《Blood Curse Academia [STUBBED]》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    The crone¡¯s palm bled. Methodically, it dripped into the bowl of water on her lap, rippling the surface. Clear water diluted the blood, but less and less with every drop.


    Kizu¡¯s mouth dried as he watched the process. An ancient saying echoed in his mind - blood for life, and life for magic.


    Heedless of her self-inflicted wound, the crone set her bloodstained knife aside and hunched over the results. The decorated wooden bowl of diluted blood appeared no different than before to Kizu, but he knew better than to interrupt her with his questions. The bowl¡¯s contents demanded her full focus.


    Only once before could he recall an instance of her using blood divination - ten years ago, the night she stole him from his family. That first time, he had babbled and whined and cried, so she had silenced him. With a wave of her hand, she had crushed his joints and sent him sprawling across the dirty cottage floor. It had been a waste, in hindsight. This time, he intended to get a good look at the spell.


    ¡°Trouble,¡± the crone muttered. ¡°A deer¡¯s limp benefits a wolf. But who is the deer and who is the wolf?¡±


    Kizu remained still and silent. He barely even dared to breathe. Her questions were clearly rhetorical. Still, he strained his eyes to see inside the bowl. He saw no patterns or symbols, though - it just looked like a bowl of water clouded by blood.


    The crone smiled as she hunched lower over the bowl, cutting off his view. Her yellow teeth shone in the dim lantern light. ¡°Blood and water. Very fitting. Ironic, even. Tied tighter than rat tails. The two are vital for one another. And a spinal cord dangling between.¡±


    Kizu waited.


    ¡°An old friend turns in its sleep. So many footprints in the sand. They lead in every direction. So many options. But one, a sea lion cut in two? No, a beached seal. And of course, lizards, jellyfish, foxes. Leeches, though, unexpected. Still one empty seat at the table. A shadow.¡± Then the crone¡¯s eyes seemed to pop out of her skull. ¡°So clear. Never so clear a directive as this. And so¡­ unfortunate.¡±


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    Again, Kizu attempted to decipher what the wooden bowl was telling her. To his surprise, he actually found the liquid growing clearer. But only in a literal sense. The blood appeared to filter out of the water and dissipate as the crone channeled her spell.


    ¡°Well then, boy, what did you learn?¡± the crone suddenly asked him.


    ¡°That only the owner of the blood can see the results of the spell?¡± he guessed.


    ¡°Incorrect,¡± she snapped. ¡°Any fool can see the divination. You¡¯re just less than a fool. Your eyes are bad and your angle is even worse.¡±


    The crone appeared to be in a temper as she pushed the bowl of water into his hands and demanded he wash it.


    Dutifully, he complied, pushing past the sacks and tied up baubles that dangled from the ceiling on his way out of the hut.


    The canopy overhead kept the lighting dusky even on the sunniest of days. Still, Kizu navigated the jungle with practiced ease on his way down to a little brook near the hut.


    As he rinsed the bowl clean, his fingers traced the carvings along the sides of it. Predators and prey circled the rim. A leaf, an insect, a mouse, an owl, an ocelot, a human, and then back to the leaf.


    Kizu yawned. He wasn¡¯t used to being awake in the middle of the day like this, but the crone had insisted. She¡¯d claimed this specific rite needed to be performed at the peak of the solstice for the greatest result. Why it couldn¡¯t instead be done in the dead of night on the winter solstice, remained a mystery to him.


    After rinsing out the bowl with fresh water, Kizu shouldered his way back into the hut. The crone wasn¡¯t there. Her trinkets still dangled from the ceiling, same as they always did. She hadn¡¯t left a single trace of her presence. Most likely, she had jumped to a different place entirely. Maybe to another witch¡¯s hut, to gossip about whatever she had discovered in her divination. Kizu was too tired to care.


    Kizu took one final look around, making certain she wasn¡¯t going to pop out from behind a rusty cauldron or a sack of beets. Then he crawled into his little nook beside the hearth, closed the curtain, and slept.

 Chapter I.I (1.1)- Rescue

    Chapter I (1)- Rescue


    Kizu found himself stuck in a tree. The moss he¡¯d been foraging for was successfully clasped in his fist. It was a nice tawny color, perfect for brewing a hyper buoyancy potion. Not perfect for getting him out of a tree, unfortunately. Cicadas clicked and sang all around him, almost like they were laughing.


    Then Kizu spotted his savior. Mort, an owl monkey, pounced onto a nearby branch and cocked his head at him. The white markings along Mort¡¯s cheeks made his face a constant grin. As if the little night monkey was always laughing at some private joke.


    ¡°Come on, then,¡± Kizu said, sighing. ¡°Show me the way down.¡±


    Mort purred, then hopped onto his shoulder and scampered down his leg, showing Kizu where to place his weight on the tree. Slowly, the two of them clambered down.


    ¡°I know you could have gotten me the moss yourself,¡± Kizu replied to the owl monkey¡¯s next humming purr. He jumped the final couple meters down to the dirt. ¡°But I¡¯ll get fat and lazy like the crone if I let you do everything for me. And I know the last thing you want is to be bonded to someone like her. I¡¯m looking out for both of us by foraging for myself.¡±


    Mort appeared skeptical, but he perched himself on Kizu¡¯s shoulder and didn¡¯t prod him further.


    The nights were finally getting a little longer again, and the air carried a nice cool northern breeze through the jungle. While autumn might not really exist down in the basin, the start of the season still offered a bit of a reprieve from the summer heat and fought back some of the humidity.


    Moonlight just barely pierced through the canopy above the hut. As they approached, Kizu felt something a bit off about the air. He stopped. Mort mirrored his unease and leapt off his shoulder to begin scouting the area around them.


    A flash of intense white light burst from the trees and knocked Kizu off his feet. He clutched at his eyes, completely blinded by the blast. His eyes burned, like smoldering coals in his sockets. He breathed shakily in and out, doing his best to remain calm.


    They were under attack.


    Immediately, his mind flew through the possibilities. A test from the crone? Rival witches assaulting the hut? Some sort of creature from the jungle? He dismissed each of these possibilities as soon as they came to mind. While she viewed him as expendable, the crone wouldn¡¯t have jeopardized Mort¡¯s eyes for a simple test. Rival witches would have been more subtle than this, far more likely to plant a cursed doll under his bed or hex the river where he washed the dishes - something they could deny if found out. And there wasn¡¯t a single monster in the bestiary that could get through the crone¡¯s wards.


    Kizu rolled over onto his stomach and groped around for a hiding place. He needed to hide, recover his sight, and assess the situation.


    ¡°Boy, what are you doing here?¡± a man¡¯s voice demanded. A calloused hand grabbed Kizu by the arm and yanked him into a sitting position. A man¡¯s voice, to match a man¡¯s hand. A deep baritone. The sound of it was completely foreign to him. ¡°Did the crone bring you here? Are there other survivors? Speak.¡±


    ¡°The illusion got him,¡± another person cut in. A woman¡¯s voice this time. ¡°Someone grab the rejuvenator.¡±


    ¡°Mort,¡± Kizu said. He blinked his eyes rapidly, panicking at the continual blindness. The world remained less than a blur. ¡°My familiar. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± the man said, dropping Kizu¡¯s arm. ¡°Fuabe, Jiso, circle around back. I¡¯ll enter through the front. Taroe, watch the boy until it¡¯s done. We can¡¯t let her slip away.¡±


    Kizu could hear them shuffling around in the underbrush. Keeping his eyes closed and attempting to calm himself, he reached out to Mort. Through their bond, he felt the owl monkey a few arm-spans away in a patch of tall grass. Slowly, Kizu crawled toward him.


    ¡°Kid,¡± a man said. His voice sounded like gravel grinding on stone. ¡°Lay back. Just relax.¡± He flipped Kizu over and placed a knee on his chest. With one hand holding his head down, the man used the other to wipe a thumb over Kizu¡¯s eyelids. A searing pain erupted from his touch, as if the coals in his sockets had fanned to open flames. Kizu struggled against him, but the man¡¯s weight was too much. Kizu could only lay there, pinned and writhing, while the pain scorched his irises.


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    Finally, Kizu managed to blink his eyes open. A bearded man frowned down at him. Fleas sprang from around the man¡¯s dirty clothes and unkempt hair.


    ¡°My eyes melted,¡± Kizu said stupidly, brushing his lids tenderly with a finger. He regretted the decision immediately. His eyes teared up with irritation.


    ¡°Just feels that way. A quick rejuvenation to get you back on your feet. We don¡¯t have the time and I don¡¯t have the patience to sit here for hours waiting for your sight to return.¡±


    ¡°My monkey!¡± Kizu scrambled to his hands and knees and reached into the undergrowth. The poor owl monkey shuddered under his touch. Kizu felt the creature¡¯s pain reflecting in his soul.


    ¡°A familiar?¡± The man sighed. ¡°Phenomenal. Give him to me.¡±


    The rugged man gestured briefly, and, with a green glow, Mort went limp in his hand.


    ¡°Mort!¡± Kizu yelled, snatching the monkey back from the man. ¡°What did you do to him!?¡±


    ¡°Check your bond. He¡¯s asleep, like boys your age are supposed to be at this time of night. I need to go through the rejuvenation process, and it will be a lot easier on both of you if he doesn¡¯t feel the pain. Unless you¡¯d like to experience that a second time?¡±


    Kizu reached for the bond and felt it. Mort slept painlessly. Privately, he scolded himself for not realizing it before the man spoke the words.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Kizu asked him.


    ¡°Taroe, of the Elites. And you, kid? Who are you and what are you doing out here? What¡¯s your relation to the crone who lives in that hut?¡±


    ¡°She brought me out here.¡±


    ¡°How long ago?¡±


    ¡°Over ten years ago.¡±


    Taroe blinked at him, as if not understanding the words. ¡°Ten years? How did you survive for ten years in the Hon Basin?¡±


    ¡°Survive? She raised me.¡± Albeit not well. But he decided now wasn¡¯t the time to dive into details.


    ¡°A witch with a maternal streak. Raising a boy. Never thought I¡¯d see the day, especially from this one.¡± The man spoke over Kizu¡¯s head, not to him. Then he shook himself, accentuating his disbelief.


    Kizu didn¡¯t respond, cradling Mort in his arms. The little monkey slept peacefully. Numbly, he wondered if Taroe had influenced the monkey¡¯s dreams when he put him to sleep.


    Three people filed out of the hut, each of them wearing crisp black uniforms. Different objects decorated each of their belts, from wands to bags of marbles to shriveled heads.


    In glowing chains, the crone stood in the center of them. She smiled down her crooked nose at Kizu, her green hair swaying in the breeze in wet strands. She opened her mouth and mimed words. Then tilted her head back in what Kirzu recognized would normally be a husky cackle. Nothing. Someone had muted her.


    The man in the front had an ugly nose like a tapir. He strode up to Kizu and eyed him with displeasure.


    ¡°What did you find out about him?¡±


    ¡°The crone captured him years ago. And get this - she¡¯s been raising him out here as her own!¡±


    ¡°A witch raising a boy? Impossible. Get the truth out of him. Use an elixir if you need to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± Kizu said, irritated at being ignored. ¡°What are you doing to the crone? Where are you taking her?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the ugly-nosed man said. ¡°The bad woman won¡¯t hurt you anymore. We¡¯re going to lock her up and toss out the key. Now, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Kaga Kizu.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened, and a smile touched his lips. He looked over at Taroe. Something passed between them.


    ¡°Well, now we¡¯re getting somewhere,¡± he said to Taroe. ¡°The Lost Division¡¯s going to throw a fit when we tell them what we¡¯ve stumbled on. They¡¯ll never live this down.¡± He laughed in rhythmic, throaty bursts. It sounded like an animal with a fishbone caught in its throat.


    Confused, Kizu watched the two so-called Elites standing beside the crone. He weighed his options. Mort was out of commission, so for the time being he slipped the monkey into his satchel for safety. Getting to the witch and removing the chains seemed impossible. If he charged them, though, he might be able to take them by surprise and break their grip on the chains. Then maybe the crone could scamper away and free herself.


    He settled on the rushed plan. Readying himself, he took a deep breath and prepared to make a break for her.


    Pop.


    The crone and her escort jumped out of sight. Gone like they had never been. The only sign that they had been there at all was a patch of tall grass slightly more matted down than the rest.


    ¡°I¡¯m placing you in charge of the boy,¡± the ugly man was saying to Taroe. ¡°If he¡¯s who he claims to be, then you might earn yourself a promotion. Now get back to base and contact the Kaga¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°And you, sir?¡±


    ¡°I need to search the place for contraband. Anything unstable, I¡¯ll dispose of without endangering anyone else. Everything else will be locked up in evidence. I¡¯ll make contact if I need anything else.¡±


    Taroe¡¯s hand clamped down on Kizu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This won¡¯t be comfortable, kid.¡±


    And with that, Kizu¡¯s world lurched and shifted, leaving the hut behind. After ten years, his home, once again, was stolen from him. And Taroe was right. The shift was not comfortable.

 Chapter I.II (1.2)- Family

    Chapter II (2)- Family


    ¡°He has green hair,¡± a boy exclaimed in disbelief.


    ¡°We¡¯ve noticed that,¡± a lady replied stiffly.


    Kizu yawned and rubbed his eyes. He¡¯d been sleeping on the uncomfortable wooden chair the Elites had offered him a few hours back. After giving him a change of clothes and a bit of food, they had launched into an interrogation. The first group had asked him questions about the crone and his relation to her. Some of them had looked piteously at him while others had shifted towards irritation or outright disbelief. But eventually he¡¯d answered every imaginable question down to what color socks the crone preferred. Finally, they¡¯d left him in peace to sleep. Until this new group intruded on him.


    Three people leaned across the table in front of Kizu. A lady with her hair tied up in a net, examining him with a disapproving frown. A middle-aged man dressed in business attire with a forced smile and a twitching eye. And a boy, a year or so younger than Kizu, whose face was beet red and whose words were a blubbering mess. Supposedly, this was his family.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Anna?¡± Kizu asked. If he was going to be sent off with these people, he at least wanted a familiar face.


    The smile slipped from the man¡¯s face. All three of them glared at Kizu.


    ¡°Kizu,¡± the man said. ¡°Consider this our family¡¯s first rule for your return. Don¡¯t mention your sister. Ever. She¡¯s been cut out of this family.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my sister!¡± Kizu said, shocked.


    ¡°Not anymore. Consider her dead from this point on.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just un-sister my sister! She¡¯s the only one I even remember out of the lot of you!¡±


    The man took a big breath, as if preparing himself for a fight. ¡°I am your father, the head of the Kaga family. I will only be going over this once, so listen closely. Your name is Kaga Kizu. It¡¯s true, you used to have an older sister named Kaga Anna. A lot has changed since you were six years old. Anna did not adjust well to your absence. Four years ago, we decided that the irreparable damage she had dealt to our family¡¯s name was too much. We gave her many opportunities to turn herself around. She squandered them. So we cut her off. Sentiment motivates bad business. Far better to sever ties with a wayward business partner than file for bankruptcy. We will not be discussing the damages, nor any other subject relating to Anna. You need not let it affect your life. You¡¯ve survived for ten years without her just fine.¡±


    ¡°Besides,¡± the woman said. ¡°You have your brother to get to know, now. He was only five when you left us. Hardly old enough to leave impressionable memories. It¡¯ll be like discovering a whole new brother.¡±


    The boy slumped in his seat and pouted. Finn. Kizu remembered his name now, it was Finn. He barely managed to dredge up even the name from his memory. His mother was right, Kizu barely remembered the boy at all. Though he already doubted that he¡¯d serve as much of a replacement for Anna. Anna had been the one to take care of him. She¡¯d taken him everywhere with her. They¡¯d spent hours upon hours scouring the beach for seashells and comparing tidepool finds. The memories of his life from before the crone he could recall only vaguely, but Anna still stuck out in all of them.


    The few memories he had of Finn, on the other hand, was of a screaming child who refused to leave their mother¡¯s side. And, he noted with dismay, his brother still looked likely to devolve back into that state at the drop of a hat.


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    He let the issue die. Obviously, something had happened while he¡¯d been away. The crone had taught him that listening yielded more answers than needling. If you listened to the mountain, you''d hear the landslide long before you saw it. Though he¡¯d always suspected that was just the crone¡¯s way of shushing him. She¡¯d also told him more than once that wisdom and craftiness were two sides of the same coin.


    His father carried on speaking.


    ¡°After some deliberation on the way here, we decided that if you were real - which it appears you are - we would sign you up for Shinzou Academy immediately. The semester starts next week; plenty of time to readjust to civilization before departing. You remember our villa out there, surely? You¡¯ll be moving into it next week with Finn.¡±


    ¡°Not fair!¡± Finn blurted. ¡°You made me live in the dorms for my entire first year! You said it was ¡®character building.¡¯ Now I finally get to move out, and you¡¯re lumping me in with the smelly witch boy?¡±


    ¡°Finn, we can discuss this later,¡± their mother warned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the dorms,¡± Kizu decided. Perhaps the only thing worse than living with the crone for ten years, would be living with this boy. The dorms had to be better than that. And if the decision earned him some good will with his brother? Even better still.


    Instead, his words sent Finn into a blubbering fit. All the arguments and complaints he¡¯d prepared seemed to jumble together into nonsense. As if, by trying to stop his torrent, Kizu had drawn it all out at once. Finn glared at him.


    Kizu returned the look blankly, then shrugged. The reaction didn¡¯t make much sense to him. His brother should have been grateful. But either way, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the boy.


    His parents kept talking, but he drowned out the noise with his own thoughts. A school. All his memories from before the crone felt faded and required mental stretches to dredge up, but the school sounded familiar. Shinzou Academy. The name rattled around in the back of his mind. He thought maybe he remembered visiting the library there once with Anna. An image of massive spiral staircases leading up to walls and ceilings full of books. It was difficult though, because he might have just been confusing the memory with an old dream. Dreams and childhood memories faded in much the same way.


    Real or imagined, the memory he had of it was a good one. He decided that attending the academy seemed as reasonable of a path as any other.


    ¡°What¡¯s the state of your education?¡± his mother asked. ¡°We can hire private tutors for you. I¡¯m loath to have you miss the first semester, but it may be necessary. We¡¯re in an unfortunate position. Better to wait than embarrass yourself publicly.¡±


    ¡°The crone taught me the basics of brewing.¡±


    ¡°Is that it?¡± his mother¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°No other studies? You don¡¯t know how to do anything else?¡±


    Kizu waved a hand and mentally commanded the space in front of him. The image of a grasping creature emerged from the wood grain of the table. The monster appeared to be all mouth, with rows of teeth spiraling down into its gullet. The creature grew larger, engulfing the table in front of them. The mouth twitched and twisted. Just for a little added effect, he decided to create the image of a bird flying across the table. The monster¡¯s tongue lashed out and snatched the bird from the air.


    The three across the table all jumped back in alarm as blood sprayed from the creature¡¯s teeth as it ground the bird between them. His mother squealed and his father reached for a wand at his belt.


    He released the image and let it collapse in on itself until the table was once again the only thing that remained.


    ¡°I can create some minor illusions. The crone put me in charge of that end of the security around her hut. I know a little divination and a few enchantments as well.¡±


    His father, color returning to his face, smiled slightly. For the first time, the smile appeared genuine. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re my son, with my blood in your veins. Some hag in the woods can¡¯t change that.¡±


    Finn¡¯s face remained pale. He shuffled to the side. ¡°Can I be excused for a minute?¡±


    ¡°Do you need the lavatory?¡± their father asked, irritated. ¡°Hold it.¡±


    There was a painful silence.


    ¡°Blood of my fathers.¡± He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Finn¡¯s crotch. ¡°Just one embarrassment after another.¡±


    A quick flash of light and their father put his wand away, scowling and shaking his head.


    ¡°Now,¡± his mother said, dabbing her face with a handkerchief. She tried to smile but it was shaky on her face. ¡°We need to do something about that witch hair of yours.¡±

 Chapter I.III (1.3)- Homecoming

    Chapter III (3)- Homecoming


    They left the Elite¡¯s station with little ceremony. Kizu noticed a few glares and as many bemused glances, but, other than that, nobody made any note of their departure. They just let Kizu¡¯s parents pass through and out of the building.


    Surprisingly, they didn¡¯t just jump home. Instead, they kept walking down the street and into the city of Daitoshi. Kizu didn¡¯t complain about it - it was interesting to see so many people walking about, doing simple things like buying groceries or running errands. The sheer volume of people overwhelmed him. He hadn¡¯t seen more than a dozen people at a time for the last decade. It surprised him that most people appeared to traverse the city by foot. He saw the occasional horse and about as many people flying above with enchanted gear, but they were the exceptions. He wondered why so many were content just walking from place to place. The crone barely ever bothered with it. When she didn¡¯t just jump, she¡¯d often grown wings and just flown wherever she wanted.


    They soon left the corporate sector, entering the market district. If the shift in architecture hadn¡¯t given it away, the merchants would have soon enough. Kizu saw one man hocking his enchanted wrist watches, which supposedly could keep one safe from time manipulation. Another lady peddled incense which created vivid hallucinations. Next to her, an elderly man with a crooked back claimed that his vibrant rugs could dispel summoned monsters with a single touch.


    His stomach rumbled as they passed by street food stalls. Kizu had to swallow down his hunger and force his feet to keep walking. As if the aromas of the street weren¡¯t enough, visually, he saw miniature troll heads being roasted on a skillet, multicolored eggs popping as they fried on a pan, thick noodles endlessly spiraling in a pot, an animated leafy vegetable attempting to hop out of reach of a cook, a different cook using dandelion seeds as seasonings over a plate of yellow, burbling soup-


    ¡°Here,¡± his father said, picking up a spiky gray fruit from a stall. He flicked the vendor a coin that glinted as it flew. ¡°Eat this, Kizu. It¡¯s good for the heart. Helps it pump blood back into your system. You must be feeling drained after that little stunt earlier.¡±


    Kizu took the fruit, careful not to let the large spikes spear his palm. He eyed it. Nothing like it grew down in the basin.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± his father urged. ¡°Bite it.¡±


    He peeled back the spiky skin with his fingernails and bit into the meat of the fruit. Juice ran down his chin. The chunk in his mouth tasted slightly sour, but not overwhelmingly so. It took a while to chew before he managed a swallow. The seeds of it got stuck between his teeth.


    ¡°Wipe your face,¡± his mother said, passing him a clean handkerchief. She seemed to have an unlimited supply of them.


    Kizu obeyed. As the fruit settled in his stomach, he realized the hunger he felt was only an echo from Mort. Staying still in his satchel, Mort was quietly fasting.


    ¡°Do you mind if I grab a banana, too?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be eating dinner out tonight, to celebrate your homecoming. And I don¡¯t want you spoiling your supper,¡± his mother chided him, like he was still a six year old.


    ¡°It¡¯s for Mort.¡±


    ¡°Mort?¡± his father asked.


    ¡°My familiar. Did the Elites not tell you about him?¡±


    ¡°A familiar!¡± Finn burst. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even let me get a dog last year. And he gets a familiar? How is that fair?¡±


    ¡°Finn, you¡¯ve already embarrassed me once today,¡± their father warned. ¡°Don¡¯t make it worse by asking idiotic questions. Now, son, nobody told us anything about a familiar. What kind of creature is it?¡±


    ¡°An owl monkey.¡±


    ¡°A monkey!¡± His mother¡¯s eyes widened. Kizu thought she might faint right in the street.


    ¡°How bonded are you?¡± Kizu knew his father¡¯s real question was, ¡®How hard would it be to break the bond?¡¯


    ¡°Extremely. I feel his hunger right now.¡±


    His mother groaned piteously.


    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it for now,¡± his father relented with a sigh. ¡°In a few days he¡¯ll be in the dorms anyway and not mucking up our house.¡±


    His mother stopped and, for a second, Kizu thought she might lash out at her husband. Instead, she gestured at a building. ¡°Here.¡±


    Mort did not get his banana.


    Kizu¡¯s mother herded them all into the small building. Immediately, all the unique incense and spices of the market were wiped from the air as they stepped inside. Instead, replaced by a clean sterile scent. Some sort of enchantment, Kizu guessed. He wondered if it was just on the doorframe, or if something insulated the entire building to keep the scents out.


    His mother exchanged meaningless pleasantries with what Kizu assumed to be the owner, a thin scarecrow of a woman wearing a dress that hung loose on her. He paid no attention, instead examining the bland paintings on the wall. They were landscapes of rice fields. He wondered what exactly the purpose of this room was.


    Then the lady surprised him, walking right behind and tugging on his hair.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Kizu yelped involuntarily.


    ¡°Hm, I could change it, certainly. Black, I assume? Like the rest of you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± his mother replied. ¡°Though any color would be preferable to that sickly shade. It¡¯s just vile. Like vomit.¡±


    The lady jabbed two fingers into Kizu¡¯s scalp. After the initial jolt, he felt a warm trickle from her fingers. Then she grabbed a chunk of his hair and leaned in close. He felt the heat from her breath next to his face.


    ¡°Hm. I changed it, certainly, but it won''t stick.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Here.¡± The lady tugged the chunk she held. ¡°I already see it reverting in the roots. It repels external magic. You see this sometimes, rarely. He has instinctual defenses up and they¡¯re reverting my spell back to his own self-image. A lucky little defense against simple hexes, but not so helpful for my line of work. I assume from what you told me earlier that he doesn¡¯t know how to drop those defenses?¡±


    His mother held her face in her hands. ¡°You can¡¯t mean we will have to present our son like this? Looking like a bog witch? What did I do to deserve this?¡±


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    ¡°In Tross, everyone dyes their hair,¡± his father said. ¡°It¡¯s considered scandalous to walk outside with your natural hair color. Akin to walking around naked.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not in Tross, Kubou. We¡¯re in Hon, where clowns dye their hair to entertain children. Not respectable people. Takako will never let me hear the end of it if he¡¯s seen like this, not to mention Hana.¡± And on she continued, listing off all the women she knew who might laugh or mock her.


    Kizu, grateful that they wouldn¡¯t be able to alter his hair without his permission, zoned out of their conversation and dropped a hand down to his satchel. It held the half-eaten fruit. He wasn¡¯t completely certain if Mort could eat it, but he thought maybe he¡¯d have Mort give it a nibble.


    Whether because of Kizu¡¯s own trepidation or because of an innate instinct, Mort pushed the fruit to the side, refusing it. Kizu sighed. Maybe for dinner they¡¯d eat something vegetarian.


    His hopes were dashed.


    The dinner his parents brought him to served exclusively seafood. He tried to pass off a piece of seaweed to Mort, but again he rejected it. His parents continued to talk, telling him all about their latest trading ventures and about a successful shipment of silk to Edgeland last week. They spoke at length about different strategies on expanding business in that area of the world. He¡¯d somehow forgotten they were merchants. He filed away the information and continued picking around his rolls of food with his chopsticks. Back with the crone, he¡¯d only ever eaten with spoons, forks, and knives. Even before that, he couldn¡¯t dredge up any memories of eating with sticks when he¡¯d been six.


    He watched his brother intently. Finn ate with chopsticks with absolutely no issue. He raised the food to his mouth with ease and seemed to follow along their parents¡¯ conversation attentively. When he noticed Kizu¡¯s staring, he glared at him and then pointedly went back to listening, ignoring him.


    Eventually, when no one was looking, he popped one of the fish rolls into his mouth with his fingers. It tasted pungent. Unlike the river fish down in the basin that he grilled, this tasted raw and cold. But he swallowed without complaint. He repeated the process whenever his family appeared too distracted to notice him. No point in starving just because it was different than what he was used to.


    His father paid the bill and spoke loudly and graciously about how delicious the meal had been. Then he spoke about his fortuitous day and the return of his heir. The restaurant all applauded before returning to their meals. Kizu hadn¡¯t considered the fact he was now next in line for inheriting his family¡¯s business. That had always been Anna¡¯s responsibility. He decided to make the conscious effort not to think about it.


    Outside, a carriage drawn by a giant lizard waited for them. Kizu could still not understand why they didn¡¯t simply jump wherever they wanted to go like the crone did. Sure, it was uncomfortable, but definitely faster than relying on an animal to tow you around.


    ¡°We certainly are fortunate you arrived back home when you did,¡± his mother said. ¡°A few days later and you would have missed the beginning of the new semester.¡±


    Kizu said nothing to that. He had the impression they simply wanted him out of their sight so their lives could return to normal. They hadn¡¯t exactly been attentive to his needs before the crone stole him.


    After a bumpy ride full of his mother and father¡¯s talk about business deals and accounting, the carriage drew to a stop.


    He pushed back the window¡¯s curtain and looked out at the massive house. He was surprised to find he remembered the sight of it. Dozens of dark windows spread across the pristinely polished walls. The gardens around the estate were primly cut and all the bushes trimmed neatly. Despite how objectively pretty the building and grounds were, Kizu couldn¡¯t help a shiver going down his spine. The lack of people made it feel creepy and empty.


    As they stepped out of the carriage, the footpath leading up to the front door lit up, and lights flickered on in the building¡¯s windows.


    Kizu looked back and realized that a cliff fell immediately behind the carriage. No road led up here. The giant lizard licked its eye, then drew the carriage over the edge. Kizu watched in fascination as the wheels of the carriage stuck to the side of the cliff and slowly dropped down below. He had felt nothing odd on the ascent. There must have been an enchantment on the carriage, so the occupants never noticed the change in gravitational pull. Absolutely amazing.


    The other three had walked away while he stared after the carriage, and he had to jog to catch up to them. Nobody seemed to notice that he lagged behind as they entered the mansion.


    ¡°You remember where your room is, surely?¡± his mother asked as they hung up their jackets. ¡°You¡¯ll find it unchanged. After you left, someone threw a fit when I mentioned repurposing it. Now, it¡¯s completely blocked off. There¡¯s an enchantment so that only you can enter. Everyone else gets turned into a pig.¡±


    ¡°A waste of talent,¡± his father grumbled.


    ¡°So don¡¯t complain to us about the dust. We tried hiring curse breakers, but they all proved incompetent.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Which door is it?¡±


    His mother huffed. ¡°Finn, show your brother where to go.¡±


    Finn, who had been walking away, sulked at the command but obeyed. He turned and walked the other way, not bothering to check and see if Kizu followed him.


    ¡°And, Kizu,¡± his mother called out behind them, almost as an afterthought. ¡°I know this is all extremely overwhelming. But we¡¯re all very glad to have you back. Welcome home.¡±


    Finn glanced over his shoulder at their mother and frowned, but made no comment as he hurriedly walked away with Kizu trailing behind.


    ¡°So,¡± Kizu eventually said, ¡°Are you excited to move into the villa? Right on the beach, with tidepools and everything.¡±


    Finn didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°What do you like to do for fun? Do you play any sports?¡± Kizu tried again.


    Again, no response.


    ¡°You like dogs, right? Down in the basin we had these little fox-things called jungle dogs. They-¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Finn said. He turned to face Kizu, glowering. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to you about dogs or sports or anything else. Just leave me alone.¡±


    And so, they walked the rest of the way in silence. Random objects sparked fragments of forgotten memories. The carvings in the dining room table, the piano in the corner of the studio, the painting of an old man hobbling down a mountain. It was like plucking threads of memory from the quilt of his childhood.


    Kizu was used to disdain. Most of the crone¡¯s associates had disliked him on sight simply due to his gender and took any opportunity available to belittle him. Witches apprenticed other witches. Not boys. And, as far as he knew, the crone had never told a soul why she had decided to teach him. So their resentment had sort of made sense once he understood the reasoning behind it. Finn, on the other hand, loathed him from the moment he¡¯d laid his eyes on him. Kizu wondered if he¡¯d done something to him as a child and forgotten. He almost asked, but then a familiar doorway came into view. Finn waved at it without slowing down and then kept going without looking back.


    After pausing in front of it for a moment, Kizu took a deep breath and pushed open his bedroom door. He stepped inside the dark room and blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust. Thankfully, nothing triggered and he gained no hog-like features as ever as he paced around the room.


    A plume of dust rose as he sat down on his tiny bed. The room¡¯s furnishings were clearly child-sized. Still, in comparison to the cupboard by the fireplace in the crone¡¯s hut, his old room seemed massive.


    His mother hadn¡¯t lied. Everything remained exactly as he¡¯d left it ten years ago. He saw old toys and picture books. He picked up a model sailboat that lay on the ground. Anna had helped him build it and they¡¯d tested it out on the beach together. As he gingerly set it down on his bedside table, he noticed a letter. Curious about what kind of letter a six year old would be sending, he picked it up and sliced it open with a finger.


    Two sheets of paper slid out. It appeared to be utter nonsense written in a swooping script, until the final line, which was signed simply - Anna. And there, beside the signature, an ink stamp with her name. He flipped to the next page, which was a colored drawing of the two down at the beach. Anna was kneeling with her arm around him. Both of them looked wet and tanned with sand sticking to their feet.


    A glance in the mirror told him that they¡¯d have looked remarkably similar, now. Only a few years younger in the photo than he was now, she looked just like him. They both had the same jaw and identical hairlines. If they swapped faces, nobody would be likely to notice. They even had the same crooked smile. The chief differences between the two of them were the color of his eyes and hair. Naturally, his eyes would have been like hers, but his bond with Mort had lightened their pigment to a bronze. And his hair, of course, was now a vibrant green. It had already reverted from his mother¡¯s friend¡¯s attempt to ¡®normalize¡¯ it.


    Kizu tucked the painting and note away into his satchel. As he did so, Mort crawled up his arm and perched on his shoulder.


    Mort hummed, cocking his head at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, let¡¯s go scavenge some food.¡± Kizu opened the window and the two of them climbed out into the night.

 Chapter II.I (2.1) - Jeri Co.

    Chapter LVII (57) - Jeri Co.


    When Kizu awoke to find Anata, his half-monster niece, had gone missing, he had to squelch the immediate panic. She¡¯d likely gone exploring, something she had spent years doing while trapped in the World Dungeon. Of course, back then it had only been her astral self-wandering the academy halls, never her physical body. Thankfully, the illusion he had overlaid on Anata¡¯s clothing was still active and would continue to conceal her.


    He quickly readied himself to search for her, deciding not to bother Basil or Mort. Both were fast asleep. With his translation earring¡¯s enchantment broken, he wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate with his roommate anyway - and the gods knew Mort would be irritated about being woken up early. Better to just handle this himself.


    His scrying orb was still under his bed where he¡¯d left it. Now that he no longer needed to worry about the academy tracking him, he dug it out.


    As he left his dorm, Kizu considered dismissing his illusion. After a moment, he decided it was far better if Anata was discovered as a rogue enchanted potato sack rather than as a half-Blood Lord girl wandering the academy halls. One brought up significantly fewer questions than the other.


    Thankfully, he still had an older prototype of his leg brace stashed in his closet. Using that, along with a cane, Kizu could traverse Shinzou Academy without too much trouble. Students were done with their classes for the day, many on their way to the library or heading down the mountain to Shinzou Town proper. Even with the leg brace, Kizu¡¯s leg was aching fiercely when he finally found the potato sack in a secluded corridor. Only a few scattered students were walking nearby. Kizu counted himself lucky that none of them had thoroughly examined her with their spellsense. A cursory glance only revealed that the potato sack was obviously magical, but if someone took even a bit effort, they would realize it was an illusion, not an enchantment. Thankfully, most of his peers were desensitized to things like roaming potato sacks and gave the sight very little thought.


    Checking over his shoulder to make certain no one was watching, he dismissed the illusion. Anata sat next to a stone pillar, leaning up against it. Her big heterochromic eyes, red and black, wouldn¡¯t meet his.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, crouching down next to her.


    She raised her hands and stared at them, but made no further response.


    ¡°You need to be careful, this isn¡¯t like when you wandered as a spirit before. People will notice you now.¡±


    She nodded ever so slightly, then put her hand against the stone pillar. She pushed against it. Nothing happened.


    Kizu did his best to guess what was bothering her. ¡°You can¡¯t pass through walls when you¡¯re awake,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not like how you dreamed it.¡±


    She looked up at him, surprise showing in her face.


