying while the mages have time to run away. That makes three of us. The prince turned a vibrant shade of red as flames licked his hands. I refuse to accept this! It is my birthright to be a leader! The saintess finally spoke up. Oh, we are off to a great start. Her sarcasm only made the prince scream. Chapter 7: We need to work on teamwork Frederick was refusing to back down from being the self-proclaimed leader of the team. As I looked around for someone higher stationed than us to step forward, they all turned away. Prince Michael was looking at our group but did so with disdain. I am a prince. Not only that but everyone here now has a magic-based path and I am the most learned in magic. I demand she withdraw her proposal to be leader and the rest of you apologize now! I only studied a little magic in the monastery, Faith began, but I believe that higher level spells require intense concentration. Frederick scoffed. What of it? Would having a leader that needs to focus on magic more than strategy be wise? I would rather have a leader who is focused on all of us to know when to heal anyone as a leader if they would be using magic during battle as well, as they would have a wider focus. I kept two steps away from everyone else, preferring not to step in against the prince when my stance was already known. The saintess seemed to have the same idea of not involving herself, massaging her temples with her hands. Frederick did a quick breathing exercise, likely something he learned as a mage, and calmed down. Lets look at the other options for being a leader. We have a thief, which is enough said. She is a monastery child who likely hasnt had to live with our laws, only the laws of her monastery. The saintess is a soul taken from elsewhere and placed in the body of a sleeping woman, we cannot be sure if we can trust her yet. Then we have the dishonorable house of Baux. I am the only possible choice. Something inside of me snaps and I can only speak in a whisper, barely holding back a rage within me. Care to repeat that? What you said sounded suspiciously like something that I could demand a duel over, and Im sure our audience would love a show. The prince turns to see me past his blonde bangs and flinches. My family would kill you for issuing a duel against me. They sent you here, so they dont seem to have a problem with you dying. The princes palms contain vibrant blue wisps of fire, singing the ends of his sleeve. Logan grabs Faith to fall back, but the atmosphere for a duel is ruined by the saintess walking forward to within arms reach. Now that we agreed on a leader, me, with the agreement of the church and first prince, lets talk about how we plan on fighting. Having a meeting before a match is important to set goals and expectations. I am the healer of the party. I watch after you guys and stay away from the enemies. I dont know the features I learned as a martyr, but I will be training in running to get back some of the strength of my former body. Ill have you know I was a star runner on... On damn summoning sickness. I plan on carrying my weight and have been told to avoid attacking for future paths. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Logan nodded to her and shot me a look, the meaning of which was lost on me, before clearing his throat. I have gained a class I know very little about. I plan on using it to complement some of my self-defense skills and abilities however I can. I have already learned to detect potential ambushes, track others in cities, defend myself with a dagger or small crossbow, hide, barter, and disguise myself, among other things. I cannot defend in close combat encounters easily, as I have always been trained to escape from them. I can, however, try to kill anyone that gets too close to the saintess. He stepped backward before saying, Oh, and the prince too. The younger prince was staring at his older brother, likely wondering when the saintess got an agreement to lead the team. The fact that she called it a party concerned me as nothing we were doing was considered celebrating. Then the monk stepped forward. Greetings. In the monastery, we are taught many things that differ from how you four live. All things are connected in some way. My path likely will allow me to utilize my natural hand to hand skills as well as the weak water magic I learned. I hope to combine them in some form to better act as an extension of my will and body. I need to be close to fight with my hands and feet but have no training in armor. I hope I do not disappoint. Her manners were not that of nobles, but still had a sense of grace to them. Her light blue robe was likely the sturdiest thing she was prepared to wear. Our groups defense was not looking good. I looked at the prince who began to fold over the singed edges of his sleeves. I am the prince. I have been taught how to use magic for many years. I imagine all of you will learn to look up to me as a teacher. My fire magic is unparalleled for my age. Keep things from killing me and I will take down the great evil for you. I have also been taught how to carry myself as a royal and can use my name to get us favors. Commoners love us. I was beginning to wonder if the prince had any tone of voice that wasnt angry or condescending. The others began to look towards me and I realized I probably should have prepared a speech while they were talking. I am Louis Baux. I trained to be a knight. I am good with a sword and decent with an ax or spear if I lose my sword. I carry a shield usually in full splint armor and helm. Despite being the only person who could take a hit non-lethally, I would rather plan around not getting hit. I dont know what else to say. Faith looks over at me. What do you plan on doing with your new magic abilities open to you. Nothing. I dont even know the basics of magic. The saintess called out to me. Louis, would it not be beneficial to learn magic even if you dont use it in fights often? Faith nodded. I imagine he learned the spear and ax for much the same reason. I looked back at them, preparing for an argument that I didnt feel confident in winning. Chapter 8: Regretfully a mage I lost the argument, as the other four members of my group all wanted me to learn some degree of magic. It ranged from wanting me to augment my swordsmanship with magic to replacing the sword entirely. Logan and I decided to ask Faith to teach us the basics of magic, as the only other option was the prince. She said we should ask a mage still here to get the basics. The range of spells they came up with seemed small. I honestly dont have much knowledge on magic for reference. Solidifying footing, making the ground weaker under your opponents feet, creating indents in a wall, creating a large wall, throwing sand or dust into an enemys face Truthfully I am not sure if that last one was a spell idea from Logan or something hes done before. I cut off the conversation there trying to move away from magic, but the saintess Alice called over a mage to try to teach Logan and me the basics. It was the adult that came with the omni-elemental mage, who upon second thought is likely to replace the prince if he dies. The man was lean, had long white hair, and was wearing a dark robe with a bright gold lining. He was also wearing a very stern teaching face. The basics were dumbed down for us non-mages simple enough. Get a clear idea of what you want your magic to do. Understand what your elements can do. Create a fully realized idea of how what you need could be done with what you could do. Channel the magic through your body through these magic veins that already exist in your body. Magic. He put a hand on both of our necks and pushed what felt like fire throughout my body. That was supposed to help with magic, somehow. Logan jumped half his full height into the air. I failed to cast a single spell nor get any reaction. At that point, I tried to get out of it again. Logan, want to spar with me? Both he and the mage looked at me with confusion. The mage was the first to open his mouth though. You should spend more time trying to cast magic. I think you are stuck on the want aspect, as you dont want to cast magic. You want to solve your problems with a sword. His stern face turned downright angry. You did not become a swordsman but a spellsword. Accept this and move forward. Magic is a powerful tool and I will not take time later to teach you. Dont reject what you will one day need. He was speaking the truth, but I couldnt accept it. I learned the sword and the shield. I learned how to be a knight. I never learned how to cast large scale spells and I wont have time to build walls in between sword swings. I also refuse to fight without a shield to have a free hand. He stopped to ponder for a few seconds. I take it you would be confident in your stance then, right? Take off your boots and socks for a second and let me test your stance. It was an odd request, but I wasnt going to back down from a challenge on something I took confidence in. The second I had my boots off and stood up, a gust of wind knocked me to the floor. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Again was the only answer I got from the mage as to what he had done. I knelt as I prepared to stand up, only for the dirt under me to pull back, knocking me onto my hands again. I pushed off with my hands and feet to rush towards him, only to get one of my feet grabbed by something in the ground. I barely caught myself with my hands before I got a faceful of dirt again. He smiled at me. Magic. Maybe you should start wanting stable footing. He offered me a hand, which I took to stand up. He made me feel a fire go down my body. He gave me a second to get into a stable posture with my feet spread and knees bent. I felt my legs and feet get hotter than the rest of me. He finally released my hand and took a step back. His robes were blowing in a wind that was centralized on himself. The wind quickly died as he looked at my feet. Congratulations, you''re a spellsword. I was more confused than ever. Arent you going to shoot another spell at me so I can use magic to stabilize myself? He responded by pointing at my feet, which had dirt raised around them half burying my ankles. I suppose such a dirt formation would help me, but it also looked like a way to break an ankle. I was beginning to see why the mage didnt cast another spell at me. He smiled at us. My job of teaching you guys how to use magic is done. Ill be leaving now. Enjoy your spar, or whatever you decide to do. Though do make use of us elders tonight. With that, he walked towards the prince and away from us. Logan looked at me with an audacious grin. Want to fight a bout? Enough priests are here to practically reattach somebodys head. I match his grin. Grab a shortsword from a guard and well get started. Already grabbed one from someone else. Do go easy on me since Im not wearing armor like you. His grin kept widening. Unlike the princes grin which looked down on others, he made me want to punch him for a different reason, but I was surprisingly ok with him in comparison. I just hoped that he hadnt stolen that sword from someone else. Also, that green shirt wasnt going to do nearly as much as my splint armor. As we stood in a corner of the courtyard, a few people moved a few steps back when they saw us draw our swords. Logan shot forward. He didnt ask me if I was ready, and that already told me he fought back alley style. I moved my sword to block above me as he swung toward my shoulder. Reaching my free hand forward I attempted to grab his shirt. Before I could grab him, a strong burst of wind knocked him to the side. He rolled twice before getting his feet under him again. I smiled at his sloppy attempt at magic. He came running forward again and took another swing at me. I parried the blow, taking a step forward to elbow him before he could escape. The gust of wind pushed him back a half step, but not enough to get out of my range. I swung at his dominant forearm, hoping to get a deep but nonlethal blow on him. I saw both of our clothes flutter before he began to look pale. My sword bit into him almost to the bone. I grabbed him, slamming him onto the ground. He was breathing hard, so I decided to speak first while letting him catch his breath. Your form could use some work, your recovery from rolling didnt leave yourself defendable, but you did a good job. Not bad yourself, my veins feel like fire is coursing through them. I think I need to get better at magic. And a different weapon. And a better escape strategy than pushing myself with the wind. For having less armor and strategies, you did well against me. Werent you also going to practice using magic? I left his question unanswered, turning away. The truth was, I still didnt want to use magic. He gave me an understanding nod and went to someone else to get advice and a priest before everyone left for their carriages later. Chapter 9: Huh, I’ve been shot I met with a few more people to mentor me. Many of them had very interesting things to give insight into. Walking long distances, where to set a camp, weeds that are actually herbs or spices for meat. I finished the day talking to a merchant about possible monsters to target for money. Everyone headed to a carriage and left, except us five, the guards, the priests, and the eldest prince. The sun was beginning to dip under the horizon, so they wouldnt be able to leave for the day due to it being unsafe. We wish you luck on your journey. Glory or death. The prince said his foreboding statement with a smile. Then the guards made their way to escort us out of the safety of the walls we spent the entire day within. Terror filled the saintesss eyes. Please reconsider! There are goblins and other monsters out there! We dont have any camping equipment and I dont even know if I can trust everyone with my life! Well, the prince began, I guess deciding who keeps the first watch would be a good place to start. We were escorted out, and then they closed the large wooden doors in front of us. The monk made her way to the saintess, wrapping the girl in a hug. The prince was glaring at the door when he turned to the rest of us. Ill take the first watch with someone else, another pair can take the second watch. He pointed at a forest that was a few minutes from the fortress. It looked a lot more inviting during the day when we first passed it. Now each tree cast long shadows, the branches looking like fingers ready to grab anyone who got close. The brush was low enough that nothing larger than a fox could hide in them, but the multitude of older trees provided plenty of cover. There are only goblins in this forest, so we can rest easy knowing whoever is on watch wont get killed before they can wake up the saintess. Lets get a move on before the sun finishes setting. I want to at least have a campfire set up before we rely on one for light. The short walk over was quiet. Likely because none of us could think of anything to say. A few broken branches piled up and the prince made us a campfire. The problem was that we had nothing to start camping with. The monastery teaches us to live in harmony with nature, so maybe we can find a way to get comfortable sleeping on uneven dirt and roots? Screw what the temple wants me to do with what they gave me, Im trading something for a tent This is beneath me as a prince, but I suppose this is our first trial as heroes. At least we dont have to worry about someone going at our throat as we sleep. I looked at the others, hearing very little in terms of planning to be an adventurer from the rest of them. I then added myself to that category a moment later. I will help you guys as the first watch. I looked over at the sun, only to find it fully below the horizon. Thousands of stars lighting the sky. The saintess looked at it with a complicated look on her face. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. So the moon is reddish huh? I dont feel very well right now. Im going to sleep. The thief and monk soon followed, though I hope I dont need to think of him as a thief for much longer. The prince and I sat with our backs to the fire. I didnt know how to start a conversation or what to say. We sat there for probably an hour. He started the conversation eventually. So when did you realize you were expendable? What? Death or glory. They mentioned in the fortress about whether we were recommended for the main team or as a replacement. They had another thing they mentioned though. They didnt recommend the people they brought if the person wasnt expendable. They just brought their plus one hoping the artifacts brought over would give them an edge moving forward. I turned to look at him and he was looking at the sky, a sorrowful expression on his face. He might not have shown it on his face, but he just implied his own brother practically walked him to the executioners block and flipped a coin, now hes waiting to see how the coin lands. I could see how that would mess with a person. I turned back to keep watch. Expendable? Probably when the executioner was showcasing someone who was scheduled to die. Or when another asked for our resident thief to die before said prisoner. A hearty laugh rang out from behind me. I wish I was as brash as you. I realized I was an extra years ago. I learned magic to defend myself because I was terrified of death. I felt a searing pain in my back. Something pricked me next to my heart, and my voice was caught in my throat. How about you. The prince was still unaware I was in pain. I turned towards him and tried to speak, but my voice couldnt come out. I tried to stand, but my legs couldnt get any strength. I instantly collapsed. The prince turned to look at me. Fear gripped him for a split second before he shouted. Ambush! Louis needs healing! Enemy is unknown! Get up NOW! Logan was on his feet before the prince was done yelling. He put his back to a tree and drew his shortsword. Faith shot up like an arrow whipping her head side to side, trying to figure out where we got shot from. The saintess was still mostly lying down trying to figure out what happened. Saintess, get up NOW! Hes dying! Heal him! If you want to lead then start being productive. The prince was shouting still, obviously uncaring about how much attention that attracted as the campfire already marked our position. My vision was getting hazy. Obviously, an arrow was in my back, but I couldnt feel it. In fact, I couldnt feel much of anything. I struggled to keep conscious, dragging myself to the saintess with my arms. She looked horrified. I couldnt care less about how bad I looked. Every second I wasnt healed was a second closer to death. Logan was shouting something. Noises got fuzzy. He was pointing at something and looking at someone else. The prince grabbed a fist-sized ball of fire from the campfire and shot it toward some trees. As it exploded into embers against a tree, something was reflecting the light of the embers over there. As my eyes drooped closed, I forced them open again. The saintess was kneeling over me. Tears filled her eyes. She was saying something, but I couldnt tell what. A sharp pain erupts from my back. Momentarily I am fully awakened, but then I am left tired again. My senses begin to come back to me from that half-dead state. Please dont die. I didnt ask to come here. I want to go home. I dont want to watch people die. The saintess was mumbling something to herself. The Prince was shooting out fireballs seemingly at random. A forest fire was likely to begin at this rate, but it also prevented the attacker from hiding as easily. The thief was nowhere to be seen, but Faith was watching behind the prince. I saw the attacker fully when they stepped out from behind a tree, backlit by multiple bushfires. It was an adult in all black with a crossbow. They were aiming too low to hit the vitals of anyone not on the ground. The saintess didnt seem like she would be able to think clearly enough if she got shot, so I made a quick decision. I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to my side. I turned as well to block any shot from hitting her without going through me first. She has a crossbow, wait until she shoots. The prince was giving commands again. From there I felt a sharp pain in my neck, similar to the one I had in my back. I completely blacked out. Chapter 10: The aftermath of the first night I wake up to the saintesss face over me, dirty and trembling. My mind flashes back to what happened before I got shot, back to the assassin who tried to kill us. I grab her and pull her down beside me. Confusion barely registers in her eyes before I have an arm pressed against her chest, forcing her against the ground. The assassin, did we get them? Any allies? Whats our status? Any deaths? I shoot off a few important questions. Facing the fire are the final three of our group. The monk and thief look like they have been rolling in the dirt as well. Our prince looks mildly disheveled, but his clothes arent covered in dirt. The assassin is dead. They had no allies, as we are safe for now. Nobody died, but you came fairly close. The prince looked me in the eyes as he spoke. There was no disdain in his expression. I know the basics of sneaking around. I jumped the assassin the instant they fired their second shot at you. The thing about crossbows is that they are easier to learn than many bows, but you cannot reload them too easily when someones trying to stab you. I released the saintess at that point. The adrenaline that was keeping me focused left me again. Should we have an after meet review? Well, I guess it would be an after battle review. I mean. Um. Shall we say what we did right and wrong? The saintess started to pick herself off the ground, white clothes now covered in dirt and grass, and muttered such that we could barely hear her. Go over what we could do or get to improve our chances of survival? I feel like we should do that. The monk nods, whispering as well. Agreed, we should also catch Louis up on what he missed when he was unconscious. She turned to the thief. Logan, you were great with taking her down. At the same time, I would prefer if you had a ranged option. We should look into getting you a bow at the next town. I nodded at her statement, as did the others. Being able to attack from a distance was always a tactical advantage. Although this did get me curious. If I may ask, where is the assassin? I dont know what you guys did with her while I was out. I searched her body after she bit a poison and killed herself. The saintess was still panicking and trying to heal you, so she couldnt stop them. Nothing was on the body so we dumped it in the clearing by the fort. Eventually, it will smell and they will dispose of it. Actually, Ill go back in the morning and grab the crossbow. No point buying something I can take for free. I glared at the final comment from him. Dont do that, thief. Monk, I noticed you watching the princes back when I briefly regained consciousness. Good thought. She gave a small smile and pulled a leaf out of her hair bun. I couldnt do much at the time. I need to feel out my place in the group. Maybe I could get some herbs for simple medicines or poisons. As the prince. I will overlook any poisons you make in the effort to save our kingdom, ensuring guards look the other way when needed. You tried to help and didnt falter, unlike a certain someone. He gave a seething glance at the saintess. Flames licked at his fingers again, briefly turning from a red to a pale blue, then extinguishing themselves. The thief nodded at his statement. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I would rather not sound accusatory, as I dont know her circumstances. I am sure they tried to keep her from problems and we know nothing of her life before becoming the saintess. At the same time, he glanced over to her with narrowed eyes, we need a partner who doesnt freeze up when fighting the evils we are meant to stop. You may have been given the path of a martyr, but that doesnt mean I want you to die. If you need to leave, we will leave you at the next village to start a new life. The saintesss face turned to panic, shaking her head furiously. She started walking backward away from us until she backed up to a tree. Nononononono. You cant abandon me. They wont help me if I dont help stop the Great Evil. I, I need to be a part of your group. She started trembling partway through, crouching and trying to withdraw into herself. The prince opened his mouth but stopped. None of us knew what would terrify her so much. The church kept itself fairly secretive when it came to saintesses. Nobody knew the full details of how they were made, the only details that everyone agreed upon were that they are a pure body and a pure soul put together when the time is right. We all looked at each other confused about how to continue. Eventually, it was the thief that broke the silence. We should finish the after meet discussion we started. Louis, good job on protecting Alice. Its nice to know you have our backs, the thief said. Youre a credit to your family name, the monk remarked. Id definitely say you carried your weight in battle, the prince declared. All of them looked at the saintess, expecting her to say something about me saving her. It felt awkward to expect something from her, but not getting thanks from her still annoyed me. The saintess looked around at us. Um, Im still trying to block out the scene of him bleeding in front of me and the light leaving his eyes, twice. Ill get back to you later. Thanks, though. For saving me, I mean. From there the conversation broke down to what we wanted to get from the next town. We wanted to get everything. Tents, fishing gear, hunting gear, spare weapons, enchanted weapons and armor, lockpicks, extra clothes, a pack animal, fire starter, herbs and spices, dried meats, armor polish, a whetstone, bandages, the list went on and on. We must have talked for over an hour as the fire began to die down again and needed more firewood added. Then we talked more, about what things we would be able to carry, and how that would affect what we would buy. How we would buy everyone a traveling bag to carry some things in. How a pack animal would be very useful for carrying excess weight. Then, as exhaustion began to hit all of us again, we decided to take another shot at taking shifts sleeping. The thief and monk were taking the next shift of watch. I was just beginning to fall asleep when I heard them ask each other a question we never asked until that point. Out of curiosity, how are we going to buy anything? I can steal a lot of it, but we have no money. Well take a job or two in town. Take out wolves attacking a farmers sheep or collect medicinal grass for an herbalist. That will give us pocket money, right? Chapter 11: tasks that should be beneath us The following morning we packed up and headed to the closest town to the fort. It was a tense walk over as the reality of assassins trying to kill us sunk in, along with the realization that we werent given any silver to work with. We walked for maybe half of an hour through the trees before we saw a shoddy cabin for a lumberjack, and only a little while longer before we got to the town proper. The town was small, as there couldnt be any more than 200 people in it. Not a single one of the stone and wood houses had a second floor to it. Every thatched roof had discolored patches from repair. Every wooden house had gaps in its walls. Yet despite these houses being in as bad a condition as some of the slums I had been to, every person looked happy. I was instantly suspicious of them. Guys, I think the assassin came from here. Everyone is too happy for these circumstances. Their houses havent been fixed in years so they obviously dont live here.I was whispering to ensure the fake villagers didnt hear me. Four sets of confused eyes looked at me, then back at the village. This is just how things are for some people, our monk Faith began, they dont have the money to replace everything that breaks. They fix what they can with what they can. If you cannot fix your house, you must learn to live with it. Most of us non-nobles have an easier time finding happiness in the smaller things. Its a simpler life. Her explanation left quite a bit unanswered to me, which was evidently written on my face for the others to read. Ive lived in poorer places than this while on jobs. Just leave most of the talking to your friendly friend of the wind. That sounded better in my head. Logan scratched his arm awkwardly. Just leave it to me and dont make any enemies like you did at the fort. I did not make any enemies! Four sets of eyes looked at me again without any signs of agreement. They stood there looking at me for almost a full minute, our monk Faith even stopping me from leaving towards the village when I felt awkward. Louis? Surely by now you realize your actions pissed off quite a few people yesterday, right? Someone even tried choking you. The saintess made a good point that the farmer tried to choke me, but that still didnt explain what I did to make him angry. Nevertheless, I wasnt going to delay us so I nodded. If anything, I was the one who got angry, getting magic forced upon me. I began to almost fall asleep while they talked to the village elder, his name began with a W, and I couldnt really remember what it was. I decided to call him William should I ever need to talk to him, although I doubt I am lucky enough to guess his name. Though Im not sure why I feel so tired, probably the result of me learning magic. Ive learned that if the problem isnt from crime, magic is usually to blame. Logan looks over at me. Got it? Everyone was looking at me now, yet again, with at least the saintess looking concerned for me. I put on the best smile I can. Perfectly fine. I suppose my body is still recovering from yesterday. That was a lie. I dont know what caused this, but would rather not stop to rest at a town I am still suspicious of. The saintesss face paled at that. Are, are you sure? I thought my healing was supposed to be good enough to help people fully recover. Did I already make a mistake? No, I didnt mean it that way. I didnt realize I just insulted her, but I suppose it could be taken that we called her incompetent, again. So what did you guys decide? Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! After needing to assure them that I was fine, I finally got some details to the conversation I seemed to miss. An older apothecary needed help getting herbs, so the monk is going out to grab 20 of some weed. The thief thinks the monk can get her to give one of her old mortar and grindstones in return. The tanner wants 3 rabbit pelts in good condition, which meant that the thief and I would go out and hunt them. The prince would burn holes in the leather, which was worse than a crossbow wound. We would be negotiating getting one of the leathers made into a bag of some sort depending on the quality of what we bring. Which left the prince and saintess to find somebodys lost amulet. We were hoping to get money from that, but partially it seemed like one of the others just wanted the saintess to feel useful. Thinking about it that way seemed even more hurtful to me, but I suppose they came to some unspoken agreement when I was out of it. I felt my shoulder an effeminate hand touch mine after we all agreed to split up. I expected the saintess to be there, but it turned out to just be Logan. Are you sure youre ok to go with me? You seem pretty out of it. I gave a slight nod and followed him into the woods we had once come out of. We hadnt been trying to find any wildlife last time, but that didnt mean it wasnt there. Unlike the thief I had experience hunting, so I spent some time helping him see the deer and fox tracks. When we stumbled upon a deer track, I helped him follow it for a few minutes. Before we got to the burrow, I blacked out and woke up on the ground. You are not doing alright. Louis. We need to get you back to the town. Im doing fine. Ill ask the herbalist for something later. We arent doing anything dangerous. I waved his hand away from me. Logan seemed very concerned for me and kept his hand in front of me until I waveringly took it and got up. We eventually made our way over to a rabbit burrow which had recent activity. We approached from down wind, which he considered before I had to tell him. Logan and I werent skilled enough with magic to get them out. He motioned to a tree and for us to be silent and I nodded. If he wanted to take point on this hunt, I was more than willing to watch another man hunt. As we waited for the rabbits to come out, I started pondering the finer aspects of magic. They would allow me to do things I wouldnt normally be able to do. At the same time, I still had some innate distaste for magic and wanted to be rid of it. Instead I decided to turn my focus on more interesting topics. I went over the swordsmanship forms in my head. A slight movement came from the burrow after a long wait. Logan was pulling the string back on his crossbow and waiting to get a clear shot. The moment the rabbits brown coat came out of the hole, a bolt went through its head. You fired too early. We wont be able to remove the blood and bloods scent and will scare the other rabbits from coming out. He looked at me and sighed. Youre an earth mage. Just use the surrounding dirt to cover the stains and hide any trace of the kill. Ill use some wind to pull fresh air from upwind to hopefully clear the scent. His instant answer had me puzzled for a second. Were you not just a thief but an assassin too? You must have been thinking about this before pulling the trigger. He handed me the rabbit and I began to skin it with my shortsword. I would have preferred a hunting knife, but it was long past the time to ask for one. I walked farther away from the thief after he gave me a dirty look, realizing that skinning an animal where we were trying to catch its mate wasnt likely a good idea. He whispered barely louder than the wind. I want to live. I think about how I can do so with what options I have. I now have the option of magic. Ive never had the luxury of choosing to ignore a possible strength like you. He fired a second shot at a dark gray rabbit, hitting through the nose and out the back of the skull. He didnt show any of his usual wit. After you skin this one as well Im going to check around town for someone to trade rabbit meat with. As much as I like eating meat, I would rather get something to help myself survive. Well see if we can get any other job to help with too. Dont you feel like this stuff is beneath us though? The kingdom made us heroes, we should at least be able to pull rank in insignificant villages like this. He turned to me, an almost sarcastic smile on his face. Beneath us? You mean beneath you. Im a back alley brat, I have to hope no guards having a bad day decide to take it out on me. You would either be the guard or the guards leader. You would beat a kid like me who gets caught stealing bread to feed to others, or maybe just because you had a bad day. I walked back to town with him in silence after I finished removing the innards of the rabbits. I felt like giving him an apology would be appropriate, but I also felt like he wouldnt take it as sincere. My head begins to feel feverish as I shuffle back to the town in silence. Chapter 12: Never taking a fetch quest again We arrived back at the town where I began to fight back the worst of a fever. I was disappointed I never grabbed a helmet to bring with me, as covering my face would likely keep the others from becoming concerned about me. The thief and I approached a house with leather tanning equipment set up outside of it. An older man was scraping a deer hide tied to a rack. He looked at us and pointed to a workbench with more tools on it. I could appreciate a man who knew how to communicate without speaking. I left speaking to our thief, given I still didnt understand why he thought I angered others before. We got the pelts you asked for, one brown one gray. Mind checking their quality and giving us the reward? The man looked at the two pelts. Clean kill, decent skill skinning. Ill give you a leather bag. Worth more than the rabbits, but Ive owed the soldiers. Debt repaid. Logan, looking at a well-made bag near the table, gave a very merchant-like smile and parroted him. Debt repaid indeed. Logan and my eyes wander over to the new leather bag he had sitting by the work table. Logans smile faltered when he saw the old man reach behind the other bag and grab an old brown leather bag hidden behind it that was likely going to be thrown out. It had scratches everywhere and some of the stitches were coming loose for the strap. The older man gave us a smirk. Pleasure doing business with you. We walked away from the house while looking for the prince and saintess. Logan, I dont believe my vision has gone bad, we got scammed didnt we? No, the bag is a little more than the value of two unprocessed rabbit pelts most likely. If we get it fixed by a seamstress it will work well and last us for the entire trip. I may coincidentally forget to tell the soldiers that he considers the debt repaid though. No complaints here. As we neared the well, our teammates looked up at us. We have a small problem. I found something shining at the bottom of the well. It is likely the amulet, but Frederick mentioned that people dont lose amulets in wells provided they are worn properly. Most people dont bend low enough to have it fall off their heads. Especially something they nonchalantly ask strangers to find. So we have been debating if it is cursed. I think for a moment about the previous assassin that attacked. Lets go to her and interrogate her. Better to question a villager and be wrong than lose a knight as they say. NO! We are not going to interrogate a potentially innocent woman. Thats cruel! Are you guys not going to think about what other reasons could have gotten it down there? We dont even know if that is the amulet. The thief looked at the saintess while deep in thought. His hand resting on his chin. Then we do nothing. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The prince looked at him with his brows furrowed. Explain. We do nothing. This isnt a very important side job. It isnt time-sensitive while our main goal is. We dont even know what we would get and can very easily say we failed to find it. You could be leaving a cursed item in the town well The prince prodded. I watched as the thief grew a devious grin. Then they would know where they left it and that we were all standing in front of the well it was left in. We should be able to see a reaction from them of some kind given this and we can get a bit forceful with questioning. Besides, the reward would likely be worth less than taking the amulet to a fence anyway. The saintess looked appalled either by our decision or the idea of stealing an amulet, her unblemished face turning the same shade of white as her hair. The thief shrugged and I remarked. You know, I am concerned with how much I have been agreeing with a thief. He turned to me with a hardened stare. Mind leaving that last word out next time? Kind of hurts my chances of talking with others. He waited until I nodded. Also Im just that awesome. No need to worry about coming to that realization. The obvious false bravado helped to break the tension in the air. The house for the amulet side job was small and unassuming, much like the old lady who walked out. She was in dirty clothes and looked so thin I doubted she could draw water from the well to begin with. Why hello adventurers. Have you found my amulet yet? I really must get it back. She gave a very kind smile. The thief stepped forward to speak but the saintess spoke up before him. Miss, would you have any idea where you would have lost it? Havent you guys already begun looking for it? She gave us a very strange look as if she didnt trust we were here for any good reason. The two of us started looking around the village, but we realized we forgot to ask you for information about it. The saintess looked a little on edge talking to this potential assassin, but I couldnt fault her for trying to speak up and participate. Hmmmm. I dont recall what I was doing when I lost it. Perhaps you guys can ask some of the other villagers what I was doing and retrace my steps. The thief stood in front of the saintess, nodded to do so, and dragged the saintess away by her arm. We didnt learn much about the old lady, and after everyone but the saintess agreed to ignore the amulet for now, we decided to leave her to her problems for the foreseeable future. She was suspicious, but I doubted the saintess would forgive us for doing something under mere suspicion. As we walked back to the apothecarys house we were waylaid by a man with a woodsman axe. You guys have been trying to help people right? On his face was a very worried expression. Despite his tall and well-toned body, he displayed no signs of confidence. Do you think you could find my brother? He went into the woods yesterday and hasnt come back yet. Im beginning to become concerned. We all looked at each other trying to decide our answer. The prince shrugged. The saintess nodded. I nodded. Then the thief nodded. We nodded to him and got the relevant details about where he entered the forest from. Continuing our journey to the apothecary house, we waited outside for the monk. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. We discussed going out to look for her, but we didnt know where to start looking for her tracks. I offered to start tracking her, or at least doing the best I could, but the others shut it down on the excuse of my poor health. After arguing for quite a while, she returned with twigs stuck in her hair and an ice-cold fury in her eyes. That old lady lied. They were not common weeds at all. It took me two hours to find these medicinal herbs. Never again. My patience is gone. If doesnt give me a fair return for my time, I will break her arm as well. I will never fetch weeds again. That was a lot to process for me. The gentle monk not only was threatening to break an old ladys arm but had broken someone elses before. I wonder if I could ask for any pointers from her. Chapter 13: Don’t lie to the monk The old ladys house was surrounded by a large garden of herbs. Even the only window on it was covered in drying herbs. Nobody in our group stopped the monk before she opened the door and walked in unannounced with the herbs in the leather bag we just earned. Her house was reeked of various drying plants and the grass stained old lady likely smelled just as strongly. The old lady turned to us with a scowl. Get out of my house. Helpers are supposed to have manners. Says the lady who lied about how common those herbs were. I should have found over a hundred by now with how common you said they were. Be glad Im even willing to give you something for these herbs. To a common person, they might as well be a simple weed. Ill give you a silver as promised. I dont want to see you around anymore. Dont think Ill recommend you to others either if this is how you were raised. Our monk crossed her arms. No. The apothecary lady turned to her confused. No, Im not giving these for a single silver piece. Id sooner burn them and prevent anyone from picking them again. Youre a fool to think you have anything to bargain against me with. You walk away and Ill get Johns kids to pick me some to plant in the garden later. You wait for a better deal and those plants will begin to dry. You hit me and Ill have the guards arrest you. From the corner of my eye, I saw the saintess walking forward to help, though who she was trying to help I didnt know. Apparently, the monk noticed as well, as she shook her head and the saintess decided to wait. Have fun getting anyone to find these plants anywhere close for a year. Reaching into the bag she pulled out a large bundle of leafy but flowerless plants. The roots were attached and everything. The apothecarys face morphed into one of horror. Why would you do that! The roots are destroyed! Those plants are the only thing nearby that can be used against fevers. Your actions might cause people to die later. Do you realize that? The old ladys knees almost gave out at the sight and she leaned on the wall for support. Whether she was feeling rage or loss I didnt know, but the monks actions had a definite effect. I didnt know. You didnt tell me how important they were. You didnt tell me how rare they were. You didnt tell me how valuable they were. You thought of me as an easy target and you paid the price. The old lady clenched her fists seemingly trying to regain some composure. Are you telling me, that because I gave you less money than you felt you deserved, you knowingly destroyed rare medical herbs to hurt others? The monk walked away from the old lady to a wall and table of dried herbs. Of course not. I destroyed common weeds. I didnt destroy anything important, simple kids could find them later from how you described them. The monk picked up a few leaves from the herb covered table. Also I hate liars. With that she walked out the door. The prince looked at her more bewildered than the other two, though I imagine my face matched his at the moment. We quickly left the room, though I heard the saintess say Have a good day, which felt like more of an insult at this point than she likely intended. Faith, I tried to find my next words carefully, Would it not be wise to take something from her as compensation? A tool or some teachings even? She would likely do something out of spite, as she already proved herself a liar. Her eyes were forward and her strides were long, trying to get away from the house as soon as possible. The thief spoke up as well, Why do you hate liars so much? If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Nobody in the monastery lied. People might have been rude or get into fights, but lying goes against many of our teachings. I suppose our core tenet can best be described as being honest to oneself and honesty will be returned by the world. It has multiple interpretations, but many of them disapprove of lies. Think you could give one of those plants to Louis after processing it? I dont know how the medicine is made but you were looking at her medicine table very carefully, surely anything would help break his fever. The saintess looked over to our furious monk. She then turned to look at me and widened her eyes in shock. Rather than responding to the saintess, she simply handed over a plant from the bag to me. You hand me this as if I should know what to do with it. She dried the leaves of a few things that looked like this, so grab a leaf. The stem and roots werent anywhere I could see. We may need to experiment later. I looked at the others, realizing that my fever had almost fully gone away in the short time that the monk showed her second side to us. My miraculous recovery was likely what shocked the saintess, as the shock of my recovery was evident on the faces of the others. The prince walked over to the monk and whispered something into her ear. She looked very displeased as she nodded. Suck on the plant, starting with one of the leaves. It should help you. The prince showed me a practiced smile at those words. There was something going on that I didnt know about, but the details eluded me. We already knew the plant was for fever medication, so I was stumped. Shifting to our next task We immediately began to track the lumberjacks brother. It was likely the easiest time I had hunting someone ever. He didnt bother to hide his trail and he went in a direction the others didnt usually go. I felt like we were making good time going deep into the woods, only occasionally having to bushwhack to keep on track. It was so easy I began to think about other things while tracking. Or I tried to. The prince kept asking me questions about tracking during the trip which kept me from getting much else done. I didnt take him for the type that would be this bothersome, but every ten steps he kept asking how I knew I was going the right way. I pointed out broken branches, footprints, and other signs of the trail as we walked. My eyes were glued to the surroundings for clues when something I didnt want to see appeared before us. Bear tracks. A very large bear by the size and depth of the paws. I could fit both my hands within the prints, and I reckon it was about 5 times the weight of a man if I remembered how to gauge weight correctly. Careful everyone, the prints are headed the same way as our villager. There is a really big bear that uses this as his territory. Can you figure out if it can use magic? I looked over at the prince. He was certainly asking important questions finally, trying to learn how strong a possible enemy was, but he was the resident mage, not me. Not without stabbing it and seeing if it tries to burn, freeze, or bite us. He looked annoyed at my answer but nodded silently. Flames flickered over his fingers again as he began to do a breathing exercise as we walked. Eventually, the footprints ended. A large pool of mostly dried blood lay on the patches of grass. Some bloody scraps of fabric soaked in what was left of him. No shoes or personal objects remained intact enough to determine his identity. Despite it not being morning anymore, some morning dew was visible around the scene. There werent signs of a fight, nor of him trying to claw at the ground to get away, so I could at least be hopeful he might have died relatively fast. I might have once believed that to be a morbid thought, but there would be plenty of worse ways ones final moments could be spent when attacked. I heard someone retching behind me. Without looking I could already imagine the thief or monk holding her hair back as the girl emptied her stomach of what little we were able to forage off of a bush this morning. Her white outfit would now be sullied by herself. I say we slay the beast and take its hide for armor. We could likely get enough for two people. The people who make leather surely cant take that long. The prince seemed dead set on killing it. He held his back even straighter than usual and ran his fingers through his hair. The saintess looked at him and said Lets put this to a quick vote then, all who disagree with avenging the brother speak up. All of us looked at each other silently. The thief nodded at the monk, then glanced at his green shirt which constituted his defense against attacks. A thin layer of wool would do him very little against teeth. Anything would likely be better. The saintess held her stomach, somehow mixing a determined focused stare with a nauseous empty stare. Her clothes hadnt gotten anything from her on them, but plenty of dirt along the bottom. Ill start tracking the bear, get ready for a fight. The thief held his crossbow in hand as we walked a considerable distance to a massive hole under a large tree that a black bear was sleeping in. The beast had blood still covering its snout. To my dismay I was completely wrong about its weight, it was almost twice what I predicted. Worse, It was beginning to wake up. Chapter 14: Bearer of bad news If we let the giant bear make the first move, we likely would just be crushed in a charge and our bodies not found for weeks. A few dense bushes dotted the small opening, but nothing was close enough to hide behind. Its eyes fully opened and locked onto us. The hole that it fit in looked tiny as it stood up. It sauntered to the entrance with sluggish steps, likely having just eaten its fill. I doubt it saw us as a threat, but I couldnt tell much of the difference between a bear looking at another predator and prey. I started charging it down at a full sprint, spitting out the weed in my mouth and holding onto my sword and shield as tightly as I could. The monk was to my right, closer to my sword hand, easily keeping pace with me. The thief was behind me, an arrow whistled far closer to my head than I felt safe with, and barely punctured the bears flesh on its chest. That got the bears attention as fully woke up and charged out of the den straight at us. The bear took a wild swing at the two of us without slowing down. I jumped to the left as the monk jumped to the right. She disappeared into a very dense bush. I did a sloppy swipe at its back leg before I could regain my footing only to be pulled forward as my blade got stuck. It must have been about as tall as I was while on all fours. I released the handle before I twisted my wrist and rolled onto my feet. The bear stopped charging and turned to us. Standing on its back legs, my view of the sun was eclipsed by its massive dark body. My hair stood on end as it took a deep breath. I put my shield between myself and it half a second before I felt my shield get pushed down by a waterfall of ice. My left arm began to go numb from the cold. Die you mangy beast! The prince screamed, and from behind one of its legs, I saw the prince shoot a long yellow lance of fire at the beast. The lance shot forward as if to hit the head, but began to drop part way through and barely hit an ankle. Burnt flesh and fur filled the area with a terrible stench. A terrible roar escaped it, pain and a lot of anger. I kept myself from throwing up, grabbing my sword that I dropped. The ground shook as the beast was dropped back onto four legs. It threw itself at me with its three good legs. I raised my numb arm in front of me as the beast slammed into me with all the strength of a ten man battering ram. As I fell to the ground, its full body was above me. It locked eyes with me while an icy mist dropped from the corners of its mouth. I struggled to raise my shield above me. Something in my arm wasnt working and I had to drop my sword to use my other arm to keep the shield up. I could feel a cold mist falling onto my already numb arm, I was quickly losing a struggle to keep my shield between its teeth and my body. Movement happened in the distance to my left as the bears head dropped down even lower and past my shield. Teeth grew to become all I could see as it tried to bite my head off. I put my vambrace from my good arm in front of my head. With a crunch, metal bit into my forearm and I let out a scream of pain. The skin that was visible became coated in red. Suddenly the bear screamed as well. Raising its head and biting at the air as someone ran past it. I got its eyes! Its blind now! The thief called out as his voice steadily got farther away. I pulled myself out from under the bear with my left arm. My right forearm was a mess, with the crushed vambrace the only thing keeping it attached at this point. I was bleeding out very fast. Another lance of fire shot out, hitting the other hind leg of our foe. Even without eyes, it had our scent and wasnt about to run. A few arrows were sticking out of it from various places, likely the thief trying a target to kill something without chinks in their armor. It began another charge, launching with its two front paws, hind paws half dragging behind it. It was headed towards the prince and saintess, and I wasnt about to let them die. The saintess seemed to be trying to sneak around the fight and possibly away from us. The thief was whispering and staring at a crossbow bolt intently, but I wasnt about to demand someone in a cotton shirt distract it, so I had to get its attention again. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I lifted my left arm which was likely broken and smacked it repeatedly against my chest armor, pain shot up my arm as the ringing began. Over here! Turn around you big coward! The bear didnt turn to face me nor slow down. I charged forward, my lame right arm smacking my legs as I ran. I wasnt gaining any distance as it closed in on the prince first. I ran for my life. No. I ran for his life and my pride. The prince let loose a small lance of fire, singing the shoulder of the giant black bear. The bear charged the prince and the prince dove onto the ground to the side of the charge. The bear crashed into a large tree beyond the prince, snapping it in half. I finally caught up and put myself between the bear and the prince. The saintess was nowhere to be seen. Any ideas for how to kill it would be appreciated. I quickly asked. Burning its lungs maybe? I got a less than useful answer in return. I took that to mean he was out of ideas. I, however, wasnt. I succeed in magic unlike all of the failed attempts and partial success at the fort. I also needed to do it before the bear regained its bearings. I felt my arms get hot, my broken arm began to burn as if I held it within a forge. I visualized what I needed, pits on the ground where it stepped. Entomb the limbs, then the head. My magic wasnt activating and the beast began to charge. I thought back to what I learned and realized that I made contact without armor last time I cast a spell. I wasnt sure if that mattered, but I was desperate to cast magic. I dropped to a crouch. I smacked my broken arm against the dirt; parts of my shredded skin made contact with the ground as blood pooled there. I demanded the earth to answer me, for my goal to be realized, and for whatever processes happened to occur. I only had a second before the beast hit me, so I asked for only two holes opening. As the beast put its front paws down while running at me, two holes opened almost underneath the front legs. It stepped into the holes as the momentum carried it forward. Another lance of flame flew passed where the head would have been. The legs couldnt be pulled out before another CRACK resounded from both of its front legs. It tumbled towards me, now butt first. I could do little more than raise my shield and brace for impact. I blacked out for a second after getting knocked back. Looking up I saw the thief covered in dirt walking slowly up to the now thrashing bear. The prince was using fire to smother the face, but it was thrashing too much to continuously be burned. Ice poured out of its mouth even now, creating a layer of frost and mist in the ground. The thiefs clothes were blowing in a strong breeze that surrounded him, the mist wrapped around his tiny maelstrom. He took a second to aim the crossbow at its head. Then he pulled the trigger. There was such a concentrated look on his face that I could only wonder how he planned to kill it. The arrow whistled in the air, hit the bear in its open mouth, and then blew out the other side. The bear slumped over, finally dying. Louis, you need to see Alice. After today. We are leaving her at the village and walking away. She has no excuses for doing nothing throughout the fight. The prince was demanding things again, but I couldnt fully disagree that she hadnt helped. We decide that as a group The thief was firmly against instant action, or just giving the prince leadership. I am deciding this for the good of all five of us. Five? Wait. Have you two seen Faith anywhere? I lost track of her after the first charge. I looked at the thief, realizing I had forgotten about her. I decided to get up, feeling light headed enough to almost fall back down, and hobbled over to where the beast charged me and the monk. It didnt take long until I saw white in one of the bushes I once saw the monk land in. Alice, have you seen I stepped close enough to get the full scene that had been hidden from view behind a thick bush. Before my eyes was Alice, leaning over an unconscious and pale Faith. The saintess was trying desperately to reattach the lower half of her arm that was barely connected to the rest of her. Enough blood pooled out from under her that I didnt have high hopes for her survival. That arm wasnt likely to fully heal either. The soft healing glow from Alices hands was slowly getting weaker. Alice looked at me, exhausted with tears streaming down her face. Shes going to be okay, right Louis? Chapter 15: A life or limb sacrifice The monk was not going to be fine if she wasn''t fully healed. I knew it, she knew it, and anyone else who saw the scene knew it. Given that she was the healer, I take it that she meant we had the time to heal her. Crouching down I got a closer look at her. The monks shoulder was likely dislocated, but the elbow was cut almost fully through. The bones were clearly visible from the open wound, as the saintess seemed terrified that a single touch while healing may kill the girl. That did raise some questions better saved for later. Blood that pooled out of her now soaked her shirt, turning it a dark red. The first time I jumped out of the way she likely took a claw to the arm, or had to defend her vitals with her arm to survive. I havent seen many head injuries before, but I imagine something hit her head and knocked her unconscious, otherwise, she would have gone to the one person in our group who can heal. The saintess looked at me. Silently pleading with me to have no bad news. Help me hold the two ends of her elbow together while I try healing this last part. My lessons on healing skipped a lot of things. I''m trying everything I can but I know it shouldnt look like its been severed. My hands are shaking too much to help. I reached out with my shield arm, although I had dropped the shield at some point after the fight. I grabbed the monks forearm The saintess nodded while trembling, she put a dainty hand on both halves of the wound and forced it mostly shut. Should I force it tighter so the skin touches? It might bend at a bad angle if I do. YES! HEAL HER! Make a decision because the longer you wait the more she bleeds! The saintess screamed with a ferocity I never heard from a clergy member. Light came out of both of her hands and the skin sewed itself shut with a thin line of discolored skin. She looked visibly exhausted, barely holding herself up. The thief ran over, likely either hearing my screaming or wondering why I had stopped here and not called them over. What happe-oh no. Thats a lot of blood. The saintess only nodded, putting her hand in front of the monks mouth to feel for breathing. It was only now that she finally looked up at us. Her face was pale; sweat dripped down it like she sprinted a full lap around a fort. For a noncombatant who likely hadnt seen many hardships, she did a remarkable job with whatever pushed her to this point. She looked at my face with a tired smile that quickly faded as she saw my arm. How bad is your arm? I turned so that it was behind my body. She was tired enough and I wasnt going to force her to heal even more now and risk her passing out. Not sure how bad it is as my armor hides everything. She gave me a look that I couldnt quite discern, but I figured it was disapproving of my comment. Ill take it off now, give me a second. I looked at my vambrace, now completely unsure how to take it off something that was wrapped fully around my arm with the two ends that usually separate folded into one another. Actually, I did have an idea, but it involved cutting into my arm to get under it. I tried reaching under the metal, but quickly realized I truly didnt have a plan. The thief quickly said Pardon me and stepped in front of me with what I could only describe as lockpicks for illegal entry. I grabbed his wrist, not willing to be helped by the tools of a thief. He just looked at me calmly. We need to see how bad this is. Please dont fight me on this. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I let go of his wrist. With practiced movements, he removed the pin from the latch on my vambrace. How he learned a skill for breaking latches is something I will not think too hard on. Under my armor, the skin was torn up. The compression from the armor helped staunch the bleeding, but we just removed it. It was also bending where it clearly shouldnt have. The saintess waved me over to her, so I held out my arm for her to look at. So saintess, how are you so calm with healing now when you previously were barely able to focus on healing me? Last time an assassin was trying to kill me. It was the first time I had ever been attacked, and I was panicking. This time it was a bear that was focused on you and not me. She paused looking at my broken arm to look me in the eyes. Also I was and still am completely terrified. I dont want to die in an unknown body without knowing what happened to my original body or if I can go back. Everything about this stresses me out and I feel like if I stop to think for even a few seconds Im going to have a complete mental breakdown and never stop crying. I left her bruised on her chest because I had to prioritize the important injuries first. Out of curiosity, do you need to visualize things for your magic too? The thief leaned forward to look at the monk. Other than being pale and unconscious, she looked fine. Then the thief knelt down and examined the fixed arm. Well I imagine the injured part I want fixed and then I imagine magic adding, removing, or moving parts of the body until the problem is gone. How do you create an image with magic? If you were to use it, I mean. I thought for a second, then answered. I dont use magic, but I would imagine it as commanding troops. People move when ordered, forming defensive positions or breaking through defensive formations. The thief was lifting the monks shirt when the saintess shrieked. I would too if I saw someone taking advantage of a wounded ally. Instead of putting down the shirt, she grabbed it from him and lifted it to reveal almost her lower rib cage. As risque as such a position was, it was the discoloration on her stomach that got my attention. No no no no. The bruises werent this big last time, I didnt think it would get this bad. The saintess had gone into a near panic, seeming very close to the mental breakdown she mentioned earlier. Did you heal the blood loss? The thief was quicker to ask the important question than me. No, I focused on keeping her from losing blood by fixing where she bled out. Her bruises werent big enough to warrant immediate fixing like her neck and arm. I wanted to take a breath and not overuse my magic but I dont have time for that anymore. She looked me dead in the eye. She looked calmer again as she seemed to make a plan in her head. Louis, I will heal your arm later. Right now I need to push myself and hope the light healing I do inside of her with a general image is enough to end all of her internal bleeding and let her live. I promise, somehow I will fix your arm later. Ill spend a week removing the dead tissue because that is likely going to get bad. We probably wont have to cut it off. She spoke fast as she began to heal the monk. I only just processed what she said about amputating my arm when she collapsed on top of the monk. The prince walked over to us. Im not sure what he was doing, but he saw the saintess collapsed on the monk. Her hands were underneath the other girls shirt. He gave us a very disappointed look. I sincerely hope you two didnt pose them like that for a laugh. That would be some very undignified humor. The thief just shook his head. I didnt say anything either. What could one say to such a strange accusation? So on an entirely different topic that doesnt make me want to throw up, whos hungry? I cannot wait to eat the bear. I hear only nobles eat them. Unfortunately, I was thinking about a different thing entirely. Amputation? Me? Chapter 16: food for thought At least a hundred thin strips of meat were hanging from sticks over small bonfires. Despite this, we barely got any meat out of it after spending a few minutes actually cutting through the hard fur and skin. The bear was going to go bad before we fully prepared it. It was a struggle for me to grab long sticks and stab them into the ground. It took a few attempts each time, but I got them standing. Pain shot down my arms as I did so and I had to stifle a scream. Depending on how I moved my arms, there could be bone visible, which mildly concerned me. All adrenaline had left me by now and I was feeling the full pain of trying to work with a broken body. It was clear that I had severe damage in both arms now, and it was not something I could ignore for long. While I wasnt an apothecary or healer by trade, I saw enough amputation patients to know that without the saintess I might have needed to cut my career as a swordsman short. That was a possibility that I needed to push out of my mind as the very thought terrified me. Thankfully such a thought process was unneeded because, again, the saintess will solve it. I was setting up yet another drying rack and grabbing sticks to keep the fires slowly burning. The thief was cutting the meat out of the bear and preparing it as I asked him to. I would have liked to do it myself, but my fine control of my hands was gone right now. I would have also liked to start skinning the bear, but it was incredibly hard to cut. The prince was keeping watch for other animals that might try to attack us for the meat. It was a good idea, but he honestly just looked like he didnt want to do any physical labor. He still had to start the fires for us, given our utter lack of normal firestarter. It was around the time we started putting meat on the seventh basic rack that the monk woke up. AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH All three of us were upon her quickly, trying to calm her down. The prince clamped a hand on her mouth to keep her from attracting anything with her screaming, to which she responded by instantly twisting his wrist and nearly breaking it. At least, his screaming made it seem that bad. The thief and I were trying to tell her everything was going to be okay and to calm down, but we had to scream over the prince and her to be heard. She calmed down eventually. I think she broke the princes wrist before she calmed down though. Where is it? We need to leave! It probably has our scent! We can heal me later, we need to leave now! The thief took a few minutes talking her down, calmly explaining everything that happened. The prince and I sounded like actual heroes from his recounting. We stood against the odds and looked death in its big bear face. The monk looked at us while still lying on her back, disbelief written all over her face. I had to stop him at the part of the story with me grabbing and slowing the beast while looking like a dead soldier haunting their murderer. There was so much wrong with his recounting of the tale. Im sorry about your arm, Ill try to be your arms for now, Faith spoke softly while looking up at me with gratitude. However, her statement left a lot unanswered. Why would I care about you being my arms? I just need to wait a few hours and then get healed when the saintess wakes up. Did nobody really tell him about this at any point? The prince was shaking his head at me. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Given the cause of his fever, you should have realized how little he knew of magic. The monk was glaring back at the prince, who in turn was cradling his wrist as if it was as damaged as my arms. The thief and I were confused as to what we were missing. However, I now am curious why my fever went away suddenly, again. The prince turns to me, pausing for a moment to find the right words. Using magic you should focus not as much on the wood that burns in a forge as the forge itself. I believe such an analogy would make sense to you. When you overexert yourself using magic, it is not that you need to wait for more to burn, but for the forge to be repaired as using magic after exhaustion is dangerous. In this case, the forge fixes itself, but the analogy I had with villages and taxes would likely go over your heads. She damaged herself and needs to wait to heal you. Likely for about a week. I imagine by that point you will be nearly useless as both your arms fail you. During that time she will be useless too. The expression on the princes face near the end was hard for me to decipher. It looked like some mixture of pity, disdain, and at least something else. At the very least it was clear he was looking down on us for getting injured. Well, its a good thing you are volunteering to stand between the others of our group and danger now. Because Im sure you would do great at protecting the others like I was able to. As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I burned a bridge. I knew it, but I wasnt willing to take it back. A good knight is willing to lay down life and limb for what they believed in, and despite my minor self-sacrifice, I was being insulted. Flames licked at the princes fingers, he opened his mouth to say something but instead turned around to leave. That was we need to find a way to stay together as a team. The monk spoke quietly, then grabbed my shoulder and forced herself to stand. What was that about the fever? The thief grabbed the monks arm while demanding answers. The monk shrugged and tried to pull away, but the healing must not have returned all of her strength as she was unable to. I moved to grab her other wrist as she began twisting her arm to quickly break out of the thiefs hold. Ok, ok, Ill tell you, she whispered to us while looking in the direction of the lazing prince. He told me not to tell, but the monastery has seen something like this before and the prince agreed with my conclusion. Its fairly hard to explain. Simplify it, I spoke harshly, only reigning in my annoyance after hearing how much it infected my voice. You are the problem. Your magic is reacting to your desire to rid yourself of magic the best way it can, its beginning to kill you. When its at its worst you cannot tell you are unconsciously using magic because you are likely too inexperienced with magic and the hot feeling is confused for the feverish feeling. As she finished, I couldnt speak. Magic had to find a way to ruin my life in yet another way. I held my head in my hands. Why? WHY? Why did I have to be cursed with magic? I felt a fever begin to form again, now knowing it was my damned magic. The knowledge that my hatred of magic made it worse did nothing to lessen my long-time anger against it. I felt a hand on each of my shoulders, both the monk and thief trying to support me in case I collapsed. He knew. The senior knight who came with me knew how much I hated magic and didnt even try to argue against me getting this path. He knew. He just didnt care. I looked up to the thief, remembering them asking for him to be executed. Im the same as you. They probably brought me here wanting me to die. I believe that goes for the monk too, though for her I dont know the reason. The princes voice called out behind me. At some point, he came over to our conversation, likely because something was obviously happening here, and spoke with far less pride in his voice than usual. I can easily imagine why your personality and house would be hated. The thief we already heard part of the story. The saintess might have backup bodies or souls for all we know, but I cant imagine she is any less disposable than the rest of our group. And yes, before you ask, the royal family sent me here with the hope that I would die. Feeling kind of numb at this point, I weakly shrugged off the two trying to help me and got a piece of jerky. I was going to have a lot to think about. Chapter 17: Using “Not-magic” I stared at one of the many small fires. I threw a branch onto it absent-mindedly. I had too many things confirmed in the past five minutes, it was hard to feel anything with so many revelations. I had to accept using magic, or at least not hate it. If not that, I had to not hate my own magic. Still trying to find some other plan for my fever/not-fever problem given my current hate of magic. The fever was not acting up right now, which meant that I had a very hard time understanding it. How am I supposed to feel good about magic when it destroyed my family? The Baux family once held the rank of Count. We were spoken to with respect and considered the Sword of the South. Every head of the family had to have a sword based path. When problems arose, my ancestors fought them with a sword in hand. We had an heirloom blade that gave us a guaranteed swordsmanship path. Then the first great evil appeared. One of my ancestors rose up and defeated him. Shortly after the evil was defeated, the one representing the Baux family went insane. A dark magic was cast on him, driving him to kill hundreds of innocents. He had to be killed. We never truly recovered. The magic sword gave corrupted paths that doomed the person to eventual insanity. Some of my family turned to magic or business to keep our family from becoming useless. A few generations later and now other barons laugh at us. Disgraced nobles clinging to former glory. Those who are like me, trying to wield a sword and regain honor, getting laughed at. The very same mages that claim to try to understand everything all stopped looking into what started the curse. The mages who act like the prince, cowering behind swordsmen while we sacrifice. Learning to truly accept magic, and not just that I can use it was going to be a short task for me. Id either die failing or find a way. Not much middle ground. How are you feeling? The monk put a hand on my shoulder, looking at me with concern. Kind of numb, I guess. Pain shot through my arm as I reached out and grabbed another jerky from the drying rack. Sorry about your arm being numb. Didnt expect to get so injured a saintess would pass out trying to heal me. I mean it when I offered to be your arms until she can heal you. Her apology was genuine and slightly moving. Thanks, but I meant I was feeling emotionally numb, not physically. My arms are in extreme pain, but Im trying my best to ignore it. Trying to think about a few things right now so please give me a few hours to think. I watched her walk away with a complicated expression. I completely lost what I was thinking about and looked at my arms. The armor I had would go a long way to helping my skin stay together. I might be able to take it to a blacksmith later for repair. In the meantime, I would need a replacement. I could polish my sword and shield to help prevent them from rusting. Whetting my blade might be difficult, but perhaps I could teach the thief to help with mine. A long term solution to swinging my sword with broken arms will be needed. We need to find ways to address, overcome, and cover for our weaknesses. We should do whatever that after fight talk we did before again. The monk needs some way of defending herself. A silent hand grabs my shoulder, shaking me from my thoughts with a start. I reach behind me to grab the intruder, only to feel the air. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Calm down! I was only trying to get your attention. I called out your name a few times and you didnt answer. I wanted to help you. The thief spoke fast, eager to end his thought before I tried to grab him again. I dont need someone acting as my hands, and the monk already offered. I meant about your hatred of magic. I doubt you solved that, have you? I paused at his question. We stared at each other for a few seconds as he waited with some witty remark for whatever he expected me to say next. Im thinking of such things now, you interrupted me. I could give you the answer. I shouldnt let others tell me what to desire. I could help you find a reason to use magic. I should find a reason to use magic myself. I could, he paused for a moment while trying to craft a response, Help you swing your sword with your mutilated arm. He then pointed at my mess of a right arm. I looked into his eyes, waiting to hear the catch to the sudden change in topic. It would require you to use magic first. There was the catch. I dropped my head in defeat and groaned. I know I shouldnt use my arm for strenuous things like swinging a sword when injured, likely I shouldnt use them at all, but the idea of acting like a waste of space who cant carry his weight nor do what he claimed to be good at disgusted me. Somehow letting go of my pride was almost as painful as moving my arms. Please dont beat around the bush and tell me what you think I should do. Mold a stone around your arm as a new piece of armor. Hold the bone in place and prevent any dirt from getting into your many cuts. He turned to walk away before stopping and turning back around. In case you didnt hear it. Thank you, you kept throwing yourself between the bear and the rest of us. Your sword arm might be terribly damaged, but youve been acting as our shield from the start. He then walked away. I was left to my thoughts again. I tried to remember what I was thinking about before the conversation but couldnt recall. Instead, I walked around for a decent sized stone to make an arm guard out of. It took less than a minute for me to be sitting next to the fire holding a large round stone. I made myself push all of the pain out of my mind and focused on the stone. I wanted an armguard. I wanted something to wrap around my arm and take the sword strikes that would maim me. I wanted to swing my sword without fear that my bone would snap and give me an extra joint in my arm. My arms got hot as I stood there just remembering how they felt on my arm. My arms grew hot. Hotter. Hotter. It felt like my arm was being burned completely through. I wasnt knowledgeable about magic enough to know if stopping here was a good thing. After probably an hour, the heat died down in my arms. A sense of fatigue began to overcome me. I opened my eyes to see the stone had partially flattened. All of my work only led to a stone flattening. Ive seen worse attempts at magic, decent work for spending a minute working on it. The prince was talking behind me. Thought you said you werent going to use magic. Finally came around? I stared at the stone in my hands. I got a strange feeling in my stomach about doing magic almost like indigestion. I was not the type to use magic, I was a swordsman. Thus, I said the first excuse that came to mind. This doesnt count as magic. Its different. Perfect. The prince stared at me for a second. Careful with your not-magic then. Dont overuse it and end up like the saintess. He turned away and left me, but not before muttering a few insults at me under his breath. Chapter 18: Packing up I grabbed my sword and shield instead of trying to continue making a makeshift right armguard. Honestly, it was likely going to be a few days before I made one. The sword thankfully hadnt chipped, but my shield had deep scratches from the bear. My splint armor was dirty, but functional. It still had a hole in the back from the arrow that pierced it. The fact that an arrow was able to go through it was a major concern, one I would be bringing up with the blacksmithing guild in the future. The Monk decided that we spent too much time here next to a corpse and that staying any longer would likely attract predators. We had to divide up the load, most of us needing to carry it by hand since we didnt have enough bags. My offer to hold the saintess was instantly rejected, not even a full second before the thief and monk disagreed. The thief couldnt cut off the full pelt yet, just trying to remove the torso took this long, so we agreed to begin cutting off around the limbs to salvage what portion of the pelt we could reasonably take off. The amount of blood spilling out at the end covered everything nearby. We would have had to flip the beast onto its side to get the full torso, so we had to hack off even more of the leather. After the monk rolled up the pelt surprisingly neatly, I grabbed and picked it up with both arms. I would be carrying the pelt, given that it was too heavy for the others. It weighed more than a full adult and still reeked of blood. Given that fact, I was glad that we didnt get the full pelt. Just this alone would be hard to carry on my shoulder at a jog. I pointed out that the others would have a hard time carrying the saintess, only for the monk to throw the girl over her shoulder casually. The saintess didnt even stir at this. The monk then declared they were ready to go. At some point, the thief found time to throw a few hastily cut venison steaks onto rock slabs to put next to fires. I mentioned this as he was putting the dried bear jerky into the bag, but nobody wanted to put the sizzling steak into it as the juices would cause it to attract wolves until it got washed. We argued for a bit, before deciding it would be better to burn or eat them now than leave them for wolves to eat. The prince was using his magic to put out the fires, which apparently is a thing he can do. I made a mental note to ask the others for their skill repertoire later, hoping I wouldnt forget to ask. The thief looked around the clearing before addressing us, I think we have everything, did we forget anything? I looked down at my broken right arm. At this point, it was beginning to bleed on me from using it so much. I lifted the pelt onto my shoulder with my good arm before being hit with a realization. We came here for the brother! Before we leave Ill quickly cut open its stomach and see if we can find something to return No! Three separate voices called out to me before I even was able to put my hand on my sword. I put my hands up in surrender and decided that they could convince the lumberjack of what we found later. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Well just explain what happened to him, not carry out a half-digested foot. No need to traumatize the poor man. The thief spoke slowly, talking down to me as if I was a child. I spend a few seconds trying to figure out the best way to convince one of the others to take my side, only to see a look of disappointment from everyone else for considering this in the first place. Who wants to tell him that his brother was hunted, killed, eaten, and any remains for burial have to be cut out from the bear? You guys can argue it out as my method was shot down like a messenger hawk. I grabbed my slice of meat and bit into it. Waiting for them to begin to argue. I didnt hear anything, but it wasnt my problem anymore. On the other hand, the bear meat tasted great! If I had some wild onion to place on top of it while cooking it would have been better. I wolfed down my meal quickly. The others came to eat a portion as well, but given that there were five portions, I grabbed a second before anyone else could. The monk eyed me enviously, but I just smiled back as some of the fatty juices dripped down my chin. The four of us ate in silence, the saintess still showing no signs of waking. Having eaten, we loaded everything and began heading back to the town. It was a tense trek back. A hungry wolf could kill half of us easily at this point. I was carrying a heavy pelt on my shoulder, a shield on my back, and a sword in my lame arm. The monk was carrying our now useless saintess. The thief carried a bag loaded with enough rations to spill over and a crossbow. The prince refused to carry anything and was picking up the rear. He would get killed if anything attacked us from behind, but none of us mentioned that fact as we were unwilling to be in the back instead. We were making good time until the saintess woke up in a panic. She was still delirious, mumbling to herself incoherently. All of this from her overusing magic. As if I needed another reason to hate magic when I needed to start using it. We got back to the village easily enough, despite a few times when we had to stop and prepare for a fight against unseen noises. The sun had almost completely set and our chances of survival would have gone with it. By the time we saw the clearing, we had stressed enough to feel 10 years older. We probably smelled of blood and looked like fugitives. There was one good thing that happened, we didnt meet the lumberjack and have to give him the news yet. We were going to have to make plans moving forward, but for now, I collapsed on the edge of town. Truth is, for all of my combat training, I never was on the edge of danger for extended periods. Momentary danger during sparring matches could never hold a candle to this. Just as I was catching my breath, I heard a familiar voice call out. Ah, adventurers! Have you guys found my brother? He gave pause when he noticed his brother wasnt among our group. Why isnt he with you guys? What happened? I looked over to see a smiling burly man walk over to us, the smile slowly fading from his face every second. I heard them whispering You say it, no you tell him. It only served to make the man grow even more anxious. It made me glad that knights were often not the first choice for giving families the hard news when others die. That would typically be a courier with a decent tip. Too bad we didnt have one right now. Tell me. Tell me! Please, dont let me fear the worst, let me know if you found him. We found him dead, he was attacked by a magic bear and died instantly. The part of it being instantly was a guess, as unless he saw something I didnt, the thief was just saying something to placate him. The big man broke into tears. I couldnt blame him. Chapter 19: A Formal Apology Given I left any talk of rewards for saving the brother to the others and focused on finding a spot to sleep instead. As luck would have it, one of the houses was recently empty. By recently empty I mean the lumberjacks brother lived alone and we were going to sleep in the house of a dead man. It wasnt ideal, but I didnt exactly have the silver to go elsewhere. I opened the small house, inside was only a table, chair, bed, and some tools for harvesting fruit from trees. I laid out the pelt across the floor. Given that the bed only fit a single person, four of us would need to rest on the floor. I began to take off my armor to wipe down when the others came into the house. We didnt say anything. Exhaustion was clear on everyones faces. We all spent a couple of minutes doing things in silence before passing out. The prince fell asleep first, taking the bed for himself naturally. The rest of us fell asleep together feeling a little safer than the previous night in the woods. The table was propped to block the window the best we could and the chair wedged to block the door. I fell asleep next to the monk and the thief, with the saintess on the end next to the monk. I woke up feeling very refreshed, also confused about the dream I had. I lost my hand and fought with a blade attached to my stump. I threw stone daggers at criminals and made manacles out of clay to bind them with. For some reason, I was dressed like a bandit who wore a bunch of different armor types from those he killed. I also had a really nice beard and had an eyepatch. It was a weird dream. I did once hear that in many small ways, you are helped along the path you choose, but I cannot imagine the idea of swinging a sword attached to my wrist would be very effective. As we all woke up, we began preparing for the task ahead. Basic upkeep on our gear. Preparing a basic meal with plants from the garden, which was surprisingly not terrible. Getting extra gear for holding our things, though I drew the line at the thief trying to pocket pieces of silver from the house. I imagine he will simply take them while I am not looking, but its not worth the argument and I do not want to potentially see any reason in whatever argument he gives for taking it. We pack up and head out bright and early. An old rope helped me fasten the pelt to my back. We practically ran out of the town once we had everything prepared to leave. The monk helped the saintess run away with us as she had absolutely no stamina. Oddly enough her running form was amazing, despite her body having no muscle to speak of. We spent the next 5 minutes, 5 at a brisk jog, and then the monk carried the saintess. The rest of us 5 were doing good, even the prince looked like he would stop having a hard time breathing after a few minutes at a walking pace. After she caught her breath enough to speak, she asked a question. So what did I miss? I wasnt very winded, so I started speaking first. I regaled her with the specifics of the fight with the bear she missed when going off to heal the monk. I explained what I saw the others doing, the attack that finally killed it, and the fact that we didnt do a post fight whatever-the-word-was for the discussion. The thief cut me off and started talking about the things we did after the fight. Keeping watch, harvesting the bear, keeping me from opening the stomach of the bear, and a lot of detail about cooking the bear steaks. He specifically mentioned getting 5 prepared in case she woke up, but that I ate hers without asking. He further mentions our effort to pack up and head back white carrying her. He was very thorough in giving key details, such as when each of us spoke or how long certain things took. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Neither the prince nor the monk spoke up afterwards as everything that needed to be said was spoken. We walked through an open field for a few minutes in silence, not bothering with trying to move at a fast pace. Granted, we still had to pace ourselves as we should aim to defeat The Great Evil within the next month or two, but exhausting ourselves helps nobody. Eventually, the monk turned to the saintess. You should also know that Louis has been repeatedly using both of his arms despite their terrible conditions. We have already told him repeatedly that he will not heal if he continues using them. We also told him you cant heal them for a while. We even told him that he might need to amputate part of an arm if they get worse. I have told him everything except for how stupid I feel he is being. The monks frustration slipped into her words the more she spoke about me. When I glanced over to her at the end, I was receiving a glare from her and the saintess. I could liken the monk to an angry cat, sleek but having the glint of a predator in her eyes. I didnt doubt for a second that she spoke up now to punch me and force a decision onto me with anothers approval. The saintess that sided with her reminded me more of an angry kitten. Her anger was more cute than intimidating since she couldnt hurt me. You are going to make a cast right now! I had to see the aftermath of a splintered bone due to the churchs teaching methods, I do not want to see one ever again! She pointed a finger at my face while trying her best to be intimidating. It didnt work. Make a stone cast today. I gave her a fake smile and put as much false positivity as I could into my retort. Of course I will. I might be able to finish one today provided I force it to happen and get in as bad a shape as you. Use clay. I turned to my other side where I heard someone talk. I found the thief walking beside me silently. I didnt even realize he was next to me. Clay is far easier to shape than stones and can be dried into pottery or bricks. YOu wouldnt exhaust yourself using that, right? I looked over at the thief, confused. Dont you need to throw them into a furnace to harden? Sun dried bricks are a thing too, plus your magic should be able to help. I looked at the thief, annoyed that he made a perfectly good point for a cure that would involve me preventing myself from using the sword. He came up with a clever solution to my problem, something I honestly should have considered before he did. I couldnt ignore it any longer. I slumped my shoulders and sighed. Im sorry, Ive acted unbecoming of a knight, and for that I humbly apologize. The thief stopped walking temporarily, whats with the formal apology? The monk and saintess seemed slightly taken aback too. I should have been trying to help my group to the best of my abilities, even if it meant temporarily putting aside my pride. I didnt do so. Other people needed to make up for my inadequacies. I will try to do better. I cannot promise to immediately be better, but I hope to correct mistakes like that in the future and better myself. I hope to act like a proper knight by the time we need to be ready to fight in 6 months. The prince glanced at us, The royal family thinks that timetable needs to be moved up, by about half. At this, everyone instantly stopped walking. Chapter 20: Uncomfortable Revelations Im sorry, it sounded like you said we had only 3 months to kill something everyone else failed at. It also sounds like you must have forgotten to tell the rest of us this fact. The thief glared daggers at the prince. Hold on a second! The saintess looked between the rest of us in a panic while screaming. I wasnt told any timeline for this! Or what happens if we fail to do our goal in that time! If we are going to be discussing things finally, I have a lot I need explained to me. I have been left in the dark for long enough. I have been hoping to get time to ask about common knowledge stuff.. I cant stand knowing about this world when you guys reference important things as common knowledge. Especially if it is this important. Her shoulders heaved as she exhausted herself with her explosive demands. We had all stopped walking at this point. She gave an angry pout, but the expression was more cute and less intimidating. It was an interesting view, a short white-haired and pale girl in white church robes glaring up at us. Breathe, take a deep breath, and lets pool information for a bit. The monk mostly defused her anger just by saying that calmly, although I suppose she did agree to the demands. Lets start with some basic questions to see where we stand. Did you learn about the previous hero groups? No. Did you learn about how paths help you grow to achieve your goals? No. Did you learn this kingdoms name? No. We all had a long moment of silence. This was going to be a long break as we prepared to explain what we knew. A long, long break. I threw the pelt off my back and sat down on it. So who wants to start where? the monk looked at us, unsure of where to start. Fraland. The name of the kingdom is Fraland, same as my last name. The royal family is going to need to talk with the church about forgetting to mention the name of our kingdom. After the prince broke the ice, we began to share information with her freely. The demon lord and the great evil are used interchangeably, but members of the church and royalty tend to correct people to use the second one. No explanation on why, but we noted that detail for later. The saintesses of the past were the saintess of souls, saintess of dreams, saintess of hope, saintess of foresight, and now saintess of martyrdom. We dont actually know what official name she will have as that is given after the fight with the great evil. The great evil continuously comes back into the body of a person and must start a path from the beginning again. They started using curses against people sent after them, even affecting an entire army sent after them. A coup attempt was made another time, whether they were affected by a mental curse was unknown. And eventually, a decision was made that led to groups of 5 like ours being sacrificial death squads. The saintesss eyes were glued to us as we told the history of the kingdom and the great evil. She looked so interested and enraptured that I almost forgot that she should have already known about this. The monk, thief, and I silently agreed to not give the gruesome details of how many of the fights ended, nor how some of the people went missing completely. Nor how many who did survive were never fully healed to preserve the memory of the fight. We gave her an edited version of the events that wouldnt give her nightmares I suppose the church hid facts from her but I feel we were more justified. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. We talked about how paths worked. How philosophers believed things to be, and why they might be. We gave slightly conflicting information on how much you need to have done for a path to become available to you. The monk jumps back to philosophy and how paths affect ones body. For a physical path like me, we naturally find ourselves stretching and doing small things to keep in shape when not thinking about anything. It feels natural to do so. I havent been showing that side of paths because said trait doesnt show when one is in constant motion. Honestly, we broke into an argument on that topic and continued off-topic for a while. The monk was hiding some serious opinions on paths. Magic based paths have an easier time learning magic, gaining new ideas for magic subconsciously, and not becoming a useless wreck after overusing it. That last point was said by the monk in kinder terms, likely to console the saintess, but seemed to have the opposite effect. The prince took over at some point to finally speak, only to give a very technical version of how the veins in the body are affected. I couldnt even pretend to understand it. He, in turn, seemed annoyed that some of us wasted his efforts to teach by not understanding it. We went further into many of the guilds that existed, the secrets they might keep, and how we thought they could help the people at the heroes meeting that we believed to be hiding things. That turned out to be everyone. I think in hindsight that the thief set the conversation in this direction, as he quickly pivoted to asking the prince what he was hiding. Cant say. He frowned and crossed his arms when we gave him four sets of dissatisfied looks. Its not that I dont want to say, but that I cannot. A member of royalty is very good at reading peoples faces and tells. Telling you the information I am hiding would constitute treason. Even if I survive everything, when asked if I committed treason I would be unable to answer no clearly and honestly. I would then be executed for treason. We let the info sink in. Whoever this person was, I didnt know about them. The royal family must be keeping quite a few big secrets. I can hint to you very little and outright tell you even less about some very important topics that would keep us alive.Information that I could act on as a leader, but cannot give to another leader. I will say this: we have been underestimating the great evil. His comment was very vague. So much so that I had to wonder what sort of secret was being hidden and how much a sacrificial prince could find out and not be killed. As the saintess leaned in for the next part of his warning, he looked up and frowned. Looks like we spent too much time talking and it got dark. Ill light a small fire. The sun was indeed at the horizon, making it apparent we talked for more hours than we thought. The prince left without any indication that he would continue. As I laid out the pelt for all of us to sleep on, though I wasnt planning on taking the first watch this time, we watched the sunset in mostly silence. Do you guys think the church wants me dead? We turned to the saintess after she asked the question in a whisper. They didnt tell me so much that would help me. I dont have any weapons or armor, havent been given time to train my body, and my path title has me concerned. I got the option to be a martyr right? What caused me to get that as a path? The monk opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. We all waited for someone else to come up with some answer, but we had none. The church and saintesses were a mystery to us. I wasn''t comfortable with many of the guesses I had either. Her albino red eyes glistened in the fire, and then tears began to run down her cheeks. Does everyone want me to die and martyr myself for a cause I wasnt told about? No. The monk instantly went to her side and spoke softly. She put one hand on her shoulder while the thief held her other shoulder. I doubt Frederick wants you dead. I know I dont wish you ill. You asked for Logan to be spared, so he owes you a life debt. And the big guy over there took an arrow from an assassin for you. The saintess looked over to us with a soft smile, tear marks glistening down her face. Thanks. Chapter 21: more than a thief We continued the long journey to the next destination, which the saintess said was likely a small city. She claimed it was a three day journey, but that was according to the villagers from the previous village and we were not moving at their speed. In addition, the few attempts to bring up last nights conversation were met with silence. Thankfully, we had a topic that bloomed into an actual discussion. Improving ourselves. The prince was complaining about how the thief used magic during the bear fight. We all could agree that he knew more about magic than the rest of us. That said, some of us didnt want him as a teacher with his ego still being a problem. Then the thief shocked me by turning to me. Louis, can you help me? If we are going to get our second path in about a month, I cant wait to improve. You would not ask of me anything for your own benefit unlike another person here; whether because you dont feel it is something a knight would do or because you have created your own standard you hold yourself to, I can trust you. I am not good with making formal requests, but may I ask for your guidance with this issue of mine. I stared him down as we walked. The thief stared back with determined eyes. They were not the shifty eyes of a thief looking to bolt, but a determined stare. He didnt try to get close to us like a charlatan nor stab us like an assassin. I looked at the friend of the wind long and hard, trying to figure out what advice to give him. Why dont you want advice from me? The prince moved closer to the thief demanding answers. If you dont realize why, that is part of the problem and we will address it later. I continued to think of how much to tell him as we walked until I eventually decided to tell him everything that came to mind. Well, you arent built to win any blade locks with arms like that, and you move faster when using your magic. So youll do best with two blades. You can parry with one and attack with the second, or blade lock with one and attack with the second. You should probably aim to parry though. We dont have enough time to make you an expert with both hands, but you should aim to be acceptable by your second path. Your blades should be single edge so they are lighter in your hands, mid-length since you will be dual-wielding. You should be using magic to quickly close distance or retreat. We should get you to a blacksmith eventually to test whether you want to focus more on stabbing or cutting as that may change what type of sword you would get. We would also need to figure out where you best want your scabbards, as you need to be able to switch from crossbow to swords quickly if you get ambushed. Ah, I would suggest slightly curved swords to you for a few reasons, but the simplest one to explain is that it would be easier to draw quickly in combat. I pause here briefly to take a deep breath and continue. You have learned many techniques for fighting, but I would suggest practicing some official forms and movements outside of combat to ensure you do not drift from good form and create flaws that assassins will study and attack. Dont focus on using your magic and swords in conjunction to create some final attack that would definitely kill if certain conditions are met or that looks cool. Yes, your attack on the bear was very important to kill it, but most fights will not give you the time to focus on such an attack. We cant rely on it as it is. The best finishers are derived from the basics, fast to execute, and practiced to perfection. They are techniques you know so well you could do them in your sleep and the opponent will never be able to hope you mess up. Nobody will be thinking about how cool your killing blow was, they should be focused on the fact they are dying. Or already dead. Preferably the second. As for your quiver location The advice I was giving got a few surprised faces sent my way, I might have laughed if not for the serious topic I was discussing. I had to take another deep breath and was interrupted before I could continue. I wasnt expecting to be given that much advice, thanks. Im good with that. He walked over to me and slapped me on the back of my metal chest armor. His face tensed up in pain for a second but he kept smiling. I guess youve been thinking about how we could improve for a while now, huh. Of course. I have been taught If someone deserving asks for help, I should try to help them. I think something like this definitely qualifies. Youre more than just a member of the thieves guild. I hesitated, trying to find the right word. Youre a Hero. Sent out to fight and die like the rest of us. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The friend of the wind looked at me sheepishly, trying to hide his growing grin. We actually had a nice bonding moment, except three other people were present. Have you thought of ways to help the rest of us too? The saintess looked at me excitedly. I would love advice on how this world quickly gains muscle and stamina. I would prefer to be less She gave a once over of her spindly arms. Useless without magic. Whats your fighting experience? My memories from my home country are hazy, but I was athletic. I primarily sprinted, jumped, and threw javelins. I was good at it, even among my peers. I didnt really fight as the country wasnt at war. The saintess seemed lost in thought for a bit before muttering I wish I could remember specifics. I nodded, mentally comparing different ideas that could work with what she was once skilled at doing, would still help us, and I would have the advice to work towards said path. I decided to just give her some full body exercises she could do while walking, as she needed a base strength to work with. I wish I could give you more information to form a plan with, but apparently memory problems are a thing when creating saintesses. They have only one ritual and never bothered to look into altering it to improve anything. Im just looking forward to going back when this is all over. The prince looked away when the saintess said the final line, but the monk put a hand on her shoulder and said Well make sure you get back safely. The monk then looks at me expectantly. Well? She continues to look at me in silence, a large smile across her face. Arent you going to tell me what I can improve? I would like for you to tell me you arent going to get angry at my advice. As soon as she opens her mouth I realize my mistake. Dont! Actually, just listen to my advice and do what you will. Youll likely get angry and make the previous statement a lie. Youll probably also want to punch me for supposedly making you a liar. Just give me my advice already! Your honesty will hold you back against other people. You have to think about how that tenet applies to combat. Feints, misdirection, bluffs, and so many techniques edge on dishonesty. At some point, you need to sit down and have a serious discussion about how you will fight. Theres a lot more to talk about, but thats probably first. An icy glare is leveled at me from the monk. No thanks. I wanted advice on how to help fight with the party within my path. The saintess raises her hand. Um, I feel armor would help. You could wear something that would allow you to better survive getting hit by the bear. Or get a ranged weapon. That would work too. The fierce look in her eyes subsides as she turns towards the saintess, but not fast enough to prevent the saintess from recoiling slightly. No, unnatural things like weapons and armor are not part of my path. That is unacceptable. What if they were natural? Logan knocked on my makeshift cast. Pain ran through my arm as I did my best not to flinch. You could use water as gloves and boots so you wont bruise your hands, and a coat of water could weaken many attacks before they hit. That kind of magic control sounds almost impossibly difficult to focus on during a fight. I wont be able to do it on instinct in combat. Ill look into getting a magic tutor in the city. The monk shook her head and quickened her pace, going ahead of the party. The prince ran up to her, panting from the extra effort. Is the monastery brat unwilling to put in the effort I put in to use magic? Is your ego so big you wont treat me like my station for even a minute for the opportunity to better yourself? A cold fury bubbled behind her eyes, yet the prince stopped her by blowing some literal embers from his mouth at her face. I have practiced with royal mages for years. Guess what happens when you dont form a spell properly and it takes off your eyebrows? You continue practicing! They tell you to stop crying and to act with dignity. You suck it up and accept the help you are given, or you wallow in pity and die. There is no third option. I was never allowed to get fighting experience, at least I have an excuse for why I failed in combat. You ran headfirst into a bears attack and almost died. The arrogant prince looked at me. Im last, right? Just shorten it to what you think would help me most. I already have a lot of my growth planned out. I was going to give him quite a few tips, but if he wanted it shortened, I would shorten it. Shield. He waited for me to continue, only for it to become apparent I shortened it. I waited a few more moments before continuing. Even a small shield can protect you from many things. A wall of fire can deter enemies, but any projectiles will still go through and hit you. It should also help buy you an extra few seconds if the enemy gets too close. He nodded and looked away. I wasnt quite sure if he would actually take the advice. It was only when we stopped to set up camp for the night that I had a realization. I needed to ask the others for their advice to help me. I would also need to ask the prince politely to do so. I wasnt looking forward to that. Chapter 22: Opening Up We finally had the city come into view. Hundreds of buildings sprawled out. Watch towers dotting the outside of a wooden wall and small fields surrounding everything. Our walk had been fairly peaceful. I got plenty of advice from the others and practiced putting some of it to use. Most of their suggestions would take time to make practical. After a few nights of sharing advice, sparring, completing my stone bracer, correcting others bad habits, attempting to use magic, getting corrected for my bad habits with magic, eating enough jerky to get tired of it, and sleeping under the stars, we were finally ready to relax in the city. It was a busy walk, but none of us were at risk of dying, which is my new requirement for a peaceful walk. We lined up at the gate to enter behind two merchant carriages. Comparing ourselves to them, we needed a long bath. Unfortunately, the fight left many of our only sets of clothes covered in blood and gashes. Fortunately, all of us were at least decent enough to enter a city. The monks outfit was missing a sleeve after she cut the shredded sleeve off. I absent-mindedly played with two stones in my hand. I was trying to roll the two stones in my palm and get them rounded without consciously focusing on using magic. I wasnt sure how effective it was but that was what I was told to practice by the prince. My arm was warm and tingly, which meant little in figuring out how well I was progressing. As we approached the city guards dressed in thick gambesons, they looked down on us. Behave in our city wanderers, or you will be hanging from the gate as a warning for others. The prince stepped forward to talk back, but the monks hand covered his mouth. It isnt worth it. Lets find a bathhouse and move forward. We moved into the city, rows of dirty buildings ahead of us. Our priority list was long and grew with every conversation. Decent food, an inn to sleep in, a bath, a leather worker, a swordsmith, a tailor, a general store, and a quick job for money. We need to get the rest of you some armor. I had to put my foot down on us doing this before we used our budget on everything else. We should go somewhere to drop the pelt off and put the advance payment down. After we give them our basic measurements we will need to find jobs to cover the rest of the payment. We cannot be miserly about that which saves our lives. We need a place to sleep first, the saintess glared at me while chastising me, only after we get a place to sleep should we figure out how much money we can spend on other things. I would like to get a lay of the land and figure out where wells are to drink from. I dont want to create balls of water so we dont dehydrate again. I need to bathe before we meet anyone. The prince grumbled. It took a few seconds for our final member to speak up. Im going to get in touch with the darker side of this city. I would prefer to know if the assassins guild has a hit out on any of us. Plus, that side of town usually has faster ways of getting rich at a catch. Ill see if there is anything acceptable. I stared down the not-thief, I would need to finally find a good way to refer to him later. I stepped forward to rebuke him. Claim that the guards wouldnt try to save us in the slums. Remind of the thugs that try to kill others who stumble in for money. Worse still, you couldnt even trust the people from those places because they grew up without values. He waited for me to speak, defiance in his eyes. A stare that demanded an answer I could no longer find. The reaction from the gatekeepers showed they wouldnt help us anywhere until we stopped looking like slum dwellers ourselves. He didnt look like he had any money to buy decent gear, let alone enough to rob someone over. My final thought was an insult against him, so I closed my eyes and found the courage to speak. Im sorry. You make good points Logan. We should split up and look into our immediate goals as soon as we can. The prince smiled and said, Thats good and all, but appearances matter, we need to bathe before going into any shops. He then gestured to the dirt on the monks face from when dust stuck to our sweat. Cleaner and wealthier people get directed towards higher end goods as they are more likely to be able to afford them. I hope you will respect the teachings I got in royal etiquette, as we dont look like valuable customers. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. I looked down at my armor which was scratched all over and mud that stayed firmly within the deepest scratches. I was closer to the image of a former knight turned bandit, much like that recurring dream in which I used magic, than an actual heroic knight. All of us began to come to an agreement that a bath would be best except for Logan. He decided to enter the slums while looking dirty and dirt poor. We parted ways after he handed us a few coins for the bathhouse. Asking the occasional person for directions allowed us to eventually find a decent bathhouse. We separated into men and women and entered our respective rooms. I fully undressed, including removing my stone cast, and looked at my chest. My muscles were still very visible on my body, but a thin layer of dirt covered everything except where trickling sweat had washed it off. My arm was mostly turning the color of an old bruise, but the skin had deep gashes that were inevitably going to scar. They ran all across my forearm, and small amounts of pus oozed out at points. I saw the prince looking between my body and his, comparing my figure to his slim one that didnt have defined muscles. Mine had multiple small cuts that had become scars over the years. His chest had a large burn scar. The discolored area stretched across most of his ribcage. The prince followed my gaze and gave me a sad smile. This is an old wound. Help clean my back and Ill tell you about it. Then Ill help you look presentable. We walked through the humid room to one of the small wooden tubs. So I told you that I started training early right? Well, I had a teacher that would see me only once every couple of months. A spare among the spares of the heirs. Couldnt let me get achievements under me and gain a claim to greatness. He spoke at length of his struggle as a mage. How much he figured out himself and hid from others. His face was beaming as he glanced behind himself at me. There was an infectious positivity to the story. Pranking maids by extinguishing candles. Making knights smell smoke in places they shouldnt. He sounded like any normal kid. Then I tried to push my limits too far. I decided it was time to manipulate a large body of fire with extreme precision. I created a ball of fire and then began to pull the head and body of a snake out of it. I struggled so much, but I wanted to prove what I could do to myself. Unfortunately, my magic teacher didnt think I could do anything near this much. I didnt get taught the signs of ones control of magic failing. The flames expanded straight into me, hitting my chest. I was unconscious for a little over a day. From that day forward I was treated like I committed minor treason. Like I was trying to aim for the throne. I hadnt wanted it. I just wanted something that was mine. Well, after that I was raised as a sacrifice and now you guys are going to help me prove I would be the best king. I had finished washing him part way through but waited for him to finish. He stopped looking so excited to tell the story near the end. We sat there for a bit, taking in the feelings that the story gave. I wasnt sure how long it would take for him to explain his shift to wanting the throne in d He turned to me again, Your turn to reveal something so tell me about your family. I struggled to put things into words as I was unsure how much he already knew. The greatest knight of our family helped slay the first great evil but was then cursed. Picking up our heirloom sword caused him to go insane. Just wielding that sword in a battle allowed our family members to get a knightly path, but every member who tried after that day went insane. Some members of our family who became knightly without touching the sword went insane, leading everyone to call our family cursed. We were the protective sword of the kingdom, but we couldnt use our heirloom sword. We were the knightly counts, but we couldnt become knights and we were no longer counts. He nodded along to this, likely already having some idea about my family. I saw knights in armor as a kid and was enamored. I struggled every day to act as my ancestors did. As noble and as strong as a knight. Despite this, or more so because of this, I was shunned. I became known as the mad dog of the recruits. Not for how I acted, but for how I would end up. The sword trainers in the nearby fort were not technically allowed to stop me from volunteering as a recruit, but they could push me harder until I quit. I got knocked to the ground by grown men with dull metal blades so much, I probably ate a full chickens worth of dirt. Everyone in my family has given up on trying to break the curse, as trying to understand it may trigger something and drive them insane in the process. They probably are waiting to find out if I break the curse or succumb. Knighthood is a wonderful thing to aspire to. I dont want to be chained down by something 150 years ago. He put a hand on my shoulder and resolutely stated You should never feel bad about following your aspirations. I gave a weak smile. We returned to washing ourselves, finishing far later than we initially expected. I never realized I might have more in common with the prince than I thought. Chapter 23: Being a Martyr Healer I got dressed after bathing but left off some of my armor where I saw chaffs forming. A quick check on my armor revealed that it got bent in the fight and was irritating my skin. I wasnt an expert on what would happen if it continued, but I would rather fix the problem first. I walked out of the bathhouse, very aware that I wasnt dressed as a proper knight but still dressed better than a bandit chief. The monk and saintess were standing outside looking clean and refreshed. The two of us discussed and we think it would be best to get a room first, such that we have a spot to regroup if we get split up. The monk stated this as if the prince and I had already agreed. The prince nodded and asked us to follow him to a building down where we came from with a wooden sign outside that read the wandering knight. The sign included a simple relief sketch of a knights helmet and a small but detailed crest in the corner. Wooden signs that have a small crest on the side show that they are aligned with the local lord. Forging such a crest is worth a fine that would kill all but the biggest of merchants. We can be reasonably sure such a place wont send assassins after us. We entered the door and found a quiet inn, a few merchants were talking at the tables in the corner, some small paintings of landscapes decorated the wooden walls, and the scent of freshly made bread filled the room. A quiet girl stationed at a central desk called out to us. Greetings, are you four looking for rooms? Before we could answer, the saintess grabbed the princes shoulder and started whispering. I dont know if we can afford this place. It looks like it would be rather pricey. I could only shake my head at her comment. Similar to needing good armor, if we arent sure if assassins are going to come after us then a safe place to sleep is needed. Think of it less as paying for a good bed and more for a good door to keep out intruders. I would like to remind you assassins have already shot me twice. The prince looked at us and gave a charming royal smile, Give me a second to get us two rooms for one night and if they are open to extending our stay tomorrow. He walked away and started a quick talk with the girl, appearing right in his element. As I looked at the prince, completely in awe of how regal he managed to look in what was effectively dirty traveling clothes, I felt a small hand grab my injured forearm. How long has your arm looked this bad? I turned to see the piercing albino eyes of the saintess trying to interrogate me. She, once again, was not intimidating. So I answered with a shrug, I had my bracer covering it the entire trip. Give me a second to cure it. She paused for a second before whispering under her breath, Shit. The monk and I heard the very unchurch-like curse from her. I cannot believe I was about to try using magic when I should still be erring on the side of caution. I would likely end up in as bad a state as before. She bit her thumb and looked lost in thought for a few seconds. Faith, can you go to an apothecary and get something to put on his wounds? We at least need things to prevent swelling and disinfect, as well as something to dab over the wound to clean it. Probably doesnt need to be said, but get everything as cheap as you can. We need to budget. The monk nodded after looking at my arm and apparently seeing something more dangerous than I did. She briskly walked out the door before beginning a jog down the street. I followed the saintess to a table on the side as she put the back of her hand to my head to check for fevers, asked me to open and close my hand, everything she could in a few minutes. The only reason she stopped was because the prince came over with two sets of keys. I ignored the saintess momentarily and asked him to lead us to our rooms. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The inside of the room was relatively nice. Two simple wool mattresses were in the room along with a small wooden desk and chair. A small window allowed light in, but it was too small for someone to enter through. I sat on the desk and motioned for her to sit in the chair. She looked at my arm incredibly focused. I was fine until I felt something vaguely familiar on my wound. Pulling my arm away I asked a question I hoped was just paranoia. Were you healing my arm even after we told you not to? Her slight smile vanished. I didnt try to! Honestly, It just happened Her face froze in a panic. I didnt even mean to. I dont understand. She withdrew her arm and leaned back from me. Your path influences your subconscious actions. The prince stood at the doorway, closing it to give us privacy. Your path is that of a martyr. Even if healing others will hurt you These actions show you will continue to heal at your own expense. I feel I should mention that trying to go against your path will cause problems in the long run, but we can help you walk a similar but separate path parallel to it. Hearing that only made me hate the church. She was going to suffer because of her path forever. Even when she gets her second and third choice along her path, she will still be influenced by this suicidal aspect. So, this is what it meant by martyr. She looked down defeated. We all were silent for a moment, trying to let her process this new information. If I wanted to move away from being a martyr, should I focus on learning combat magic or physical combat? Or would It be better to act selfishly and less saintly? The prince looked at me and shook his head. I couldnt be certain of what that meant, but I could hazard a guess. Physical combat would be better. I imagine you would have told us about anything combat based you had already. Besides, I highly doubt saintesses even have any offensive magic options. The saintess nodded, looked down thoughtfully, then gave a grin. Acting rudely will not prevent you from getting a saintess path again either. Besides, the church will likely force you to choose the option of the three they want anyway. In a quiet voice, she asked us, How likely would I be able to advance my path outside of the control of the priests. Considering we have someone who was a part of the thieves guild, I give her a small grin, Id say pretty good. She met my eyes and returned the smile. Onto your physical training. Ill give you something very basic, slow swings with my sword. Its too heavy for you to use properly but should help with exhausting you for muscle growth. I handed her my sword and gave her a few tips. Unsteadily she raised the sword in front of her. I helped move her hips and legs to a position she could attack from. We both knew she wasnt likely to be attacked here, but proper habits are important to be formed early. I had her do a slow forward stab, a slow horizontal slash, and then hold it defensively in front of her for three seconds. I nodded to her and turned to the prince. Probably better to give you practice with a shield. Ill try to find you a buckler, but the added weight from the bigger one I use could help to train you. The prince looked at me hesitantly. Could we not have done this before the bath? I actually would have liked to help train them earlier given the revelation of our timetable being moved up, so I wasnt going to push it off more. I gave him a few exercises in holding a shield in front of him to get his muscles better prepared. Only after I was certain they were doing the proper forms did I start exercising myself. I didnt workout my arms for obvious reasons. Both of them lost their form fairly quickly. Very quickly actually. I ended the exercises there as they might have picked up poor habits otherwise. Does this make me less of a martyr? The saintess asked while looking at her still shaking arms. The prince gave a slight smile while responding. Plenty of people practice the sword and become martyrs, so no. But taking the initiative to learn something new like this means you are less of a puppet. Chapter 24: I have a wanted poster The three of us had a small chat about magic, by which I mean the prince and saintess had a chat about magic. I continued training my body and caught a few pieces of their conversation. I tried doing a few one-armed push-ups so that I wouldnt hurt my good arm. I would work on setting a few conditional magics on yourself. In your case, make the desire to be healthy at the forefront of your mind. Hurt yourself a few times once you better understand how it feels to have the magic run through which veins for that idea. That will be the first step to creating a conditional spell. I got up from my previous position as the prince began lecturing the saintess. I put my back to the wall and assumed a sitting position with my arms out in front of me. I understand how that might help me, but wouldnt the fact that my body wants to be a martyr work against that? Also, wouldnt trying to heal myself when I have stressed my magic veins to their limits only hurt me? The saintess had a hand on her chin looking contemplatively at the prince. He had a prideful look, but not one of looking down on her. He seemed to enjoy acting as a teacher. That is true. That is why you need to make sure it activates based on something you do, not your enemy. Once you have created a conditional spell, it becomes nearly impossible to erase it from your soul. More than one mage has been defeated by using their conditional spells against them. Never. Ever. Make a conditional spell without thinking through all the ways the conditions could be exploited against you. I picked up my sword and slowly went through some basic swings with my bad arm. Basic swings become the building blocks for advanced tactics. As the two kept talking magic, a knock sounded at the door. I put down my sword and walked over, opening the door. Standing there was the monk with a nervous smile and Logan with a very serious expression. Before he even got in the door he muttered You should have had your shield ready in case we were assassins. Glancing at my sword she added, Also keep your sword in range when opening the door from now on. The prince waited for us to close the door before speaking. I suppose we dont have to ask how your inquiry went. Seems like we have illegal bounties on our heads. How did you make it out alive? How do you know you werent followed? I was followed. I simply lost them by sprinting around a corner towards a guard. The guard saw I was being chased and demanded an explanation. Easy thing about looking like a skinny thief, you dont need excuses for why you arent anything else. They wanted to question me privately, but I said that it should be done at the guards barracks to feel safer. At this point, I realized all four of us were leaning in to catch Logans story. The two following me got evasive about wanting it done as a private matter and the guard was very easily swayed to distrust the other two. I took a direct path here with a guard escort, so common sense dictates we have this place trapped to kill at least five people. The saintess tilted her head. Common sense? What kind of common do you guys have? Criminals rarely enter their homes so openly unless they feel safe from other criminals sneaking in, was my answer. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. You are missing the important detail in that story, tell us about what caused your current anxiety. The prince went over to the door and locked it. I feel like this is as safe as we are going to get. Logan paused for a moment, looking for the right words. Nothing was done illegally there. Five wanted posters were put up for five criminals. A thief, a bandit, a spy, a heretic, and an impersonator. All have known second paths with no known info on the possible third paths. Due to having unknown third paths, many bounty hunters will take a stance of shooting first and asking questions later. The posters have just enough visual differences that they arent guaranteed to be us, but given that they were put up together, many would assume the posters were brought here due to us traveling to this area together. Us lacking the lack of scars from the posters could be from our healer, the heretic poster, removing them. We shouldnt travel all together until something can be done about them. One or two people looking like a wanted poster is an odd coincidence. Five together is a completely different story. Also, better I wont tell you the price on our heads, many would kill us, scar our heads, and run with the money. If it was done fully legally, it would take at least two weeks to sort out. The prince stated. Given him having the best knowledge from the right side of the law on bureaucracy, we didnt argue. Without anyone having anything to add to the conversation, it suddenly pittered out. We all remained where we were in silence, processing the new information. I absentmindedly scratched my bad arm, only to pull back in pain. The monk looked over when she saw me suddenly flinching. I got some herbs to help fight off the infection. We just need to grind them into a paste. Can you make me a mortar and pestle? I gave her a blank look. Neither of those things were known to me. With a more disappointed voice, she asked, Can you make a simple bowl and a stick to mash it with. I nodded at the more understandable request, grabbing my stone cast to make the bowl out of. I worked on the shape of it, molding the stone like clay. I made another stone to mash it with. As annoying as the idea was, I was getting far better with my magic. The monk accepted it with a simple thanks. Pouring in some water from her waterskin and mashing it into a paste. We began to argue about who would do what tomorrow. The saintess wanted to go with me to a blacksmith to get a basic weapon for altering her path. Logan decided to remain in the room tomorrow as he wanted to look out the windows for a day double checking how much the building was being watched. The prince then decided that he would go with the monk to find acceptable requests for us to fulfill. I assume acceptable means not below our station, helping our paths progress, and giving enough money to pay for our room and food for a day. The monk finally finished the mix for my arm, scooping it out with her fingers. Alice, come over here. The saintess leaned even closer towards my arm as the monk prepared to put the stuff on. Normally we would have everyone help with healing, taking some part in helping bandage or apply ointment who wants to further their healing, but you want to get a branching path that isnt solely focused on healing. Still, I would rather you learn and if I have something happen to my back I will need someone who can put the medicine there. Have you ever put an ointment on before? No, at least, not in this body, I believe I tended to my own wounds before. Mind not talking about me like I am not here? The monk looked at me and then ignored my question. She turned back to the saintess Now, when healing with these herbs it should be painless. It will only cause pain when the patient already has an infection. She started slathering it all across my scar and I suppressed a scream. Chapter 25: Spearheading gathering equipment We had all slept a little less soundly than usual. Despite not having any assassins directly attacking us, we now knew of schemes to hunt us down. Paranoia may be a slow killer, but an arrow in the back is a much faster and more painful death. I would know from experience. For that reason, I was taking the saintess to a blacksmith and tannery. The early morning air was great and only slightly ruined by the knowledge that someone might try to kill us for money. Oh my Goodness! That bread smells amazing! I think Im getting some sense of nostalgia from it. A numbed nostalgia, though. Is that normal? The saintess looked at me in her white robe, red eyes sparkling with excitement as she bounced back from yesterdays revelation faster than anyone. I would ask the church about that. Im not an expert on souls or the after-effects of magic rituals related to souls. Nostalgia for bread seems fairly normal to me. I turned to her and replied with a smile, looking at one fruit merchant who began eyeing us as we walked past. Perhaps your memories need an adjustment period for the new body, perhaps this new body perceives things differently and you have a hard time connecting what you knew to this new human body. Like trying to translate muscle memory with an ax for skills with a sword. She turned to me and lost her previous smile. Do you have any analogies that would make more sense to someone who doesnt understand weapons that well? Something that connects us and we would both understand? I paused for a second to think about what connected us both. I knew about weapons but she didnt. We both could use magic but neither had a good understanding of it. I understood much of this world but knew nothing about what she remembered. It would need to be something important that she would have been told by the church. Something that would be integral to her new life. Paths. How much did the priests teach you about paths? She took a moment to ponder my question and replied, It helps guide you in life subtly along whichever way helps you most. At a church you get to see your three options become your best self. Or something like that. Not even close. I turned to a pair of guards who pointed to us as we walked past. They whispered to each other. I put a hand on her back and pushed her to walk faster until we left the viewpoint of the guards. We walked in silence for a few minutes before she sighed. Stop stalling and tell me more about it then. We were getting close to a tannery so I decided to keep my explanation relatively short. Imagine a butcher gets his first path as a butcher. He owns a shop, cuts and sells meat, and keeps his stuff clean and organized. His first path would help with that. Even when distracted, his muscle memory would help him cut chickens and sharpen knives. When someone is trying to sell him a sick animal to butcher he would more easily spot the signs, provided he had ever been taught the signs of said sickness. Is that similar to how I thought I could fully heal the monk before I began but then realized the full extent. Panicked when I thought I couldnt heal her completely. And how I realized I could heal her more than I thought I could by pushing myself farther than normal as a martyr after feeling the signs of magic exhaustion? I paused at that question. Truthfully I had no answer I could give. I shrugged. Then I continued on my example hoping it could offer some form of answer she could piece together. If he gets attacked by a bear, he wouldnt have true skills with a knife in combat. His path would help tell him when he was outclassed. He would, however, have a weak instinct on where the pelt is thinnest to begin flaying the beast that he could have learned to listen to. An instinct he might be able to use to stab through the fur and kill it. Are you following me so far? Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The saintess had been alternating between looking at me intently and losing focus for other things repeatedly. I believe so. So that path is helping him be the best butcher he can be. It isnt that simple. Imagine he was forced to join the army for a few months. He used his training as a butcher to help as a soldier between fights. He acted as a butcher when prey was caught while marching, kept his and his friends'' blades sharp, and kept an eye on the provisions for signs of spoilage. He only saw a few battles. In one of those battles, he helped slay a dragon. What are your thoughts on this butcher and his potential paths? The silence between us was filled with the voices of people going about their morning routines, yet she seemed very focused on answering. In that case, he is being a good soldier through being a good butcher, and will get three paths based on how he used his training as a butcher as a soldier. Not quite. His first option for a path is as a butcher, but he will make even fewer mistakes than before. He has been acting as a butcher even longer than a soldier so it is the most trodden path for him. The second path would be as a dragon-slaying soldier. In this path he wouldnt be a butcher, but a weapon-wielding defender. He would still retain instincts from a butcher but have sharper instincts based around being a soldier. This would be his hardest path to tread in killing the dragon, and thus, it would be his second choice. She nodded. I dont need to be a martyr forever, I can give myself other instincts that help me try to preserve myself. I nodded while looking at her as well. Glad we could find common ground. There is still his third path, which would likely be as a quartermaster. Despite never being one, his path would be going down something similar to it looking after others gear and the groups food. Despite not having massive achievements in- A knife swung at me from behind and I jerked my head to the side to avoid it. Armor on, shield and sword on my back but not drawn. I only got a scratch on the cheek when the initial failed attack went for an attempt at my eye. Turning to keep myself between the attacker and the saintess I got a good look at him. A thin and unassuming man holding a knife with dirty clothes. He lunged for me again, aiming for my face. It was a rookie move that was avoidable. I took a step back and put my weight on my back leg. My left arm reached for his arm. He drew back his arm to avoid me, but I sprung forward and grabbed his wrist. I swung my arm while neither of us had a good stance, forcing both of us on the ground. I was the one grabbing him, I expected us to go on the ground, and he obviously didnt have a fighting-related path. Twisting myself I got him under me. He dropped the knife and struggled against me. Drawing my sword I asked, What did you really expect? With a murderous grin, he replied, 30%. Spear! A spear appeared in my vision a split-second after the saintesss warning. I leaned back to avoid it as best I could, but they drew the spear back mid-strike to prepare for another attack. I rolled to my side to gain distance. I slid my blades length against the man below me and got my feet under myself again. I went to lift the blade, only to see that my opponent had stepped on it to prevent me from using it. With a wide grip on the spear, he swung it wide. He wore a hooded mud-covered cloak hiding his features and other tools he might have prepared. The swing gave me ample time to release my sword and throw myself out of its range. Losing my only weapon would doom me, while his wide grip would allow him to extend his reach midswing and possibly still hit me. With little time to plan, I raised my stone cast in the path of the spear and went closer to them to minimize injury. Pain ran up my arm as the spear made contact with my injury, likely reopening it. Again. The man swung the butt of the spear to hit my unguarded side, but I grabbed the spear with both hands. We were in a deadlock, but I was beginning to push him back. I heard him spit and something painful went into my left eye. I felt his resistance to pushing his spear lessen as this happened. I could only imagine they freed up a hand to do something, but I couldnt see what due to something getting in my eye. A sharp pain appeared in my gut. At the same time, a shiny blade came out from the mans chest. In the confusion of the fight, the saintess grabbed a fallen blade and stabbed him from behind. Grabbing his hand that held what was currently stabbing me. I yelled to the saintess. Stop waiting and stab him some more! Without even a nod, she drew the blade back out and stabbed him repeatedly. Most stabs ground against bone, but others slid into important organs. Only when life left his eyes did I release my death grip on him and his spear. Are you good? Should we go to the church instead? I nodded. Yeah, thanks. Looking down at him I added. I dont think we need to go to the blacksmith anymore, a decent spear came to us. Chapter 26: Answers, I think Do you think we should wait for the guards to get here? The saintess asked me a valid question, but I couldnt help but feel she wasnt thinking about trying to save our assailants. The reason? She was staring at her blood covered hands which still held the murder weapon. I put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, Better to go to a priest for healing first before I end up like him. I gave the spear to the saintess to carry, taking the murder weapon from her hands. We looked at the buildings nearby for a bell situated high above the other roofs. In theory, the bells were there to be rung in times of disaster, with the church becoming the safe haven for all noncombat classes to seek shelter in and bring the wounded to. In safer cities, the bell was merely a symbol for the church, their oath ringing out or something. We walked for less than a minute to a major intersection. The small blade I left in my abdomen began to burn as the adrenaline wore off. I hope I never get used to the pain of being shot, bludgeoned, stabbed, or otherwise violently injured like this. My mind wanders a bit as we make our way towards the building, a tall and thick wooden structure with metal grates over every window. Naturally defensible, with priests stopping the two of us from entering and bleeding anywhere. Naturally, they would prevent those of us who need healing from entering the house of healing by blocking the door. We eyed the two older priests in white robes, waiting for them to speak first. My friend needs healing, please move aside so I can bring him to someone who will provide him charity. The slightly younger of the two old men shakes his head. The church does not provide charity to heroes like yourself, saintess. You possess the ability to heal, so heal him. My mind was beginning to swim from the blood loss. Nevertheless, something bothered me about what he said. I cant heal him, I overused my magic veins. They are still recovering and if I were to use magic again I might be without magic longer. The saintess spoke in an exasperated tone as if she didnt think we were going to get anywhere with them. You are heroes! Find a way without charity! The same priest suddenly yelled at her, red in the face. He didnt seem angry at her though, more determined to get us to leave as he pointed down the street trying to get us to go. I didnt know much about charity, but I tried to make a guess based on my previous conversation with the saintess. Can I ask for a reward for my service? I called out to them weaker than I meant to. I helped protect the saintess from two attackers and would like the church to provide payment. The older one gave a confused look, Payment? Yes, specifically in the form of healing equal to my service toward the church, not charity. Saving the saintess is not something we The younger of the two old men paused while looking at the saintess, likely trying to figure out how to finish his sentence. Not something we put a price on. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I drew my lips into the best imitation of the princes charming smile. Plenty of groups offer services for requests done for them. Surely asking for payment for a job done wouldnt be considered charity? I felt my legs growing less steady as blood loss was getting worse for me. If this carried on, I might have to try selling my sword or shield and getting back before blood loss kills me. Then it clicked. The priests were moving their mouths but I couldnt hear it. I finally understood what was happening. Heros couldnt receive charity. That wasnt about our title as heroes but a potential path they wanted us to take. Much like a swordsman might lose a path if he swings an ax even a single time, heroes apparently couldnt receive charity to be eligible to walk that path. In a form of subtractive pathing, they are trying to protect our future from being cut off. We never gained any gear or money once we were chosen, I would like to assume this was their justifiable reason for doing so. One of the priests takes a step towards me and puts a hand on my stomach. He hesitates to grab the blade, his hand hovering just above it. Eventually, he grabs it and pulls it out slowly. I no longer had adrenaline for an anesthetic. The resulting pain caused me to tense up and lean on the priest just to remain standing. Are you alright? What was that? I moved my head to the side to figure out who said it as I regained hearing. The older priest, who wasnt the one to heal me, looked very concerned. The wound might reopen if you exercise or fight today. This is only to keep you from bleeding out or passing out from blood loss. The mans eyes seemed to gravitate toward the saintesss spear and the bloody murder weapon in my hand. Her spear wasnt covered in blood, unlike my boots and blade. Lets head out. The saintess grabbed me and pulled me back towards the inn where we were staying. No point trying to get into a shop when we would be getting blood everywhere. I nodded to her. I didnt think they were going to heal me. After almost a minute of walking away from them, she finally replied. They werent, and that creepy smile didnt help. My job is supposed to be to heal you. She paused for a few seconds. I told them that if I healed you as I was now, I might not get to heal anyone again in my entire second path, preventing my final path from being healing related. I took a few seconds to process what she said. Sounded like extortion, kind of. Maybe. I wasnt sure what law it broke, but she didnt make any friends. I wonder if I can get a different saintess title instead of a martyr on my second path after killing him. Realization hit me hard enough that I stumbled. She killed someone. The saintess killed someone. Only one saintess can exist at a time, pure and loving. They dont kill others. Hurry to the room saintess. I began to walk faster, trying to keep my stomach from opening again despite my increased speed. We might have a problem. What kind of problem? Ceremonies to get to the next path are performed by at least one member of the church. They see what kind of paths we get access to. I dropped my voice to a whisper for the next part. You will likely get a path based on what happened with that attack and they wont like seeing it. ... We walked in silence until we got to the inn. I let her inside first and closed the door to the inn. I had stopped leaving bloody footprints before we got to the inn but hadnt thought of it at the time. We had too many problems and not enough solutions. We got inside our room and closed the door, then locked it, then shoved the bed in front of it.. The thief looked at us and demanded answers. He ran out of anger by the end of the story. Shit. Sorry you two had that happen. Then we sank into silence again.A hopelessness filled the air until the saintess began to smile. The ceremony needs a member of the church to succeed. The saintess looked at the thief with a grin. I think I know how to get around the church seeing us getting our second and final path options. I just need information from the black market. Think they have any info on the churchs ceremonies? Chapter 27: A History Lesson After the one person in our group who knew about back alley deals debated for a few seconds, we got an answer to our question. Technically the back alleys have info on ceremonies to get to the next path, but they wont give us anything. Most thieves and criminals stay around the second path. Ways of furthering our paths from the first path still exist from before the founding of our kingdom, anything to the third path remains firmly in the hands of the church. Most people who want to have a full path while living in a grey area tend to get their third path in a tangential area to the more illegal activities that are benefited. In doing so they have a back-up plan if things get too heated and the church doesnt get suspicious of them having a mass murdering undead raising path. I nodded with him, as everything he said was true. It did touch upon some of our country''s history that I wasnt sure the saintess knew, but I could give a history lesson later. Was that your plan? Logan and I looked over at the saintess. Not fully understanding the question. Were you planning on taking a legal trail first? Louis looked at her briefly before understanding that she meant path instead of trail. Yes. I wanted to become a traveling merchant. Also a fence for illegal goods, but mainly a merchant. I wanted to see the world and be as free as the wind. Guilds have more leeway than unaffiliated criminals so I might have gotten pardoned even if they saw I had the option of being a fence. Our agreement hasnt been broken, yet. Story for another time. Ill let you know about the agreement he is talking about later as it is mostly related to the history of paths. The saintess nodded at my response. She furrowed her brows slightly deep in thought. Ill practice some spear forms, was all she said after thinking for a few minutes. Most likely she was trying to distract herself from her first murder today. Logan also looked deep in thought. I had a feeling he was thinking about the glaring issue that was becoming increasingly apparent. The fact that the church seemed to leave large gaps in her knowledge was understandable. The timeframe to teach her was very short. They left out almost any knowledge on paths and the kingdom. History states that the church was the strongest ally that the crown had, as well as the longest standing one. This was a concerning puzzle we had only a single piece to and not even she had any idea where she fit in. Still, that was a problem for another time. I picked up my sword and shield and slowly went through the motions of the basics. No flashy moves. No theatrics. Only basics. After a few hours of us working on improving ourselves, as well as Logan helping the saintess stop ignoring the fact that she killed someone so she could move forward, the other two finally came back. The saintess had mostly worked through the worst of her first kill. The monk and prince were in a good mood, but I didnt hear about what happened with their task. It all went to shit when I plainly stated that the saintess stabbed and killed someone. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING! Flames coated the prince''s arms as he screamed. I messed up enough to justify it. I was getting ambushed and stabbed. This proved that having groups of two is safer than going alone. I might have died if I was alone. Have you thought of what would happen to her path now that shes killed? He turned to the saintess with a somber look. Well find a way to help you no matter what your path becomes. You have my promise as a member of the royal family. Thank you. I may not fully understand how this will affect my future, but thanks for supporting me. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The prince nodded at her with a regal smile, only to remove it as he turned to me. I need to work with a blacksmith to improve the positive concept behind my element of fire, you would be the best person to help me. I pondered the concept of an elemental concept. That was not something ever brought up for knighthood and I had no idea what he was talking about. I heard a sigh come from the prince. I can see that elemental concepts will need to be the conversation point for tonight unless someone else has a suggestion. Does the saintess know about the founding of our kingdom, I asked. All four of us turned to the saintess, who slowly shook her head. Looks like I get to talk about the country that my family was named after. It was not the other way around. Hands on his hips, the prince seemed genuinely excited to talk about this. It all began with an empire that only let people get to the second path. Every peasant, every merchant, every knight. That is, unless you swore allegiance to the emperor and were one of the very few who were accepted. Otherwise, no third path for you. He paused, for dramatic effect. The monk then continued the story after feeling that the pause went for one second too long. The people who were raised from birth to be allies, the nobles, all chose mage paths. Mages were more easily able to demonstrate large feats of power to cower others into obedience. Plus, the ease with which a third path magician performs powerful feats compared to a second path is incredible. There was little point in trying to be a mage if you werent going to the third path, the nobles just did the big jobs better. So magic practically became a symbol of allegiance to him. Correct. As I was saying, the empire had revolutions continuously smoldering, but the emperor kept destroying leaders as they popped up. Eventually, one of them gained traction. Took over a city and began to infiltrate other cities. Rebellions started forming all throughout their bread basket. Glorious tactics and intrigues that we still use today. Eventually, it became apparent that if an army could be formed against the emperor, he couldnt defeat it with an army almost entirely of mages who refused to stand on the frontlines and risk martyrdom. Longbowmen, assassins, minor knights, and even merchants were learning how to counter mages. They couldnt defend against the diverse army, especially when farmers were willing to destroy their own fields to starve the emperor. Took a few years, but the emperor was defeated. The empire was split up and our country was named after one of the fallen leaders of the rebellion, Fraland. Ill take over from here. The thie Logan said. The person who kept the local rebellion organized was crowned king, but many people were afraid it was going to be a repeat of the last ruler. Promises like everyone getting access to a third path could be made very cheaply if one never intended to follow through. The king needed people who he could trust to work with him. So he asked other figureheads to publicly swear loyalty to him. A stupid decision given he wanted to separate himself from the emperor. Many of the more prominent figureheads swore loyalty to him publicly. One person, the spy who kept stealing enemy plans and giving them false intel, hesitated. He remained silent for so long that someone eventually asked him if he was not going to swear loyalty to the king. His exact words were I swear loyalty to the ideals for which this kingdom was founded and strive to see them continued. Which the king was later able to use to assure citizens that all would be well. The first king was great with people. Things settled down afterward. Great Evil popped up. Church was founded and monopolized ownership of the stones to further paths, too many powerful murderers caused that one. Guilds developed and cemented themselves in society. The Great Evil popped up more times. Now here we are. Oh, and in case you are wondering, the more unreputable guilds are called loyalty guilds and the leaders must meet with the king periodically to ensure they follow the ideal the country was founded on in a sort of evil you know situation. The saintess looked deep in thought after hearing this, then slowly lifted her head to meet our eyes. I understand that, but I have a few questions. The prince smiled, Ill be happy to answer anything about this topic. How long ago did this occur? Was the great evil a problem the empire dealt with? Did the rebellion cause it? Did it just appear? The formation of the church was completely ignored, there is likely a big story there. Another story with the murderers. Are you a mage as a prince because royalty still tries to use big shows of force as deterrents? How much better are people living under the new kings? What tactics were used against the stronger forces and could we use some of them ourselves? She caught herself having realized one of her last questions. Sorry, the more I learn the more gaps in my knowledge I realize I have. The prince slowly nodded, Understandable, well go through them slowly, as many as we get to tonight. To start off with, people definitely live better under my family. Dont ask that in front of officials or they might scream treason. Chapter 28: my foundation The morning soon came after we talked late into the night. When we eventually made the pelt into armor some of us would need to find a new place to sleep, but that was a problem for another night. None of us got attacked so I considered it a very uneventful night. We all woke up and began our normal morning rituals again. I slowly practiced sword movements while mindful of accidentally hitting someone, again. The saintess rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she sat up later than everyone else. Logan was counting coins and valuables of questionable origin, and the prince was putting on his shoes as if prepared to go somewhere much earlier than he usually tried to do things. Louis, I need you to come with me to the blacksmith. Im trying to keep my flame concept untainted and would like to take steps into the change and creation aspects of fire to ensure that happens. The prince didnt even look up from putting on his shoes while speaking about concepts I knew nothing about. Standing up, he headed for the door without checking if I agreed. Begrudgingly, I followed. So what do you mean by a flame concept? I understand that paths can follow concepts. A swordsman will be great with the sword, but not with an axe. A warrior has a broader concept so they are good with both weapons. A butcher has some blade skill because it falls under the edge of their concept. What makes fire need a blacksmith? We were out of the front door of the inn by the time he decided to answer. Obviously paths help shape who we become, he slowly began, a warrior would likely begin to feel naked without their weapon and draw their blade at problems far faster than a butcher with the same problem. We passed by a few guards who were talking to a merchant. Normally the mental changes are minimal, but not with elemental concepts. Philosophers argue over it practically daily, but elemental concepts have a positive and negative side to them. Perhaps you might side with Dohner and believe it is because the elements are the origin of people. Maybe you believe in Reinbardt and his belief that when combined the five elements counter darkness. Regardless, I want to keep to the positive concepts of fire if possible. Positive fire concept users lead to explorative, creative, spontaneous, and transformative people. Negative fire concept users become self destructive, uncontrolled, and get fits of mania. Its not pretty. He paused for a moment as if remembering something. Ill continue later, were almost at the blacksmith. Just know that we will do something many apprentices do and its quite common. I walked alongside him in silence as stores began to open and pairs of guards appeared more often. I was now an earth mage, if only partially. I wasnt certain what concepts I was showing, but I cared far more about continuing on my path to knighthood. An older blacksmith stood in front of a forge, his clothes embedded with soot from the forge, not even looking at us. Begin breaking up the charcoal to use in the Moor forge. Youll help to help smelt some ore like all apprentices wanting help starting their paths. I grab a hammer and start to crush the charcoal into bits and put it into the small forge. I begin to blow air into the fire from the bottom with bellows, pondering about the positives and negatives of our elements. Air can feed a fire, but Im not sure how that affects its positive traits. I would say the wind is usually positive? Air and wind can carry music and warmth so maybe air is positive like that? You cant really hold air down, so that has to count for some positive trait. Eventually, the prince switches in to use the bellows for me, using fire magic to make the flame even hotter. I grab iron ore and begin to put it into the forge. I then dump even more charcoal on top of it. We switch off who is on the bellows, with the prince eventually mostly fueling the fire with magic once his arms get too tired. Sweat drenches us with the heat within the smithy as we work. More charcoal kept needing to be added by whichever of us wasnt on the bellows. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The blacksmith eventually goes away from whatever he was doing at an anvil and stands behind us. You two are doing well enough, now you need to remove some of the slag from the bottom. I listen to his instructions and break open a part of the bottom, pulling out the molten slag. It deformed and moved with the poker as I tried my best to get it out of the forge. It then hit me that slag was likely considered my element, so I began trying to pull it towards me with magic, which wasnt easy considering how terrible I was at magic. I gave up and used the poker to remove more slag again. More sweating, more charcoal, more slag removal, more bellows. More sweating, more bellows, more charcoal, more slag. After hours of this, we stopped and let it burn down. The slag that I had removed had flowed like a liquid, but it was a rock. Yet it still acted like water. Was ice a rock then? I shook the thought from my head. I doubt any philosopher could get me to consider ice a rock. The slag was cooling and now solid again anyway. That was how I always imagined the earth to be. Solid. Strong. Stable. Stability in every sword form came from your stance on the ground. The earth might have many positive or negative concepts that I would later learn about, but to me, it would always signify a strong foundation. The blacksmith looks over at us two and says, Crack open the forge and take out the iron. Hammer it while its hot. I grab a shovel and smack open the forge, pulling the burning charcoal out. Careful, the prince warned, The insides are very hot, even with me trying to dampen the heat of the charcoal you pull out. Sweat poured down my face from both the heat and the hours of work I did. Mind saying something a little less obvious. We finally uncovered the bloom at the bottom of the furnace, I still got a face full of extreme heat as I reached over the forge with tongs despite the prince removing heat with fire magic, something I never knew he was capable of before today. The blacksmith came up from behind the prince and grabbed his shoulder. Dont take out too much heat with your magic, kid. We still need to hammer it if you want your path to consider this completed. I take a hammer and begin to smash the bloom to remove impurities. The more I hit, the more slag came off of it. I wasnt too sure about how it all happened, but it made enough sense to me. I swung a sword repeatedly to get rid of my mistakes when swinging, this seemed like a nice metaphor for getting a good swing learned. The prince occasionally reheated the bloom as I pounded it. We eventually stopped when we were too exhausted to continue. I put the billet of metal down, which was now a fraction of the size of the bloom. Would you say this counts positively towards both of our paths? I ask the prince while taking deep breaths. From the number of apprentices that do this to begin their path, yes. It has an impact. We got a response from the elder blacksmith instead. Now I need to perfect this billet and cant give away all the secrets, but you guys did a great job and should be proud of yourselves. We walk away from the store and I begin to ponder about water, free flowing, it fits inside anything, it could heal, it could hurt, it freezes and boils. It could be anything. Too much to think about. Instead, I asked about something else. I didnt have much to think about for my element. I was certain what I wanted it to be to me. What are the positive and negative traits of the element that the saintess has? He pauses for a second. Light is joy, hope, and connections between companions. It heals selflessly and the light goes on forever in whatever direction it shines. For the negatives I am not allowed to tell you, pray we never see them in Alice. We get to the inn, having walked in silence. I wasn''t certain how to talk after a warning like that.