    ¡°I understand a little, at least, what it¡¯s like to be locked up and dreaming of a place for years. Nothing is quite the same as you imagined it would be.¡±


    Anata nodded again, more vigorously this time.


    ¡°What did you leave for? I can show you around, but you shouldn¡¯t just wander off alone.¡±


    She pointed at her stomach, then licked the stone pillar. A mimicked imitation of how she¡¯d survived while locked up.


    Of course. She hadn¡¯t eaten or had a drop to drink in at least a day.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to overlay your clothes with that illusion again. Follow close behind me, and we¡¯ll go get some food.¡±


    The cafeteria was full of students getting early dinners. Kizu spotted a few of his classmates sitting in groups, working on projects. Midterms, he realized. Those had completely slipped his mind.


    He managed to find a small empty table in the back of the room and boosted Anata up onto the chair.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked, only to realize how stupid the question was. Even if she could communicate, she definitely couldn¡¯t read the Universal Script. Not only that, she¡¯d also never had a proper meal in her entire life. What would she even ask for? Moldy moss?


    He selected two bowls of noodles on the menu. They materialized in front of him, and he passed one over to her. Two small hands pierced the potato sack and snatched the bowl up. He was about to pass her the chopsticks to help her eat, but she was already shoveling the noodles into her mouth with her bare hands. Kizu winced at the loud, messy slurping sounds, interrupted only by her brief gasps for air. A minute later, the hands, now soaked in broth, reappeared and held out the empty bowl. Kizu took it and switched it out with his own untouched bowl.


    He ordered a few wheat bread buns and passed one to her as well.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said. ¡°Use this to soak up the soup when you¡¯re finished with the noodles.¡±


    He munched on his own bread while she ate, now at a slightly slower pace.


    ¡°Kizu!¡± someone said behind him, followed by a string of very incoherent words.


    Turning, Kizu was surprised to see Gregor. It felt like it had been years since he last chatted with the Tainted drummer. And¡­ it seemed like it would continue to stay that way for a bit longer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Kizu said, pointing at his ear where his translator should have been.


    Gregor tilted his head, then understanding seemed to come and his face lit up. He continued to talk, in a language that sounded incredibly guttural and raspy. Then he took a quill from his bag and wrote on a napkin in the Universal Script. He sketched a rough map on the back of the napkin before handing it over to Kizu.


    Broke it, eh?


    No worries. If you want another, there¡¯s a shop in town that sells hand-me-downs from graduates.


    Place is called Jeri Co. Across from the bar Utasuki.


    I¡¯d show you, but Tara and I have a study hall planned. Just supposed to be grabbing us food right now.


    Kizu read the note twice, not believing his luck.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, pocketing the napkin.


    Gregor snatched up one of Kizu¡¯s bread rolls and bit into it, then gave him a big grin and a wink as he walked away.


    Kizu stood. If he left right now, he could get to the shop before it closed for the day, even with his gimp leg slowing him. But then he felt a tug at the back of his shirt. He looked back and saw Anata¡¯s little hand pointing at the menu.


    He sighed, then ordered a dozen of the dessert dango skewers. He took the platter with him as they left, passing her another skewer whenever she finished one. He helped himself to one as well. The last time he¡¯d eaten the sticky dessert had been years ago, before the crone took him.


    ¡°Your mom loved these,¡± he reflected as they walked. ¡°Whenever we went to a festival, she always ate too many and felt sick the next day.¡±


    If Anata made any sort of response, he couldn¡¯t see it under the illusion. Kizu decided to stop talking, just in case it drew any attention.


    As they exited the academy grounds, a James, one of the wooden golems that moderated the academy, warned him that he¡¯d need to return before curfew. Other than that, though, nobody commented on him and his roving potato sack. The road down to town proved more challenging, and not because of his aching leg either. Anata had to stop and catch her breath several times after just a few minutes. It was yet another reminder of the isolated life she¡¯d been living up until now. He tried to be patient, but after the fourth stop he simply picked her up. Since they were outside Shinzou Academy¡¯s campus, Kizu was able to start jumping large segments of the walk, rapidly transporting them to other positions in his line-of-sight. While his leg brace did protest, they moved significantly faster than waiting for her to muster up her stamina. He decided he needed to endure it if he wanted to get down to the shop before it closed for the day.


    He could feel her clutch at his shirt, constantly fidgeting as they entered the town. It seemed like she wanted to look everywhere all at once. Not that there was much to see. It wasn¡¯t a weekend, so most students had already retired for the night, and the majority of errand-runners had long since finished up their business for the day.


    Kizu found the place without too much difficulty. The bar across the street was blaring harsh music and poor singing. Kizu wondered idly if the music was being performed live, or if they¡¯d used an enchantment to record the instruments ahead of time. Probably the latter. Or maybe the instruments themselves were enchanted to play on command. He made a mental note to check it out some other time. He was willing to bet that the higher levels of the academy¡¯s music classes discussed similar topics.


    The Jeri Co. sign was weathered to the point of illegibility. If Gregor hadn¡¯t specifically told him the shop¡¯s name, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to make it out at all.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    He pushed open the door. It only opened about halfway before he hit resistance on the other side. Poking his head in, Kizu saw a pile of hundreds of cans blocking the door. He shuffled inside, holding Anata close to him, and let the door swing shut behind him.


    The room was filled with odd objects. Jars with random things crammed inside them lined the shelves. Weirdly designed furniture was scattered throughout the shop, not arranged with any obvious rhyme or reason. Strips of cloth and glyph-marked papers hung in tangled clusters from the ceiling. There was a counter with a till not far from the door, a small island of order in the chaotic shop.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Kizu called, walking up to it.


    Immediately a metal marble on the counter flashed a brilliant, white light, blinding Kizu and forcing him back a step.


    A figure hopped up onto the counter and looked down at him.


    ¡°Hello, hello!¡± it said cheerfully.


    Blinking rapidly, Kizu saw a man that was even shorter than Anata standing on the counter, only a meter at most. The top of his head was bald, only a thin crown of pink hair speckled with white remaining. He had a white beard that reached his toes.


    ¡°You¡¯re a gnome,¡± Kizu said stupidly.


    ¡°Sure am,¡± the gnome confirmed with a smile. ¡°New customer? Name¡¯s Jeri. What can I getcha today? Something dramatic, like a dragonslaying pike? Or something convenient, like an invisible couch? Or perhaps just some sweets for your sister there?¡±


    Kizu glanced down at Anata, confused. The illusion still held.


    ¡°Ah, that was rude of me, eh?¡± Jeri smacked his head with a palm. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to insult your spellcraft. Missus always berates me for talkin¡¯ before I think. See me eye here?¡± He pointed at his right eye for emphasis. ¡°Lost it a while back and had it replaced with one that sees through illusions. Always forget I can see things that other folks don¡¯t. The Headmaster himself wouldn¡¯t be able to slip something past me. Not using solely illusions, at least. With a combination of proper fields of study, my eye isn¡¯t completely infallible. And certain levels of layering can also cause a proper headache.¡±


    Kizu stared at him. Was something like that even possible? An object like that would be mind-boggling powerful. If what he said was true, it could even pierce an illusion created by the crone. In fact, the crone herself would have plucked out her own eyes for an enchanted prosthetic like that.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kizu said, after an unnatural pause in the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m, um, looking for a replacement earring.¡±


    ¡°Broke it or pawned it? Wait, stop! Don¡¯t tell me. Missus says I ask too many questions, see. I got a few different options. Looking for anything special, or just the standard model?¡±


    ¡°Just the standard,¡± Kizu said. While tempted to ask about the other versions, he wanted his to be discrete, like all the others used by the student body.


    The gnome disappeared behind the counter, then reemerged with a handful of sparkling earrings.


    ¡°Favorite color?¡±


    ¡°Just the normal black, please.¡±


    ¡°Pity.¡± Jeri passed one over the counter to him. ¡°Thought with your green hair you¡¯d be a bit more adventurous. But don¡¯t judge a book by its cover and all that. Your sister need one too?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my niece,¡± Kizu said, dismissing the potato sack illusion. He looked down at her questioningly.


    Anata shook her head.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want one.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Well, here, take this at the very least.¡± Jeri again hopped off the counter and rummaged through a pile of clothes before tossing a small dress at Kizu. ¡°On the house. No offense, but whatever that outfit used to be, it¡¯s long past its expiration date.¡± Jeri paused, then yanked his beard violently. ¡°Ah, of course you¡¯ll take offense! Got to think! Think before speaking. My mistake.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right,¡± Kizu said, taking the small dress. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well now, an earring like that is 2,500 Yennies.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well,¡± Kizu fumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t really have any money on me right now. I was kind of hoping I might be able to pay you back in a day or two. My parents will hopefully send someone to pick up my niece and will be able to take care of any bills.¡±


    Jeri tugged on his beard again, staring at him.


    ¡°If not that, I can help work it off on my weekends,¡± Kizu quickly suggested.


    ¡°What¡¯d you say your name was?¡±


    ¡°Kaga Kizu.¡±


    ¡°One of the Kagas! I knew you looked familiar. I know your pa. Old business partner, see. He¡¯s long since risen past the likes of yours truly, but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll remember me when I come by to badger him for the coin. We¡¯ll put it on your tab for now.¡±


    It was Kizu¡¯s turn to stare. He tried to wrap his mind around the image of his father interacting with someone like this at all, let alone acting as a business partner, and failed utterly. He knew better than to question his good fortune, though.


    Kizu tried to recall his studies of Gnomish and said what he thought was a word of thanks in the language, but it came out in such a garbled mess that Jeri simply laughed and told him he was welcome back anytime.


    Kizu next decided to go see if he could contact his parents. He remembered seeing an all-hours post office on one of his previous visits in town, so they headed in that direction next. Anata gaped at everything around them as they walked through the streets.


    The post office was made of red clay bricks and it seemed to lean slightly, indicating either great age or shoddy construction.


    The clerk at the front counter said something nonsensical to him in a monotone voice, not even bothering to look up from her book.


    Kizu stared at her for a minute, then remembered his earring. He slid the stud in place. It stung and bled slightly, his ear having partially healed over since he broke the first translator.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, wiping the bead of blood on his pants. ¡°Can you repeat that one more time?¡±


    Her eyes flickered up to him in irritation. ¡°Sending or receiving?¡±


    ¡°Oh, sending.¡±


    ¡°Packages that size will have an additional cost.¡±


    Packages? Then he looked down at Anata, once more concealed by his potato sack illusion.


    ¡°Sorry. This sack is unrelated. I just need to send a message to my parents. Do you have a piece of parchment or paper?¡±


    She pointed across the room at a desk by the window, then went back to her book.


    Kizu craned his neck to make out the book¡¯s cover. He saw the words Glistering Gremlin, spelled out in sparkling green letters. Not a book he was familiar with. It must have been good, though, because the clerk was already completely refocused on the contents, even biting her lip in anticipation.


    He walked over to the desk and set Anata down on one of the chairs. It took two failed drafts before he had a completed letter he felt satisfied with.


    Mother and Father,


    Hope this letter finds you well. I recently came into contact with someone who knew Anna during her school days. I know this will come as a surprise, but I discovered he and she had a child together. Now, unfortunately, I find myself in custody of Anna¡¯s daughter. Her father is no longer alive. I did some tests, just to be certain of her heritage, and it proved to be the truth. How should I proceed? Any guidance or help would be appreciated.


    Your Son,


    Kaga Kizu


    Kizu looked over the third draft, still a bit uncertain. He assumed his parents would help regardless of how he phrased things, but he still didn¡¯t want to come off as too pushy or demanding. The problem was, he just didn¡¯t know his parents well enough to know how to approach them. What he ended up with felt polite and safe, but maybe that wasn¡¯t the right approach. Should he appeal to their obligation as grandparents instead?


    He sighed, realizing he wasn¡¯t likely to come up with anything better even if he did switch his tone up. Better to stick to a safe script.


    ¡°Do you do pay-on-delivery?¡± he asked the clerk.


    ¡°Depends on the recipient.¡± She didn¡¯t look up from her book.


    ¡°My parents.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we get those a lot.¡±


    She held out her hand for the letter.


    Kizu looked down at the folded piece of paper.


    ¡°Do I need to write their names on it?¡±


    The lady glanced up from her book, eyes narrowing as she looked at the paper. She withdrew her hand.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said with distaste. ¡°Name, address, date. Written on an envelope.¡±


    Kizu glanced back at the desk. Sure enough, there was a stack of blank envelopes. He apologized and retreated.


    He quickly scrawled on the envelope his parents¡¯ names, their home address, and what he thought the date was. Passing it to the lady, he retreated with Anata in hand, not trusting himself to say another word without coming out of the exchange looking even dumber.


    Setting Anata down outside, Kizu began to wander through the streets. As it was, he just needed to kill time in hopes that his parents would respond tonight. He recalled from his parents'' discussions that messages could be transported exceptionally quickly between authorized cities using spatial spells and enchantments. Since their home was set into trading networks, it was simply a matter of whether or not his parents checked their mail for the night.


    Anata tailed after him. His pace was slow enough that she could keep up without too much of an issue.


    It felt surreal walking through the town casually again, after all that had happened. As if everything that he had experienced down in the World Dungeon was nothing more than a strange dream he¡¯d just woken up from that morning. More than that, it was as if his decade with the crone had simply been a long nightmare. He felt almost transported back in time, to the days when he¡¯d followed Anna around this same town, the same way her daughter now followed him.


    Kizu found himself walking past the old lady¡¯s home where he had faced the first bloodspawn. It felt like years ago, when it had only been a couple months. Cheesewhiskers the cat lounged in the windowsill, lazily looking down at them.


    ¡°Anywhere you want to go?¡± Kizu asked Anata.


    She nodded enthusiastically and tugged on his hand. Kizu let her guide him down to the beach. The sun was setting over the sea, showing off a magnificent spread of pastel oranges and reds on the horizon. Anata had picked a gorgeous spot.


    Kizu found a nice driftwood log half-submerged in the sand and plopped down on it. Unfortunately, Anata appeared uninterested in resting. Instead, she walked right into the breaking waves.


    She yelped as the water rammed into her legs, knocking her off balance and sending her tumbling into the water. Despite being just a few feet from dry land, she flailed madly about in the shallow waters, submerging beneath the waves.


    Leaping up from where he sat, Kizu dashed down to the shoreline. He waded into the waves about waist-deep and snatched Anata up choking and gasping from the water. Holding her close, he brought her out of the sea.


    She clung to him, shaking madly with her eyes bugged out of her head as she gave the ocean the side eye. She looked betrayed.


    ¡°You need to learn how to swim first,¡± Kizu explained. ¡°You¡¯re not just projecting your spirit anymore. The world is a lot more dangerous when you approach it in person.¡±


    Kizu got the new dress out and tried giving it to Anata to change into. Of course, she didn¡¯t know what to do with it. Rubbing his temples, Kizu sighed. The sooner his parents contacted him the better. He helped her change and discarded the old clothes. She really was little more than skin and bone. It was both sickening and infuriating. The crone had been a horrible parental figure to him, but at least she¡¯d kept him fed. How could anyone treat their own child like this? It revolted him.


    Anata looked a bit happier in the new outfit, but she was still shaken by her brush with the sea. Kizu considered gathering up the smelly old rags, but decided they were better off letting the tide take them. Instead he kicked back and did his best to enjoy the waning sunset. He had a hundred different worries and concerns, but he let them fade away, swallowed up by the scent of the sea and the sound of rolling waves.

 Chapter II.II (2.2) - Motherly Reunion

    Chapter LVIII (58) - Motherly Reunion


    ¡°You already have a response?¡± Kizu said, surprised by the swiftness of the service.


    ¡°It came in an hour after your departure,¡± the clerk said. She handed him an envelope with a massive red wax seal. ¡°Already paid for in full.¡±


    Kizu tried to rip it open. The paper was tough.


    ¡°Thumb on the seal,¡± she added lazily, going back to her novel.


    He did as instructed and pressed his thumb on the wax. Immediately, the letter spilled open.


    Kizu,


    Your sister¡¯s lapse in judgment has been recorded. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. Do not say anything to anyone about this child. Your mother has now been dispatched to take care of the problem. She will arrive early in the morning before dawn and will meet you at the family villa. Stay there for the night and do not expose the child to the public. We always feared this burden would inevitably fall upon us and have made arrangements in preparation for such a disaster. Swift action is key in keeping our family shame from exposure. Thus far, you have done well contacting us immediately. Conceal all information about the issue. Use the post¡¯s incinerator to dispose of this letter.


    You have done well, my son.


    Kaga Kubou


    Kizu stared at his father¡¯s hanko stamp¡¯s imprint at the bottom of the page. He read the letter again. He thought he must be misunderstanding it. Or maybe his father had made an error in his wording. This letter almost read like they already knew about Anata. His father likely just meant that he expected something like this to likely occur eventually. They clearly didn¡¯t hold a high opinion of Anna.


    Kizu looked over at Anata, who was currently back under the potato sack illusion. His parents did have a place arranged for her at least. Despite their flaws, they knew how to plan. Tomorrow, she would be both safe and not his problem anymore.


    Sliding the paper into the incinerator¡¯s slit, he thanked the rude clerk and left the post office.


    The last time he had gone to the family villa, he had ended up spending the night in a jail cell. It was possible his family had updated the wards, but Kizu wasn¡¯t taking any chances. First, he sent a mental image of where he was to Mort, to give his familiar a sense of his actions. Then he put on his enchanted necklace before reaching for the door handle.


    Nothing happened this time. Well, nothing beyond the mundane of the door opening. Just as it had for the academy dorms, his necklace¡¯s enchantment hid him from magic detection. Kizu dismissed Anata¡¯s potato sack before entering into the villa.


    There was a light in the main room. Finn had fallen asleep at the table, face down in a pile of books with a lantern still burning beside him. It cast a warm orange light over the room.


    Kizu decided not to bother his brother. Instead, he brought Anata over to his old bedroom. He was surprised to see his old bunk bed still there. Growing up, Anna, of course, always took the top bunk, claiming it was her right as older sister.


    He boosted Anata up to the top bunk and sat on the lower one. After a few minutes, he could hear the heavy breathing of sleep above him.


    It didn¡¯t look like Finn usually used the room. He probably preferred to stay in their parents¡¯ room with the larger bed. Kizu flipped through the old children''s books. His memories rekindled as he looked at pictures and read familiar rhymes. Part of him was surprised that his parents hadn¡¯t purged the room of everything having to do with his sister. But it also made a bit of sense too. His parents very rarely visited the villa, usually far too busy with work for leisure. They mostly used it as a place to dump their children when they didn¡¯t have time for them. It would have been a treasure trove for his divination spell.


    Nothing exciting happened as the night went on. Kizu simply sat on his old bed, looking through crafts made from old shells and sea glass that he found in the drawers. And yet, he also spent the entire night smiling wider than he had in months.


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Startled by the noise, Kizu looked up from an old finger painting he had made of their family. Finn stood, his back to the wall across the hall, staring at him through the doorway.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Good morning, Finn.¡±


    ¡°How did you get in here? What are you doing? And what is that thing above you?¡±


    ¡°Our father told me to spend the night here. So I walked in. And that¡¯s our niece.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a niece!¡±


    Kizu rolled his eyes. He didn¡¯t bother responding to the denial.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kizu said, deciding to change the subject. ¡°Do you have any leads on where Anna might have disappeared to?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Finn snapped. ¡°She¡¯s probably dead.¡±


    Kizu frowned. With his divination spells leading him to Anata, not Anna, that possibility was starkly possible. But Otochi had implied she still lived. It also had said Anna had the strongest wards imaginable concealing her from divinations. Completely undetectable. Then again, it also could have been lying. A Blood Lord wasn¡¯t the most reliable source of information. Kizu didn¡¯t fully understand the monster''s motives.


    Kizu examined his younger brother. Black bangs down to his eyebrows, but undercut short on the back of his head. Still young enough that his face was unblemished by acne, Kizu supposed that his brother might pass as handsome. And yet, he had no regular friends, let alone a girlfriend. Likely as a result of the dark bags under his eyes and a mouth that only seemed to know how to sneer or frown.


    ¡°You should get more sleep,¡± Kizu finally said.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Finn¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t Mother. Stop pretending like you care.¡±


    ¡°Oh, speaking of Mother, I guess I should mention that she¡¯s arriving in a little bit.¡±


    That caught Finn off guard. He blinked and glanced over his shoulder, as if expecting to see her there already. Then he hurried off without another word.


    Kizu shrugged off Finn¡¯s weird reaction. He couldn¡¯t quite figure out his brother. But before he could return to his reminiscing, he heard the front door open.


    He poked his head out the bedroom door and saw his mother standing in the entryway, hanging her jacket on the coat rack. Her dark clothing made her look like a funeral attendee.


    ¡°Oh good,¡± his mother said. ¡°You¡¯re awake. This nasty business requires me to come and go before civilized people wake up.¡±


    ¡°Nasty business?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°With the child. I knew this would come back to us eventually. Thankfully, I set up a plan for this all two years ago. Your father wanted to just ignore the issue. Sometimes he has no sense at all. This isn¡¯t an investment that will produce gains while being ignored. This is a mortgage that requires careful attention and a steady amount of funding to amortize.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you have a place for her to stay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. The child will go deep into the northern forests of Hon. We own a property managed by a tongueless caretaker. She won¡¯t be able to spread any rumors about the child and they will remain completely unseen by society.¡±


    That sounded a lot like Kizu¡¯s childhood. Except, somehow even lonelier.


    ¡°So, you knew about Anata this entire time?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± His mother frowned and furrowed her brow.


    ¡°Anna¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course we knew. Surely you¡¯ve now realized why Anna had to be removed from the official familyline. We hoped to shield you from your sister¡¯s disgrace, but unfortunately these things pop up.¡±


    His sister¡¯s disgrace? Kizu¡¯s brain processed the statement for a moment. Then he understood.


    ¡°You cut her out of the family because she was pregnant?!¡±


    ¡°For countless reasons, but that was the final piece, yes. And the ailment did not even come from another academy student. She got knocked up by an unknown nobody with no connections and no apparent future. There was no positive spin on it whatsoever.¡±


    Kizu stared at his mother, speechless.


    ¡°Your manners have not improved, it seems,¡± she said, her frown deepening. ¡°I don¡¯t have a great deal of time right now for pleasantries. As I mentioned before, this is an urgent matter. Now tell me, who else has seen the child?¡±


    ¡°No one except me and Finn,¡± Kizu lied through gritted teeth. Both Basil and Ione knew about Anata, but he didn¡¯t care to explain all of that right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take that tone with me,¡± his mother warned. ¡°It¡¯s good that you had enough sense not to blab about her to anyone. Your sister¡¯s expulsion was a favor we had to call in.¡±


    His anger was boiling. He couldn¡¯t ever recall feeling this way before. He clenched his fists and did his best to keep his voice even.


    ¡°Anna¡¯s expulsion was a favor? Why was she expelled?¡±


    ¡°Do you think it was an easy decision?¡± she snapped. ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t love my daughter? Do you think I just tossed her aside? I gave her opportunity after opportunity. I tried! She made it clear she had no intention of taking the mantle as heir. And her decisions were destroying Finn¡¯s future as the Kaga heir. I already had lost one son, I didn¡¯t want to watch her destroy everything I worked for!¡±


    Kizu¡¯s heart twisted. But he didn¡¯t trust himself to speak. He just stood there for a minute, matching her glare.


    Finally, his mother sighed and recomposed herself. She continued on as if her earlier outburst hadn¡¯t happened. ¡°As we already had paid for the semester, we needed her removed from the public eye. Her pregnancy would have ruined a dozen different negotiations and deals. Despite what the bog hag might have taught you, in the civilized world reputation matters. Since she already had several marks against her at the academy it wasn¡¯t difficult to have them remove her altogether. Originally, we planned to keep her hidden away at the house until the end of the pregnancy, then anonymously send the baby to an orphanage. It would have been inconvenient, but manageable. But Anna refused. Because of course she did. For years she dedicated her life to deliberately embarrassing us. Removing her from the family wasn¡¯t a decision we came to lightly, but we have to think of the legacy we leave behind. We couldn¡¯t let her jeopardize Finn¡¯s future as well. There comes a point, when you have to stop paying for a liability.¡±


    A liability. His mother¡¯s words sickened him. She claimed to love Anna and that only made him angrier. He loved Anna. He would do anything for her. And his sister¡¯s actions had made it apparent she felt the same way about him. Meanwhile his mother threw her out like a broken tool.


    Something else about her explanation didn¡¯t make sense though. He took a deep breath, taking control of his emotions. He needed information.


    ¡°Why did Anna leave Anata with her father if she was against the idea of an orphanage?¡±


    ¡°That girl¡¯s mind was too fickle to keep track of,¡± his mother said. ¡°She likely saw something shiny and chased after that.¡±


    At that moment, Kizu made up his mind. Something in him snapped at her dismissive tone. He arrived at a conclusion he hadn¡¯t even considered until that very second.


    ¡°Anata is staying with me.¡± The moment he said it, he felt an unknown weight lift off his shoulders. He knew this was the right decision.


    ¡°What idiocy are you going on about?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you take her.¡±


    ¡°Son,¡± she said warningly. ¡°You summoned me here. I dropped everything to take care of this problem.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to waste your time,¡± he said coolly. ¡°If you want custody, you¡¯ll need to go to the Hon courts for it.¡±


    He was pretty sure that¡¯s how custody worked for children in Hon. You needed official documents. The crone had told him a story about a witch she knew who¡¯d beaten around the law to legally claim an apprentice. It had been a lesson about how uncreative and broken society¡¯s laws had become.


    Judging by the cold fury in his mother¡¯s face, the story had been accurate enough for his threat to hold weight. His parents wouldn¡¯t dare go through the paperwork for Anna¡¯s bastard. That would require publicly acknowledging her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep her hidden,¡± Kizu promised. He decided to try to offer some measure of compromise.


    ¡°You want to play at being a parent?¡± she snarled. ¡°You think it¡¯s easy? Fine. Go ahead, Kizu. But you won¡¯t receive any support from us. Your allowance will be terminated immediately. But so long as you keep our family¡¯s name away from that¡­girl, we won¡¯t do anything more. Show us your vast parental knowledge.¡±


    Kizu blinked. ¡°What allowance?¡±


    He heard someone shuffle behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Finn standing in the hall, looking extremely uncomfortable. Until now he had been a silent spectator the entire confrontation.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Kizu said dryly. ¡°Finn was in charge of distributing the money to me?¡±


    His mother pursed her lips and turned her glare to Finn who withered under her scrutiny.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to see Anata before you leave?¡± Kizu still felt a cold fury with his mother. But, denying his mother a chance to meet her granddaughter felt cruel.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± She reclaimed her jacket and opened the door. She took a step outside, then paused.


    ¡°Anna landed on her feet,¡± she said softly, as if speaking more to herself. Her face was turned slightly and Kizu thought he saw something glisten slightly on her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m certain. I wouldn¡¯t have made that decision if I thought otherwise.¡±


    It looked like she was about to say something more, but then the moment passed and she continued on her way, the wind slamming the door behind her.

 Chapter II.III (2.3) - The Missing Student

    Chapter LIX (59) - The Missing Student


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay here,¡± Finn whined. ¡°You heard Mother. They aren¡¯t supporting you.¡±


    ¡°I know, Finn.¡± Kizu massaged his temples with his thumbs.


    Now that he had calmed down, he questioned his rash decision. His mother had at least one good point. He knew absolutely nothing about raising a child. He basically was still a child himself. Anata very likely would be better off with the tongueless woman in the woods. His parents had calculated the most rational response and already weighed out all the pros and cons. Meanwhile, he decided based on a moment of anger. But he couldn¡¯t back down now.


    ¡°Then leave,¡± his brother said, as kind and friendly as ever. ¡°And take her with you.¡±


    Leave and go where though? Back to the academy and keep her hidden in his dorm? That seemed like a very unwise solution. He had no money to rent a room in town. And he couldn¡¯t ask anyone for help, or word might get out about her. He thought about the town and all the places he¡¯d visited so far. None of them seemed like a solution to his problem. But then his thoughts turned to the spawn living under the lady¡¯s porch. Obviously, he couldn¡¯t keep her under a porch, but it did give him the seed of an idea.


    ¡°You owe me,¡± Kizu said to his brother. ¡°You owe me a lot in the allowance you¡¯ve been stealing. You can start to pay me back by babysitting for the day.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not paying you back! That is my money given to me by Mother.¡±


    Kizu didn¡¯t bother engaging with that argument. ¡°You will, unless you want them to hear about that police debacle you caused at the beginning of the semester.¡±


    Kizu guessed that his parents hadn¡¯t been informed about the details of the situation, if they¡¯d been told at all. And he took Finn¡¯s immediate panicked fidgeting as a confirmation. Their mother hadn¡¯t been happy about the allowance theft, but this was an actual public slight against their family name. She¡¯d be livid and Finn knew it.


    ¡°I was going to stay home and study all day today anyway,¡± Finn grumbled.


    Kizu paused. He couldn¡¯t believe it. He hadn¡¯t truly thought he¡¯d be able to get Finn to do anything for him. Even so, he decided to wait until Mort arrived before departing. Mort could keep an eye on Anata and report back to Kizu if anything happened. Not to say he didn¡¯t trust his brother watching over their niece, but¡­well, yeah. He didn¡¯t trust him at all.


    When Mort arrived, the sun was starting to rise in the horizon. Anata still slept in the upper bunk bed. Mort just jumped up and settled in beside her. The monkey dismissed Kizu with a big yawn.


    Trusting Mort to keep her safe, Kizu felt confident enough to head into the town.


    The smell of warm baked goods wafted through the air as he passed by bakeries. Other than that and the fishermen departing from the docks, the town hadn¡¯t fully woken up yet. It wouldn¡¯t stay that way for long though. Most people likely slept in because it was a weekend, but soon students would flood the streets. Better for him to get ahead of the crowd.


    Kizu bit his lip as he scanned at the quest board outside the constable station. There was a giant cockroach extermination listed at 7,000 Yennie, an enchanting commission for 3,500, a request for an onyx drake skin for 12,000, and a missing student with a reward of 20,000. He had no idea what a Yennie converted into. But he decided to try out the biggest offer.


    The last time he¡¯d used Ione to accept the job offer. When he had asked her about the reward money, she had mentioned using it to buy a satin pillow. If an entire job was only worth a pillow, he was in for some serious money problems.


    He considered overlaying himself with an illusion, but decided against it. He probably needed to show his identity to claim any rewards. So he just entered.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Kizu said cautiously as the door¡¯s chime announced his entrance.


    Thankfully, Constable Kimura sat at the front desk today. The human constable with the slightly better attitude. And while his eyebrows knit together and he frowned, he didn¡¯t immediately kick Kizu out like his partner had previously.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu,¡± the constable said slowly. ¡°Are you here to report a crime?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I wanted to accept a job from the quest board outside.¡±


    ¡°And which assignment were you looking at?¡± the constable asked.


    Kizu blinked. He had expected to need to fight to get the information.


    ¡°Uh, the missing student one?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Constable Kimura eyed him for a minute, as if weighing how serious Kizu was. Then he reached behind the desk and pulled out a folder. He leafed through it until finding a sheet. ¡°A student was last seen in Hayashi Forest, east of the academy. She was wearing a standard issue uniform that appeared unmodified. It is suspected that she might have fallen into a cave or been assaulted by a roaming monster. For confirmation of her whereabouts, there¡¯s an offered sum of 12,000 Yennie. If you bring her back safely, the reward is 20,000.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the student¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t given. And the job was posted anonymously.¡±


    ¡°Then how will you hold the person accountable for paying?¡±


    ¡°There are channels to go through if the payment isn¡¯t distributed as listed. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Is that all the information offered?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Yes. The job post is scarce on any details that might narrow down the search or identify the student.¡±


    ¡°Um, not to sound ungrateful for the job, but this sounds sort of serious¡­.¡±


    ¡°Constables can only act inside the confines of their assigned district. This request is outside our jurisdiction.¡± The constable sighed. ¡°Though, outside of my work hours, I do often accept jobs from the notice board as a third-party. I can¡¯t always be everywhere.¡±


    Kizu nodded, understanding. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll let you know if I find anything.¡±


    As he said goodbye, the constable raised a hand, stopping him.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Kimura said, almost begrudgingly. ¡°Listen, over the past 24 hours we¡¯re received several different notifications of monsters acting strangely and more active in the area. Be careful.¡±


    Kizu thanked him. Despite obviously disliking Kizu, Kimura acted surprisingly professional. Not quite the complete opposite of his explosive partner, but close enough.


    While walking out of the east side of town, Kizu decided to check out a menu listed outside of a pub. An ale was listed at 350 Yennies. That at least gave him something to compare to. He wondered how much a month of rent would cost for a place in town.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    As he traveled down the path outside town, his mind wandered to how he might be able to build a hut on the outskirts of the town. He used to help the crone with renovations and knew a little bit of woodworking. But it would take time to set up. Not to mention get the materials. He needed tools. And those cost money as well. Not super feasible at the moment.


    The next few hours he scoured Hayashi Forest. The only obstacle he encountered was a mean-looking giant crab the size of a large boulder blocking a bridge, but Kizu simply jumped behind it and moved on. He saw no sign of the girl anywhere.


    The constable had mentioned a cave system under the forest. Kizu wondered if it was possible the student might have fallen into a crack that led into the World Dungeon. That would be very bad news. He wasn¡¯t keen on returning down there anytime soon.


    Kizu yawned. His sleep schedule actually seemed a bit better after staying in the time dilation pod for a month, but he still felt incredibly tired. He sat down on a log.


    He felt the wood under him fidget. Examining it more closely, Kizu lept to his feet. It wasn¡¯t a log, but instead the body of a massive brown garden snake with a yellow stripe down the side. A monster. He prepared himself for a fight, before noticing a spark of intelligence in the snake¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kizu apologized. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem,¡± the giant snake said. It yawned, showing its toothless gums.


    Kizu¡¯s eyebrows shot up and he relaxed his stance. An Awakened creature. Their intelligence went far beyond that of a familiar. He¡¯d only ever encountered two before in his entire time in the Hon Basin. But neither of them had been outwardly hostile.


    ¡°You can speak?¡±


    ¡°Obviously,¡± the snake said dryly. It twisted, coiling around a tree to face him better. ¡°What brings a Shinzou Academy student out this deep into the woods?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone. Another student. She¡¯s gone missing.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate. I can¡¯t help you. It¡¯s been several years since I roamed this close to the academy.¡±


    ¡°And what brings you here? Anything I can help you with?¡± Kizu asked. Despite having so many other things to do, he prepared himself to leap into action to help the creature. Doing favors for Awakened beasts always paid dividends in karma.


    ¡°No. The scent of change is in the air. I simply wanted a better taste of it. I¡¯ll likely remain on this side of the forest for a while longer.¡±


    Kizu was about to politely take his leave, when a question came to mind. ¡°Do you know of any cave systems nearby?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± It flicked its forked tongue. ¡°Many. But perhaps you might want to visit southwest along the coast, there you will find an ancient Gnomish mine. It was abandoned long before my time. Look for a cliff shaped like the neck of a tortoise.¡±


    Bowing low, Kizu thanked the giant snake. It dismissed him and slithered off.


    Following the lead, Kizu started off to the southwest. It took a great deal of bushwhacking with his cane before he spotted an escarpment that looked vaguely similar to a turtle shell meeting the neck. A waterfall poured from the divot down to a cove.


    The cove emptied via a deep, short river down into the sea, only a stone¡¯s throw away, but it looked like fresh water, untainted by salt. The pounding of the waterfall created a mist that shrouded the area.


    Kizu scanned the cliff face, looking for any sort of indent that would indicate a cavern. Nothing. He was about to move for a closer look, when he remembered his spellsense. He focused. But instead of the falls, something under the cove moved and caught his attention. It startled him at first, then he realized it was some sort of magical beast swimming. Likely nothing to worry about so long as he stayed above the surface. Bringing his attention back to the cliff, he finally spotted an anomaly. There was something magical behind the waterfall.


    Fully expecting an enchanted door that led down into a forgotten corner of the World Dungeon, Kizu circled around the cove, mindful of the water, and approached.


    He breathed in the waterfall¡¯s mist. It felt refreshing. If he didn¡¯t know about the magical creature lurking in the bottom of the pool, he might have been tempted to take a quick swim.


    There was a moss covered slope Kizu was able to shimmy his way across to get behind the waterfall. His clothes were drenched by the time he managed to get behind it. The roar of the water blocked out all other noise and he couldn¡¯t see more than half a meter in front of him.


    As a result, he was completely caught off guard as he stumbled into a massive cavern. The opening was half a dozen meters wide but completely hidden behind the falls.


    He rubbed the water out of his eyes and examined the area. It opened up into an enormous hollowed out area that almost rivaled the size of the academy. The majority of the space was taken up by a placid underground lake.


    In the center of the lake, Kizu spotted a half sunken ship with tattered sails. The bow poked out of the water, but everything behind the broken center mast was submerged.


    Curious, Kizu circled around the edge of the lake, trying to get a better view. As he walked, his cane hit against something solid that rolled slightly to the side. Kizu bent down and picked it up. It was dusty but he recognized it as one of the academy issued scrying orbs.


    ¡°Hello?¡± he called out, glancing around. ¡°Anyone there?¡±


    The dripping of stalactites overhead and the soft crashing of the falls behind him was the only response.


    Suddenly, he felt incredibly alone. Maybe taking on the most expensive job posting alone wasn¡¯t the best call on his part.


    Just as he decided to take the orb and return to town for the lesser reward, he thought he saw movement aboard the ship out of the corner of his eye. Just for a moment, he spotted what looked like a person standing on the deck.


    Kizu looked down at the orb. By all accounts, the student likely died down here to whatever was on that ship. Recovering a body made him the same amount as turning in the orb as proof. It made sense to just leave and report it. Full fledged mages could come and recover the student¡¯s body. That would be the safe, rational choice.


    Kizu jumped to the ship.


    He immediately lost his footing on the lopsided deck, but managed to catch himself on the gunwales.


    The figure which he had spotted from afar turned toward him. Red eyes smoldering like coals gleamed in the skinless skull. It held a rusty cutlass in its hand, which it immediately raised at him. But, if the skeleton wasn¡¯t surprising enough, Kizu was caught even more off guard by the size of the thing. It barely reached his waist. The bones looked like that of a fully developed adult, but shrunk down in size. It reminded him of the collection of shrunken heads that one of the crone¡¯s friends had built out of her dead enemies and failed apprentices.


    However, the skeleton¡¯s size did not stop it from swinging its cutlass at him. But it passed through the air as Kizu jumped to the left. He then cast his fire fist spell and slammed his knuckles into the skeleton¡¯s rib cage. Unfortunately, his punch didn¡¯t seem to accomplish much as the skeleton shrugged off the blow and came in for another swing. He really had had higher expectations for the spell back when he¡¯d devoted so much time practicing it.


    Switching tactics, Kizu just barely managed to catch the boney wrist before the skeleton¡¯s blade cut through his ribs. Then he jumped, skeleton in hand, into the air above the lake. He let go of the skeleton and rapidly jumped back to the ship deck. He heard it sploosh into the water at the same time as he landed back on the ship.


    Kizu leaned over the railing and watched the dark water¡¯s ripples. It likely didn¡¯t die from the fall. But the thing had no lungs or fat on it so it should sink to the bottom. He might have to worry about it on the shore, but it shouldn¡¯t be able to get back on the ship. Once the water stilled, he finally let himself check out the ship around him.


    The woodworking was unfamiliar to him. The ship didn¡¯t look like the ones docked at the port near the academy. The wood was chestnut brown and it looked highly stylized, as if the sailors carved elaborate designs into the wood during their freetime. All the doors and structures looked to have been built for children. Only then did Kizu finally connect the dots. The ship had been Gnomish.


    A leg of the skeleton still flopped around on the deck like a fish. Kizu hadn¡¯t quite gotten the entire undead monster in his spell. He picked the leg to examine it. It proceeded to try to kick him. Grimacing, Kizu threw it over his shoulder off the ship.


    He inspected the area, looking for any sign of the missing student. He hoped to find any indication she might still be alive. But, while he was here, he decided he might as well also keep an eye out for any magic items or anything worth money on board. He lifted up a trap door.


    Below, sitting at a table with a deck of cards strewn across it, were four more skeletons. All present skulls swiveled toward him.


    ¡°Um, hello. How are you today?¡± he said in his best Gnomish.


    They drew their weapons.

 Chapter II.IV (2.4) - Princess of Necromancy

    Chapter LX (60) - Princess of Necromancy


    No loot was worth losing his life over. As the gnome skeletons lunged up at him, Kizu turned and jumped to the side. But a fraction of a moment before he cast the spell, a bony hand wrapped around his ankle. It pulled back, knocking him off balance and tripping him. As he fell, the spell¡¯s trajectory went wild.


    He splashed into the water. Bursting to the surface, he gasped air and coughed up water. He sought out his bearings, only to realize the ship¡¯s wooden wall was in the way of his view. As he turned, he realized that he wasn¡¯t just looking at the hull, but inside the hull.


    Okay, the good news ¨C he didn¡¯t probably need to worry about that magical creature lurking in the depths of the cove while still inside the ship. Unfortunately, if he wanted off the ship, he needed to be able to see the shore to make the jump. Otherwise, he risked being magical monster fish food.


    Something heavy smacked him in the back of the head, causing him to see black spots for a second.


    ¡°Ow.¡± He looked up and saw, not another skeleton or a trap, but a girl his age wearing a scrappy academy uniform and wielding a massive leather tome over her head. She crouched on a large wooden crate that stuck out of the water.


    ¡°Get talking,¡± she demanded.


    ¡°What?¡± Kizu said, rubbing the back of his head while treading water. He gave her a glare. That had hurt.


    ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an academy student. And I am currently treading water.¡±


    ¡°I know that. What¡¯s your name? Who sent you?¡±


    ¡°Kaga Kizu. I took a job from the quest board in town to locate a student lost in Hayashi Forest. I¡¯m here to save you.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The fight left her and she looked a bit embarrassed. ¡°Well, don¡¯t startle me like that.¡±


    ¡°Can I get a name?¡± Kizu asked. It seemed only fair.


    She hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s Aoi.¡±


    She looked vaguely familiar, but it still took him a moment to remember where he had heard the name before. Then it clicked. She was Basil¡¯s ex. The changeling had transformed into her briefly during their infiltration in the girls¡¯ dorms. But this Aoi looked far more haggard than the one Basil had imitated. Her bangs were disheveled and her two braids were loose and only half contained.


    ¡°Aoi?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°Like the princess?¡±


    The girl winced. ¡°Barely. But anyway, how did you get down here, Kaga Kizu? Did you bring backup?¡±


    ¡°I jumped.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Perfect! That¡¯s exactly the kind of skill I needed. Let¡¯s go back to the academy then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only learned how to do short range jumps so far. A bit over a hundred meters if I can see the location.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Her face fell. ¡°Well you can at least get us off the boat, right?¡±


    ¡°Only if you don¡¯t mind facing off against the giant monster lurking in the water under us. Or I could send us straight up, onto the deck where several skeletons just tried to cleave me open. But I can¡¯t one-hundred percent guarantee we won¡¯t get stuck in the cavern ceiling.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not all that helpful,¡± she said flatly.


    Kizu sighed, but he couldn¡¯t argue with the obvious. Still, she didn¡¯t need to be so blunt about it. Instead of responding, he handed her her scrying orb. It took her a moment of fumbling around in the dark before she seemed to realize what it was.


    ¡°You found Kyuu!¡± She sounded delighted as she held up the orb and activated it, illuminating the damp and dreary area. ¡°It¡¯s so refreshing to be able to see again! First thing I do when I get back to the academy is learn an illusion spell to generate light. Maintaining a flame spell is such a pain.¡±


    ¡°How did you end up here?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°You¡¯re in a hidden cave on a sunken ship. This isn¡¯t exactly where I would expect to find a princess.¡±


    She pursed her lips. He noticed her grip tighten around the tome tucked under her arm.


    ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t a holiday spot,¡± she admitted. But she didn¡¯t say anything else. Instead she looked around the hull. Eventually, her eyes stopped on the submerged door behind Kizu. ¡°I couldn¡¯t chance trying to swim out without a light before. But with Kyuu here now, I¡¯m not dependent on fire spells.¡±


    She slid off the crate and into the water next to Kizu. Kizu couldn¡¯t help but notice she smelled like mildew, but refrained from commenting on it.


    ¡°What¡¯s on the other side of the door?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Another storage room. But there¡¯s a hole in the ceiling that leads up to the captain¡¯s chambers.¡±


    ¡°Any skeletons in those rooms?¡±


    ¡°Only one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m F ranked in fighting,¡± Kizu told her.


    She closed her eyes and let out a breath. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I think I can handle the skeleton. I just need a few seconds.¡±


    Kizu shrugged. She seemed to have a plan. And he supposed if things went south he could probably jump back into this room.


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    They both plunged down under the water. Kizu let her take the lead, with her scrying orb lighting the way.


    As they swam through the next room, Kizu took a few seconds to peel back a board on one of the many crates, hoping for loot he might be able to sell. Instead, he only found old spare sails that looked to be in even worse shape than the tattered ones hanging from the broken mast above. The rest of the room looked to be filled with various other spoiled supplies as well. Not at all the treasure trove he had hoped for. But he didn¡¯t have enough air for a thorough examination.


    Pushing off the floor, Kizu followed Aoi through the opening in the ceiling that led into the submerged captain¡¯s quarters. But, halfway through the hole, his foot got caught on an old fishing line. He tried to kick it off, but it remained, snagging him in place.


    Panicking, Kizu looked up towards where Aoi floated. But she wasn¡¯t looking at him. Instead, she had created a pocket of air around her head with elemental magic and was reading out loud from her tome.


    Kizu looked over his shoulder and realized why she was so focused on reading. A gnome skeleton with gold teeth grinned down at him. It raised its cutlass and swiped at him. It moved at a speed unhindered by the water surrounding it. Kizu managed to raise his hands and blast it with a spell, freezing the water around the undead¡¯s forearm and blade. Unfortunately, while frozen, the block of ice still maintained its momentum as it slammed him in the face, causing him to cry out and lose all his remaining air in a few bubbles. But it was still a better result than the alternative of a cutlass embedded in his skull.


    The skeleton tilted its head, looking perplexed by the fact he still lived. Then, as if flexing invisible biceps, the ice shattered and floated up to the ceiling in chunks.


    Trapped and out of air, Kizu prepared to jump back to the cargo room. But he looked over and saw Aoi frantically muttering a ritual, the words muted by the water between them. He couldn¡¯t simply leave her behind. He needed to buy a few more moments.


    This time, when the skeleton lunged at him. He raised his forearms up to block the blow and tried something new. He froze the water again, but instead of focusing on the water around the undead, he coated his own arms in the thick ice, creating a shield. It cracked as the blade impacted, but it held. Kizu pushed against the skeleton, knocking it backwards.


    He finally managed to slip his foot out of the fishing net and squeezed his lower body into the room. Lungs burning and arms tingling in pain, he pushed off the dresser beside him and slammed himself into the undead. This time, the block of ice¡¯s already existing crack spiderwebbed out and shattered. Despite losing his shield, the action won him precious moments to reposition himself.


    The skeleton lunged toward him a third time, raising its blade in a deadly arc. Then, mid-swing it suddenly collapsed.


    Its bones slowly sank to the floor in a heap. The golden smile landed face up, still grinning up at him.


    Kizu looked over his shoulder at Aoi. With her book held in one hand, she was pointing down at the pile of bones with the other. She quickly changed targets and waved her arm in his direction. Suddenly a bubble of air appeared around Kizu¡¯s head. He gasped in relief. Then immediately started coughing up water.


    ¡°Thanks for the help,¡± Aoi said, her words barely audible through the water.


    ¡°Necromancy,¡± Kizu muttered, his chest heaving. ¡°I should have realized.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Aoi asked, not able to hear him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a necromancer,¡± he said, louder.


    She winced. ¡°A soul mage.¡±


    Kizu shrugged, his lungs finally recovering. ¡°That¡¯s just another name for a necromancer. Necromancy manipulates the residue of souls left behind on the corpses of creatures.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°How do you know that? Are you-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a practitioner,¡± he said, cutting her off. ¡°I just know the theory. The crone who raised me had a necromancer associate who used to visit once or twice every year.¡±


    He had actually learned most of what he knew from the zombified daughter of the necromancer. The man brought her with him everywhere. Growing up, Kizu had learned not to be picky about friends with such a limited supply of kids his age. And she had been in a similar position to him.


    The princess glanced at his green hair. ¡°A crone? Like, as in a witch?¡±


    Privately, Kizu was surprised Aoi didn¡¯t already know about his background. The entire school seemed obsessed with the rumors after his fight with Ulric. Either her not knowing about him marked a virtue in a lack of interest in gossip, or a vice in her not caring about others enough to remember. But Kizu was grateful regardless. The fewer people talking about him, the better.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu said simply. ¡°So, I don¡¯t care much about judging others for abusing soul magic. The way I understand it, necromancy just uses natural materials left behind. As long as you aren¡¯t killing the people first, I think you should be able to do whatever you want.¡±


    She stared at him for a minute, speechless. Then she smiled.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so open minded about it, why don¡¯t you join me in studying it? I¡¯ll share the book.¡±


    Kizu shrugged. ¡°Honestly, it doesn¡¯t really interest me. I¡¯ve got a thousand other things I need to be studying right now. Plus, to be honest, I think summoning sounds way more useful. I don¡¯t see how necromancy gets me any closer to my current goals.¡±


    ¡°Which are?¡±


    ¡°Finding my sister.¡± Before she could ask for more information Kizu lifted a hand. ¡°We¡¯re getting off-topic. As much as I love shouting at you while floating in a sunken decrepit boat with only an artificial bubble of air keeping me alive, let¡¯s get to the point. Tell me, what exactly happened here?¡±


    She gestured for him to come closer, to better hear her while she explained.


    She launched into a story about how she had met a woman necromancer who had been imprisoned in the dungeons after sneaking into the royal catacombs. Before being put to death by her uncle, the necromancer had taught Aoi the very basics of necromancy. As she told her story, Kizu recalled some of the details from back when he had skimmed her journal, but there were other pieces that she apparently didn¡¯t ever dare put down on the page. Her story filled in gaps. Mainly, it explained why she lived in the dorms, despite coming from one of the richest families in the Hon Empire. It hadn¡¯t been an act of independence like he had assumed, but actually the opposite. After discovering her private studies, her family wanted to limit her freedom by confining her to the academy. They didn¡¯t trust hired staff to watch over Aoi with enough attentiveness, but knew the academy held a near zero tolerance stance for soul magic, only giving special exemptions for familiars.


    Kizu listened to this all attentively, only asking for clarification a few times when words got garbled by the water.


    ¡°Last week, Professor Kateshi granted me access to the Living Library for a midterm project. There, I found an old scroll on a hidden shelf which told me about this ship. The necromancer is said to have descended into the World Dungeon. So, I thought it would be simple to just walk in, grab anything he left behind, and leave. And it was exactly as simple as I assumed¡­until I picked up the book.¡±


    That made sense. Hypothetically, undead could stay active eternally. But in practice, they needed maintenance. His childhood friend had to have her father update pieces of her constantly. But, if put into a stasis, the necromancer could probably keep the bones preserved for far longer. He explained his theory to her and her eyes lit up.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking too! Regardless, the skeleton here cut off my escape and I swam deeper into the ship, hoping to find another way out before my air bubble ran out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky none of the other skeletons were stored in the rooms below,¡± Kizu said. ¡°But, speaking of running out of air¡­.¡±


    She took the hint.


    ¡°Now that I have this.¡± She gestured at her book. ¡°We should be able to get out just fine. All I need is for you to buy me a tiny bit of time first.¡± She gave him what she likely thought was her most winning smile.


    Kizu frowned. He swam over to the pile of bones of the golden toothed skeleton and picked up the cutlass. Unlike the weapons held by the skeletons he had seen above, this one didn¡¯t have speck of rust on it. A quick glance with his spell sense showed it to be lightly enchanted. Nothing exceptional, as far as he could tell, just to keep it sharp and free of decay. He didn¡¯t know anything about using a sword, but he figured he¡¯d rather approach the fight armed than unarmed.


    He took one more deep breath before pushing the door open.

 Chapter II.V (2.5) - Conquered Spoils

    Chapter LXI (61) - Conquered Spoils


    Privately, Kizu had hoped that maybe the skeletons would have stayed under the trapdoor. But of course, his luck dictated otherwise. When he broke to the water¡¯s surface and scrambled up onto the slanted deck, he found himself staring down the empty nose socket of a skeleton. The red in its eyes flickered, then it reeled backward, to bring a cutlass swipe down on Kizu.


    Kizu rolled to the side, dodging the sword. Then he struck with his own cutlass. And he made contact, the blade embedding into the hip of the undead. The strike landing successfully shocked no one more than Kizu himself. But he was off balance and not used to the weight of the blade. He tried to tug it free but instead it slipped out of his hand. Water splashed up as he flailed backwards into it.


    At that same moment, he heard Aoi emerge from the water and immediately start launching into a long ritual in a foreign tongue. The brief image Kizu received as he floundered in the water, righting himself, reminded him a bit of a siren rising from the waves to enchant sailors. The musing was cut short as the skeleton lunged for him, attempting to skewer him with the cutlass.


    At the very least, the skeleton continued to ignore Aoi, still completely focused on the closer target of Kizu.


    Having soaked the skeleton when he fell backward, Kizu lifted a hand and froze the joints of the monster, stiffening it mid-lunge. That gave Kizu the time to scramble back to his feet. Then, relying on the same trick he had used on his first fight with a skeleton, Kizu grabbed the monster¡¯s ulna and jumped. This time though, he went straight up and released the undead. And while he jumped back down rapidly before gaining any momentum himself, gravity carried the skeleton down. It smashed into pieces on the deck. The impact scattered bones in every direction.


    While dispersed across the deck, the bones still vibrated with magic. After only a moment, they slowly began to reassemble, not yet destroyed. Kizu reclaimed his new cutlass from the deck and stood in a prepared stance.


    The other three skeletons, likely having sensed the commotion, started to climb out of the trapdoor. They turned their attention to the trespassing humans and began their approach.


    Just before they reached Kizu, all the skeletons froze. Not by elemental magic, like Kizu had used earlier. This effect yielded even more fruitful results, completely halting all the skeletons. Aoi had finished her incantation. But, instead of causing them to fall in a heap of extinguished bones, like she had done with the skeleton in the captain¡¯s quarters, Aoi had seized command of the undead. Even the broken one on the deck ceased reassembling itself and lay still.


    She had a self-satisfied grin on her face.


    ¡°They¡¯re not destroyed,¡± Kizu commented, stating the obvious.


    ¡°It was only a few more sentences of ritual to seize authority.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even have the decency to look abashed by the fact she had needlessly risked Kizu¡¯s life. Instead, she beamed at her newly enthralled undead.


    ¡°Why?¡± Kizu asked, just feeling weary from the whole thing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone,¡± she said, misunderstanding his question. ¡°So finding these skeletons is better than gold. It lets me experiment without even needing to dig up graves or anything.¡±


    ¡°But why are you even bothering with necromancy? Did someone you love die? Do you want immortality? Do you just want to act rebellious towards your family?¡±


    ¡°I told you already. The necromancer I met told me about soul magic. And I thought it was interesting. It¡¯s underappreciated and has so much more potential. People are so focused on such minor aspects about it that they completely lose sight of the amazing uses. It goes beyond just bringing things back to life. Just by scratching the surface of soul magic, you can combine it with other schools of magic for incredible combinations with completely unique effects. Souls are just so interesting.¡± She said the last word with extra gusto and emphasis.


    ¡°And what do you plan to do with these skeletons now? Drag them back to your dorm?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t see why I can¡¯t simply stay right here. I conquered the ship so it¡¯s mine now. I mean, sure, it might need a little work before it''s a proper necromantic workshop, but it¡¯s out of the way and has plenty of potential.¡±


    Kizu smiled, realizing something. ¡°Actually, I think you mean we conquered the ship.¡±


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    She frowned at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if you¡¯re hoping I¡¯ll buy your silence, then you¡¯re out of luck. I don¡¯t have money.¡±


    ¡°No. Money would be great, but I think this is better. I just so happen to also need somewhere to lay low.¡±


    ¡°What could you possibly want to keep hidden?¡±


    ¡°My niece,¡± Kizu said simply.


    It took a few minutes to explain the basics of Anata¡¯s situation to Aoi, glossing over unnecessary details like her other parentage, imprisonment, and abilities. And many more minutes to convince her to let the girl stay on the boat. In the end, Aoi conceded once Kizu promised to have Mort watch over her at all times. He suspected Aoi liked the idea of having a familiar guardian near her supplies, even more than she disliked the idea of having a child near them. In fact, as soon as he had mentioned Mort, her eyes lit up in general. He didn¡¯t need divination to foresee her badgering him about his familiar bond in the very near future.


    After they came to an agreement, they decided to search the ship more thoroughly. Aoi had been right about it needing a tiny bit of maintenance. The stern¡¯s hull had a massive hole the size of a closet and it rested on a shallow patch in the lake. Kizu had some basic woodworking skills from doing repairs for the crone, but he was far from a shipwright. And even if he was, he doubted the ship would ever be seaworthy again without some serious enchantments backing it up.


    In the trapdoor where the skeletons had been stored, they found the crew¡¯s quarters. It was the only completely dry room on the ship. Hammocks lined the wall with a table in the center of the room. Scattered cards lay strewn across it from the game Kizu had interrupted earlier. When he asked Aoi about the behavior of the skeletons, she hypothesized that the undead likely played simply out of a shadowed memory from the soul¡¯s leftovers. Like how they knew how to walk and fight. Not because they actually understood the rules of the game. It was more like muscle memory, but for the soul. A strong necromancer could bring back more of the soul to the bones, but that wasn¡¯t the case for her current batch of skeletons. These were nothing more than mindless minions with the furthest echos of their souls attached.


    The ship¡¯s cargo was mostly ruined, just as he had discovered earlier. But he still found a few relatively undamaged items. A small case of fishing tackle that still looked usable, a couple barrels of wine, and an enchanted spyglass which he didn¡¯t dare to test out. Having taken the cutlass earlier, he decided to hand the spyglass over to Aoi in a gesture of goodwill. She seemed delighted by it and threw caution to the wind as she pressed it up against her eye.


    ¡°Woah!¡± she exclaimed. Pointing the spyglass at him. ¡°I think this can actually see through living creatures!¡±


    ¡°What good is that?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°So you can see through a crowd?¡±


    ¡°No, you dolt.¡± She twisted the center of it, causing the lens to change. ¡°I can shift the settings to examine different layers of a body.¡±


    Kizu rolled his eyes and continued to look through the final piece of loot. He had almost missed it on his search of the captain¡¯s quarters. He had been examining the golden teeth of the fallen skeleton, but when he touched the metal, it flaked off in his hand. Frustrated, he had activated his spellsense, hoping the metal might glow and he could catch it in a bottle. It didn¡¯t but something else did light up. A wooden box with a folded piece of parchment inside.


    When he unfolded it, he was shocked to find a map. With a large red X painted onto it. As far as Kizu could tell, the only enchantment on it was one of preservation. It wasn¡¯t magical like his atlas. It was just a map of an unknown location. Kizu pocketed it, deciding to cross reference it with some other atlases some other time before leaving back to town to fetch Anata and Mort from Finn¡¯s neglectful care.


    Surprisingly, when they returned to the ship later in the evening, his niece didn¡¯t seem startled in the slightest by the skeletons. Sure, she stared at them for a while, but she did the exact same when meeting Aoi as well.


    As for the ship itself, Anata took to it immediately. While Kizu had to crouch to enter doorways and none of the furniture fit his stature properly, the ship seemed tailor built for Anata. Even the stunted hammocks suited her perfectly. She looked genuinely ecstatic as she explored the non-submerged locations of the ship.


    ¡°No offense,¡± Aoi said to Kizu while Anata explored her new room below. ¡°But your niece is kind of creepy.¡±


    ¡°Says the girl obsessed with skeletons and zombies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± she insisted. ¡°That¡¯s just a hobby and passion project, not my personality.¡±


    ¡°Her father kept her hidden away from society for her entire life,¡± Kizu said defensively. ¡°You would be a little ¡®creepy¡¯ too if you had seen the sun for the first time yesterday.¡±


    Aoi changed the subject, again trying to talk him into putting Anata somewhere else so that she wouldn¡¯t interfere with her experiments.


    ¡°At the very least,¡± Aoi said. ¡°Move her to a different room. The crew¡¯s quarters is the only room that¡¯s completely without water. I need dry conditions for some spells.¡±


    ¡°Exactly why she¡¯s staying right there. Anata can¡¯t swim.¡±


    ¡°You brought a child who can¡¯t swim to live on a half sunken boat?¡±


    Kizu sighed. ¡°Yes. Okay, I agree that it¡¯s not ideal. But what are my other options? She¡¯ll be safe and out of the way here.¡±


    Aoi frowned. ¡°Fine. But I want to study your familiar as compensation for my benevolence.¡±


    ¡°What benevolence? We both have equal ownership of the ship.¡±


    ¡°Equal ownership?¡± she said, aghast. ¡°I found it first!¡±


    ¡°And you would have died in it first if I hadn¡¯t come for you.¡±


    She continued to grumble until Kizu finally yielded and gave her permission to study his and Mort¡¯s bond. The rituals and effects of familiar bonds weren¡¯t a secret, but he still wasn¡¯t eager to be poked, prodded, and questioned by a budding necromancer.


    They shook on it, Aoi¡¯s silver rings cold to the touch. After that, she went back to her new undead toys while Mort played with Anata. And Kizu finally was able to climb into one of the hammocks and pass out.

 Chapter II.VI (2.6) - A Dinner Invitation

    Chapter LXII (62) - A Dinner Invitation


    When he picked up the reward from the constable¡¯s office, he had expected a massive sack of gold. Instead, he was handed a small pouch with twenty coins. The coins weren''t even made from a particularly valuable metal, instead forged from iron with a hole in the center. Each was labeled ¡®1,000 Yennies, Imperical Bank of Hon¡¯ in a circle along its edge.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t about to complain. He desperately needed the money. Finally able to do some shopping, Kizu immediately found the nearest shipwright down at Shinzou¡¯s docks. There, he was able to purchase materials like hammers, nails, buckets, and even a hand pump. Then he went and bought some fishing supplies as well.


    He had dragged Aoi along with him as evidence of the quest¡¯s completion, plus having an extra set of hands to carry things back was incredibly useful. She grumbled about the manual labor, but honestly less than what he had expected from a princess.


    ¡°Kizu!¡± someone called out as they walked out of town. As he and Aoi turned to see Emilia approaching them, her smile broke and froze to her face. ¡°Oh. Aoi. I didn¡¯t recognize you. That¡¯s a¡­unique new look.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Emilia,¡± Aoi said dryly. ¡°Nice to see you too.¡±


    ¡°You know each other?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Of course we do,¡± Aoi said. ¡°Everyone at the academy knows her, and she makes sure to know everyone she considers important.¡±


    ¡°We were lab partners in Brewing last year,¡± Emilia clarified. ¡°Unfortunately, our last project went a bit¡­awry.¡±


    ¡°What did you brew?¡± Kizu asked. He regretted the question as soon as it came out of his mouth. The tension in the air grew palpably thick.


    ¡°An animal speaking potion,¡± Emilia said at the same time that Aoi said, ¡°A speak to the dead potion.¡±


    They glared at one another but Kizu ignored them for a moment as he wracked his brain for recipes of the two potions. Despite never brewing either potion, it only took a second for him to realize what must have happened.


    ¡°You used both emerald kelp and hag¡¯s bane, didn¡¯t you? The ingredient lists for the two potions only really differ with those. But if you used both¡­.¡±


    ¡°We ended up with a potion that lets the drinker talk to undead animals,¡± Emilia finished. ¡°About as useful to drink as sea water.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just niche,¡± Aoi said defensively.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what Knoff decided.¡±


    ¡°We got him on the wrong day is all,¡± Aoi mumbled.


    ¡°Anyway, I hope for your sake you¡¯re on a date and not working on a midterm with her.¡±


    ¡°Not a date,¡± Kizu said quickly. ¡°I accepted a job from the quest board, is all. And Aoi knew something about it and was pointing me in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°A fishing quest?¡± Emilia said, looking at the fishing rod he held.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± Kizu paused. ¡°How about I tell you about it at dinner sometime?¡±


    Emilia blinked. Then a genuine smile finally appeared. ¡°Yes. That sounds excellent. Message me the details via your scrying orb.¡±


    She waved him goodbye, pointedly not looking at Aoi again as she departed.


    ¡°That was the least smooth thing I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Aoi said as they started walking again. ¡°I can¡¯t believe she accepted that. Do you always ask girls out when they¡¯re in the worst possible mood in front of someone they heavily dislike?¡±


    Kizu blushed and stammered.


    ¡°Relax. It worked, so she either must like you quite a bit or want something from you. Though, my money is on the latter.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any money,¡± Kizu grumbled, not knowing how to respond to anything else.


    Aoi laughed.


    ¡°But seriously. Don¡¯t actually tell her about the quest.¡±


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    Kizu split ways with Aoi, her heading directly to the ship with most of the purchased materials while he took a detour up to the academy to change into his spare uniform. He grabbed a few other things and stuffed them in a pack, thinking it might be prudent to start moving his possessions now. His leg dully ached from the constant walking, but his leg brace put in work, supporting his weight.


    Arriving back on the ship, Kizu stashed his remaining new funds on the shelf above his hammock before pulling out his scrying orb to research his new roommate.


    ¡°Orb,¡± he said, activating it. ¡°What can you tell me about a current fourth year student named Aoi?¡±


    ¡°Kotei Aoi, fourth year. Combat-523, Astronomy-254, Divination-294, History-59, Politics-3, Rejuvenation and Restoration- 106, Conjuring-97, Brewing- 370, Numerology- 202, Music- 99 (Flute), Enchanting- 200, Illusion- 265, Elemental-408.¡±


    Overall, besides her combat and elemental scores, she was definitely a high achiever. Assuming her scores didn¡¯t drop, they already qualified her for graduation next year. Most of her strengths weren¡¯t all that surprising, as she was raised to be a back-up leader of her nation. So, history and politics were probably drilled into her as a child. And music wasn¡¯t very surprising either since most nobility learned an instrument. It looked like she shared the A class with Harvey, both playing flutes. Her conjuring and rejuvenation and restoration both made sense as a necromancer as well.


    Far more important than her high scores though, was her elemental one. If she, in the bottom half of the academy¡¯s elemental students, could cast that underwater air spell, it probably would be achievable for him if he put in a bit of effort.


    He found her on deck with a notepad, examining each of her undeads¡¯ bones. She tapped each bone with a little hammer, as if she was a stone carver testing out the malleability of a slab of marble.


    ¡°Can you teach me the air bubble spell you used?¡± he asked.


    She looked up from a femur, looking more perplexed than annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m using my blood for my own experiments right now. I can¡¯t waste it on demonstrations.¡±


    ¡°You want to do the repairs on the ship yourself?¡±


    That snapped her out of it. She still groused, but stood up and started instructing him. She wasn¡¯t the best teacher, often getting distracted and not paying attention to his attempts, but after a couple hours he figured out the basics of it. He could create a tiny stationary pocket of air to breathe out of. Getting it to move was a massive challenge though. Even Aoi still struggled with moving her air pocket while underwater. But, for now, it was enough for him to start the internal repairs.


    After a few more hours of trying to patch up the giant hole in the hull with a hammer, some nails, and a few boards, Kizu decided to retire and sleep. He had the end of midterms coming up, after all.


    As he emerged from the water, he was startled to hear laughter. A child¡¯s laughter. He poked his head into the crew quarters and saw Anata and Mort chasing each other around the room. Mort leapt and swung off the hammocks while Anata tried to keep up with him. Aoi sat in the corner with her scrying orb shedding light as she squinted and muttered at her new necromancy tome, completely oblivious to the other two running around.


    Staying on deck, Kizu decided to take out his own scrying orb and send a message to Emilia. He recited and discarded two dozen different messages before finally sending one that seemed perfect.


    Hey Emilia. It was great seeing you today. How about we meet at the academy gate in five days at six in the evening?


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible at this,¡± Aoi said, poking her head out of the trapdoor.


    Kizu bristled. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Your attempts to ask out Emilia. They suck.¡±


    ¡°What would you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been asked out by someone pretty much every day since I arrived.¡±


    Kizu looked at her, startled. Sure, she was probably pretty on a normal day, but she currently looked like she¡¯d crawled out of a swamp. Par for the course for most necromancers, sure. But most necromancers don¡¯t get asked out on dates. Not by the living, at least.


    ¡°I¡¯m nobility,¡± she reminded him dryly. ¡°No need to look so shocked. Half the people at the academy are only attending to increase their political standing and to build connections. I might be almost two dozen positions removed from the Emperor¡¯s heir, but having any position in the line of succession is enviable. If nothing else, being my friend has the potential to bring powerful favors in the future.¡±


    She crossed the deck, approaching one of her skeletons. After some ominous ritual chanting, she changed its eye color from red to green. She grinned at her success.


    ¡°So, do you have advice?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°Or did you just want to brag?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°You need to relax. You¡¯re so stiff whenever you try making a step forward. It¡¯s unnatural and comes off as inexperienced and desperate.¡±


    Easier to say than to do. But Kizu internalized the advice.


    ¡°Where should I take her for dinner?¡± he asked. ¡°You must have been taken out to all the restaurants in town.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± When she finished laughing, she turned a bit more serious. ¡°I¡¯ve declined almost every single date I¡¯ve been asked on. There was only one guy I really started to seriously date and that¡­didn¡¯t end well.¡±


    Aoi fidgeted with one of her silver rings.


    Recalling what he¡¯d read in her journal, Kizu decided to end the conversation.


    ¡°Thanks for the advice. By the way, I¡¯m probably going to be sleeping here most days from here on out.¡±


    She waved him away. ¡°Just don¡¯t bring Emilia back here. Find an inn in town or go to her place.¡±


    Shaking his head in exasperation, Kizu dropped down through the trapdoor and fell into his new hammock. Despite the noise from Mort and Anata running around the room, and the chanting from Aoi on the deck above, he fell asleep faster than ever.

 Chapter II.VII (2.7) - Dinner Date

    Chapter LXIII (63) - Dinner Date


    For the next few days Kizu went through the motions while in classes. He had long since surpassed the skills taught in Elemental F so he spent most of those classes now sunbathing alongside Ione. Not a lot changed in History F as he continued to ignore the lecture or get kicked out for chatting. In Combat F, Arclight still wouldn¡¯t allow him on the field during any physical exercise. As a result, he was excused from the midterm. He heard more than one of his peers in the class call him lazy or a teacher¡¯s pet as they finished, drenched in sweat, much to his chagrin. For Enchanting C each of the students was working on their own individual projects to present at the end of the week. Since Kizu planned to showcase his enchanted gloves, his project was already complete. He spent the class tinkering with them though, trying to optimize the grip and increase the weight load. The midterm in Astronomy E required him to create a star chart from scratch. While several students grumbled and struggled, Kizu knew the star positions like the back of his hand. He admittedly went a bit overboard with his star chart. Once he started, he mapped out far more than any of the other students in the class. And far quicker too. What took him one class period, took his peers half a dozen. He had to hold himself back from going any further when he realized just how far ahead he was. And in Brewing S, Kizu had been placed in a group project for his midterm. He originally intended to use an animal transfiguration recipe, but the other two students took initiative and mostly ignored Kizu, handing him off simple tasks like chopping ingredients. Normally, he would have been frustrated by that, but he¡¯d gotten to the point where he preferred being ignored. The manic, thin Professor Knoff attended these classes and liked to call on Kizu at any possible opportunity, often doing so in a way that belittled the rest of the S class. This resulted in a lot of building resentment for Kizu by his peers. The potion his group brewed for the midterm was far below his skill level but doing the simple menial tasks for it gave him time to sort through his thoughts. Most of his genuine study time for brewing occurred after class while working on personal projects. Despite his eccentricities, Knoff knew the subject and always answered his questions readily, if not necessarily clearly.


    The class he found himself focusing the most on was Music F, of all things. Over the past few months, he had discovered that he really enjoyed playing the piano. It gave him a connection to his sister in a way that nothing else did. When he closed his eyes while playing, he could visualize her there. And, unlike the other percussionists, who spent the class goofing off, he felt like he was actually improving. He was at a point where he could read sheet music. Not extremely quickly, but he understood it at least and could even play a few songs with both hands simultaneously. When his midterm presentation rolled around, the few students in the front row who actually paid attention in the class applauded him. Though the professor continued to look disinterested as he simply made a mark on his clipboard before calling the next student up.


    Every day after classes, Kizu went down to the ship and continued working on the repairs. His air bubble enhanced in size over the next few days, but he still struggled with movement. And he still worked only from inside the ship, remaining cautious of the giant monster that lounged in the depths. From the deck, he sometimes watched it with his spellsense as it swam around the perimeter underwater. Both inside the underground lake and outside in the cove. Kizu considered trying to trap it in the cove at the bottleneck point at the waterfall but decided against that. Stealing two thirds of its home from it felt cruel. Especially since there was a solid chance it might be sentient or Awakened.


    When he was on the ship, Anata would follow him everywhere like a silent shadow. She loved the food that he brought from the dining hall, but never showed a lot of interest in anything else. From what he could tell through his bond with Mort, when he wasn¡¯t onboard, she spent most of her days on the deck, looking out towards the cavern¡¯s entrance. Kizu suspected that when she slept she still projected her soul out to explore the world around her, but she thankfully never dragged him into it anymore.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing,¡± Aoi asked, approaching him.


    ¡°Fishing.¡± It was one of his favorite parts about owning a ship. He spent his rare downtime with a rod in hand. The fish he caught were pretty impressive as well. On his first day he figured that if the magical creature in the bottom of the lake had enough food, there must be plenty of fish to go around. And his assumption instantly proved correct as he snagged carp after carp.


    ¡°Why though?¡± Aoi asked. ¡°We get all the food we want from the dining hall. And there¡¯s no way for you to cook them without risking a fire on the ship.¡±


    ¡°Carrying food down everyday is a pain. And you can eat most fish raw. If you know what to avoid.¡±


    But, more than that, fishing simply relaxed him. It had always been one of his favorite duties back in the basin. An escape from the crone and any other responsibilities. It was just him and the fish.


    At the end of the day, he started releasing his catches back into the lake. There was no way he would be able to eat all the fish he caught. He stared as one of the carp flopped back into the water. It seemed to wave goodbye before it darted away.


    He tried to mentally prepare himself for tomorrow. The day he had scheduled to take Emilia out, and he still had no idea where they were going to go. He hoped his 13,000 remaining Yennies would be enough for a good meal. Every time he started looking into places to go, he ended up overwhelmed and gave up.


    He slept even worse than usual that night.


    ¡°You look like a corpse,¡± Basil said, sitting down next to him in Enchanting C. Kizu looked over at him. Today, Basil wore a fairly normal body. He looked like he was from Hon, with bangs that drooped over his eyes slightly and a dozen freckles dotting his face. Basil had regained a bit of his lost mass in the last few days, but he still looked slender and a bit gaunt.


    ¡°I have a date tonight,¡± Kizu admitted.


    ¡°Woah! Look at you. Big hotshot.¡± Basil clapped him on the back. ¡°Who¡¯s the lucky lady?¡±


    ¡°Emilia. But don¡¯t go spreading it around. It might not go well and the less people who know about it, the better.¡±


    ¡°Maybe with that sort of attitude! Anyway, do I look like a gossipmonger? Give me a bit more credit, Kizu.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to go,¡± Kizu admitted glumly.


    ¡°What does she like? Seafood? Something spicy? Or maybe something a bit closer to home? There are a few different places you can find food from Edgeland in town.¡±


    Kizu thought about it. ¡°Is there anywhere I can get mutton?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Thistle¡¯s Flavors has a good selection of cuts. It¡¯s a bit expensive though. How much savings do you have?¡±


    ¡°13,000 Yennies.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get any wines, you¡¯ll be fine to dine.¡± Then he raised up his scrying orb and sent the restaurant a message, reserving Kizu a table.


    Kizu let out a sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about. ¡°Thank you so much Basil. You¡¯re a lifesaver. I was starting to regret asking her out.¡±


    He waved away the thanks. ¡°It always feels like that at first. You either are giddy with excitement, or a complete wreck. First time is always the worst but don¡¯t worry, it gets easier after a hundred or so first dates.¡±


    Kizu shuddered. He couldn¡¯t imagine going through this a hundred times. He felt horrible.


    He arrived at the academy gate almost an hour early. He worried about the fact he still wore his academy uniform but didn¡¯t have a huge selection to choose from. It wasn¡¯t until a few minutes before the meeting time when he remembered the custom outfit Basil had made him for a dinner party. He had barely stopped by his dorm after getting back from the World Dungeon and had completely forgotten about it. That stressed him out even further as it was now too late to change into it.


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    Emilia arrived right on the minute at six o¡¯clock and thankfully, also still wore her academy uniform. She greeted him warmly and took his arm as they walked down into town. Her hand there felt like a strange weight. Both comfortable and uncomfortable paradoxically.


    ¡°So, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I know your relatives trade lamb, so I booked us at Thistle¡¯s Flavors.¡±


    ¡°My relatives?¡± She stared at him blankly for a moment before animating with realization. ¡°Oh! Them. Yes. Sorry, I¡¯ve got a lot of family. It gets a bit difficult to keep track of sometimes.¡±


    ¡°How big is your family?¡± Kizu asked. He had been wondering for a while.


    ¡°I have 29 aunts and uncles. And around five hundred cousins. Give or take about fifty.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Kizu said, flabbergasted.


    ¡°Tainted usually give birth to twins, triplets, or quadruplets. I¡¯m a bit of an anomaly in being an only child. As far as I know, I¡¯m the only one in my extended family.¡±


    ¡°How does your country support so many people?¡±


    Emilia shrugged. ¡°Edgeland is a big place. And, because of the thousands of entrances into the World Dungeon, it has a high mortality rate. Monsters escape from the dungeon and it¡¯s not unheard of them to raze entire villages overnight. My entire extended family is a linked trading company. More wealth means more safety, so we have a much higher survival rate than most people.¡±


    They arrived at the restaurant. Kizu was proud of the fact he made it the entire way at a decent pace without a visible limp. The aroma of freshly cooked meat wafted through the building. A server wrote down his name then escorted them to a table.


    Kizu looked around the elaborate restaurant. A chandelier sparkled overhead, illuminating the other patrons who all looked perfectly manicured for the setting. He felt supremely self-conscious, like a kid playing at being an adult.


    ¡°Is that Professor Kateshi?¡± Emilia asked him.


    Kizu followed her eyes. Sure enough, Kateshi sat at a table across from a Hon man with parted hair dressed in a vest and cravat. She appeared completely absorbed in a heated discussion with her brow furrowed and a deep frown. The man turned his head towards Kizu and met his look with icy blue eyes. The scar along his neck gave away his identity. Warlord Inari Kusatta. The man who had overseen Kizu¡¯s duel with Ulric. And the man who had used an advanced air elemental spell to stop Kizu from being able to verbally forfeit the match. If he recognized Kizu though, he showed no sign of it as he broke eye contact and returned his attention back to a disgruntled Kateshi.


    ¡°That¡¯s Inari, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kizu asked Emilia quietly.


    It was her turn to follow his eyes. ¡°Yes. The warlord. Not surprising Professor Kateshi is getting dinner with him. She used to be one of the best curse breakers in Hon and also spent years acting as an emergency healer for a royal delving unit. She¡¯s perhaps the best connected professor at the academy.¡±


    ¡°Inari¡¯s a delver?¡±


    Emilia nodded. ¡°Most royals head at least a few expeditions. It¡¯s a rite of passage for nobility in Hon. But those lower in the hierarchy tend to keep up with the practice for far longer than royals closer in the line of succession.¡±


    Kizu did his best to put Inari out of his mind as a server came over for their order. They both ordered lamb, though Kizu just randomly selected his from the menu and wasn¡¯t really certain how it was going to be prepared.


    ¡°What else does your family trade besides sheep and wine?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°A hundred different things. It just depends on the branch of the family. My family specializes in wines. Though textiles are perhaps the biggest export over the entire company. But also, woodworking, jewelry, tea, weapons, and leather.¡±


    ¡°Do you produce? Or only distribute?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the family.¡±


    ¡°Like how Harvey¡¯s family does both?¡± He felt cold, thinking back on the Tainted boy. His betrayal still stung, despite being over a month old for Kizu. In his classes the last couple days the boy had been absent, much to Kizu¡¯s relief. Though it hardly mattered since Harvey likely would have continued to ignore him regardless.


    She blinked and processed the question for a moment. ¡°Yes. His family is a small branch. Just a few of them if I remember right. They have a farm.¡±


    ¡°Why did you two come here if things are already set up for you back home? You¡¯ll continue in your family¡¯s business, right?¡±


    ¡°Mostly connection building. Same as most people here. Knowing people is vital to creating new trade routes and mutually beneficial agreements. The academy is perfect as we get to work with other students and hopefully see what their natures are really like. And these connections extend further, as well. When your peers are the ones creating laws in the future, it¡¯s helpful for them to have a happy memory or two of you. A fun party now can result in a trade embargo being vetoed in twenty years.¡±


    ¡°It seems kind of strange though to come to an academy for magic, just to build connections in an entirely unrelated field.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re just going to stop being mages after we graduate. On the contrary, mage traders are in high demand. Nobody wants to rob a shipment when you might get a fireball hurled at you. And being able to recognize poisons and cursed items isn¡¯t exactly a useless skill when at a hostile negotiation table. Though, I admit, the less magical classes like numerology and politics tend to be the most useful.¡±


    Kizu found himself drawn into her words. Not because he found them particularly interesting, but because she spoke them. She passionately continued to preach about the benefits of international connections. Kizu continued to contribute more questions to keep the discussion going, but for the most part he just listened.


    When their food arrived. The conversation lapsed as they ate. The meat was tender and delicious. The seasoning mixed with the lamb¡¯s flavor for an explosive result. About half-way through, he asked his date how she liked it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit well-done for my taste,¡± Emilia admitted. ¡°You can tell it¡¯s prepared by a chef from Tross. They¡¯re always overly cautious about their cooking. But it¡¯s still very good.¡±


    Kizu honestly couldn¡¯t believe how lamb could ever be prepared better than what was currently on his plate. But he nodded his agreement, not wanting to disagree with her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stand for this bullshit again, Kusatta! The last time you meddled in academy politics I was the one who got burned for it!¡±


    Kizu looked over his shoulder to see Kateshi standing, glaring down at her dinner companion. Kizu wasn¡¯t the only one looking either, several other nearby heads had swiveled toward the two of them at her outburst. Inari said something to Kateshi, at a normal volume, too quiet to be heard. She just shook her head and stormed off. The warlord then slowly turned his cold gaze and again looked directly at Kizu.


    Kizu jerked back to facing Emilia who, for her part, still had her eyes on her food.


    ¡°It¡¯s wiser,¡± she said. ¡°Just to listen. It¡¯s unnecessary to let everyone know you heard by bringing attention to yourself. Keep your eyes to yourself and don¡¯t acknowledge the drama and others will forget you were there altogether. You will fade into the scenery, as easily forgotten as the tablecloth¡¯s color or the number of napkins.¡±


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Insight into others¡¯ relations is vital for a wise trader. In a business deal, knowledge is leverage. The more leverage you have, the more power you command. Besides, it¡¯s commonplace for someone to storm out of a restaurant like this. It happens almost every night. No need to obviously bring your attention to it.¡±


    Emilia lectured him. He vaguely recalled his parents mentioning some similar things to him at their dinners before arriving at Shinzou Academy. But while they had lectured to him with expectation and condescension, Emilia approached the subject with passion. She seemed excited to explain to him about the inner workings and mind games of trading. Kizu found himself once again completely enraptured by her words.


    The exchange between Kateshi and Inari faded to the back of his mind as the night went on. Long after they finished eating, they finally stood to leave and Kizu realized that the warlord had disappeared from his seat. Not that it was surprising, as the restaurant¡¯s patronage had dwindled to a small fraction of what it was when he had entered at the start of the evening, but he still found it disconcerting that he never noticed the man¡¯s departure.


    Kizu paid the bill. Thankfully it stayed under his meager budget, but it still depleted most of his saved funds. He really needed to find more ways to make money in the near future.


    ¡°Next weekend is the Shinzou¡¯s Festival of Light,¡± Emilia said as he walked her to her family¡¯s villa.


    ¡°Festival of Light? Sorry, I¡¯m not familiar.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a celebration of the humanoids¡¯ conquering of evil. During the darkest day of the year, most people go out and bury something that represents their metaphorical demons while the sun is up, and then at night, they create a lantern and send off their deepest wishes into the skies.¡± She paused. ¡°Usually the latter is done with a loved one.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s eyes widened and his walk stiffened as they continued on. Surely she wasn¡¯t implying what he thought. But his mind struggled to find any other conclusion.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­really interesting,¡± he said, trying to buy himself time as they approached her villa. ¡°I think I actually do remember doing something like that with my sister when I was little.¡±


    ¡°After adolescence, you usually find someone special to go with. Until you have a family of your own.¡±


    Kizu struggled to ignore such a massive hint. They stood on her doorstep. He had to act now. Tentatively, he took the bait.


    ¡°Would you like to join me next week?¡±


    She beamed at him. ¡°Yes! I accept.¡±


    Then she leaned in, placed a hand on his shoulder, and kissed him.

 Chapter II.VIII (2.8) - Senes Rematch

    <h3 style="text-align: justify">Chapter LXIV (64) - Sene''s Rematch


    Kizu practically skipped back to the ship. He wanted to dance and release all the giddiness stored up inside him. He was so overwhelmed that he almost ran straight into a monstrous carnivorous plant as he traveled through the jungle. Just as it tried to snap close on him, he jumped past it. And then he bowed, as if an actor exiting the stage, and continued on his way, completely unfazed.


    Instead of going to sleep after arriving at the ship, he gathered up Mort and the two of them went to explore the surrounding forest. While it was far cry from the dense jungle of the Hon Basin, it still energized him to be back, leaping through the trees alongside Mort. He scavenged up local ingredients for potions and established a better idea of the surrounding forest¡¯s terrain.


    However, all good things came to an end. As the sun rose, he and Mort retired back to the ship. Or they were about to, but a dark figure stood in the cave¡¯s entryway behind the falls. Kizu froze in place and Mort stiffened on his shoulder, prepared to leap into action. Kizu lit up his fist with flames. Steam hissed as the waterfall soaked his flaming fist.


    The figure turned and Kizu let his flames splutter out. Roba stood in front of him, back bent and looking crotchety. Despite standing so close to the waterfall, she was completely dry.


    ¡°There you are, boy,¡± she said.


    ¡°What are you doing here? How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°Were you hiding?¡± she asked, frowning.


    ¡°Well, not exactly.¡±


    ¡°Good. So, you¡¯ve simply forgotten all sense of propriety. Not intentionally avoiding responsibilities.¡±


    It took Kizu a second to figure out what she was talking about. Then it hit him. He hadn¡¯t shown up to his weekly appointments with Roba. And, more than that, he¡¯d neglected to retake the biweekly entry tests yesterday.


    He apologized profusely, but Roba wasn¡¯t even slightly appeased. ¡°You have not only gone back on a commitment, you wasted my time and resources. When I decided to track your scrying orb, I worried something might have happened. But no, you simply found a new club house.¡±


    He had forgotten the scrying orbs could be tracked by the academy at any time. It begged the question of why Aoi hadn¡¯t been tracked instead of having a notice put on the quest board, but that was a mystery for another time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Kizu apologized again, head bowed.


    ¡°Hm. First, you allowed an underworld denizen to escape from the World Dungeon. And now you abstained from my tutelage two weeks in a row. I will ask only once ¨C do you wish for the sessions to cease?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kizu said quickly. Losing Roba¡¯s expertise would be a massive blow to his education. Especially since he was quickly outpacing his peers in most classes. And he still had a lot to learn about jumping and spatial magic in general.


    ¡°Then I expect to see you next week. On time. And as compensation for your boorish and inconsiderate behavior, I need a few errands run. I expect you to complete them without complaint.¡±


    Kizu agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°Good. Now, onto other matters.¡± She hobbled down the path along the edge of the underground lake and pointed at the half sunken ship. ¡°Are you planning to stay on that pile of driftwood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sometimes at least,¡± Kizu admitted. He desperately hoped she wasn¡¯t about to ask for a tour. He wasn¡¯t ready for others to discover Anata just yet.


    ¡°Hm. I will make a note of it in your file. Make certain this does not impede your punctuality.¡±


    ¡°Would it be possible to learn long distance jumping next?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°I¡¯ve improved a lot since our last lesson. And being able to jump to the academy¡¯s beacon would ensure I¡¯m never late.¡±


    She squinted and eyed him while frowning. ¡°Two weeks'' improvement won¡¯t have you ready for that. But I will evaluate your progress next week. Perhaps at the end of the semester you will be ready.¡±


    Kizu bit his tongue. Of course, his progress surpassed that of anything he could have reasonably accomplished in two weeks. Especially so with Anata¡¯s blood fueling his recoveries. His rapid improvement would be suspicious and unexplainable. But there wasn¡¯t anything to be done to hide it. Next weekend his blood sample would make any improvements clear as day to Roba. At least he still had a few days to come up with an explanation.


    Roba dismissed him and then jumped away, leaving behind only a slightly acrid musty scent.


    Kizu also jumped, but towards the ship. As soon as his feet hit the deck, Aoi popped her head out from under the hull.


    ¡°Is that old hag gone now?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You mean Roba? Yes. She went back to the academy.¡± Or so he assumed at least. She hadn¡¯t actually told him. He wondered if it was possible to track someone¡¯s jump.


    ¡°Good. I don¡¯t think she spotted me. That cow is the last thing I need right now.¡±


    ¡°She tracked me through my scrying orb,¡± Kizu said. ¡°She could just as easily do the same for you.¡±


    ¡°I removed the tracking features for Kyuu a few weeks ago,¡± Aoi said. ¡°They haven¡¯t noticed yet.¡±


    ¡°That seems reckless. Won¡¯t that just make them more suspicious of you?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t pay me any mind unless I show a sign of advancing my necromancy. So long as I keep my craft hidden, I should be fine. The only thing that old woman is good for is impeding academic breakthroughs.¡±


    ¡°You have a history with her?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately. My uncle told her about my personal studies, and she¡¯s made a habit of showing up at the worst possible times. She is so closed minded when it comes to necromancy. Her disdain rivals that of a priest. Which is surprising, since she looks halfway to undeath herself.¡±


    Kizu rolled his eyes, then climbed down the hatch into the crew¡¯s quarters. Anata still slept, curled up into a ball in her hammock. And four of Aoi¡¯s skeletons sat around the table, playing cards.


    Not yet completely exhausted, Kizu decided to take an empty seat and study the game they played. It took him a while, but, once he thought he understood the pattern of their plays, he drew a hand for himself and joined. Despite being near mindless thralls, they thoroughly trounced him. Kizu gritted his teeth and drew a new hand for the next match.


    It continued like that for a while. He maintained a firm losing streak. Every time Kizu thought he had an advantage, he was taken by surprise. It wasn¡¯t until a dozen games that Kizu realized what he was missing. The skeletons cheated. They always dropped their hands behind the table at the end of their play. Kizu had first assumed that to be a result of their undead nature. But he discovered that, carved into the edge of each side of the table was a tiny slit. Just wide enough to fit cards.


    After making the discovery. Kizu went from consistently being in last place, to only being in last three out of every four games. Not that he had won any of them.


    When he finally pulled off a second place, he took his victory and went to sleep, still highly irritated.


    When he awoke a couple hours later, he remained in the hammock for a long while, just thinking.


    Two things bothered him about how the last week played out. The first was his own lack of skill when fighting the skeletons. He needed to get better at holding his own in a fight. And the second was seeing Inari again last night. While part of him preferred that the warlord appeared to have forgotten who he was, a less rational part of him seethed. People like Inari shouldn¡¯t have the power to dispose of others and then completely forget who they were. He had completely altered Kizu¡¯s future, and he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to remember his victim¡¯s face. And after a night of contemplation while exploring the forest with Mort, Kizu decided that the solution to his problems was to get stronger.


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    And that conclusion led Kizu back up to the academy to watch the weekly fighting competitions.


    He hadn¡¯t attended one of the fights since his own participation, which by now was months ago for him. Time let the memory¡¯s wound begin to scab over. Even if the physical bone still remained as misshapen as ever.


    After the disaster of his fight with Ulric, Arclight had canceled the competitions for a few weeks. But, despite her appeals to revamp the system, the competitions had returned with no notable changes.


    Anata tagged along behind him, with her usual illusionary potato sack overlay and his enchanted necklace both working to keep her hidden from detection. He found a seat in the back of a less attended section of the amphitheater.


    After finishing the introductions and explaining rules of the contest, Arclight called out the names. Kizu was surprised to hear Sene and Weston would again be competing against one another. The same two fighters who had competed at his first viewing.


    While Sene looked the same as ever, an annoyed glower plastered on her face, Weston looked even larger than Kizu remembered. Kizu scanned him with his spellsense and noticed a shroud of spells on him. He speculated that the boy was using a body enhancement spell or a potion to temporarily age himself. That would explain the short beginnings of a beard that stubbled his face.


    ¡°And begin!¡± Arclight called out. Her booming amplified voice rattled the stadium. He felt Anata beside him move to cover her ears.


    The two fighters began to circle one another, like prowling tigers. It continued like that for a long minute. Palpable tension in the crowd built with every passing moment. Nobody spoke. All eyes remained glued to the two students below.


    Quick as a cobra, Weston lunged for Sene with an open palm aimed for the neck. But as he made contact, she dissolved into steam. As her image dissipated, a meter high layer of steam blossomed from the attack point and quickly spread. In a matter of seconds, dense fog coated the entire arena¡¯s floor.


    Weston reeled back, actively searching for his opponent. He cast a dome of air, centered on himself, that repelled the steam while he scanned the obscured area. Mirror images of Sene appeared in the steam but dissolved whenever he struck with blades of air and fire. Analyzing the fake Senes with his spellsense, Kizu deduced that they were a complex combination of elemental magic tied to illusions. It likely required a high level of mastery with both to accomplish, but it allowed the images to hold more substance than simple illusions. They each held mass of their own.


    While Weston remained vigilantly destroying the illusions, he also kept a watchful eye above him, in case Sene descended on him from the sky. Unfortunately, he lacked the foresight to look down. A pair of hands, barely visible through the fog, ripped through the dirt floor and gripped his ankles. Then they dragged him down, causing him to sink down to his knees, as if caught in quicksand.


    Sene emerged from the dirt beside him, stepping up as if using unseen underground steps while dusting off her clothing. She approached her competitor with a look of disdain. Just as she had done in the first contest, Sene unsheathed her wand and slashed it across Weston¡¯s cheek before turning around and starting away.


    Weston reached out and snatched the back collar of her uniform, jerking her back toward him and smashed his fist into the side of her face. Sene flew backward at the contact, tumbling into the dirt.


    The audience audibly gasped as one, as shocked as Sene. Kizu realized simultaneously with the rest of them that, unlike the previous battle, Sene¡¯s wand hadn¡¯t drawn blood. The fight wasn¡¯t over.


    Beside him, Anata gripped at his sleeve.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kizu reassured her. ¡°It¡¯s only a competition. Nobody will be hurt.¡±


    His eyes flickered over to Arclight¡¯s booth. Behind her, Professor Kateshi stood, spectating the fight alongside the other teacher. Inari was nowhere to be seen. So his words to Anata probably weren¡¯t a lie. Then he refocused on the fight, studying it.


    Weston¡¯s punch lacked power, likely due to his footing, but it still should have been more than enough to break Sene¡¯s nose and crack some teeth. But not a speck of blood touched Sene¡¯s face. Only raw fury showed there as she gathered herself up and used gusts of wind to rise back to her feet.


    Meanwhile, Weston wrenched his feet out of her trap and stepped toward her, grinning maniacally. He picked up Sene¡¯s fallen wand from the dirt, then waved it. A ball of blue flames the size of a dorm room barreled toward Sene.


    Just before the fire hit his target, Sene fell backwards and sank back into the dirt. The fire scorched the ground and left behind a trail of soot as it slammed into the walls of the arena. An antimagic barrier dispersed the flames but students on that side of the amphitheater still scattered in every direction, attempting to escape the heat.


    This time, instead of rising up from the dirt herself, Sene sent spires of hardened earth up to skewer her opponent. Weston dodged between them while using an elemental spell of his own to toss aside heaps of dirt as he searched underground for where Sene hid.


    From there, it became an endurance test. The audience watched to see who would break first. Weston above ground or Sene under it.


    Neither could last forever. After ten minutes, Weston¡¯s movements slowed and his leg grazed one of Sene¡¯s spires, knocking him off balance. And Sene instantly moved on that weakness, ascending from the dirt with a stone spear which she jammed upwards into his calf. This time, blood dripped down her weapon.


    Satisfied, Sene unsheathed the spear from his leg with a squelch and tossed it to the side. Weston clutched at the new hole in his leg, still grinning but now with more teeth.


    The crowd went wild.


    Arclight called out an end to the match and one of the Rejuvenation and Restoration students hurried out to attend to the contestants. Sene waved away hers, but Weston readily accepted the one who came to him.


    Kizu found himself lost in thought as the next few rounds of opponents faced off. Almost everything used in that fight had been elemental magic and the same trend continued in the next three fights. He wondered if elemental was the most useful school of magic for combat, or just the flashiest. While he was steadily progressing in the field, he doubted he¡¯d ever be a true master. The amount of control Sene exhibited showcased how far off his elemental skills remained. His aptitude still lay more in illusions and spatial magic. But he wondered if he might be able to combine the magics like Sene used at the start with her steam clones.


    An announcement from Arclight jerked him out of his pondering. He thought he had just heard her say Harvey¡¯s name. And, sure enough, his past friend stood on one side of the field facing down a Hon girl. She looked familiar to Kizu and it took him a minute to realize they had worked on the Brewing S midterm together.


    Harvey¡¯s once shaggy hair had been cut short, and for the fight he had removed his uniform¡¯s top, leaving him in a sleeveless undershirt. On his arms, glyphs had been etched into his skin. They glowed brighter and brighter as Arclight finished their introductions. The Tainted boy clenched his fists and set his jaw as he examined his opponent.


    She fidgeted and glanced around the amphitheater. When Arclight gave the signal to begin, the girl immediately pulled a vial out from a uniform pocket and downed it.


    Harvey was already on her, likely attempting to end the fight before the effects of the potion set in. A mere moment before his fist connected with the Hon girl¡¯s face, the potion activated and the girl began to transform. The sudden growth knocked Harvey backwards and he tumbled in the dirt.


    When the dust settled, an elephant stood Harvey down. It waved its tusks in the air, threatening him.


    Kizu examined the potion¡¯s results. The girl showcased skill, at least by the academy¡¯s low brewing standard. But he couldn¡¯t help but note that she chose the largest non-magical land mammal. He decided to keep watching before forming any conclusions, but her strategy seemed a bit flawed.


    Harvey scrambled back to his feet and charged the beast. It swung a tusk at him, attempting to gouge him in the side, but he raised one of his glyphed arms and parried the ivory spear. Then, using his other hand, he grabbed ahold of the blocked tusk and squeezed it with his grip. The elephant cried out in pain as its tusk cracked and broke. It retreated backward, its face now lopsided.


    Holding the tip of the broken tusk, Harvey tossed it in the air and caught it, grinning with his sharpened teeth. Then he spun, building momentum, and threw the tusk¡¯s tip.


    It returned to its originator at an untraceable speed. Kizu barely saw a blur in the air at the same moment he heard the beast cry out in pain. The impact physically lifted the elephant off its feet and its side slammed into the dirt, sending up a plume of dust. The usually external bone of the tusk, now firmly embedded deep in the flesh of the elephant. Blood gushed from the wound.


    Arclight stepped in and ended the fight. After declaring Harvey the winner, she used an antimagic spell to dismiss the effects of potion, leaving a girl huddled on the ground crying.


    Kizu felt Anata clutch at his uniform¡¯s sleeve beside him. She shivered, as if cold.


    ¡°It was a silly decision on the girl¡¯s part,¡± Kizu explained to her. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. But transforming into a large creature like an elephant is incredibly disorientating. And, unless you¡¯ve spent actual days, weeks, or months in the form, you¡¯ll never be as coordinated as a native creature. I barely learned how to swim as a frog, and that was after a dozen different attempts. Fighting is something else entirely. And just because a creature is big, doesn¡¯t make it the most dangerous. There is a reason humanoids rule the surface world, not elephants. That¡¯s not to say transformations never work for combat, I think druidic sects often use a strategy like that to fight, but they dedicate their lives to it.¡±


    Anata seemed to relax as he spoke, her grip loosened slightly on his arm. Kizu took that as a good sign and continued to speak. Speaking to her also helped him sort through his thoughts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Harvey did to his arms. It looks like a tattoo or a brand. But he made the choice to physically counter the elephant¡¯s attack, when he could have easily side-stepped to get in closer. I think he wanted to test out the glyphs¡¯ strength.¡±


    Kizu continued to ponder on Harvey¡¯s fight, barely even noticing the new combatants down below who summoned ghouls and hawks to fight for them. And he remained caught up in his thoughts until the very end of the competitions.


    Arclight thanked all the participants and the audience before she launched into the new standings and rankings. No change at the top ranks. Sene and Weston remained in the first and second places respectively. But Kizu was caught off guard when Arclight announced Harvey¡¯s rank. 372. That meant that Harvey had nearly shot up five hundred rankings in the last few weeks. Today¡¯s fight was far from his first since the disastrous one alongside Kizu.


    A resolve formed in Kizu.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sign up for next week,¡± he told Anata. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up to Harvey. And then I¡¯ll surpass him.¡±

 Chapter II.IX (2.9) - Group Projects

    Chapter LXV (65) - Group Projects


    ¡°One thousand two hundred and four years ago, our great academy was founded. Roughly eighteen years previous to that monumental occurrence, Mt Kazen¡¯s eruption killed 94% of the island¡¯s native inhabitants. This disaster also destroyed the natural magical shroud that protected the island from outside detection. The remaining 6% survived due to their nature as fishermen. They happened to be far out at sea before the devastation occurred. Upon arriving back at their home, those few survivors reached out to all nearby nations in a request for aid. Hon, Tross, Edgeland, and Ilosin-Don all responded. This resulted in a new host of issues. Due to its unique location, Viefae, or Shinzoushima as it was later renamed, was situated in a strategic stranglehold. Any nation that held control of the island, held control of the seas between the four nations. Instead of bringing stability and assistance to the few remaining Viefae people, the nations brought war. After seventeen years and four months of conflict, the Shinzou Truce was signed. It dictated that the island would be a neutral safe haven for all nations. No one held more control than any of the others. Which, consequently, resulted in the formation of Shinzou Academy.¡±


    Kizu listened to Krimpit¡¯s lecture with half an ear as he doodled. The professor spoke in a cold, calculated manner. If the tone actually fluctuated or cadence shifted, the lecture might have had the beginnings of a decent story. Kizu could at least see the bones of one underneath the presentation. Though, he had to begrudgingly admit that the other students in the class appeared enraptured by the information. Krimpit¡¯s terrifying aura held them gripped by his every word.


    A student raised her hand. Krimpit acknowledged her, allowing her to speak.


    ¡°What happened to the Viefae people?¡± she asked. ¡°Are their descendants still here?¡±


    ¡°Caught in the crossfires of war, they died. The genetic line ceased to exist after the ninth year of conflict. Some reports speculate that a few attempted to escape down into the World Dungeon, seeking power to retake their island, but there is no evidence to support such an organized expedition and most scholars agree it to be a wishful fantasy. If anyone was foolish enough to descend into its depths, they perished soon after.¡± He then launched into the details of the new trading routes the academy¡¯s position offered to the surrounding nations. He spoke ad nauseam about how Hon managed to slowly accumulate power over different facets of the island¡¯s government, such as the monetary system.


    ¡°What are you drawing?¡± Ione said, sliding into the empty seat beside Kizu.


    ¡°What does it look like?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Half parrot, half dog creature spitting out a rock? Is it a new magical creature you saw recently?¡±


    Kizu grimaced. It was supposed to be Emilia standing in the moonlight. ¡°Where are you getting parrot from?¡±


    ¡°The thing on its face, you see how it¡¯s hooked? Looks like a beak to me.¡±


    He stared at where she pointed. That was meant to be a stomach, not a face.


    Kizu crumpled up the paper in a fist. The noise attracted Krimpit¡¯s attention who swiftly exiled him for the remaining class session.


    In Combat F, Arclight gathered them all around her.


    ¡°Now,¡± she began. ¡°I know many of you will be saddened to hear, but with the midterms now complete, your class will be moving on from daily cardio.¡±


    The students erupted in cheers and whoops of joy.


    She shushed them with a smile and a wave of her hand.


    ¡°Today, I plan to instruct you in the art of hand-to-hand. Just the bare basics for now.¡±


    ¡°Why does a mage need to learn how to fight with his fists?¡± one student asked. ¡°Can¡¯t you just blast them with an ice beam and be done?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to serve as an example?¡± Arclight asked.


    The student quickly backed down, obviously learning from Arclight¡¯s past ¡®volunteers¡¯ to not to press the question. From Kizu¡¯s own experience, it made sense to build a foundation of how to fight starting with the body.


    ¡°The first thing to know,¡± Arclight continued. ¡°Is that hand-to-hand is a final resort. Unless you are extremely experienced and specialized in the art, it will nearly always be better to back away and put space between you and your opponent. And if that¡¯s not possible, finding or conjuring a weapon will likely serve you better than trying to punch an enemy. But weapons can be lost, and opponents can back you into corners. So, you must first learn how to block a strike.¡±


    She beckoned someone lurking unseen in the shadows to approach. The student even loomed over the professor. His skin a sickly green tint, Kizu recognized him as Gob Lucas, the half-troll student. The edges of his mouth twitched into a slight smile as he stared down at Arclight.


    ¡°Lucas has volunteered to demonstrate for this class. Now Lucas, strike me.¡±


    The half-troll nodded obediently and took a stance in front of Arclight. He watched her carefully for a few seconds, then, without further warning, he attacked.


    Arclight lifted her hand and deflected his fist to the side while side-stepping, allowing Lucas¡¯ weight to carry him into an overextended stumble. Arclight then chopped the back of his head with a swift strike. The massive student collapsed in the dirt.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± she said, crouching down next to Lucas. She offered him her prosthetic hand and lifted him to his feet. ¡°I struck a bit harder than intended. How do you feel, Lucas?¡±


    Despite her apologetic words, the smile never left her face. And Lucas grinned back at her. With how they acted, Kizu doubted that Arclight stuck with any unintended strength. The professor went through the motions of the block again, this time Lucas acting in slow motion. She explained all the different parts of the block, from where she put the weight on her feet, to how high she positioned her hands. But instead of striking him in the back of the head, this time Arclight explained that this opening would also serve as a prime opportunity to slip away and gain distance.


    They paired up after the demonstration and Kizu found himself next to Evie, the girl with porcupine-like quills sprouting from her skin. She put on a pair of gloves, to cover the quills there. She took the defensive posture that Arclight had demonstrated.


    As Kizu struck at her, she raised her hands to deflect the blow as instructed and the quills pierced the cloth gloves and punctured his skin. He cried out in surprise and wrenched his fist back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, burying her face in her palms.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Kizu said through gritted teeth. He looked down at the back of his bloody knuckles where Evie had blocked his blow. A few broken quills stuck out of his skin.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Arclight approached and immediately determined the source of their issue.


    ¡°You¡¯re not fighting a human,¡± she told him, taking his hand and examining the wound. Kizu winced as she yanked the quills out of his skin. ¡°You cannot expect every opponent you face to be a clone of the last. Many Kemon like Evie here have physical advantages in close combat. But, if you find a way around it and manage a successful strike, nine times out of ten the opponent won¡¯t be able to see it coming. It¡¯s easy to become complacent and rely on a natural resistance.¡±


    To punctuate her point, Arclight spun on her heel and flicked Evie in the forehead, dropping the girl to the ground in an instant.


    ¡°How though?¡± Kizu asked, looking at her uninjured hand.


    ¡°There are hundreds of methods! Open your mind and guess! Perhaps the greatest beauty of magical combat is the limitless options at your disposal. Battle acts as an expression of creativity and ingenuity. I can teach you the foundations, but every individual has a unique application.¡±


    ¡°How do you do it?¡±


    ¡°Just now I use a body modification spell to harden my skin to the texture of steel.¡±


    Kizu didn¡¯t know any techniques similar to that. Not without his brewing equipment, at least. He watched as Evie stood up, rubbing her forehead, and looked over at him sheepishly.


    Going to his pack, Kizu retrieved a flask of water. He guzzled down half the flask, letting a bit of the liquid run down his chin. Then he poured the remaining water on his hands.


    Arclight watched him with curiosity as he motioned for Evie to get ready again. She seemed confused but did as he asked, taking the defensive stance.


    This time, right before he made contact with her hands, he froze the water soaking his hand, encasing his fist in ice.


    Evie yelped in surprise and dropped her hands, completely forgetting to deflect the blow as she instead jumped backwards. The strike landed on her shoulder with a crack and sent her sprawling in the dirt. Kizu took a quick second to examine the icy shield over his hand, now with quills sticking out of it, before transforming it into steam. The broken quills dropped to the ground as the ice dissipated.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Arclight said, beaming. ¡°You have a great amount of potential, Kaga. In the right circumstances, you might develop into a proper battle mage! Resourcefulness is key to victory.¡±


    Kizu crouched to help Evie back to her feet, only to realize that she couldn¡¯t take his hand without her injuring him. But she stood back up on her own just fine.


    ¡°And you, Miss Alito.¡± Arclight faced Evie. ¡°As I said earlier. You need to know others will find ways around your natural defenses. Dependency will cost you your life. Knowing your enemy¡¯s spell aptitudes will go a long way into predicting how he or she will act. Unfortunately, you rarely get the chance to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea with your opponent before battle. Instead, you need to watch for physical cues to give you hints. I will assign you a text that might help.¡±


    Evie looked incredibly grateful for the chance to read instead of actively fight. They both bowed and thanked Arclight as she dismissed them and went to assess other students.


    Kizu continued to practice with Evie, using his ice shield to ignore her quills, and switched positions. Evie was terrible at the offensive, holding back her blows to the point they were almost slow motion. A bit of irritation built Kizu. How was he supposed to learn if his partner refused to commit to a punch? But after a few more attempts, he relaxed, telling himself it was stupid to be upset about someone¡¯s nature being too nice of all things. Evie definitely didn¡¯t deserve any of his ire. Eventually, the academy bells rang overhead signaling the end of the class.


    When he arrived in Enchanting C, he took his usual seat next to Basil. Today, the shapechanger looked younger. While his height remained, his features looked like that of a gangly first year. Kizu assumed he chose the look to cover up his lack of physical mass.


    Kizu still hadn¡¯t properly spoken to Basil about his betrayal down in the World Dungeon. Every time he got close to addressing the issue, there was always another student within eavesdropping range. It was something that continued to eat him up inside and he didn¡¯t know the right way in which to address the issue. But before he could come up with a good way of confronting his friend, Professor Kateshi stepped through the painting that served as the class¡¯ entrance.


    ¡°Today,¡± she said, addressing the students as she took her usual place in the front of the classroom. ¡°You will need to find a group to work with.¡±


    There was a groan from the class. Kateshi ignored it as she continued.


    ¡°Enchanting goes beyond just what an individual can accomplish. You are now all at the point where more complex devices are within your understanding. Working together, you can complete a piece of a project and combine your skills, each of you creating one metaphorical cog, to accomplish an enchanted device beyond an individual¡¯s ability. You will be working in groups of three or four. And this project will act as your final. We¡¯re still a couple months away from the semester¡¯s end, so you have plenty of time to brainstorm and develop an enchantment.¡±


    Kateshi tapped the front blackboard and a glowing number appeared on it. It ticked down from one hundred to ninety-nine. The class immediately erupted into chatter as everyone found their group mates.


    ¡°You with me?¡± Kizu asked Basil. If he kept the changeling close, it would give him more time to figure out how to question him.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he responded. ¡°I told you from the very beginning I was going to rely on you to get a passing grade in this class.¡±


    Kizu scrambled to get a few other random students¡¯ attention, but they all blew him off. Just his luck this was the one day Basil decided not to appear as a drop dead gorgeous model. By the time the countdown dropped to zero, almost every student in class was in a group.


    Professor Kateshi patrolled through the class, jotting down their assembled teams.


    ¡°Kaga Finn,¡± Kateshi said. ¡°You¡¯re still sitting alone. Join your brother¡¯s group.¡±


    Finn¡¯s eyes widened in horror and he started to stammer a protest, but Kateshi ignored him and moved back to the front of the room.


    ¡°You have eight weeks,¡± she said, addressing the entire class. ¡°Which might seem like a great deal of time, but it will pass by quicker than a blink of the eye. Today, you should begin hypothesizing with your group and sketching out ideas. Remember, the key is to incorporate the strengths of the individual to create something especially remarkable as a whole.¡±


    Finn plopped down in a seat near them with his customary scowl.


    ¡°So,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Any ideas for what you guys want to create?¡±


    ¡°A clothing mannequin,¡± Basil immediately proposed. ¡°One that can change sizes and body shapes based on who is looking at it to showcase how the clothes will fit without needing to actually try them on.¡±


    ¡°I hate that idea,¡± Finn said.


    ¡°Do you have something better?¡± Basil said defensively.


    ¡°I¡¯m not working on a useless clothing mannequin for my final.¡±


    ¡°Okay, how about a mask that helps people learn how to smile,¡± Basil shot back. ¡°I think you¡¯ll find that mighty helpful.¡±


    Kizu quickly spoke up before the two of them ripped into one another.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± he said, proposing the first thing that came to mind. ¡°What if we were to develop a bookshelf? Like one of the ones they have in the library that conceals hidden passageways and disguises books.¡±


    To his surprise, neither of them protested the idea. Finn looked away, sulking, and Basil just shrugged.


    ¡°You¡¯re both good with this then?¡± Kizu said, shocked. He expected push back from them. He hadn¡¯t even given the idea more than a moment of thought. ¡°I¡¯m all ears if you have any other ideas.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Finn grumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m good with whatever,¡± Basil said, giving Kizu a thumbs up. ¡°Like I said, I expect you to carry me through this project. You owe me afterall.¡±


    He and Basil began hypothesizing on the different things they might be able to enchant the bookshelf do and methods of how they might be applied, with Finn occasionally muttering criticisms. Eventually, they decided on creating a gate tied between two different bookshelves. Divvying up the roles, Finn took on the base enchantments of the bookshelves, being surprisingly talented at glyph work, while Basil agreed to enchant the triggering mechanism. They quickly hit a hurdle though when they realized how much their project relied on spatial magic. Reluctantly, Kizu agreed to take the bulk of that on himself, as he was the only one with any experience with spatial manipulation. Though jumping was significantly different from the portal they proposed. Which meant more studying. On the bright side, Kizu thought he might be able to gain access to some restricted areas of the library thanks to the project. He hoped to satiate the growing curiosity about those forbidden sections that had been building over the last few months. He couldn¡¯t help feeling just a bit giddy at the thought of all those new books.

 Chater II.X (2.10) - Wattles and a Tie

    Chater LXVI (66) - Wattles and a Tie


    Roba¡¯s concern about Kizu arriving late to his classes proved to be well founded. Rapidly jumping in small segments across the forest to the academy was the only way he managed to get to Astronomy E on time. He arrived, panting and still in the same clothes from the previous day. Then he collapsed down onto one of the floor cushions and took in a deep breath. The air stung his mouth and tasted of incense.


    Moments after his arrival, the lights dimmed as Professor Grove bobbed into the center of the room. The wisp¡¯s glow illuminated the students in the front row.


    ¡°Welcome all,¡± she said. ¡°Congratulations on completing your midterm star charts. For the remainder of the semester, we will move into more of the practical uses of astronomy.¡±


    All the students around Kizu perked up and sat up a bit straighter.


    ¡°You have a foundation of knowledge,¡± Professor Grove continued. ¡°Now the stars are open to you. Cosmic events are often reflected by the night skies. We will be studying meanings and interpretations for the remaining eight weeks of the semester. Later in the semester we will also take a field trip north to examine the auroras.¡±


    That took Kizu by surprise. The crone had mentioned auroras off hand on a few different occasions. When exposed to an aurora, a powerful mage with a soul harmonious with the aurora supposedly could gain access to unknown spells and abilities. It was referred to as an Enlightening. The type of powers usually reserved for myths. Or so the ancient legends claimed. There was no record of an event like that in half a millennium. But beyond extraordinarily rare cases like that, occasionally normal mages also experienced lesser visions while exposed to as aurora. They were said to help guide the mages and sometimes even granted them awareness of a lost spell. Kizu expected the latter was more likely the reason for their class visit.


    A dozen different hands rose at once, proving that Kizu obviously hadn¡¯t been the only student to grow up hearing folk tales about the phenomenon.


    ¡°We will discuss the field trip¡¯s details closer to the date of departure. Which, tentatively, should be in one month¡¯s time.¡±


    Then Professor Grove continued on, explaining how to use the stars for fortellings. Unlike normal divinations, astronomy did not give personal accounts, instead dealing more so with those of natural occurrences or large scale shifts in balance. Using the stars, astronomers saved lives from hurricanes and tsunamis. They also occasionally could discover upcoming larger scale threats such as invasions by other nations or monster incursions from the World Dungeon. Though, predictions in that realm tended to be significantly less accurate. Most commonly, astronomers disagreed on the meaning of astrological signs until after the event the phenomena foretold occurred.


    ¡°For example,¡± Professor Grove said. ¡°This comet burned up in the night¡¯s sky a little over a week ago.¡±


    Overhead, a brilliant red ball the size of a fist ripped through the dark. As they watched, it split in half, one side burning a deeper shade of red while the other petered out into nothing as it seemingly dropped from the sky.


    That surprised Kizu, he hadn¡¯t seen anything during his nightly explorations with Mort. It must have been back while he was trapped in the World Dungeon.


    ¡°It was centered over the academy, so the belief is that the sign is related to our island. But scholars widely disagree on the meaning.¡±


    ¡°Are we in danger?¡± one of the students asked


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Professor Grove said. ¡°At least, not directly. The comet is a completely different sign from that of any natural disaster. However, there has been an increase in overworld monster activity since then. Personally, I believe the comet was simply warning of that, rather than anything more sinister. Still, monster activity isn¡¯t anything to scoff at. I have asked the academy to tighten the curfew schedule and increase nightly patrols.¡±


    Kizu groaned quietly. He already had enough trouble moving around at night without additional Jameses walking around.


    Professor Grove continued her lecture, going over the meanings of comets in the past. Apparently, they usually symbolized a change in life. Astronomers also apparently disagreed about when, alongside what. Evidence showed that the longer the comet appeared in the sky, the closer the event. But measuring exact timings became difficult on a cosmic scale. ¡®Soon¡¯ could mean next week or in twenty years. Apparently, in Tross¡¯s capital there was a facility dedicated to recording and collecting astronomical events across the world. While cosmic signs for things like specific types of natural disasters now had a near flawless interpretation rate, more vague concepts, like what a comet represented, remained hotly debated. To Kizu, it sounded like astronomers just liked to argue.


    When class was dismissed, Kizu had a lot to think about. That had by far been the most informative Astronomy E class to date. And his mind still lingered on it all throughout Music F. He played his scales mindlessly as he considered the new information. It hardly changed his immediate life, but he still wondered at what kind of files existed in Tross. Maybe there was a clue to finding his sister there. The chance was extremely slim, but not completely zero.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Gregor said behind him, causing Kizu to play an off-key. ¡°You¡¯ve really progressed.¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Kizu said, lifting his hands from the keys and turning toward him. ¡°I can play a couple simple songs and a few scales on the piano. That¡¯s not exactly going to get me out of any fights.¡±


    ¡°But it will get you out of Music F next year. Have you checked your rankings since the midterms? Professor Ignis updated everyone over the weekend.¡±


    Curious, Kizu reached into his bag and pulled out his scrying orb. He dusted it off and activated it, asking it for his most recent rankings.


    Kaga Kizu, third year- Combat- 674, Astronomy- 221, Divination- 171, History- 799, Politics- 799, Rejuvenation and Restoration- 799, Conjuring- 799, Brewing- 1, Numerology- 799, Music- 712 (piano), Enchanting- 352, Illusion- 96, Elemental- 692.


    Kizu¡¯s heart stopped. And not because of the update to his music ranking. But it looked as if Ignis hadn¡¯t been the only professor to update their rankings after the midterm.


    He asked his orb to bring up Sene¡¯s rankings.


    Kajima Sene, third year- Combat- 1, Astronomy- 1, Divination- 1, History- 1, Politics- 1, Rejuvenation and Restoration- 1, Conjuring- 800, Brewing- 2, Numerology- 1, Music- 1 (violin), Enchanting- 1, Illusion- 1, Elemental- 1.


    He had upset one of Ione¡¯s sister¡¯s top rankings. Sene, who already was a grump on a good day, would be out for blood now. Kizu quickly went over in his mind what his group had presented for their midterm. It hadn¡¯t been anything impressive, just a potion of iron skin. A pretty low level one too that wouldn¡¯t handle anything sharper than a knife¡¯s edge. He had barely paid any attention to it at all.


    ¡°Hey, Gregor,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Do you know Kajima Sene?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Not personally. But yeah, everyone does. She¡¯s the unmatched prodigy student. She fights nearly every week down at the combat tests. Pretty entertaining fights too, even if she¡¯s kind of smug.¡±


    ¡°Has anyone ever surpassed one of her rankings before?¡±


    ¡°It happened once in Illusions.¡± Gregor paused. ¡°That student ended up transferring to an academy in southern Edgeland.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Officially, it was for an unrelated family issue. But honestly, nobody bought that. Nobody knows for sure what happened, but most people speculate that Sene hexed him with something that made his life a nightmare.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Growing up, the crone had often used him to experiment with new hex combinations. He probably could deal with anything Sene managed to cook up, especially with the warning from Gregor.


    ¡°Why do you ask? Did someone recently take the first-place spot in something?¡±


    ¡°Knoff moved me to the first rank in Brewing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡± He gave Kizu a piteous look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, man. Good luck.¡±


    With a pat on his shoulder, Gregor left him to go bang on some drums. Kizu watched dispassionately as he and Tara competed to see who could bounce the drumstick the highest.


    In the afternoon, he sought out Ione in Elemental F. He took a seat on the patch of grass beside where she sunbathed.


    ¡°So, your sister,¡± he started.


    ¡°Why are you trying to ruin this beautiful day with such a horrible opener?¡± Ione said, not even opening her eyes.


    ¡°Tomorrow I have Brewing S with her-¡±


    ¡°That was rhetorical,¡± she said, cutting him off. ¡°I don¡¯t actually care. And I¡¯m really not in the mood for this conversation.¡±


    Kizu gave up and readied himself for Oasaji¡¯s lesson. A few minutes later, the turkey waddled into class. He wore a necktie, his wattles drooping over the knot and swaying alongside the cloth.


    ¡°Welcome to class,¡± he said. ¡°Today we will be starting with elemental creation. Now that you¡¯ve been practicing manipulation for the last eight weeks, you should all be adequately prepared.¡±


    He raised a wing, and a crest of flames arced over his head. Then he raised the other wing and with a hiss the flames transformed into steam and created a rainbow. When he brought his wings down, a blast of air sent him flying into the air, his rotund, feathered body slicing through the mist. He glided through the air for a few seconds before creating a mound of dirt under his talons.


    Several students in the class clapped at the display. Oasaji looked down on them from his perch.


    ¡°Fire is the easiest of the four basic elements to create. However, it¡¯s also perhaps the most difficult to control. Some philosophers will argue that all four elements are alive and have souls. While I don¡¯t personally subscribe to that hogwash, I admit fire does have a primal energy to it that constantly craves more. When controlling flames, the first thing you need to do is take into account your surroundings. Fire spreads out of control easily and extinguishing more than you initially created becomes exponentially more difficult as it grows. If you purposefully light something on fire, don¡¯t expect that you will be able to rid yourself of it easily. It¡¯s also important to establish a connection with your flames so as to not let it burn you. As the fire grows, the more difficult the process becomes. Pyromancers who lose control often end up with burns throughout their body. Both internal and external scars.¡±


    Standing before them, Professor Oasaji burst into a ball of blue flames. Several of the students gasped and took a step away from him.


    The flames spluttered out, flickering on the tips of his wings before extinguishing.


    Ione looked over her shoulder at him from where she lounged off to the side.


    ¡°I always assumed you¡¯d smell better cooked,¡± she said.


    There was a tense silence and a couple awkward chuckles. Then Oasaji burst out laughing, shocking everyone.


    ¡°Girl,¡± he said, when he finally finished. ¡°One of these days you¡¯re going to be the one who ends up as karaage if you don¡¯t start to put a bit of effort in.¡± But his scolding sounded lighthearted.


    She shrugged and turned away again.


    ¡°As for the rest of you,¡± Professor Oasaji said, his voice turning colder and serious again. ¡°Playing with flames is a quick way to end up with permanent scars that even Professor Kateshi will struggle to heal. So, we will start small.¡±


    He waved a wing and candles appeared in front of each of the students.


    ¡°Today, you will light this candle, and then expose your flesh to the flame you produce. If done properly, you won¡¯t even feel the heat, let alone burn.¡±


    Kizu had long since passed this milestone in his training. But by now he knew better than to complain to Oasaji about the slow curriculum. He practiced the assignment a few times, going the extra mile to extinguish and relight the candle with a spell each time. But such minor magic gave diminishing returns on increasing his skill power. He eventually started practicing his fire fist spell. He dismissed then resummoned the flames over his hand, wondering about how Professor Oasaji had managed to transform his flames blue earlier.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu,¡± Oasaji said, waddling up to him while the other students continued to practice. ¡°That is not my instructed lesson.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that far off from it,¡± Kizu protested. ¡°It¡¯s really the same exercise, just on a slightly larger scale.¡±


    ¡°And with your hand instead of a candle,¡± Oasaji observed dryly. ¡°Regardless, that level of spellwork should be outside of anyone in this class¡¯s skill level. Who taught you it? Roba?¡±


    Kizu blinked in surprise. He supposed it made sense for the other teachers to know about his private tutoring, but he had never really considered it before.


    ¡°No. I read about it in an elemental theory book. And then I practiced it on my own until I got it down.¡±


    ¡°Self-study is a commendable though dangerous pursuit. Especially so when involving flames.¡± Oasaji paused, studying him. ¡°How do you plan to use this spell you learned?¡±


    Kizu sighed. ¡°That¡¯s my problem. A few days ago I fought a monster in Hayashi Forest while doing an assignment from the quest board, but my spell was practically useless.¡±


    ¡°Explain the situation.¡±


    Kizu recounted the fight on the abandoned ship with the skeletons, leaving out details about Aoi. When he finished he waited and looked down at the turkey, who had a remarkably pensive look on his face. Kizu hadn¡¯t realized poultry could be so expressive.


    ¡°How far have you progressed in my wife¡¯s classes?¡± Professor Oasaji asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m in Combat F.¡±


    The turkey nodded, understanding. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take on more assignments that involve violence until you advance further. These are dangerous positions for an unskilled fighter.¡±


    Kizu slouched, disappointed. He had hoped for a more helpful piece of advice.


    ¡°However,¡± Oasaji continued. ¡°In regards to your current spell. I may not be the fighter I once was, but I can still explain the fundamental function of the spell. Your current use of it is extremely poor. Primarily, a spell like that should be used defensively, to disengage from an enemy¡¯s grapple. It turns the tide and can trap an enemy in a horrible position. It¡¯s best not to show it off until after the enemy already is on you, otherwise you risk scaring it off. Never show all your abilities immediately. You want to keep your enemies on their toes and guessing about what you will use next. Surprise is everything in a fight.¡±


    Kizu considered that, nodding.


    ¡°Ione!¡± Oasaji called out.


    The girl lazily looked over at him.


    ¡°Summon a practice zombie.¡±


    She let out a dramatic, exasperated sigh, but did as the professor commanded, flopping over onto her stomach to sketch in the dirt with a stick. A few moments later, a rotting corpse shambled up to them.


    As Kizu examined it with his spellsense, he realized it looked completely different from the undead like on the ship. Outwardly, it completely mimicked the traits of an undead, but inwardly they couldn¡¯t be more different. Perhaps if he was a necromancer like Aoi or a summoner like Ione, he would be able to see more. But, as it was, those sorts of details were a jumbled mess when he tried to focus on them.


    ¡°Have it attack Kaga Kizu here,¡± Oasaji instructed Ione.


    While she made no response, besides returning to her lounging position with her fingers laced behind her head, her summoned creature leaped at Kizu.


    As it tackled him off his feet the smell alone almost made Kizu retch. After hitting the ground, Kizu tried to twist out of its grip, but it kept a firm hold on his uniform. It lacked half its teeth and the remaining ones hung only by strands of rotting black gums in its mouth. Even still, it tried to sink those few teeth into Kizu¡¯s neck. Kizu felt a moment of actual fear. The monster wasn¡¯t holding back on him. He tried to create the flames like Oasaji had explained. But he tensed up, his fingers gripping the gooey brow of the monster as it snapped its jaw, bearing down on him.


    ¡°Focus,¡± his professor said. ¡°Don¡¯t let fear block your spellcraft.¡±


    Kizu attempted the spell again, but his hand slipped and the monster bit its dull teeth down on Kizu¡¯s thumb. A sickening crack caused his eyes to water as his hand throbbed in pain. Still, nobody else stepped in to help him. He needed to help himself.


    He tried to kick the creature off of him, but now that it clenched his thumb between its remaining molars, pushing it away created more pain.


    Closing his eyes, Kizu bit down on his tongue and focused on that pain as his mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood. That helped separate his thoughts away from the pain in his hand and reorient himself mentally, separating himself from the fear. Then he let loose, engulfing his hand in flames and lighting up the zombie¡¯s face from the inside. As he opened his eyes again, he witnessed his flames curling out of the eye sockets of the summoned creature, while the eyes themselves melted and dripped down onto Kizu¡¯s face.


    Kizu pushed the defeated monster off of him, panting and clutching at his bloody thumb.


    A round of applause erupted around him, startling him as he sat up. Looking around, Kizu realized the entire class had stopped their studies to watch.


    Oasaji ushered them all back to their exercises, but nodded approvingly at Kizu¡¯s performance, his wattle wiggling with the motion.


    ¡°Now, do you understand how valuable a spell like that can be in the correct situation?¡± he asked Kizu. But went back to the other students before Kizu formed a response.


    Kizu flopped back down next to Ione¡¯s summoned monster as it slowly disintegrated into flakes of black. He watched as the flakes of goo from the zombie¡¯s fluids disintegrated off his cheek and floated up into the air until they vanished into nothing.

 Chapter II.XI (2.11) - Student Council

    Chapter LXVII (67) - Student Council


    Kizu decided to skip Brewing S the next day. Having already tallied up a few absences from his excursion down into the World Dungeon, he risked having Shinzou Academy send an absence notice to his parents. But he wasn¡¯t too worried about that. He enjoyed learning from Professor Knoff and practicing new brews the crone would never let him attempt, but he valued avoiding Sene far more. He clung to the vain hope that she might calm down the more time that passed by.


    Instead of attending Brewing S, he used the note given to him by Professor Kateshi to gain access into some of the library¡¯s more regulated areas to start the research for the Enchanting C final project. The pass granted him access to the Living Library, one of the three restricted libraries. Kateshi had informed him that the other two libraries, the Grim Library and the Archive Library, were both useless to his project. The Grim Library mostly dealt with less savory spell formulas and records of macabre experimentations. And the Archive Library¡¯s contents were the original copies of books already available in the normal library.


    The Living Library, as it turned out, was aptly named. Almost every single book in the room contained some sort of magical feature that exhibited signs of life. Some physically grew paper limbs and crawled around, while others spoke directly to the reader, giving tidbits of information like footnotes. There was an enchanted tree in the center of the library that could have its bark peeled back to read its contents. Kizu was shocked to realize that one of the books he flipped through had an ancient humanoid¡¯s soul sealed within the pages. And not a friendly one. Though Kizu doubted he would be very friendly either after millennia of being sealed inside a book.


    He currently wrestled with a book that kept shifting its pages around. Every time he turned a page, it shuffled the pages to something else entirely. And more than once, he thought he heard a quiet giggle echo from it. The book specifically discussed the creation of transporting objects using dimensionalism. And it was the second most useful book he had located so far. Since the first book kept jumping to different bookshelves whenever he tracked it down, this tome was what he decided to slog his way through.


    A thump beside him startled both him and the book, causing it to flip rapidly between pages. He looked up at the disturbance and forgot how to breathe.


    Sene stood adjacent to him, having dropped a massive stack of volumes on the writing table beside him.


    ¡°Your absence was noted,¡± she said darkly.


    ¡°By whom?¡± he asked, trying to sound calm and carefree. But he over-compensated and squeaked on the final word.


    ¡°Me.¡±


    Kizu glanced towards the library exit. He wondered if he¡¯d get caught by the academy¡¯s beacon if he attempted to jump out to it. Regardless, ending up in trouble for jumping on campus likely would be a far better fate than what currently lay before him.


    ¡°As the first seat in Brewing S, you have taken on the responsibilities of a member of the Student Council,¡± she said through gritted teeth. ¡°As the president of the student body, I have graciously brought you the manuals to study your new role.¡±


    Kizu blinked. That had not been what he was expecting. Before he found his voice to ask any questions, Sene continued on.


    ¡°As a member of the Student Council, you will be looked at as an example of our academy. All ceremonies need the Student Council¡¯s presence attending them. Our next major function will be the Winter¡¯s End Ball which you will be expected to not only attend, but assist in the management, decoration, and organization of.¡±


    Kizu opened his mouth to protest about the school dance, but Sene launched into the next topic. She spoke over him whenever he tried to get in a word. It took well over an hour before Sene finally stopped instructing him on this random new role and dismissed herself for her next class.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not upset about me passing your rank?¡± Kizu asked as she was leaving.


    She turned back towards him and glared. ¡°Of course not. I requested Professor Knoff move you up to the first seat. He forgot about the rankings entirely. Even a half-wit knows you¡¯re not actually superior to me at brewing. The Student Council needed more seats filled. My bum sister actively avoids responsibility. You speak to her on a regular basis and accounts say she¡¯s fond of you for some reason, so logically you will be able to better motivate her.¡±


    Kizu was fairly certain that he was, in fact, far better than her at brewing. But he decided to keep that opinion to himself. The current ranking obviously still irritated her, despite what she said. So he let her depart without saying anything else on the topic.


    During her entire lecture to him, she had never actually answered any of his questions about the Student Council. Instead, she just directed him to the tomes of school regulations that she had dropped on him. According to them, in the middle of every week, at seven in the evening, the Student Council assembled for a meeting. Which, just so happened, to be today. Despite everything Sene had lectured him on, he still didn¡¯t quite understand what had just happened or what he was expected to do.


    ¡°Orb,¡± he finally said, taking out his scrying orb. ¡°What is the Student Council?¡±


    ¡°Shinzou Academy¡¯s Student Council is an assembly of the top seed students in each of the academy¡¯s thirteen subjects. The current members are- Kajima Sene- President, Kaga Kizu- Vice President, Kajima Ione- Secretary and Treasurer.¡±


    Kizu frowned. Somehow, he had suddenly been promoted to the position of vice president. And that was three people listed, not thirteen. By monopolizing the top spot in every subject, it looked as if Sene had shrunk the Student Council down to a fraction of its intended membership. And less members likely meant an increased work-load. A work-load that he doubted Ione intended to help out with. He recalled what Gregor had said about the other student who had gained a first place position. Kizu now suspected his true reason for transferring to a different academy.


    Taking a quick break from his dimensionalism reading, Kizu skimmed through the books left behind by Sene. Mostly, it seemed the Student Council acted as a figurehead of the student body. Besides planning a few different social functions every year, his main duties were to brainstorm ways to better the academy¡¯s lifestyle. Examples included things like food in the cafeteria and placement of study corners throughout the academy. He didn¡¯t even need to actually put them into action, just come up with ideas and propose them in a monthly meeting with one of the professors. Other than that, major events needed a representative of the Student Council, but he figured Sene would take up the mantle there without any prompting. Basically, the duties were only as difficult and numerous as the membership decided to make them. Unfortunately, with Sene at the council¡¯s head, he doubted he¡¯d be able to slack off.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in class?¡±


    Kizu looked up from the manual to see Aoi standing over him.


    ¡°It¡¯s History F. Krimpit would probably boot me from it anyway. I figured my time would be better spent here prepping for my Enchanting C final.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already looking at your enchanting final?¡± she asked, sounding a bit nervous.


    Kizu shrugged. ¡°Better to knock it out early and not have to worry about it later. Besides, I actually kind of enjoy studying dimensionalism. It¡¯s fun.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it full of arithmetic and physics? It¡¯s practically just a more difficult form of numerology. How is that fun?¡±


    ¡°I see it more as problem solving. Discovering how to get from one place to another. I¡¯ve always been pretty good at judging distances. It¡¯s a bit like eyeballing and figuring out what will work in a specific brew,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Anyway, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Looking for more maps and records of undead in the area. I found the one here that guided me to my new thralls, so there¡¯s a chance there might be another.¡± She paused. ¡°Of course, where I would really like to be is in the Grim Library. Any chance you have access?¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    He shook his head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just make up an excuse to ask for permission?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m banned. Special order by the academy¡¯s higher-ups. My uncle contacted them about it.¡±


    Kizu nodded along, listening to her rant about her family for a bit. Kizu gained a shred of gratitude towards his own parents. They might have high expectations and be completely superficial in their dealings, but at least they didn¡¯t try to control his life like Aoi¡¯s. They let him do whatever he wanted so long as it didn¡¯t disgrace or embarrass the family. Though, Kizu believed that was moreso due to the fact they didn¡¯t put in the effort to care, rather than respecting boundaries.


    But then he recalled what his mother had said about Anna and Anata and that tiny bit of gratitude disintegrated.


    ¡°What do you know about the Student Council?¡± Kizu asked when there was a lull in her ranting.


    Aoi looked surprised by the sudden change in topic. ¡°Not much. From what I heard it¡¯s just Kajima Sene. She¡¯s in my Politics S class, but I¡¯ve barely spoken a handful of words to her. I think she¡¯s supposed to organize some academy events. Supposedly, they used to be a lot more fun before my second year when Sene took over. But I¡¯ve never gone to one so that¡¯s just hearsay.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°And spend my entire evening with different people trying to shmooze their way up to me?¡± She shuddered. ¡°No thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d rather spend the night with a bunch of undead?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. At least I know where I stand with them,¡± she said defensively.


    Kizu shrugged then packed up his things. The two of them continued to chat on their way to the cafeteria. But when they walked inside, Emilia beckoned him over, causing Aoi to immediately split-up from him.


    Emilia pointedly didn¡¯t mention him walking in with Aoi as he sat down next to her. Instead she greeted him and started chatting with him about today¡¯s food selection. One of her friends also sat beside her, munching on cooked celery and carrots.


    Kizu scanned the menu. Everything today looked vegetarian. He ordered a heaping plate of rice that had nuts and beans scattered across the top. It wasn¡¯t particularly flavorful, but it filled him up. And it even came with a spoon.


    ¡°Congratulations on the rank increase in Brewing S,¡± Emilia said.


    ¡°You know about that?¡± Kizu asked, surprised.


    ¡°Of course. Word spreads fast. It¡¯s the talk of the academy right now. Besides, your placement isn¡¯t a secret. Anyone can research the rankings.¡±


    Kizu winced when Emilia said, ¡®the talk of the academy.¡¯ He wanted to study quietly without people constantly gossiping about him every month. First, it was his arrival as a new student at the age of a third year. Then, it was his fight where he ended up with a shattered leg. Now, they all talked about him surpassing Sene.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look like that,¡± Emilia said. ¡°This is an overwhelmingly positive turn of events! Graduating at the top of your class offers you a plethora of unique avenues. And having your name become well known across the academy in this way gains you positive notoriety. The students here won¡¯t be students forever, and they¡¯re now more likely to remember your name after they enter their career paths.¡±


    Kizu saw the logic in what she said. But, honestly, he didn¡¯t care much about any of that. The more time he spent outside the Hon Basin, the more he missed the hermit lifestyle. He had half a mind to return to it after finding his sister and finishing his education.


    But he wasn¡¯t an idiot enough to mention that to Emilia. Instead, he cheered up and continued to chat with her about her classes. He couldn¡¯t help noticing that she sat incredibly close to him and, more than once, lay her hand on his knee. At least something good seemed to come from his new rank.


    As Kizu made his way out of the cafeteria, he noticed Harvey frowning at him from across the room. He sat alone, with his food untouched in front of him. He showed no sign of noticing that Kizu looked back at him, instead the Tainted boy appeared completely lost in his thoughts.


    That evening, Kizu followed his scrying orb across the academy to the Student Council Room. The room was located in the dead center of the academy, up in a tower Kizu previously thought reserved for the professors¡¯ offices. As it turned out, the top floor was dedicated to the Student Council.


    It reminded him a bit of his dorm¡¯s common room with several massive windows along the walls. But instead of looking out at a layer of clouds, he could see the academy sprawled out below him, basked in dusk¡¯s light. In the center of the room, thirteen plush chairs lined the side of a large table. Ione slouched in one, appearing to doze with her feet resting up on the table. Sene stood at the end, shuffling papers around and looking irritable.


    Kizu realized this was the first time he¡¯d ever seen the two of them in the same place. It was a bit uncanny, like looking at a warped mirror. Physically, they looked identical. And yet they were impossible to mistake for one another.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sene said, not looking up at him. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, we can start. Ione, read off the attendance.¡±


    Ione snored slightly.


    Sene walked over and yanked a clipboard out from under Ione¡¯s feet. Then she made three distinct marks on it before tossing it back on the table and walking back to her position at the head.


    ¡°As I mentioned to Kaga Kizu earlier today,¡± she said. ¡°Our main activity right now is putting together the plan for the Winter¡¯s End Ball. However, this weekend I will also be meeting with academy leaders as our representative for the Festival of Light. I will be giving a short speech in town at twilight the night of the festival. Neither of you need worry about that, but it is on the agenda so I am mentioning it now.


    ¡°The ball is our main priority. We need to decide how to distribute our allotted budget. Last year, Professor Kateshi helped me get in contact with two of the best cursebreakers in Hon to give special lectures between dances. I could do that again, but we need to decide soon, or else I might not be able to reserve them.¡±


    ¡°You brought lecturers to a dance?¡± Kizu asked, confused.


    ¡°Of course. It only makes sense as we are attending an educational institution.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an expert, but I think the dance is meant to release the stress of the semester.¡±


    ¡°What better way than to prepare for next semester?¡± Sene didn¡¯t sound confrontational as much as confused.


    As the meeting continued, Kizu quickly realized what Aoi meant when she had said the academy students had begun to lose interest in the Student Council¡¯s events. Everything Sene suggested involved more school work. She even proposed having a pop quiz halfway between the dance, then pairing students up based on their scores. And while she and Finn might enjoy spending every minute of their freetime studying, Kizu doubted the rest of the student body agreed.


    ¡°We should buy fireworks with the budget,¡± Kizu suggested.


    Ione opened an eye at the suggestion and Sene froze in place as if rapidly calculating something in her head.


    ¡°How would that improve the education of the academy¡¯s students?¡± she finally asked. ¡°Fireworks are completely temporary. There¡¯s not even a practical use for them like with other explosives. It¡¯s equivalent to burning up money.¡±


    ¡°We could have them explode into math problems,¡± Ione joked, speaking up for the first time. ¡°Just picture it, numerology equations blasted into the air over our heads. Nobody would be able to look away.¡±


    ¡°I remember the academy shooting off fireworks when I was a kid,¡± Kizu explained, ignoring Ione. ¡°It was a long time ago and I don¡¯t remember much. But that experience has stuck with me.¡±


    Sene furrowed her brow, still looking confused. But eventually slowly nodded. ¡°We can cast a vote.¡±


    They did so, and it passed with two for and none against, Sene deciding to abstain from the vote.


    ¡°We have to decide how much money to put forward for the venture,¡± Sene said.


    ¡°How much do we have?¡± Kizu asked.


    There was an awkward silence as Sene looked over at Ione who once again appeared to be snoozing, then she sighed and answered herself.


    ¡°Our treasurer usually supplies that information.¡± Again, Sene paused, as if she expected Ione to perk up. Finally, she stopped waiting and just continued, obviously already knowing the information. ¡°We have an entertainment budget of 250,000 Yennies. That¡¯s separate from the food and beverage budget as well as the far smaller marketing budget.¡±


    Granted, Kizu didn¡¯t know much about economics and the currency, but that seemed like a lot of money at their disposal.


    ¡°So, we will have some money left over as well?¡± he said.


    ¡°Assuming your fireworks get approved by the council supervisor, then most likely, yes. I will bring this up in my meeting this weekend. Do you have another entertainment source in mind?¡±


    Kizu thought about it. His experience with balls began and ended with storybooks. They were a common troupe though. He tried to think about what made them special.


    ¡°What about a dance contest in the middle?¡± Kizu suggested. ¡°We would need judges though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting that as a break between dancing, the students watch people dance? Isn¡¯t that a bit redundant?¡±


    ¡°It seems more relevant than redundant,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Have you ever been to a ball before?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sene replied curtly. ¡°I went to last year¡¯s and the year before.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been to a ball not planned by you?¡± Kizu amended.


    ¡°Well, no,¡± Sene admitted. ¡°But the professors gave positive feedback on last year¡¯s ball.¡±


    ¡°Which professors?¡±


    ¡°Professor Krimpit.¡±


    It took effort to keep his distaste from showing on his face. ¡°How about we take a vote on the dance competition?¡±


    Sene reluctantly agreed. Her usual frown turned into outrage when Ione once again joined his side of the vote. Apparently, she was used to her twin sleeping through the meetings and abstaining from votes. Kizu suspected Ione was only selectively asleep.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Sene snapped. ¡°You two are in charge of it then.¡±


    With that declaration out of the way, Sene launched into details the catering for the ball. Not knowing anything about the food, Kizu voted along with her to keep the same catering from last year. Ione abstained, but it hardly mattered. Then Sene started to discuss the marketing campaign. Another subject of which Kizu knew nothing about. By the end of their meeting, Kizu had not only been forced into agreeing to set up the dance competition, but also creating and sending out notices for the ball. As per usual, Kizu added more tasks to his endlessly growing to-do list.

 Chapter II.XII (2.12)- Silver and Sea Monsters

    Chapter LXIII (68)- Silver and Sea Monsters


    Kizu looked down at his drawing of two dancers. Easily his best attempt so far. The image probably made sense without even requiring the onlooker to squint.


    The Student Council had access to an enchanted device that could temporarily replicate small objects like a small piece of parchment. After a week or two the replicated object would slowly disintegrate, but by then the word would be out. He just needed to design a sign to post first. Something to alert people about the ball.


    He lay in his hammock with a drawing board propped up against his legs. One nice thing about the boat not yet being afloat was that it remained completely stable.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Aoi asked. She looked over his shoulder at his work, her skeletons lurking behind her.


    ¡°Dancers.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t see it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a technique I¡¯m familiar with. Is it new?¡±


    Kizu looked over at her. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s a sketch for the Winter¡¯s End Ball.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Ah. Well. Maybe it¡¯s a bit blunt to say that I don¡¯t think that sign will draw any students to your event.¡±


    ¡°Can you do better?¡± Kizu grumbled, ignoring her joke.


    As an answer, she held out a hand. Kizu reluctantly turned over the drawing board to her.


    In mere minutes, she handed him back a gorgeous sketch of a man and woman dancing. The woman¡¯s dress twisted around her while still floating a few centimeters off the ground, implying movement. While the man stood tall and firm, in control and guiding her. There were no background details, but there didn¡¯t need to be. It kept the dancers as the sole focal point. He could fill the empty space with text.


    ¡°Can I use this?¡± Kizu asked.


    Aoi shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡± Then she paused, examining her undead. ¡°I wonder if any of you can draw. If you retain an echo of your soul, then you should each have talents from your lives, right?¡±


    The skeletons just stood there, swaying slightly.


    ¡°That¡¯s how I understand it,¡± Kizu said, trying to be helpful. ¡°But the undead I knew actually still retained most of her soul. My knowledge of mindless undead like these is all hearsay.¡±


    ¡°What was she like?¡±


    ¡°You mean Shika?¡± Kizu shrugged. He figured he might as well answer her questions since she let him keep her drawing. ¡°She acted like any other girl. At least as far as I could tell. We kind of grew apart though as I got older though. We¡¯re still friends, but it¡¯s hard when she¡¯s stuck at the maturity of an eight year old.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so interesting. So, the soul requires the body to change?¡±


    ¡°Not quite. She never stopped growing mentally and acquiring information. She¡¯s way smarter than me. But her brain¡¯s maturity remains stunted. I¡¯m not an expert on child psychology, but children think differently from someone like you or me. It¡¯s hard to explain, but we basically just grew apart a bit as the years went by.¡±


    Aoi considered this, then her eyes lit up. ¡°I need to write all this down!¡± Then she scrambled over to a corner of the room and grabbed a giant book. She sat down at the table in the center of the crew quarters, opened it, and began madly scribbling notes down.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Kizu asked, walking up to her.


    ¡°My new grimoire,¡± she said, not looking up from her book. ¡°Every necromancer has one. My old diary has notes about necromancy and soul magic in it that are encoded, but now I have a place to keep an actual grimoire, so I¡¯ve been working on transcribing them into it. Plus, my findings with my new undead here as well.¡±


    Kizu tried not to look guilty at the mention of her diary. Though he was silently impressed he never noticed anything that even hinted at a coded message when he had skimmed it. Granted, he hadn¡¯t been looking for anything like that. But still.


    Anata came over and stood up on her tiptoes to look at the grimoire Aoi wrote in. Aoi ignored her, as per usual, and continued to scribble madly in the book. While Aoi remained indifferent to Anata, Anata had become significantly more relaxed around the princess as the days went by. It was probably healthy for her to become comfortable with more people.


    But, the moment that crossed Kizu¡¯s mind, Aoi went to turn a page and her hand brushed against Anata¡¯s face.


    Anata yelped like a kicked dog as her flesh hissed. She scrambled back, clutching at her left eye with bits of steam escaping through her fingers while tears rolled down her face from her other eye.


    Kizu dashed to her side, trying to discover what was wrong with her. He managed to pry away her fingers from her face, revealing a streak of exposed scarlet flesh that cut across her left eyebrow. It actively sizzled and the flesh bubbled. The reek of burning meat filled the crew¡¯s quarters.


    Kizu whirled on Aoi who sat, watching with wide eyes, with her grimoire still open in front of her.


    ¡°I barely touched her!¡± Aoi said, raising her hands.


    In the light shed from Aoi¡¯s scrying orb, Kizu caught a glimpse of something on her finger. Kizu stepped forward and took her hand for a better look. She protested and yanked her hand away, but Kizu saw enough to confirm his suspicion. A ring with a fresh bit of skin still coated on it.


    ¡°You wear silver,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Aoi said. But then she paused, realizing what that meant. ¡°She¡¯s not human? Your niece is a monster?¡±


    ¡°Only half monster. She¡¯s still my niece.¡±


    ¡°And which half of the family are you from?¡± Aoi asked, her eyes narrowing at him.


    In response, Kizu grabbed her hand again, this time pressing his palm against the silver ring.


    ¡°Let go,¡± she said, pulling her hand away. ¡°I get it. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that your niece was half monster. Someone forgot to mention that to me when deciding to move into my ship. Otherwise I would have been a bit more careful.¡±


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    ¡°Can you heal her?¡±


    Aoi grumbled about it, but eventually removed her rings and set her hand over Anata¡¯s wound. Anata flinched at her touch, but relaxed when nothing bad happened. There was a slight glow. When she removed her hand, the skin had knitted itself back together, though a white line remained diagonally across her eyebrow. A millimeter or two in width and three or so centimeters in length, along the center of where the gash had been.


    ¡°There¡¯s still a scar,¡± Kizu noted.


    ¡°I never claimed to be perfect. It takes years of training to become a proper medic mage. I just pay attention in my classes enough to cast basic spells to heal superficial wounds and clean breaks. I actually just learned how to repair hair follicles last week. So, besides that scar, the rest of her eyebrow should grow back fine.¡±


    Anata touched her healed wound and looked at her fingers, looking confused as they came back without any blood. She looked a bit more dangerous now, the scar directly above her scarlet eye.


    The image was ruined though as Mort leapt on top of her head, causing her to giggle slightly. He tugged at her hair then hopped onto one of the hammocks. As they began to chase each other around the room, Kizu couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how quickly her mood shifted. He wondered if all children were like that, or if Anata was special in that regard.


    With everyone now pacified, Kizu left the crew quarters and dipped down into the flooded cargo section of the ship. An air bubble over his head, he continued his repairs.


    An hour later, Kizu looked down at his handiwork. The patch had mostly been sealed up from this side. Now he had to figure out what to do about the exterior.


    He climbed back up onto the deck and looked down into the black waters. Using his spellsense, he could sense the magical creature swimming around in the depths. It never seemed to stop moving. Not even to sleep. For the last week, Kizu had expected it to try to interfere with his fishing, but it never appeared bothered by it. And the previous day, he had tested the water by throwing large wood scraps into the lake. The creature at the bottom had made no sign of noticing them.


    So, despite his better judgment, Kizu sat up on the gunwales of the ship, then he slid into the lake.


    At first, he watched the creature closely with his spellsense. But the magical monster made no sign of diverging from its path underwater. Still, Kizu resolved to keep an eye on it as he swam down to the hole in the exterior hull of the ship.


    The ship¡¯s stern rested on a massive craggy rock that jutted up from the depths of the lake. It was extraordinarily fortunate that the ship hadn¡¯t sunken any deeper into the water over the years.


    Kizu created a bubble of air to breathe as he examined the extensive damage. He ran a hand down along the hull, transforming the water touching it into ice. He continued to cast his spell, building on his ice. Soon, he had a human sized chunk clinging to the side of the boat. He could feel the chill imitating from it into the surrounding water. Despite his shivering, he kept at it. When he had built a tumor of ice as big as a sakura tree, he swam back to the surface. His entire body shook, and the world blurred in front of him, but he managed to clamber over the gunwales and fall back to the deck.


    Regaining a bit of strength, he requested through his bond for Mort to bring Anata to him.


    A minute later, both Mort and Anata joined him on the upper deck. While he felt Mort¡¯s concern and confusion through their bond, Anata seemed to understand the situation immediately.


    Out of the folds of her outfit, she took out a small object wrapped in a handkerchief. Unwrapping it, she revealed the familiar scarlet knife she had kept down in her prison in the dungeon. She sliced her thumb open and pressed against Kizu¡¯s damp arm.


    Immediately the world shuddered before him. His sense went into overdrive as everything burst into life. The chill from the water amplified to the point where he almost blacked out, but he clung to consciousness as the sensation wore off.


    Feeling much better, Kizu heated up the water still on his skin, causing small tendrils of steam to arch up from his body.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said to Anata.


    He found a dry piece of cloth from his pack and wrapped her finger in it. It only took a few seconds of pressure for the blood flow to clot.


    Anata looked proud of her work and she smiled up at him, her open mouth exposing her sharpened canine.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back in,¡± Kizu said to her. ¡°I think I almost have it. You and Mort wait here for me. I might need more help in a minute.¡±


    With that, Kizu swung his legs over the railing and dropped back into the lake.


    It took three more stops back to the surface to refill on blood from Anata before he finally got a result. The chunk of ice stretched all the way across the bottom of the boat, far under it. But Kizu was careful to not have any of the ice attach itself to the stone.


    The ice¡¯s cracking and popping echoed in the water all around him as the stern of the ship finally slowly ascended to the surface. Kizu watched his work with pride as, for the first time in centuries, the back of the ship finally breached into the open air above.


    Only then did Kizu notice a shift from below.


    He almost missed it, but as he observed his ice with his spellsense, the creature altered its trajectory. Now it moved in his direction. Kizu abandoned his air bubble and rapidly swam towards the hole in the ship¡¯s hull. As he slipped inside and created a new air bubble, he looked behind him towards the creature.


    It glowed. And not only from his spellsense. A faint purple emanated from it, illuminating it in the dark water. He had expected a sea monster similar to the one that he had run into while exploring the underwater ruins with Anata back as a spirit, but this was something else entirely different.


    Five extremely long legs sprouted from the main gelatinous body, twirling, twisting, and paddling it upwards. As it approached, Kizu realized that the main body looked almost fungus-like as it undulated. Not including its flexible limbs, the massive jellyfish creature was approximately a third of the size of the ship.


    It floated next to the ship, not quite breaching the surface. It winced back as one of its tendrils brushed up against the iceberg that suspended the ship.


    Then, ripples went through the water. The current of water touched Kizu and his vision blacked out as throbbing agony overwhelmed his senses. He breathed rapidly in ragged and disorderly gasps, barely managing to maintain the air bubble spell as his skull felt as if it was collapsing inwardly under an ocean of pressure.


    Above him, he thought he heard someone say something, but between the water muffling noise and the extreme pain, he couldn¡¯t make out any meaning. It sounded like a command.


    Then, without any warning, the creature drifted away and returned to the depths below. In less than three minutes, its dim light winked out in the darkness. But Kizu could still sense it below with his spellsense. His head still rattled with pain, but it was manageable.


    His arms shaking, neither from blood loss nor cold this time, Kizu resumed his repairs to the hull¡¯s exterior. Despite the monster¡¯s visit, or rather, because of it, the ship needed to be fixed as soon as humanly possible. Kizu did not want to spend another day creating an iceberg to float the ship up.


    The repairs weren¡¯t pretty, but Kizu managed to patch the hole with boards and then slabbed a gunky sealant over the slight spaces between the wood.


    From there, the only thing that remained was draining the interior. Thankfully, he had a plan for that.


    As he emerged from the water, he saw Anata and Mort peering over the gunwales down at him. He could feel Mort¡¯s concern for him through their bond, though focusing on their bond caused his migraine to swell. Waving them off, he climbed back aboard the ship. And stumbled over to the crew¡¯s chambers.


    ¡°Kizu!¡± Aoi said as he entered. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He winced as her words magnified the throbbed in his skull. Focusing, he rummaged through his pack and withdrew some willow leaves from his small brewing supplies. Not bothering to actually brew it, he popped some in his mouth and started chewing. The relief was instant.


    ¡°Oh good,¡± Kizu said around a wad of leaves. ¡°You¡¯re still here. I was worried you¡¯d gone back to your dorm for the night.¡±


    ¡°The entire ship righted itself in the water suddenly! What was that massive blob in the water? Did you create that? Why is the ship covered in ice?¡±


    ¡°A sea monster. And ice floats, it¡¯s one of the first things every novice brewer learns,¡± Kizu said, tired. Then, before she could question him further, he continued. ¡°I blocked up the hole down below so we should stay afloat now. But I need your help emptying out the water still in the hull.¡±


    Aoi made a face. ¡°I am not carrying buckets.¡±


    Kizu sighed. ¡°Not your physical help. Just command those skeletons of yours. They can¡¯t do complex commands like actually repairing the ship, but you should be able to get them to do something simple like carrying buckets.¡±


    Her face lit up with the idea, likely excited by the prospect of using her necromancy. She put them to work. The undead thralls lined up between the captain¡¯s cabin and the gunwales. They passed buckets of water between each other before throwing the contents overboard. It took hours just to get about a fourth of the water out, but they continued tirelessly.


    Kizu waited until the ice melted under the ship, proving it to be stably afloat, before going down to the crew quarters and passing out on his hammock.

 Chapter II.XIII (2.13) - Wine and Mines

    Chapter LXIX (69) - Wine and Mines


    When he woke up, he found the cargo hold free of water and the skeletons standing in place placidly, uncertain how to continue without commands.


    Having the ship afloat and drained of lake water opened up its space tenfold. Now Anata and Mort explored the entirety of the ship while he was away. Unfortunately, while Mort was great at helping Kizu keep an eye on Anata, the monkey¡¯s curiosity also rivaled that of the girl¡¯s. The next day when Kizu finished his classes, he discovered his bond with Mort numb. He rushed back to the ship, jumping and running, his leg brace nearly falling apart at the strain.


    When he arrived, he found both of them safe, but completely inebriated. Anata hiccupped purple bubbles as she grinned up at him from where she lay on the deck. Mort wasn¡¯t much better off as he continued to push an empty bottle around across the deck, constantly going off course and crashing into obstacles like the broken mast.


    It didn¡¯t take the skills of a trained detective to follow the trail of spilled liquid leading down to the cargo hold. There, Kizu located the opened crate that held a stash of ancient rum. He quickly concluded he needed to get this as far away from Anata and Mort as possible.


    However, he also needed to stay and watch the monkey and girl until they sobered up, in case they decided to try something stupid like swimming. So he sat, reading a book about dimensionalism on the deck, with an eye on the two delinquents. When Aoi arrived later in the day, he set her up to watch over the incapacitated duo while he jumped across the lake with the crate of rum in tow.


    Unfortunately, consecutive jumps with the crate still remained outside of his skill level, so he mostly dragged the crate through the muggy forest, his leg aching from the effort, until he reached town.


    As the weekend approached, so did the nightlife in town. Obnoxious singing boomed from across the street from Jeri Co. Kizu did his best to ignore it as he pushed open the door and entered the shop.


    The top half of Jeri¡¯s bald head glittered behind the counter. As Kizu approached, the gnome stood on his tip toes and beamed at him.


    ¡°The Kaga boy! What a delight! I was just thinking about your father the other day. You see, I recently acquired some old merchandise from a company I recall him dismantling. He subtly incited two different companies in Ilosin-Don into tearing one another apart, only for him to swoop in after the destruction and take all the clientele for himself, creating a monopoly. I still marvel at how he managed to play both parties like a bugler rallying troops. Quite a crafty chap. What¡¯s that behind you? A box to fill or a box to empty?¡±


    ¡°To empty,¡± Kizu said, lifting the crate up to the counter with a grunt.


    Jeri climbed up onto the counter and peered into the box. He gave Kizu a quizzical look before popping open a bottle and sniffing it. Then he took a swig of it. Kizu was shocked by the brazenness of the action. He could have brought any number of toxic liquids. But Jeri nodded his head and smiled dreamily.


    ¡°Rum? And of Ilosinean make as well. Wherever did you find such a lovely drink? It''s been a scarce commodity since the invasion.¡±


    ¡°I found it while fulfilling an assignment from the town¡¯s quest board.¡±


    ¡°Ah, loot,¡± Jeri said knowingly. ¡°Well with a decent knack for finding this sort of product, you might consider joining a delving company after graduation.¡±


    Not wanting to think about the World Dungeon, Kizu shifted the subject back to the rum.


    ¡°You¡¯ll buy it?¡± Kizu asked hopefully.


    Jeri considered, his thumb tapping his bearded chin.


    ¡°How many bottles do you have?¡±


    ¡°Forty,¡± Kizu said, then amended his statement. ¡°Actually, only thirty-nine. And that¡¯s if you include the one in front of you. My niece accidentally got into one.¡±


    ¡°Thirty-eight in total. It breaks my heart to say so, but while rare, the island lacks the standard consumers of this rum. I doubt most here would be willing to pay for it. My sister will be moving here with her son in a few weeks, but besides that, my wife and I are the only gnomes around for almost a thousand kilometers.¡±


    ¡°So, you won¡¯t buy it,¡± Kizu said, his heart sinking.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that! I just wish for transparency in this exchange. You may have a fine supply; however, the island lacks any of the demand needed to see it at its full potential.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you transport it to the mainland in Hon or Tross?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Currently, Jeri Co is my only remaining open storefront. I might be able to find distributors on the mainland, true. There are several gnome refugee towns in Tross, especially. But that would also cut into the profits I offer you. The more links within the supply chain, the thinner the profits are spread.¡±


    Kizu voiced his understanding. ¡°How much are you willing to spend?¡±


    Jeri scratched his bald scalp. ¡°It breaks my heart, but maybe 3,000 Yennies.¡±


    Disappointment weighed heavy on Kizu¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    Jeri nodded his head solemnly, as if grieving alongside him.


    ¡°The total will be 114,000 Yennies.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Wait, you meant 3,000 Yennies a bottle?¡±


    Jeri pulled out another bottle and examined it, this time with a monocle over his real eye. ¡°What else would I mean? It seems the bottles each contain the same amount of liquor so that would be an accurate measurement. Though I suppose we could weigh the bottles just to be certain. I¡¯m very glad to have some of this in stock, even though I know it''s basically robbery, but it will be good to have some authentic rum for when my sister arrives.¡±


    Jeri kept on jabbering as he searched each of the bottles for cracks or defects. After finishing his inspection, he shuffled through some things below the counter before popping back up and hanging Kizu a sack of coins.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I took out a few Yennies for the earring. No need to contact your father this way.¡± He gave Kizu a wink.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Kizu said, slowly looking around the room. ¡°Do you mind if I do a bit more shopping before I leave?¡±


    The old gnome waved him away as he began unloading the crate of rum.


    Kizu wandered the shop. He wanted to find a gift to give Emilia tomorrow. There were a million different things vying for his attention in the shop, from the wicked looking weapons that each glowed different ominous shades to the pottery inlaid with moving images. Not everything in the shop was magical, but those were usually the most eye-catching items on display. His attention was snagged by some prosthetic limbs laid out on a shelf. They looked nowhere near as magnificent as Arclight¡¯s prosthetic arm, but the limbs looked functional. He picked up a fake leg and it immediately started to kick him repeatedly in the shoulder until he set it back down. Glancing at his own mangled leg, he wondered how effective one of these might be. Roba had warned him that most artificial limbs would leave him worse off than his current situation. The amount of blood storage he¡¯d lose alone should dissuade him entirely. Even if one of the legs worked as effectively as his had before, he would be crippled magically. So just replacing one disability for another. Still, it took effort to tear his eyes away and continue his search.


    Eventually, he wandered over to a wall lined with jewelry, each object labeled in the Universal Script. His eyes fell on a silver circlet. The center gleamed with a cut sapphire. It was labeled, Soul Stabilizer. According to the details, it helped relax a person¡¯s soul, and, by extension, their body. Kizu glanced at the price tag. 12,000 Yennies. More than a tenth of what he had just earned by selling the crate of rum. With a moment of hesitation, he reached up and took the circlet.


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    Then he stopped, ciclet in hand, and recalled Anata¡¯s damaged face.


    ¡°Jeri,¡± he called out.


    The gnome peaked over the counter.


    ¡°This circlet,¡± Kizu continued. ¡°What exactly is it made out of? Silver?¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s an old prototype that my friend gave me. It¡¯s an alloy of nickel, palladium, and mythril. She hoped it might magnify the properties of an enchantment. She experimented over fifty different alloy compositions. This one works, of course, I wouldn¡¯t sell it otherwise, but not to the magnitude of what she was seeking.¡±


    ¡°Mythril? Palladium?¡± Kizu double checked the price, thinking he might have missed a zero or two.


    ¡°When you combine mythril to an alloy, it makes it nearly impossible to separate. So she basically was throwing away money when she started that project. I warned her as much too, but she has absolutely wretched business sense. She always wants to push boundaries instead of profiting.¡±


    In the end, he purchased the circlet more because of how pretty it was than its actual functionality.


    Kizu also looked at the furniture offered. He wanted to better furnish their ship. As it was, they only had a table, some chairs, hammocks, and crates. But, in the end, he decided not to get anything today. He would wait until he had mastered long-distance jumping. That way he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about lugging a couch back with him. They could make do without for a couple months.


    When he returned to the ship to store his new funds, he found Aoi in the cargo hold rummaging through the crates. She was so deep inside a large crate that only her legs stuck out.


    ¡°Looking for something?¡±


    His voice made her jump, and he heard a thump as she banged her head on the inside.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, pulling herself out of the crate to glare at him. ¡°And don¡¯t sneak up on people. It¡¯s exceptionally rude.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, princess,¡± Kizu said dryly. ¡°I thought you were going to watch over the drunks. What are you looking for down here?¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re passed out. And a grimoire. Remember how I mentioned the other day that any necromancer worth marrow owns one? It got me thinking that the necromancer that led this expedition must have owned one too.¡±


    ¡°I thought you already found it? Wasn¡¯t that what brought you out to this boat in the first place?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s incomplete. It should have a lot more personal information and records of experimentation in it. What I found is more like a jumble of information on the basics of necromancy. I think it¡¯s a compilation of the necromancer¡¯s first notes rebound into a new grimoire to make space for his actual secrets.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the other volume just fell apart over the years. It was submerged underwater.¡±


    ¡°Not a chance. Even I have enchantments safeguarding mine against the elements.¡±


    ¡°What if he had other enchantments?¡± Kizu suggested. ¡°Like to have it destroyed on his death to keep it out of the hands of rivals.¡±


    Aoi considered that for a minute. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible,¡± she admitted. ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of any records of necromancers doing such.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to find destroyed records.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awfully snarky today,¡± she commented, unamused. ¡°Usually, necromancers are surprisingly supportive of their peers. Often pooling resources and assisting one another. They have to be, otherwise the governments would wipe them out.¡±


    It made sense. It even sounded a bit like the witch covens in the Hon Basin.


    ¡°Well, what if the necromancer just brought the grimoire down into the World Dungeon when he left?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my worry. But even still, I feel like there should be something on board. Besides the book and the skeletons, this is just like any other gnomish boat.¡±


    Kizu shrugged. ¡°Well, good luck, I guess.¡±


    Back on deck, Kizu cast a line into the water. The sinker dragged the hook and bait deep underwater. From there, he watched but let his mind wander.


    Before, he had assumed the monstrous jellyfish accessed the lake before it grew. But what if it was created by the mage who owned the ship. It might be an Awakened creature. Just because it didn¡¯t speak to him didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t speak altogether. Not all sentient creatures were as friendly as the snake he had encountered.


    The Awakened snake who had told him about the cove. Kizu¡¯s mind wandered back to the conversation he had with it. It had mentioned tunnels and caves and that the cove used to be the entrance into a gnomish mine.


    Abandoning his rod, Kizu jumped to the shore. He walked along it, examining the stone wall with both his natural and spellsense. It didn¡¯t take long for him to notice something peculiar.


    A cavity in the wall that first appeared to only be about a meter deep, twisted into a tunnel. He spotted a rusty upturned minecart and the head of a pickaxe. Kizu was hesitant to delve any deeper, worried about accidentally ending up in the World Dungeon without any of his equipment. Based on what the Awakened snake had told him, it should just be a mine. But the necromancer had docked his ship here before descending into the World Dungeon. And there might very well be a good reason why the mine had been abandoned by the gnomes.


    Using his fire fist spell, Kizu scorched an X into the stone beside the cavity to help him locate it quickly.


    Then he jumped back to the ship to gather up his things. As hesitant as he was to go into danger, he decided that ignoring the potential danger the mine posed would be incalculably stupid of him. While bloodspawn couldn¡¯t access the surface without human blood, other monsters often wandered up.


    He considered bringing Mort with him but decided against it. The monkey was still recovering from his excessive drinking earlier in the day. And besides, he still wasn¡¯t comfortable leaving Anata here alone. Especially since she was still pretty intoxicated. She might wake up and fall into the lake. Even without alcohol in her system, Anata appeared to struggle with moving around on the gently swaying deck. Plus, it would be more useful to have his familiar here, anchoring him to the area and acting as a compass needle for Kizu¡¯s return.


    He took out his box and examined Sojan. The knife looked the same as always, an ebony black glint. It had saved his life multiple times down in the World Dungeon. He owed it a body but was uncertain how to find one. Resolving to keep an eye out for any creatures to use the knife on down in the mine, he wrapped it in a cloth and slid it into his uniform¡¯s pocket. Then he pocketed the bell and the atlas as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need my necklace for a bit,¡± Kizu told Anata as he went below deck. ¡°Do you mind letting me use it?¡±


    She smiled at him from her sprawled position in her hammock. Her hand wobbled as she passed him the necklace. Kizu hoped that by the time he returned she¡¯d sober up a bit. Mort, at least, looked a little recovered. He¡¯d woken up and now glared at Kizu from the shade. Kizu could feel the muffled headache coming from the monkey through their bond.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Aoi asked from across the deck.


    ¡°Just checking in on our neighbors. I found a cave nearby that leads down into a mine. I want to search it and make certain there¡¯s nothing dangerous living inside.¡±


    Aoi¡¯s eyes lit up and she tossed a braid over her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re not planning to go alone, right?¡¯


    ¡°I mean, I was,¡± Kizu said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come along. But I thought you hated this sort of errand.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s not a necromantic base on the ship, then I bet it¡¯s down in that cave.¡±


    Kizu shrugged and jumped with her across the lake in front of the mine¡¯s entrance. She activated her scrying orb to illuminate the path. At the very least, she didn¡¯t slow Kizu down as he started down the cave.


    Using an old trick picked up from adventuring novels, Kizu stayed to the leftmost path at every fork in the mine. Hypothetically, that should allow him to map out the entirety of the mine.


    ¡°These paths are tiny,¡± Aoi complained as they crawled through a half-collapsed section.


    ¡°Built by gnomes for gnomes. Like your skeletons. It¡¯s actually surprising more of the tunnel support beams haven¡¯t collapsed. These gnomes definitely have great workmanship.¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t rushed me, I would have brought one along.¡±


    ¡°It would have just slowed us down,¡± Kizu said dismissively.


    Most of the tunnels required them to crouch and the old equipment looked child sized. Thankfully, Kizu had grown up sleeping in a cupboard by the fireplace so he didn¡¯t mind the tight spaces. While he said nothing, Kizu couldn¡¯t help but be a bit impressed by Aoi¡¯s resolve as they continued on. She complained occasionally, but never once suggested returning.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± she said suddenly, putting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I sense something ahead.¡±


    Kizu frowned and looked ahead. He saw nothing and sensed nothing even with his spellsense. Just the same winding tunnel with old mine cart tracks underfoot. He said as much.


    ¡°I sense a soul up ahead,¡± she clarified. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to make it out. But it¡¯s drifting along.¡±


    He let her take the lead and fell behind, one hand on Sojan and the other prepared to cast spells.


    Aoi froze in the path as the tunnel opened up.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± she whispered.


    Kizu looked over her shoulder. A silvery, translucent woman floated in the center of their path. Her skirt waved slightly, as if in a breeze, despite the air remaining still. She turned towards them slowly, revealing a face with blotted out eyes. It looked as if someone had scribbled them out with ink. Despite the creepy eyes, Kizu thought her a near flawless beauty. Right up until she opened her mouth, revealing the same scribbled darkness.


    She reached a hand out toward them and spoke.

 Chapter II.XIV (2.14) - The Clone

    Chapter LXX (70) - The Clone


    ¡°Trespasser or companion?¡± the ghostly woman asked, her voice warbling. Her mouth hung open after speaking, showing off the scribbled darkness of her insides.


    ¡°Companion,¡± Aoi said instantly.


    ¡°Of whom?¡±


    That gave Aoi pause. She looked back to Kizu for guidance. He put his hands up, this was her expertise, not his.


    ¡°The¡­great necromancer who passed through here?¡± Aoi asked more than said.


    The ghost pondered her words for a moment.


    ¡°No,¡± she said, sounding sad.


    The temperature dropped. Ice began to spread across the cave floor. She raised her arms towards them.


    Aoi immediately began rapidly flipping through the first grimoire volume, already muttering incantations.


    Kizu shouldered his way in front of Aoi, posing for a fight with Sojan in hand. He rapidly scanned the cavern, searching for a strategy. He doubted he¡¯d be able to tear Aoi away for a retreat, he needed to find a way to subdue the ghost until Aoi finished figuring out a binding spell like she had with the skeletons.


    He decided to try out a trick he picked up from Sene¡¯s last combat fight. He created four illusionary versions of himself while simultaneously jumping to the side. Two of his illusions then aggressively attacked the ghost, wielding copies of Sojan. Kizu added the illusionary sparks of lightning to the empty hand of one of his incorporeal doppelgangers.


    Meanwhile, he went in from behind to stab the ghost with Sojan held in a reverse grip. But, just as he was about to make contact, the ghost wheeled around on him, completely ignoring the illusionary attackers as they passed through her harmlessly. Instead, she reached out and gripped Kizu with a dozen different invisible hands. She lifted him off the ground, then she flung him at the wall.


    Kizu slammed into the stone, seeing stars and gasping for breath as he tumbled down to the ground. But the ghost wasn¡¯t finished with him. It swooped in on him, mouth open in a hideously silent scream with the darkness from within her open mouth consuming his vision.


    It was as if someone had taken a quill to his eyeballs and begun madly scratching at them in a patternless swirl. Panicking, he raised Sojan and blindly swiped in front of him.


    To his surprise, he actually hit something. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the ghost, but rather his own hand. He didn¡¯t remember raising it. He stared at it through the ever-growing darkness. He struggled to maintain control of his hand. Immense pressure weighed down on his arm, pushing Sojan down towards his flesh. Blood dribbled down his fingers.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Sojan said in his mind as the eye on the knife¡¯s hilt narrowed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember from last time? Incorporeal creatures are a no-go. A terrible body choice. Sure, I can slice them if I already have blood in me, but I can¡¯t control something that I can¡¯t drink the blood of. It¡¯s pretty simple. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single living creature on the planet inepter at stabbing things than you. It¡¯s such a simple process, but somehow you keep doing it all wrong.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Kizu asked, barely choking out the question.


    He felt the blade¡¯s annoyance. But it understood.


    ¡°Put me through your arm,¡± it demanded.


    Not seeing any other option, Kizu stopped pressing against the mounting pressure and let it stab the blade into his forearm, it felt as if an invisible hand guided the blade as it punctured through the skin. The cold metal scraped against his bone.


    His vision immediately cleared up.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so bad at stabbing things, you¡¯re lucky it helped you impale yourself,¡± Sojan said through Kizu¡¯s own voice. ¡°You probably would have messed it up. And it doesn¡¯t yet realize that nobody rivals my possession skills. I am undefeatable!¡±


    With his vision cleared, Kizu scanned the area for a way out. Behind the ghost, he spotted a small metal door, only reaching his waist in height and hidden from above by a craggy overhang.


    ¡°We need to get behind that door,¡± Kizu said, struggling for control over his body. Sojan reluctantly let him take reins of the body, silently taking on a role of protector as he crushed more possession probes sent by the ghost.


    Kizu jumped to Aoi¡¯s side. She seemed to be struggling with words, her eyes blackening. He grabbed her shoulder. Then he looked at the wall behind the ghost, from this angle the door was once again hidden. There was the serious risk of burying himself alive under stone. He jumped into the wall.


    A moment later, he crashed onto a wooden table. Sojan slipped out of his arm as he rolled off the wooden surface and scattered its contents everywhere.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Aoi said, blinking rapidly and rubbing her eyes. ¡°Where did the ghost go?¡±


    He took a few deep breaths, steadying himself, then Kizu looked around the room as he got back to his feet.


    ¡°I believe we found your necromancer¡¯s laboratory.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You got us away? How can you see anything?¡±


    Realizing Aoi¡¯s scrying orb was still back outside with the ghost, Kizu lit up his fist with flames. He noticed as he did so, that Sojan had clotted up the wounds on his arm while exiting. It would still scar, but at least he wasn¡¯t bleeding profusely everywhere. He raised his flaming fist like a torch, illuminating the area.


    ¡°Careful with that!¡± Aoi cried out, pushing him away from the room¡¯s contents.


    ¡°If the stuff in here could be destroyed by elements, I¡¯m pretty certain it would have rotted away a couple centuries ago,¡± he grumbled. But he still took another step back for her.


    He watched as she scurried around the laboratory, gathering up notes off the ground. She quickly scanned each note before sticking in her ever-growing pile, the grin on her face never faltering.


    Still keeping his distance, Kizu decided to examine the objects in the room with more scrutiny. Jars containing pickled body parts lined the shelves. At the end of the room, large objects were covered by dusty sheets. But magic radiated from beneath the fabric. It was powerful enough that he didn¡¯t even need to enhance his spellsense to detect it. He let his flame splutter down to a fraction of the size as he stepped toward the hidden objects. Lifting the sheet, he peered underneath.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A gnome¡¯s body floated inside a large vat, suspended in a sickly yellowish liquid. A completely hairless naked male, his body shriveled slightly but still very much intact. Kizu stared at it in disturbed awe, believing it to be a dead specimen pickled like the other body parts on the shelves. Then its hand twitched slightly.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Aoi asked, Kizu looked over his shoulder to see her picking up Sojan from where the blade had fallen earlier. The eye on the hilt remained open, but Sojan said nothing.


    ¡°My knife.¡± Kizu held his hand out. Then he glanced back at the body. A new solution formed in his mind.


    She handed him Sojan hilt first, then noticed the vat behind him. Aoi cocked her head. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the necromancy expert.¡± Kizu stepped aside.


    Aoi ripped the sheet off the vat, a cloud of dust sending them both into a fit of coughing.


    ¡°This is amazing,¡± Aoi said in awe after she recovered. She tapped the glass. ¡°I¡¯ve read about the theory of this sort of thing, but to see it put into practice¡­unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an undead?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°A long term corpse preservation method?¡±


    ¡°Almost. But not quite. This is a necromantic clone.¡±


    Kizu had never heard of anything like that, and he said as much.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare. It¡¯s the creation of an empty body identical to that of the necromancer. The idea is that when the necromancer dies, the soul instead goes into this vessel rather than an unknown afterlife. The thing is, almost any necromancer who can accomplish this much already is well on the way to lichdom. A phylactery isn¡¯t all that different from this. Because of this, I have never heard of a soul mage actually putting the theories into practice to create a clone.¡±


    ¡°What would happen if we opened the vat up?¡± Kizu asked.


    Aoi considered. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would die,¡± she finally said. ¡°Not at first, at least. But it probably would after a while. It¡¯s just a vessel without a soul. I don¡¯t think it would be able to move or eat or anything.¡±


    ¡°But it still has blood in it?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Yes, it should have identical blood to that of the necromancer when he created it. Otherwise, the necromancer would have to completely restart training. That would be a pretty major defect with the design.¡±


    Kizu made up his mind. He stabbed Sojan at the glass case with all his strength.


    The glass deflected the blade, barely leaving a scratch. The ricochet rattled Kizu¡¯s arm, and he flexed and unflexed his grip.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Aoi yelled at him.


    ¡°Well, I expected to break through and for the soulless body to flop out.¡±


    ¡°And what? Cover the entire room in fluids?¡±


    Kizu glanced behind him where there were still scattered papers strewn about. He supposed he should have given this strategy a bit more thought. Good thing it hadn¡¯t worked.


    Instead, Kizu found a sconce with an old torch and lit it up, snuffing out the flame in his hand. Then he climbed on top of the vat and used Sojan to pry the lid open. When he finally popped it off, he ignored Aoi¡¯s protests and reached down into the yellow ichor from above. It was gooey, like tree sap, but he pushed his arms through it and to the body suspended within.


    Heaving the body, he managed to get the gnome¡¯s torso out and splay its arms over the edge of the vat. It hung there, limp. But Kizu saw it breathing in the air, likely for the first time in its existence. He brought his hand to its neck, searching for a pulse, and felt the blood pounding steadily beneath the skin.


    ¡°Can you understand me?¡± he asked it. But received no response.


    Taking the lack of reaction as confirmation, Kizu then jabbed Sojan into the clone¡¯s back. The blade slid right into place in the spinal cord, as if a perfect sheath.


    Aoi jolted as if struck by lightning by his audacious action and obviously was about to start yelling at him again for destroying a piece of necrotic work.


    But then the eyes flickered open. A smile split from the gnome¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Now this is what I¡¯ve been looking for.¡± Sojan pulled himself out of the vat the rest of the way and fell to the ground. Then stretched his arms, as if a cat awakening from a long nap, before he stood up and started leg stretches.


    ¡°What-¡± Aoi started, but Sojan cut her off.


    ¡°Finally. An actual body. Not a bad find at all. And the blood in this thing is juicy.¡±


    ¡°So, this works then?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°More than that. Whatever you did to this body is excellent. I don¡¯t have to waste a shred of energy fighting back another consciousness. No soul in sight.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡± Aoi said. ¡°How did you activate the necromancer¡¯s clone?¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Sojan said, turning toward her. He smiled devilishly. ¡°Normally, I would ask you to stab something, but for once that¡¯s already been taken care of. My name is Sojan.¡±


    ¡°How long will that body hold up?¡± Kizu asked.


    Sojan looked pensive for a few seconds. ¡°I believe I can keep this heart going for a long time. The body produces just slightly less than I consume. Having no other consciousness helps my efficiency. However, if I were to use any of the blood¡¯s skills, I would be at a net loss. If I drink blood regularly from other sources, I can keep it up for a long time. But if I do that, it will muddle this blood¡¯s efficiency.¡±


    ¡°You can use the necromancer¡¯s spells?¡± Aoi said, brightening. She showed no abashedness while circling around the naked gnome¡¯s body as she examined it. ¡°So, you¡¯re a portable soul in the form of a dagger? Are you artificially built? Or were you put there from somewhere else?¡±


    Sojan yawned and flicked off a chunk of the yellow gunk from his shoulder. ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Aoi looked outraged. ¡°Of course it matters! I¡¯ve heard of possession before, but nothing like this. This is breakthrough material! Soul mages around the world would cut off their limbs for such an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°A waste of blood,¡± Sojan said. ¡°Instead, they should give it to me.¡±


    ¡°But you can use the necromancer¡¯s spells?¡± Kizu asked, curious.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he replied flippantly. ¡°You saw me use that Bloodlord¡¯s spells back in the World Dungeon. But I would only be able to use about three of the highest-level spells before completely running dry. This body isn¡¯t exactly a massive storage tank for blood.¡±


    ¡°What did you just say about a Bloodlord?¡± Aoi said, butting back in. Then she blinked and seemed to process what he had just said and redirected. ¡°Actually, never mind that, can you teach me? Teach me the necromancer¡¯s spells.¡±


    Sojan scratched his bald head. ¡°Nope.¡±


    Aoi significantly deflated. But she recovered quickly as she continued to badger him with questions about his enchantments and the body.


    Kizu zoned them out as he moved on to the other vats and removed the sheets covering them. These ones were smaller than the one that had held Sojan, but inside Kizu found other creatures, and parts of creatures, suspended in the same yellow ichor. Some of the specimens looked scaly, a bit like a Tainted, but to an entirely different degree. While Tainted had a few visible scales, these creatures instead had few places with visible skin. Even their heads were of a different structure. As if someone crammed a human¡¯s skull into the mold of a lizard¡¯s. Thankfully, the creatures looked as placid as Sojan¡¯s new body had. Kizu suspected them to be soulless as well.


    But the last tank held the most peculiar body part. A massive, reptilian foot, larger than Kizu¡¯s entire torso.


    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± he asked, while examining one of the claws jutting out from a toe.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain,¡± Aoi said, approaching it. ¡°I think that this one wasn¡¯t grown here though. It¡¯s not like the others. You can see signs of a past life on it. Like, look at the calluses underneath.¡±


    So, the necromancer probably slayed the creature and brought it back with him. It seemed like a reasonable conclusion. Judging by the foot, the creature looked too big to fit into the World Dungeon though. Kizu wondered if it came from off-island, or if it had been an ancient resident here.


    ¡°Are you planning on returning to The Great Labyrinth Sekai?¡± Sojan asked. ¡°Is that why you finally decided to wake me up and fulfill your obligation?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kizu answered. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Funny coincidence.¡±


    Kizu walked over to stand beside the nude gnome. Looking over his shoulder, Kizu saw what he stared at. Sure enough, there was a door behind a black curtain. Another entrance into the World Dungeon.

 Chapter II.XV(2.15) - A Leap in Rankings

    Chapter LXXI (71) - A Leap in Rankings


    Kizu had exactly zero interest in returning to the World Dungeon. And, thankfully, neither did any of his companions. But now the abandoned mine made a bit more sense. Assuming the gnomes punctured into the dungeon, it was possible that either monsters crept up from within, or the miners had gone down and gotten forever lost in the labyrinth¡¯s ever shifting passages.


    Either way, according to the recovered notes that Aoi read to him, the necromancer arrived at the location after hearing rumors of it. For a while, he set up his base right on the World Dungeon¡¯s doorstep, to better observe the labyrinth and conduct experiments. But something drew him in deeper. What that something was, Aoi couldn¡¯t tell him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault he switches to Gnomish randomly,¡± she said when Kizu complained. ¡°I don¡¯t know why anyone would write in anything other than the Universal Script.¡±


    ¡°I know a bit,¡± Kizu admitted. He took a page of the notes from her and looked it over. The smudged handwriting didn¡¯t help, but after looking through a dozen more pages he made out a couple of words. Enough to be able to tell that he wrote his general notes about his journey in Universal Script while keeping his more necromantic notes to himself in Gnomish. And, for whatever reason, the necromancer¡¯s reasons for entering the World Dungeon fell in the latter camp. Unfortunately, Kizu couldn¡¯t riddle out much else from the pages.


    Kizu glanced over at Sojan in the gnome necromancer¡¯s body who was currently biting his new arm and licking up the blood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Sojan said. ¡°Daggers can¡¯t read.¡±


    Kizu sighed and passed the papers back to Aoi.


    Not wanting to stay all night down in the mines, Kizu eventually tore Aoi away from her studies of the laboratory. But as a compromise, she forced him and Sojan to carry several different jars and tools. Neither of which Kizu wanted to look too closely at. But he carried one of the smaller vats strapped to his back with a lizard-like humanoid appendage floating in it.


    ¡°How are we getting past the guardian?¡± Kizu asked Aoi. ¡°Did you find anything in your book or new notes?¡±


    ¡°No¡­but I think I might know of a way to stun her briefly.¡± Aoi removed one of her silver rings and handed it to him. ¡°Just get this to pass through her. Ghosts break down briefly when exposed to silver. The metal disrupts something inside their soul structure. The same as most monsters.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t mention this before because?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t come to mind right away,¡± she said defensively. ¡°My knee jerk reaction isn¡¯t usually to throw my jewelry at my problems.¡±


    Kizu flipped the ring between his fingers before gripping it in a fist.


    ¡°You have anything to add?¡± he asked Sojan.


    Sojan grinned up at him from the gnome¡¯s body, now draped in a loose, black necromancer cloak. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the surface. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt the sun.¡±


    Kizu nodded.


    Sojan wiped drool away with a sleeve. ¡°So many warm-blooded creatures up there. I¡¯m already salivating. What do you think I should try first? The options are near limitless!¡±


    Kizu decided to ignore the comment as he pushed open the door.


    The ghost stood centimeters in front of the doorway, mouth agape and darkness spreading in chaotic, nonsensical spirals. Kizu slammed his fist into her chest. He felt the necrotic energy crawling up his arm, sucking away his life, but when he unclenched his hand and exposed the silver, the ghost froze in place.


    ¡°Go,¡± Kizu growled at his companions. While the ring¡¯s direct exposure appeared to be stopping the undead from progressing, his arm ached horribly from holding it in place. He watched in morbid fascination as his exposed skin paled into a sickly gray.


    They shimmied their way around the ghost and quickly started down the mine¡¯s cavern back the way they had entered. Aoi snatched up her fallen scrying orb as she passed by and lit it back up to illuminate her path.


    Kizu yanked his arm out. The ghost made a noise akin to sucking in a quick breath, but Kizu decided not to wait to see what she decided to do next. He jumped right behind his companions and followed their retreat.


    The ghost remained behind. Kizu thought she likely couldn¡¯t leave her position as guardian of the laboratory. But Kizu felt her dark gaze as they hastily departed.


    Despite Sojan¡¯s small body, the cursed knife not only kept pace with them, but appeared to be enjoying the new body. It pushed the body to physical limitations without showing any signs of pain or discomfort. Kizu found this especially remarkable because the body had ostensibly never even walked before. The ichor contained in that vat must have maintained muscle mass for hundreds of years. Kizu couldn¡¯t help but wonder if something like that might help him repair his leg. Or his arm, for that matter. From its exposure to the ghost, streaks of bleak colorlessness now extended down his forearm. Thankfully, it only throbbed with a slight numbness.


    When they squeezed through the mine¡¯s entrance, Kizu let himself finally relax. Then he held out his arm for Aoi to inspect. She actually voiced excitement at patching it up, as she believed it was a unique experience to examine ectoplasmic damage.


    As she poked, prodded, and rejuvenated his arm, Kizu looked back down into the darkness of the mine.


    ¡°Professor Grove is a spirit, right?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, but a wisp. That below was a phantasm. Different kind of ghost altogether. It is basically a piece of someone¡¯s soul bound to a place with a specific purpose.¡±


    ¡°And Professor Grove has no restrictions?¡±


    Aoi nodded and stepped back from his arm, to examine her handiwork. After another nod of approval, she started to rebraid a loose strand of hair. ¡°Wisps contain almost the entirety of their souls so they usually have a lot more freedom and maintain their intelligence. But they lack a lot of the utility other spirits have. They¡¯re essentially condensed untethered souls. I¡¯ve tried asking her about it several times. But she won¡¯t talk about her death. Just that it had to do with druidic practices.¡±


    ¡°There are still druids around?¡± Kizu asked. He recalled the crone mentioning them once in an offhand comment. And not in a good way. She made it sound like she personally dealt with the circles in the Hon Basin.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t been relevant in Hon for almost a century now. That¡¯s not to say they couldn¡¯t exist elsewhere. But I also don¡¯t know how old Professor Grove is. And not for a lack of asking.¡±


    ¡°How many kinds of ghosts and spirits are there?¡±


    ¡°Maybe hundreds of varieties. But many are so niche you¡¯d never encounter them in a hundred years of searching.¡±


    ¡°Enough of this talk of spirits,¡± Sojan cut in. ¡°I crave fresh blood.¡±


    ¡°You already have an entire body¡¯s worth,¡± Kizu pointed out.


    ¡°Not enough. I am forced to ration my feeding to maintain consciousness.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess you could go hunting outside.¡± Kizu pointed at the large cave¡¯s exit behind the waterfall. ¡°But please don¡¯t kill anything sentient.¡±


    Sojan headed out that direction. Aoi chased after him, asking him more questions about how his soul linked to the dagger and how the necromancer¡¯s body functioned.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Hours later, Sojan eventually returned to the underground lake, wet blood smeared the bottom half of his face. He jumped on board, startling Anata half to death, then launched into a story about how he had managed to chase down a deer and tore its throat out with his teeth before feasting on the creature¡¯s warm blood.


    Kizu found the story a bit disturbing but didn¡¯t comment on it. As long as Sojan stuck to deer and similar wildlife, he doubted the knife¡¯s hunts would be an issue.


    ¨C


    Only managing to get a few hours of rest, Kizu found himself in a zombified state as he stared down at the stack of paper tests in front of him. It had been almost two months for him since the last time he took one of the exams. He expected his scores to remain about the same as before, but still Roba had told him he needed to test every two weeks if he wanted her assistance with spatial spellcraft. And so here he was, back in the western tower reading through political questions about the trade relationships between the Tross nomads. A people he didn¡¯t even know existed before picking up the sheet of paper.


    Finishing up, he handed over his test to the James in charge, he then pricked his finger and let a few drops of rich red blood fall into the vial for the blood test. While intrusive, the test was at the very least far quicker than the paper ones. He recalled his reaction to the test on his first day at the academy. It seemed like a silly overreaction now, but at the time it had made sense. It had been a bunch of strangers collecting his blood and instructing him to just trust them. More people should be suspicious when they first arrive.


    He had a bit of a break between the tests and meeting with Roba, so he ended up down in his old study nook by the academy¡¯s entrance into the World Dungeon.


    Flipping through his dimensionalism book, Kizu wondered about the mechanics of a gate spell. If he understood correctly, it required him to bend space to connect two locations together. The theories behind the spellcraft were shrouded in complex mathematics that went far beyond his basic arithmetic. But that was fine, since he didn¡¯t need to fully understand the spell to cast it. There was actually only a small overlap of mages with the knowledge of the spell¡¯s exact mechanics and the mages with enough skill to cast the spell. Executing the gate spell properly relied far more heavily on skill and practice than it did exact knowledge. Though, understanding the theories certainly seemed to help.


    His scrying orb alerted him to the time, breaking his concentration and motivating him to pack up.


    When he entered Roba''s office, he was met by the old woman¡¯s glare as she drummed her fingers on her desk. Sharks circled the office on the other side of the glass walls. He greeted her and bowed his respect.


    Roba¡¯s frown deepened as a minute stretched on and she leaned back in her chair. Silence stretched.


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Kizu finally asked. He knew he¡¯d been neglecting a lot of his studies in favor of more niche subjects, but he hadn¡¯t expected to fall behind too far.


    ¡°Your paper tests showed little to no signs of improvement,¡± Roba finally said, her frown remaining plastered on her face. ¡°Your blood tests show something different.¡± She raised a hand, activating Kizu¡¯s orb from inside his bag.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu¡¯s Blood Tests- Divination- 103, Rejuvenation and Restoration- 799, Conjuring- 799, Enchanting- 341, Illusion- 84, Elemental- 312.¡±


    ¡°Please explain to me how you rose over three hundred rankings in the elemental class in just one month. And, when you¡¯re finished, I would like an explanation on how you passed 100 rankings in divination when you¡¯re not actively attending divination classes.¡±


    Kizu was stunned. He hadn¡¯t thought he had progressed that far in his practice. Slowly, not knowing what else to do, he told the story about him traveling into the World Dungeon. He was mostly truthful in his telling of the events, but he omitted a few things. First being his companions. He made it sound like it was just him and Mort who entered the dungeon. And while he did admit to finding the World Dungeon Atlas and the enchanted necklace, he decided to not mention Sojan either. Finally, most notably, he left out Anata¡¯s existence. It left a few gaps in his story, but he did his best to cover them with more details in other story flourishes.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the storyteller,¡± Roba said when Kizu finished. ¡°But I suspect there is slightly more than what you just said.¡±


    Kizu bit his lip, doing his best to not look nervous. Then realizing he was probably failing miserably. But before he could come up with any sort of protest, Roba continued.


    ¡°You progressed with remarkable speed when you first arrived,¡± she said. ¡°Ascending through the ranks quickly. But the bottom two hundred ranks are full of students who either don¡¯t bother to try or are new to spellcraft and easily overwhelmed. Climbing over a hundred ranks in your elemental placement was an achievement to be proud of, but not an impossibility.¡±


    ¡°Well, like I said, I spent several weeks trapped inside a time dilation room,¡± Kizu quickly said. ¡°All I did in that time was practice spellcraft.¡±


    Roba resumed rapping her fingers on her desk while Kizu felt a bead of sweat trickle down his cheek.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the blood to sustain such a growth. Maybe in thirty weeks, but not an extra three,¡± she said. Then she paused. ¡°I have records stating that you¡¯re working on mastering a gate spell for your enchanting final.¡±


    It took Kizu a moment to understand her change in topic.


    ¡°Yes, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°All requests to visit any of the restricted libraries have a copy sent to me. It is one of my many duties. Just in case something suspicious sneaks its way past one of the professors.¡±


    ¡°I think I am strong enough now to handle it,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I¡¯ve mastered short range jumps.¡±


    ¡°Mastered?¡± Roba stood. She stretched her back, a pop sending shivers down Kizu¡¯s own spine. Then she walked over and set a hand on his shoulder.


    In an instant, they were back in the training field.


    ¡°Show me,¡± Roba said.


    Kizu considered holding back. Roba was already suspicious. But he needed her help to progress, and continuing to practice at the level he had been at before would be completely useless to him now. So he gave the best display possible, rapidly jumping across the field dozens of times until Roba lifted a hand, the frown again prominent on her face.


    ¡°Another impossibility,¡± she said. ¡°But your skill is real, even if it is unfathomable. And you want me to teach you long distance jumping now?¡±


    Kizu jumped in front of her and bowed his head. ¡°If it¡¯s at all possible.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s heart fell.


    ¡°However,¡± she said, drawing the moment out with a thin smile. ¡°I will not throw you out just yet. Despite your rule-breaking, deceit, and blatant disrespect, earlier today the headmaster himself requested that I continue your instruction. And so, I will teach you the next step in your training. Something that may help you not get caught in traps in the future. I¡¯ll teach you to bypass beacons.¡±


    ¡ª


    According to Roba, the first step to long-distance jumping was being able to locate beacons from afar and transporting himself to them. And the best way to familiarize himself with said beacons, was to learn how to bypass them. It seemed a bit backwards to Kizu, but he didn¡¯t argue.


    He didn¡¯t get much from their first lesson, other than half a hundred reroutes to the academy¡¯s beacon as he practiced the technique in a room next door to it. But Roba didn¡¯t look dismayed by his lack of visible progress. If anything, she looked a bit relieved that he didn¡¯t instantly master it.


    At the end of his tutoring session, Kizu made one final request to Roba, asking to be put on the list for tomorrow¡¯s combat test. She agreed and even approved of his decision. Enough time had gone between his injury that she felt any complaint by Arclight would now be unfounded.


    After being dismissed by Roba, Kizu went back to the ship to prepare for the Festival of Light. When he arrived, he found Sojan fishing, of all things. Half a dozen different fish lay strewn across the deck, looking mummified, completely drained of blood. Kizu decided not to comment on it but made a mental note that he needed to set up a drying rack for the fish. He might even be able to smoke the fish once Sojan finished with them.


    Anata and Mort were both asleep in one of the hammocks as he crept down into the crew¡¯s quarters. He rummaged through his things before pulling out the outfit Basil had made for him back when they¡¯d attended a party together. He also pocketed the circlet he bought as a gift for Emilia. Then Kizu decided to go change up in the captain¡¯s cabin, just in case the noise accidently woke up the two sleepers. However, when he opened the cabin¡¯s door, he found it filled with junk.


    All the necromancy stuff he and Sojan had hauled up from the laboratory lay strewn across the room in a disorganized mess. Gnome skeletons stood on either side of the room, as if acting as guards. Aoi sat on the floor in the middle of it all, currently examining the appendage in the smaller vat Kizu had lugged out of the mine for her.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this doing in here?¡± Kizu asked.


    She looked up at him, grinned, and splayed her arms out wide, as if presenting the room to him. ¡°Welcome to my new laboratory. Since the one in the mine has a guardian, I figured this would be the best place possible to take my studies.¡±


    ¡°Just lock the door when you¡¯re not here. The last thing I need is for Mort and Anata getting their hands on this clutter.¡± Kizu sighed and exited.


    He ended up changing in the cargo hold.


    When he arrived back in the crew quarters to put away his laundry, he found Anata looking up at him wide-eyed. She held out a ball of yarn she and Mort liked to chase around.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty busy today. We can play some other time.¡±


    Though, Kizu couldn¡¯t help noting to himself that he was pretty much busy all the time. There was always more to do. But right now, he had a date to attend.

 Chapter II.XVI (2.16) - Festival of Light Begins

    Chapter LXII (72) - Festival of Light Begins


    Kizu met up with Emilia in Shinzou-cho¡¯s town center. People bustled about in every direction, even more were crammed into the square than on a usual weekend. Children played in the grass over to the side while others snoozed in the shade. A temporary stage had been built in the center of it. It vaguely reminded Kizu of an image of a gallows, but a pulpit sat on its center instead of a noose. Underneath the stage, vendors harked out toys, souvenirs, and sweets. The vendors were a mesh of locals, fifth year students, and traveling merchants. Kizu stopped and examined one stall that sold paper lanterns. But Emilia pulled him away, explaining that it would be better to buy those later in the evening, so they wouldn¡¯t need to lug them around for hours.


    ¡°Want some dango?¡± Kizu asked, ready to put his fat purse into use. He pointed to a Hon woman selling the skewered rice sweets.


    But Emilia shook her head. ¡°Not really a fan. I don¡¯t like the texture. How about some plum wine? I have a friend selling some over this way.¡±


    Kizu thought it was still a bit early for drinking, but he kept the opinion to himself as he purchased them both a glass. They found an empty space on a bench in the shade of one of the permanent shops and squeezed into it together. As he sipped his drink, he found it pleasantly warm. He voiced his surprise to Emilia and she laughed.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s easy to forget here in tropical paradise, but it is the middle of winter right now. They traditionally like to heat up the drinks to help fight back the chill.¡±


    ¡°Does Edgeland get much snow?¡± he asked. While the Hon Basin got nowhere near chilly enough for snowfall, the northern mountains of Hon got some of the heaviest snowfall in the known world. He had seen his fair share as a child.


    ¡°A bit,¡± she said. ¡°But mostly it¡¯s icy and windy. Our rainy season is in the fall, and then that all tends to freeze over.¡±


    She started telling him about how they strapped blades to special shoes to glide across expanses of frozen water. Kizu attentively listened as he sipped his drink. Apparently, Emilia won a couple different dancing contests involving the sport.


    When they finished, they returned their empty glasses to the stall vendor and continued walking through the throng. Kizu held Emilia¡¯s hand, telling himself that he didn¡¯t want to accidentally lose her in the crowd. At the touch, she smiled at him which caused his heart to quicken. Eventually, they broke through the crowds to the beach where people were more evenly spaced out. But Kizu decided to keep her hand in his. And she voiced no complaint.


    ¡°What did you bring to bury?¡± Emilia asked as they found an empty spot.


    ¡°You said it¡¯s custom to bury something that represents my past demons, right?¡± Kizu said as he pulled out a folded up piece of paper from his pocket. ¡°So, I brought my old test scores from my entry into the academy.¡±


    He had considered bringing something from his time living with the crone. A memento from that time to show that it really was in his past now as he moved forward. But, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to part with any of his things from that time. In a lot of ways, he missed his life back in the Hon Basin. So, in the end, he decided to just go with test scores simply because he couldn¡¯t think of anything else.


    Emilia nodded her approval at his choice though, her few golden scales glittered in the sun at the movement. Kizu couldn¡¯t help thinking that they looked a bit like angelic freckles.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a far better place now. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you passed Sene a few more times by the time you graduate. Everyone says you¡¯re a prodigy.¡±


    Uncertain how to respond to the praise, Kizu decided to try to deflect the conversation back at her. ¡°And what are you burying?¡±


    She removed a bracelet from her wrist, where it had been hidden under a sleeve. Rubies studded the golden band. He noticed her name engraved into the side.


    ¡°An old memento,¡± she said, eyeing her jewelry with distaste.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be smarter to sell it?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°It looks valuable.¡±


    ¡°It is. But not worth selling. Value comes from multiple facets. It¡¯s not worth losing the face of selling it for cash. Reputation lasts longer than coins.¡±


    Kizu was about to ask why she didn¡¯t just sell it in a different city if she was worried about people here seeing it, but he decided against it. Instead, together they began to scoop out sand with their hands. By the time they had a divot about half a meter deep, they both dropped their objects in their hole.


    Before they began the process of covering them back up with sand, Emilia stepped down into the divot and ground the bracelet deeper into the sandy dirt with her heel. Once finished, she looked satisfied as she stepped out and together they pushed the sand back over the hole. It only took about half an hour in total, but Kizu noticed the tips of Emilia¡¯s ears had already turned pink from the sun.


    Kizu considered heading back into the town center to try out some of the carnival challenges, but, not wanting to look childish in front of his date, he instead followed her lead as they entered into a beer garden for another drink. This one seemed like a regular spot for Tainted. He noticed a few different familiar faces, including Gregor and Tara, his fellow percussionists in Music F.


    This time Emilia ordered them ciders. At first, Kizu was confused by the order, thinking that cider meant juice. But when the drinks arrived, it only took a taste for him to realize cider was alcoholic in Edgeland. Thankfully, it really wasn¡¯t bad. It still remained pretty sweet, despite the fermentation.


    He glanced over his shoulder and noticed Harvey nursing a cup in the back of the beer garden. The Tainted boy wore a sleeveless tunic, revealing the elaborate blue tattoos he had shown off at his last fight. Though, the designs currently lacked the glow Kizu had seen on them the other day. Harvey looked almost cruel with his head shaved and a sneer on his lips. At first Kizu thought he was staring at him, but then realized the look was actually directed at Emilia.


    ¡°Your cousin is here,¡± Kizu said to Emilia.


    She perked up and looked around, completely oblivious to Harvey¡¯s glower.


    ¡°Braxton? Where?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kizu corrected. ¡°Harvey.¡±


    Only then did she meet her cousin¡¯s eyes. She visibly deflated as she returned the glare with her own look of disdain.


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    ¡°Oh, him. Ignore him. He¡¯ll be gone soon enough.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Kizu asked. Harvey¡¯s drink looked full.


    ¡°He¡¯s not academy material,¡± she said simply.


    ¡°Wait, you mean gone from the academy? What happened? Did you speak to him recently?¡±


    ¡°Briefly, yesterday,¡± she admitted. ¡°About you, actually. I really approve of your decision to put distance between yourself and him. He has brought a lot of ire to the family recently.¡±


    About him? Kizu wanted to press for more information about the conversation, but Emilia made it clear she was no longer interested in talking about it as she began discussing the pub¡¯s food options.


    The sun was dipping in the horizon slightly when their server arrived with their meal. Kizu lit the candle at their table with a brush of his hand. A bit preemptive, since the sun still shed plenty of light, but he wanted to show off the ease of the skill.


    When they finished their candlelit dinner and moved on to a dessert pastry cake, Kizu considered bringing out his circlet gift. But something held him back. He told himself silently that it just wasn¡¯t quite the right time to give her it, but the image of her smashing her foot down into that jeweled bracelet earlier flashed across his mind. Of course Emilia wouldn¡¯t do that to a gift from him. However, right when he convinced himself and was about to finally shift the conversation to the gift, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.


    For just a moment, he thought he¡¯d seen the ghostly image of a girl. When he focused though, nothing was there. Just a tablecloth overhanging from a nearby table.


    ¡°Kizu?¡± Emilia said, sounding concerned. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, just not used to drinking,¡± he said, refocusing on her conversation.


    ¡°As I was saying, the Festival of Light¡¯s Golden Hour Speech starts in about twenty minutes. If we want to make it, we should probably head out now.¡±


    ¡°What happens at the speech?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Nothing too exciting. But it¡¯s a good place to be seen. A lot of influential people come out here for the festivities every year. Visibility now can snowball into future successes.¡±


    Kizu was starting to be reminded a bit of his parents in how Emilia placed so much value in presentations. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing. Emilia prioritized future prosperity for both of them, and obviously that success would be a good thing.


    After paying the bill, Kizu glanced back towards where Harvey sat alone in the back of the beer garden. The long shadows cast by the setting sun darkened his seat, but Kizu still spotted him there staring down into a new glass in front of himself. Kizu looked away and they headed back into the main streets of town.


    Earlier in the day, Kizu had thought the town center packed, but this new volume of people put those numbers to shame. Despite being pretty distant from the stage, in moments the space behind him filled with people, blocking their exit.


    Just as the sun finished setting, the entire town square suddenly lit up with gorgeous lights of all shades all at once. A paper lantern hung from every eve in sight. The lights above the stage sparkled in violets, indigos, and blues. Then a plume of glittering cerulean smoke exploded on the stage.


    A gust of wind wiped the smoke away, sending new mock stars into the sky. Sene stood on the stage in the plume¡¯s wake. Kizu doubted the spectacle was her idea, as she eyed the disappearing smoke with distaste.


    ¡°Welcome all,¡± she said, her voice amplified to be heard over the restless crowd. ¡°To the Festival of Light, presented by Shinzou Academy. My name is Kajima Sene, the President of Shinzou Academy¡¯s Student Council.¡±


    She launched into a lecture about the academy¡¯s ideals and virtues. It went on¡­and on. Kizu could feel the crowd¡¯s impatience as they fidgeted around him.


    ¡°You should volunteer for this next year,¡± Emilia whispered to him.


    ¡°What?¡± Kizu said, confused as he glanced away from Sene to her.


    ¡°You should announce the start of next year¡¯s festival,¡± Emilia clarified.


    Kizu thought that sounded like a dreadful idea. That was the exact opposite of what he wanted. But he decided not to phrase things so bluntly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m cut out for the position,¡± he said diplomatically.


    Emilia furrowed her brow. ¡°In what way? You seem a perfect fit. You¡¯re the Vice President of the Student Council. Sene has presented for three years in a row now, so it¡¯s only fair to let others step up to the role as well. And even if a new council member emerges next year, you¡¯ll have seniority. Unless you think Sene¡¯s sister wants to present next year?¡±


    Kizu stifled a laugh at the idea of Ione up there in front of everyone.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯d be more likely to summon a monster to give the speech for her. What I meant was that I¡¯ve never spoken in front of a crowd of more than like ten people at once.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Is that all? We can fix that.¡±


    Dread churned in Kizu¡¯s stomach at the implication.


    ¡°And if Sene wants to present next year too?¡± Kizu tried, searching for a way out. ¡°She is still president.¡±


    Emilia nodded understandingly. ¡°I can pull a few strings to make certain that she gets vetoed. Besides, I doubt this performance inspires too many backers.¡±


    Despite himself, Kizu couldn¡¯t help noticing the truth in Emilia¡¯s words. The audience¡¯s awe from the initial display had faded to grumpy irritation all around the town center as Sene continued her monotone speech at the stage¡¯s pulpit. Emilia might be right, he probably actually could do better. At the very least, it would be more entertaining for the audience to watch him utterly fail.


    For now, Kizu just did his best to make agreeable noises. It was a year off. Nothing to concern himself about right now.


    Kizu jumped as another plume of smoke, this time violet, exploded where Sene stood. When it faded, a mustached middle-aged man wearing a top hat at least triple the normal length stood in Sene¡¯s place behind the pulpit, flanked by Constable Kimura.


    ¡°Thank you Kajuma Sene for the marvelous introduction!¡± the man said, adjusting his vermillion bow tie. ¡°And thank you all for your wondrous support of Shinzou Academy. This academy owes everything to individuals like yourselves.¡± With a flourish of his hand, he removed his top hat and bowed deeply to his audience.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Kizu whispered to Emilia.


    ¡°You don¡¯t recognize Headmaster Ballarfulur?¡±


    Kizu genuinely did not. He had never seen the man before in his life. And he said as much to Emilia.


    ¡°I suppose that makes a bit of sense,¡± she said, considering. ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget that you only arrived a few months ago. The headmaster¡¯s been incredibly busy this semester, so his visibility decreased quite a bit. Rumor says some sort of behind the scenes project. Apparently, he¡¯s been seen meeting with Elites in Hon regularly, but nobody knows what for exactly.¡±


    Kizu examined Headmaster Ballarfulur as he spoke. He wore a black cape accented by a cherry red interior. His skin was a darker shade than people from Hon, Tross, or Edgeland. Not to mention his bizarre mustache that twirled into spirals on the ends. Kizu had never seen a man quite like him before. He thought there might still be a bit of glitter in the air from the smoke as well, because the headmaster¡¯s eyes appeared to twinkle.


    ¡°And finally,¡± Ballarfulur said dramatically. ¡°I must bow out. The time for festivities has only just begun! Please eat, drink, dance, and enjoy everything our fair island has to offer! With that, I, Gizrim Ballarfulur, bid you adieu and farewell.¡±


    This time, when the headmaster removed his oversized top hat, he reached inside it. He then suddenly ripped it out, scattering hundreds of thousands of luminescent pink flower petals over the crowd.


    Emilia looked up at him, looking joyful with the glowing pedals speckling her hair. She leaned into him, her hand on his chest.


    Kizu bent his neck, about to meet her lips with his own. He hovered there, a mere centimeter away. Her warm breath mingled with his own.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a child collapse at the edge of the crowd. Then, the body ragdolled up and over the crowd. Kizu looked over just in time to see the body careen into where Headmaster Ballarfulur stood, to the side of the stage¡¯s pulpit. The headmaster¡¯s oof was magnified by the voice modification. It heralded the beginning of screams from throughout the crowd.


    Anata had arrived.

 Chapter II.XVII (2.17)- The Festival of Light鈥檚 End

    Chapter LXXIII (73)- The Festival of Light¡¯s End


    Thankfully, while several people screamed and shouted after Anata¡¯s abrupt arrival, the mages in the crowd got everyone under control before it could transform into a scared stampede. Constable Kimaru immediately took command of the crowd, while beside him Anata stared up at Headmaster Ballarfulur who was crouched down beside her. Thankfully, the headmaster didn¡¯t look hurt or even angry, just curious. He twirled his mustache between his fingers as he spoke to Anata.


    Kizu had to fight not to be carried along with the stream of people. He considered casting a spell to split the crowd open for himself, but discarded the idea almost as soon as it occurred to him. Overhead, Kimaru began to float above the crowd, giving orders and occasionally plucking out any fallen people with weaves of wind.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Emilia said, exasperated. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the beer garden and get another drink. Nothing else is going on here tonight. I don¡¯t know how that girl broke through the antimagic barriers, but it doesn¡¯t matter. Just a little scare.¡±


    For the briefest moment, Kizu actually considered the proposal. He could just slip away with Emilia. Not get involved with whatever trouble Anata just caused. But of course he couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°That¡¯s my family,¡± he bluntly said instead.


    Emilia let go of his hand. Her slitted yellow eyes narrowed at him, as if trying to place in the new information. In just a couple seconds, the crowd separated them and she disappeared into the undulating throng while Kizu stayed steadfastly in place.


    After about a minute, the crowd thinned enough for Kizu to make his way up to the stage. Anata still gaped up at the headmaster, seeming oblivious of Kizu. The headmaster looked over at him with a sly smile as Kizu approached.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu, I presume?¡±


    That gave Kizu pause. ¡°Yes. How-¡±


    ¡°My secretary told me,¡± he interrupted with a wave of his hand. ¡°Now, is this a friend of yours? Or are you simply a disquisitive bystander?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a¡­yes, my¡­friend,¡± Kizu said, testing out the word. ¡°Her name is Anata. She can¡¯t speak.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t speak? Oh! And here I thought I scared the poor girl to silence. I really am quite interested in that technique she used to get herself up here. However, if she can¡¯t tell me herself how she performed the feat, perhaps you can enlighten me?¡±


    Kizu hesitated. He assumed that Anata put herself up here in hopes of having a better vantage point to find him in the crowd. He decided there probably wouldn¡¯t be any harm in explaining the process.


    ¡°She sends her soul out of her body and then summons her body to her placement.¡±


    The headmaster continued to twirl his mustache as he considered for a minute, eyeing the girl with keen interest.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he finally said. ¡°I believe that checks out. Theoretically it should be possible. Soul magic often tends to ignore antimagic protective barriers. But using astral projection in that way would be equal parts exceptionally reckless and difficult. If used extensively, a human body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the strain. Unless¡­.¡± He looked lost in thought as he pondered something.


    ¡°Um, sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Kizu decided to hedge his bets on this man and trust him a bit. He seemed more inquisitive than anything else. ¡°Would it be possible for you to keep her identity to yourself?¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re increasing my intrigue in your friend by the second. Why shouldn¡¯t I mention her? People will certainly ask about her after this stunt.¡±


    ¡°Because¡­well, I lied to you. She¡¯s my niece, not my friend.¡±


    Headmaster Ballarfulur barked a laugh. Then, grinning under his mustache, he waved for Kizu to continue.


    ¡°My parents want to keep her hidden away,¡± Kizu explained. It was stupidly reckless, but confiding in the strange man felt right in his gut. ¡°I had to fight my mother to keep Anata here with me. I¡¯m worried about what they¡¯ll do if more people discover her.¡±


    Ballarfulur nodded sagely. Then he looked over Anata with more scrutiny. ¡°I understand. I will even cover her identity for you so she can walk in the open. But, first, answer me this - why is it that she had to come find you tonight?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kizu asked, confused.


    ¡°For the Festival of Light, everyone should be spending the evening with the people that matter the most. If you fought so hard to keep your niece here with you, why did she need to seek you out? Shouldn¡¯t you be enjoying this beautiful night together?¡±


    Kizu felt a wave of shame over himself, causing him to slump and look away. He tried to splutter something out about the necessity of keeping her hidden. But Ballarfulur dismissed that with a roll of his eyes.


    ¡°Value those who love you. True love doesn''t come from pretty girls. It comes from somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll figure it out. You¡¯ve got plenty of years.¡±


    And then, mid-conversation, Ballarfulur jumped away. He left behind the sweet scent of persimmons in his wake.


    Kizu took some time to mull over what the headmaster had just said to him while staring up at the stars above. Then he took a knee, bringing himself to Anata¡¯s eye level. She looked down at her feet. Kizu noted they were still covered in wrapped cloth. Her big toe stuck out. He had never bought her boots.


    In that moment, he finally admitted to himself he had mostly accepted the responsibility of taking care of her to spite his parents. Anata had shown him nothing but affection, and he¡¯d spent the last two weeks treating her like a nuisance to lock up on the boat. He fed her scraps from the dining hall, and kept her sealed away from sight with only a monkey for company. He thought back to that moment in the World Dungeon when he had brazenly claimed to Ione that he would look for Finn just as hard as he looked for Anna. What a joke. When push came to shove, his priorities had been an ocean away from caring about his family.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked Anata.


    She nodded her head, but didn¡¯t meet his eyes.


    ¡°Here, this is a gift for you.¡± He took out the silver circlet from his uniform¡¯s interior pocket and set it on top of her head. It was a bit big on her, resting on her ears rather than her brow, but he figured she¡¯d grow into it. Made from nickel, palladium, and mythril, the circlet didn¡¯t burn her like true silver, but it still made an equally striking image.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t been a very good uncle to you. I¡¯ve been expecting a monkey to raise you instead of doing it myself. I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be perfect. I¡¯ve never done a lot of things in my life and I¡¯ll likely screw more stuff up. But I can promise to do better.¡±


    She hugged him. Kizu didn¡¯t quite understand why. Though, he got the impression she was equally clueless as to why he¡¯d just apologized. They didn¡¯t really understand each other right now. But he wrapped his arms around her and promised himself that he would eventually.


    ¡°Now then,¡± he said, lifting her up onto his shoulders and walking down from the stage. ¡°I think I saw some carnival games over there. And I still have a plump sack of coins.¡±


    ¡ª


    Anata turned out to be terrible at every carnival game they encountered. And, unfortunately, so was Kizu. It must run in their blood, so he blamed his parents¡¯ genetics.


    He hurled another dart at a target, only to have it bounce off the edge of the dart board.


    ¡°I swear this is rigged,¡± he grumbled as he passed the next dart to Anata.


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    Her throw was so weak, it stuck in the dirt. Right next to where Kizu¡¯s had fallen. Kizu sighed and traded the vendor a coin for another set of darts. This time, he boosted Anata up, to give her a better vantage point the throw from. And, amazingly, the strategy actually worked. It was the second to worst placement on the board, but he whooped, set her back on the ground, and gave her a high-five.


    She beamed up at him, her eyes full of excitement as she picked out a lesser prize.


    ¡°So, this is where you disappeared to?¡± Emilia¡¯s voice said behind him.


    Kizu turned around, his heart jittering as if drugged. He returned her smile. Great. If she was smiling, that meant things couldn¡¯t be that bad. It was a salvageable night.


    ¡°I thought you went home for the night,¡± he said, trying to sound nonchalant.


    ¡°And I thought you¡¯d come find me,¡± she said. Only then did Kizu realize how forced her smile looked.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. He was apologizing a lot tonight. ¡°I had a family thing come up.¡±


    Emilia nodded slowly, examining Anata, who had now decided on a colorful wooden top as her prize.


    Anata seemed undisturbed by Emilia¡¯s presence. If anything, Anata seemed more comfortable among the loud crowded streets of the town, than she had when meeting people alone. He supposed that likely spending as much time wandering around the town and academy as a spirit, she¡¯d desensitized herself to being around people. Interacting directly with and being acknowledged by them, on the other hand, proved to be something else entirely as she locked up completely when Emilia started asking her questions.


    ¡°She¡¯s mute,¡± Kizu said, interjecting himself. ¡°She can¡¯t speak.¡± Then he crouched down next to her. ¡°Anata, this is my friend, Emilia.¡±


    Emilia frowned. ¡°Can she read and write?¡±


    Kizu looked over to Anata. She met his eyes and gave the tiniest shake of her head. That led Kizu down a different route of thinking. Despite promising to look after her, Kizu still wouldn¡¯t be able to be with her always. Just his academy lessons alone would keep them apart for large chunks of the day. Obviously, Anata needed to learn more independence if he expected her to survive on her own while separated. Not speaking created a massive hurdle for her, but if she could write¡­that opened up avenues for them.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Kizu answered for Anata. ¡°But she actually starts learning how tomorrow.¡±


    Emilia nodded. Her frown became more neutral. ¡°So, she¡¯s not¡­.¡± She paused, as if looking for the right word, before saying, ¡°Simpleminded?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kizu said bluntly.


    ¡°Oh good, so her odd appearance is just cosmetic. Nothing wrong with her brain. That¡¯s excellent news.¡± As the conversation went on, Emilia¡¯s mood appeared to improve. But, meanwhile, Kizu¡¯s happy mood deteriorated.


    Emilia was gorgeous and intelligent. She understood how society functioned and knew how to manipulate it. And yet, every word she said made him feel a bit more dirty. It took him a while to understand why. She spoke around Anata, not quite as if she wasn¡¯t there, but as if the girl was a pet which couldn¡¯t comprehend her.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to go get some paper lanterns, if you want to join,¡± Kizu said, changing the subject from Anata.


    ¡°Oh, together?¡± she said, her disappointment obvious. ¡°I thought your brother or parent would be coming by for the girl.¡±


    ¡°No. Anata¡¯s with me for the night.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of regret as well, but he pushed it aside. Anata deserved better.


    As they made their way over to a stall with lanterns, Kizu noticed the adjacent one sold dango. Remembering that Emilia wasn¡¯t fond of it, he bought some for only himself and Anata. Anata looked ecstatic by the sweets and ripped into them, stretching the rice flour as she bit into hers. Emilia, on the other hand, gave the sweets an irritated glance as they ate them in front of her.


    ¡°Do you want me to get you anything?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Maybe once we go back to the pub,¡± Emilia said.


    Kizu blinked. He hadn¡¯t been planning to return to the beer garden. Not with Anata along with him. He might not be a brilliant expert on children, but even he knew not to bring them to pubs late at night. But he kept the thought to himself as they approached a stall with paper lanterns.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu?¡± the large student running the stall asked. It took Kizu a moment to recognize him. When he did, his insides filled with dread.


    Kizu recalled he had the odd name, Tip. This had been one of the friends of Ulric. They had spoken briefly before the fighting competition. One of the things that initially set Ulric off was the fact he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to fight Tip, and instead got stuck with Kizu as his opponent in the fighting ring. However, the student sounded almost chipper, as if greeting a friend as he spoke to Kizu. That changed as he focused on Emilia.


    ¡°Hello, Tip,¡± Emilia said, her tone venomous.


    ¡°Oh, Emilia. I heard you were chasing Kaga. Looks like you got him. Good for you.¡±


    ¡°Please explain to Ulric and that cousin of mine that it¡¯s not any of their business who I choose to date.¡±


    Tip raised his hands, palms forward. ¡°I¡¯m not explaining anything to anyone. If you want to buy a lantern, I can help. Anything else, you¡¯re out of luck.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu cut in. ¡°Three, please.¡±


    Tip nodded and passed them their paper lanterns.


    ¡°Do you know what to do with them?¡±


    ¡°Of course we do,¡± Emilia said back. ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me.¡±


    Kizu did not know exactly what to do with them, so he wished she hadn¡¯t been so eager to be rid of the older student. However, despite being friends with the menace who had maimed his leg, Tip was surprisingly helpful. Tip gave him a sympathetic nod, then passed him a slip of paper with instructions on how to ritually light the lanterns before they departed.


    ¡°He wants you to revert Ulric¡¯s ban,¡± Emilia said as she stalked off.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Ulric can¡¯t fight because he once again brutalized another student. Last time, he had to wait until after the student graduated to join again. This time, he doesn¡¯t have the chance to do that. He¡¯s a short sighted idiot. So Tip over there is trying to butter you up to let his buddy back in the contests.¡±


    ¡°Why is he so eager to fight?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Because the brute isn¡¯t intelligent enough for anything else. If you take a look at Ulric¡¯s scores, you¡¯ll see he¡¯s failing almost every subject. And he¡¯s almost out of time. After next semester, he¡¯s gone one way or another. The only career path open to someone like him is mercenary work. But you need a reputation to get into that.¡±


    That surprisingly made sense to Kizu. Of course, he had no intention of allowing Ulric to fight again. Even if Kizu himself never fought the older student again in one of the competitions, he couldn''t in good conscience let him loose on other students. Ulric showed no sign that he learned his lesson after the first time he was banned. He was brutal and cruel.


    ¡°I''m actually signed up to compete again tomorrow," Kizu said.


    Emilia nodded. "I approve. It''s best to make a comeback. Especially since you''re so lowly ranked, you should be able to dominate the competition with how far your other subject rankings have advanced. Try to do it in a really flashy way, to get people talking."


    Kizu was about to respond when he felt a tug at his uniform''s sleeve. He looked down to see Anata looking up at him with worried wide eyes.


    "What''s the matter?" he asked. Then he connected what she must be thinking. "Don''t worry about me. Tomorrow will be completely safe. Like Emilia just said, I''m a lot more skilled than the others near my rank."


    Anata still looked ill at ease.


    "Do you want to come along?" he offered. "You can watch from the stands like you did last week. I won''t be able to be up there with you though."


    He glanced over at Emilia who was no longer paying attention to the conversation now that his focus had shifted to Anata. Asking her to watch over Anata probably wouldn''t work. Instead, he pulled out his scrying orb and sent a quick message to Basil. Then, remembering the shapeshifter''s betrayal in the World Dungeon, Kizu sent a back-up message to Ione as well. He wanted to trust Basil again, but this was Anata¡¯s well-being he risked, not his own.


    "Ready to head back to the pub?" Emilia asked.


    Kizu lifted his paper lantern. "We''ve got to do this first, right?"


    Emilia pursed her lips. "Usually, families set off their lanterns earlier and couples release theirs later in the night."


    "Is there a place we should go?" Kizu asked.


    Emilia paused, as if processing the question. Then she closed her eyes and let out a tiny sigh. "We can go to the beach near my villa.¡±


    Kizu followed her out of the town and down the familiar path to her villa, with Anata in tow. Anata was fascinated by everything they passed by, constantly slowing to a stop as different people and things caught her attention. After a group of very drunk students passed by, randomly dressed in a multi-person hydra costume, Kizu decided it might be more efficient to just carry Anata on his back the rest of the way.


    Once at the beach, they found a nice large piece of driftwood to settle down at. Unlike the beach earlier, this one was far more sparsely populated, though different families could be spotted from afar by their clusters of paper lanterns. It looked like hundreds of fireflies illuminating the beach.


    Kizu set up his and Anata¡¯s paper lantern according to the instructions. He decided to entrust Anata¡¯s to her. Though she couldn¡¯t inscribe it without knowing the Universal Script, Kizu instructed that when her wish was ready, to release the lantern. After all, if any gods were watching, they should be able to figure out the wish.


    On his own, he decided to inscribe the word safety. It was broad enough that it should work perfectly. Safety for him, Anna, and Anata. After finishing up his handiwork, he looked over to Emilia¡¯s lantern. Like him, she¡¯d already finished and she held her lantern with one hand, ready for release.


    "What did you wish for?" Kizu asked Emilia while Anata still pondered her own wish. "Wait, let me guess. You''re going to wish for luck in your future trading endeavors."


    "Why would I wish for good fortune there?" she asked. "I believe in skill. Fortunes are created by properly navigating social climates, taking calculated risks, and building relationships. The only place luck is required is at my birth. And since that was decided long ago, there''s no point in wishing for something like that to be different."


    Kizu blinked. She had obviously put more thought into the subject than Kizu.


    ¡°Okay, so if not good fortune, then what?¡±


    She smiled at him. ¡°Can you keep a secret? It won¡¯t come true if everyone knows about it.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kizu readily agreed. He had more than his fair share of secrets. His niece right beside him being perhaps one of the biggest ones. Keeping one more secret for someone seemed a pretty easy payment for learning it.


    She leaned in close,with her arm wrapped around him, to whisper in his ear.


    ¡°Another date.¡±


    A breeze rippled across the water, sending a shiver down Kizu¡¯s spine.


    Unfortunately, the moment was ruined as Anata released her paper lantern, having finally decided on her wish. The breeze picked it up and the edge of the paper lantern smacked Emilia in the eye.

 Chapter II.XVIII (2.18) Owl鈥檚 Respite

    Chapter LXIV (74) Owl¡¯s Respite


    Kizu found his mind wandering back to the previous night as he sat in the waiting room with the week¡¯s other combatants. Thankfully, after the initial shock, Emilia hadn¡¯t seemed too angry about almost losing an eye to Anata¡¯s paper lantern. The bruise hadn¡¯t been anything too terrible. But the silent animosity Emilia felt for the girl definitely simmered and grew as a result.


    Kizu sighed. Nothing in life could just be easy.


    ¡°Worried about the fight?¡± someone asked him.


    Kizu looked up to see a familiar older student looking down at him. Yon, the fifth year in his Music F class. Kizu hadn¡¯t spoken much to him before, usually they let Gregor do most of the talking in their group.


    ¡°No,¡± Kizu said, scooting over to make room for the other percussionist on his bench. ¡°I was thinking about girl problems.¡±


    ¡°Girl problems?¡± Yon asked. ¡°You realize you¡¯re about to fight someone, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fighting at the lowest possible bracket. I don¡¯t have too much to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, taking the seat next to him. ¡°I don¡¯t really do girls, but I have an ear if you have something you want to unload.¡±


    Kizu looked over at him. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you focus on your strategy for your own fight?¡±


    ¡°Not really, it helps more if I think of something else. I get in my own head if I focus too much. Does more damage than good.¡±


    So Kizu started telling him a rough idea of what was going on. While Kizu explained, they also watched the other matches compete through the enchanted window up at the front of the waiting room.


    Yon nodded along as Kizu told him about his previous night, while they both kept an eye on the fights. Occasionally Kizu paused as a match heated up, but nothing especially impressive was on display today so they mostly went on uninterrupted. Other competitors shuffled in and out of the preparation room around them.


    "Listen," Yon said when Kizu finished. "Like I said earlier, I''m not an expert. I''ve never actually spoken to Emilia, but from what you''ve said I can tell that this girl wants to change you. Not necessarily in a bad way, but still. It sounds like she doesn''t necessarily like you for who you are, but instead likes you for what you could grow into if properly pruned."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, she obviously sees a lot of potential in you currently, and realizes that if she acts now, she can mold you into what she¡¯s looking for. What''s your background? What do your parents do?"


    "They''re silk traders, what does that have to do with Emilia?"


    Yon scratched his goatee and stood up. "Make sense. I''m up next, so I''ll make this simple. Just ask yourself, do you want to be the person this girl is trying to change you into? If the answer is ''yes'' then you should be fine. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any shame in letting someone help you become a better version of yourself."


    "And if the answer is ''no?''"


    Yon just shrugged as he walked away.


    Kizu let himself get lost in his thoughts for a minute. Yon readily admitted to not knowing much on the topic, so it could just be wild speculation. But, if what Yon said was true, if Emilia intended to mold him into someone different¡­was that someone a person Kizu wanted to be? He thought about everything Emilia taught him and where her priorities and passions lay. Then he tried to imagine what his life with Emilia would look like.


    Disturbed by the image, Kizu turned his attention to the enchanted window as Yon was introduced to the crowd by Arclight. He faced off against a student with brilliant red hair. At the sound of Arclight¡¯s whistle, Yon''s opponent struck immediately. A stone disk the size of a platter hurled toward Yon¡¯s face. Yon barely managed to duck, the disk narrowly missing his scalp as it smashed into the wall behind him. Then Yon retaliated with a counter attack.


    A half a dozen ice knives formed around Yon. He threw his hands to the side, and they launched away from him. But instead of traveling in a straight line, they spun in the air and boomeranged around his opponent, struck from different angles. And as they zeroed in on the opponent, they multiplied. But not as a result of an elemental spell. Instead, Yon created an illusion overlaying and breaking away from the knives. Suddenly five times the amount of ice knives spun around and striked down at the red haired student.


    The illusionary knives were far from perfect as they were simplistic by design, but even Kizu struggled to track them all while in motion and combined with the real knives. When everything spun and flew about, even a bad illusion was enough of a distraction from the real things to overwhelm the opponent.


    The red haired student did try, however. He used another elemental spell to create vertical disks of stone around his arms which he used like shields to deflect the incoming missiles. He blocked both the real ice and the illusions alike, obviously unable to differentiate between the two types of knives in the heat of the moment. Despite his valiant effort, one of the knives slipped through his defensives, descending on him from above and slicing a gash in his cheek.


    The crowd cheered as Yon stepped away with his fellow contestant to be inspected by the medical students for any damage.


    "Your friend is good."


    Kizu turned and saw Harvey behind him, watching the enchanted window with his tattooed arms crossed.


    "I suppose so."


    "He combined two different schools of spellcraft in a fight. Effectively. That¡¯s not easy,¡± Harvey said, as if now an expert on the topic. ¡°He''s ranked lower because he never participates. If he fought more often, I bet he could reach the top two hundred easily. Maybe even higher. That''s the problem with this system. It takes too long to rank up, and a lot of students don¡¯t bother. Many with talent don''t compete at all, which skews the ranking."


    "Are you talking about what happened with my leg?" Kizu asked. He didn''t feel like beating around the subject today.


    "Oh, I wasn''t," Harvey said, looking a bit abashed as he glanced down at Kizu''s leg. The boy from a few months earlier showed through again for a minute. "Sorry. I was just thinking out loud.¡± He paused. ¡°Well, I¡¯m up next. Good luck in your match, Kizu.¡±


    A minute later, Kizu watched as now Harvey stepped up on the enchanted image. He squared off against an unfamiliar second year Tainted boy with brown hair and scales who kept baring his teeth at the crowd while slowly turning in circles with his arms raised. The audience apparently loved him as their cheers grew louder at each turn. Arclight announced them, naming the other boy Bradley, and then they began.


    Harvey¡¯s tattoos along his arms thrummed to life, glowing as he rapidly closed the distance between them. But it turned out that Bradley hadn¡¯t been just enjoying the attention of the audience earlier. Kizu now realized that while he¡¯d been turning in circles during Arclight¡¯s introductions, Bradley had dragged his foot along the dirt, creating a summoning circle. Just before Harvey reached the other boy, Bradley managed to reach down into the circle and draw out a silver spear.


    Bradley used both hands to slam the shaft of the spear into Harvey. The attack deflected Harvey¡¯s incoming blow and knocked him a few steps backwards, putting a couple meters of space between them. That space was obviously not in Harvey¡¯s favor, as his opponent jabbed the tip of his spear at him.


    Kizu expected Harvey to dodge. Instead, he grabbed the tip of the spear with his hand. The match should have been over, Bradley having drawn first blood. And Bradley obviously thought so as well, as he visibly relaxed his grip. But the spearhead never broke Harvey¡¯s skin. With the tattoos reinforcing his skin glowing brighter and brighter, Harvey ripped the spear out of the other Tainted boy¡¯s hands then lunged forward with his fists and smashed a right hook on Bradley¡¯s face while he stumbled.


    Bradley crumbled like parchment under the blow, his bloody face visible to Kizu on the enchanted screen. Harvey had broken his opponent¡¯s nose, completely altering its once normal trajectory into a crooked mess.


    Unlike Yon¡¯s bout, nobody cheered for Harvey¡¯s victory as the medical students rushed out onto the field to help Bradley. But Harvey also didn¡¯t seem to care much about that. After receiving a cursory check up by one of the students, he walked off.


    The room¡¯s occupants continued to dwindle as more competitors went out. Until the only two remaining were him and a scrawny first year girl from Hon. Kizu couldn¡¯t help but feel bad as she visibly shook and avoided meeting his eye. He vaguely remembered seeing her before, likely from one of his classes, but he decided this wasn¡¯t the time to chat with her.


    The two of them exited the room and found themselves facing off against one another. Just like Kizu had remembered from his first visit to the fights in his first week of classes, the students in the crowd shouted down useless tips, mocked, and laughed at them. They were the lowest level of fighters for the day¡¯s performance. He was starting from the bottom of the ladder and making his way up.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Once Arclight¡¯s whistle sounded, Kizu set his plan into motion. He had been wanting to try it out again ever since it had completely failed against the ghost in the gnomish mines. In just a few moments, he had six copies of himself standing in front of his opponent. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t jump around to scramble his true self with the copies, as the academy¡¯s beacon would drag him off the moment he tried. Instead he had to make do with jerky movements and feints overlaying himself and his illusions. Either way though, his opponent seemed just as terrified. His strategy actually wasn¡¯t that different from that of Yon¡¯s earlier in the day. While his illusions all approached from the front, Kizu let himself fall out of view and then cast a separate illusion over himself which camouflaged him with the surrounding arena¡¯s dirt. It took all of his focus to maintain so many complex illusions at once and he noticed with some irritation that his hold on a couple of the copies fizzled slightly as his hold on them wavered a bit. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t need to be perfect, just keep his opponent second guessing herself.


    Several of his illusions attacked with different elemental attacks. One with a palm of lightning, another with a fist made of pure stone. His opponent tried to strike back. But instead of using any spell, she just swatted at the illusions with pinwheeling arms.


    She was completely oblivious to Kizu as he approached her from behind and slid a small shard of sharpened ice across her back shoulder, slicing the academy uniform and drawing blood as he just barely pierced the skin.


    Arclight called an end to the fight and they separated from one another. As Kizu looked at her across the field, he felt really bad for the girl. Honestly, he could have just sent a few pebbles flying at her and ended the fight without complex spellcraft. Instead, she looked utterly humiliated as she slinked off stage and the medical students quickly repaired her shallow cut. He thought he saw a tear on her cheek, and he doubted it was from any physical pain he had caused.


    Emilia had instructed him to be flamboyant in the fight and make his victory a spectacle. And while the crowd certainly seemed to approve of his display, the victory felt hollow to him.


    He was starting to wonder if he should keep listening to her. Especially if her advice led to more situations where he felt like this.


    Kizu looked up at the crowd and spotted Ione dozing beside Anata and a strange woman whose hair had been split down the middle, left being red and right being blue. Kizu assumed that must be Basil. He noticed Kizu¡¯s stare and gave a lazy thumbs up. Despite his mixed feelings about his victory, Kizu couldn¡¯t help feeling a stab of disappointment as he found no trace of Emilia in the audience.


    Walking over to the sidelines, Kizu stood next to the other competitors who had decided to stick around until the end. Yon sat on a bench and gave a small wave as Kizu approached.


    ¡°Kind of overkill,¡± Yon said. ¡°But nice job. You put my illusions to shame.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to go all out. But I feel kind of bad about it.¡±


    ¡°You rank up according to how effectively you win. What you did was probably smart,¡± Yon said. ¡°But I¡¯m not really one to talk to about ranking up. I just showed up today because I need a passing rank to graduate. I don¡¯t really care about climbing any higher.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a tournament at the end of the school year as well?¡± Kizu thought he remembered someone mentioning it before.


    Yon made a face. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. Yeah. There is. The entire student body is forced into participating. There are a few different contests for that and we don¡¯t know the rules until the day of. It¡¯s part of the reason I¡¯m out here padding my ranking a bit now, just in case I end up facing Weston or Sene in the first few bouts. That could hypothetically knock my combat ranking down more than a few pegs. Thankfully we have another half a year before we need to worry about that.¡±


    Kizu opened up his mouth to ask more about the tournament¡¯s process, but was interrupted by Arclight as she started down the list of updated rankings. Yon moved up thirteen spots, from 320 to 307. Harvey moved from 372 up to 351. After about a dozen more people, Arclight finally reached Kizu¡¯s rank. From 674 up to 643. Not a hundred rank jump like what he had received after technically beating Ulric, but Kizu wasn¡¯t about to complain. Passing more than 30 ranks from such an easy combat was more than enough for him. And this win didn¡¯t result in him hospitalized.


    After Professor Arclight finished listing the new rankings, the students began to disperse. Kizu said goodbye to Yon and made his way over to his friends.


    Ione stretched and yawned as he approached. Beside her, Anata looked ecstatic to see Kizu. The woman with red and blue hair, that Kizu assumed to be Basil, waved as he approached.


    ¡°Did you win?¡± Ione asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s joking,¡± Basil said, rolling his eyes. ¡°She didn¡¯t actually sleep through your fight.¡±


    Ione glared at him. ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard when you and the blood sucker girl kept harassing me by jumping and shouting.¡±


    ¡°Anata shouted?¡± Kizu said, surprised.


    ¡°No, that was me,¡± Basil said. ¡°Nothing gets people talking quite like a beautiful and passionate fan. But Anata was incredibly jittery throughout the entire fight.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you spreading more rumors about my love life, Basil. I have more than enough to deal with as is.¡±


    But, while he acted exasperated, it felt good to have friends supporting him. Anata grabbed his hand and held it as they continued walking down the path.


    ¡°By the way.¡± Basil pulled out an envelope from his uniform¡¯s inside pocket and held it out to Kizu. ¡°This came for you earlier today. I noticed you haven¡¯t been showing up at the room recently so I thought I¡¯d bring it down to you.¡±


    Kizu took the envelope. It had the academy¡¯s seal on it.


    ¡°And speaking of not showing up at the room-¡±


    ¡°I found a new place to stay,¡± Kizu interjected, before Basil could continue. ¡°I needed a place where I could keep Anata safely.¡±


    ¡°And you found one?¡± Ione asked. ¡°Are you staying in your family¡¯s villa now?¡±


    ¡°Hardly. I found an abandoned ship down in a cove by Hayashi Forest.¡±


    ¡°You just found a ship? Randomly?¡±


    ¡°It was part of a quest from the town¡¯s notice board. I just decided to convert it into a place to stay after I finished clearing out all the skeletons. I¡¯m working on some renovations.¡±


    ¡°The constables are letting you accept the quests now, then? And did you say skeletons?¡± Ione perked up. ¡°Any other monsters?¡±


    ¡°Not on the ship.¡± Kizu paused. ¡°But there is a giant jellyfish sea monster in the water underneath.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going now,¡± Ione decided.


    ¡°As interesting as a jellyfish monster sounds, I think I¡¯ll pass on diving down to visit it,¡± Basil said. ¡°I don¡¯t really like swimming all that much.¡±


    Kizu looked at the three of them, realizing something. He remembered what Ione had said when trapped in the World Dungeon flooding trap. ¡°Wait. Can none of you swim?¡±


    ¡°I can swim,¡± Basil said indignantly. ¡°I just choose not to. There¡¯s never a reason to get wet. It messes up my perfumes, hair, and makeup. Everything. It takes hours for hair this length to properly dry in this humidity.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just grow new hair?¡± Ione asked. ¡°And why do you even bother with makeup?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s besides the point.¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I already plan to start giving Anata swim lessons this week. If either of you want to join, you¡¯re both welcome.¡±


    Anata''s face lit up and she looked at him with wide, mismatched eyes. Then, out of nowhere, she hugged him around the waist.


    Not knowing what else to do, Kizu patted her on the head.


    Despite Basil¡¯s claim to be uninterested in the sea monster, he still joined them as they walked down to the ship. Though, he did complain about the lack of a real pathway through the forest.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, a couple controlled fireballs and suddenly, bam, a decent footpath in a matter of minutes,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your rankings,¡± Ione replied. ¡°There¡¯s no ¡®control¡¯ to your fireballs. We¡¯d be safer throwing ourselves in the kitchen¡¯s ovens.¡±


    ¡°Uncalled for,¡± he huffed.


    Kizu still wanted to talk to Basil about what had happened down in the dungeon, but it felt weird to do so in front of the others. Ione still didn¡¯t realize how Kizu had located Basil in the bloodspawn¡¯s territory. She had never pressed him about it, too enamored by Anata¡¯s parentage at the time.


    They reached the cove and Ione started inspecting the black water, as if expecting the sea monster to immediately rise up from the depths.


    ¡°How do you get over there?¡± Basil asked Kizu, gesturing over to the ship. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me we all have to pile into the rowboat.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s Aoi¡¯s. I just jump.¡±


    ¡°Aoi?¡± Basil blinked. ¡°What do you mean? Kotei Aoi?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I, er, forgot to mention. She actually uses the ship as a research lab.¡±


    Basil suddenly became very flustered and fascinated with his current body, as if inspecting it for any defects.


    Kizu realized that this was actually a really great opportunity for him to test out his spatial spellcraft. He had never transported more than two people and a monkey before. Three adults and a child would be a great challenge.


    He gathered them up and clasped Basil and Ione by the shoulders while Anata held on at his waist. In a moment, he transported all of them across the cove and onto the ship. The effort of the jump made him woozy for a minute. Anata noticed and immediately reached for her knife, but Kizu stopped her. He would be fine. And he didn¡¯t necessarily want everyone watching as she used her blood on him.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Basil said as he walked around on the deck. ¡°What¡¯s the ship¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have one,¡± Kizu admitted.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a name?! That¡¯s straight up abusive. Everyone knows every ship needs a name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you have any suggestions?¡±


    ¡°The Defunct Jellyfish,¡± Ione said. She was leaning over the railing, looking down into the water.


    ¡°You just have jellyfish on your mind.¡± Kizu sighed.


    ¡°If I could summon a massive jellyfish, I wouldn¡¯t even need to learn to swim. It could carry me everywhere underwater.¡±


    ¡°It has to be a name worthy of carrying a princess,¡± Basil said. ¡°How about- The Silken Cradle?¡±


    Ione gagged and even Kizu couldn¡¯t help wincing at the suggestion.


    ¡°That¡¯s vetoed,¡± he said.


    At that moment, Mort peeked up from the crew quarters. He gave a big yawn before dashing across the deck and leaping up onto Anata¡¯s shoulder. She giggled and scratched under his chin.


    ¡°If you hate my idea so much, you could name it after your lemur,¡± Basil said.


    ¡°He¡¯s a monkey,¡± Kizu said absentmindedly. But that did give him an idea.


    The ship was still pretty weathered and beaten down. It lacked a sail and Kizu doubted his repairs would hold up to seaworthiness. Instead of acting as a means of transportation, it served as a sanctuary for him, Mort, Anata, and Aoi. Anata lurked as an astral phantom while others slept and Aoi practiced a secretive and dark spellcraft. They were nocturnal creatures, the four of them.


    ¡°Owl¡¯s Respite,¡± he named it.

 Chapter II.XIX (2.19)- Shopping Spree

    Chapter LXXV (75)- Shopping Spree


    ¡°The stroke order is the other way,¡± Kizu instructed Anata. ¡°Start from the top of the character, then work your way down. It both makes the presentation more elegant, and helps you remember the character better.¡±


    Anata scowled down at her attempts at writing the Universal Script¡¯s alphabet. Kizu didn¡¯t think they looked that bad, all things considered. At the very least they were mostly legible, which was more than could be said for the calligraphy of some of his peers. However, even if she could write them, Anata still didn¡¯t understand them all. It would take time.


    The big issue with the Universal Script was how it was designed for reading, and not for pronunciation. As a result of its broad appeal, it lost the ease of translating speech into text. Only proper nouns (and the rare loan word) used a separate alphabet within the Universal Script designed for pronunciation. Despite its widespread use, he knew that less academically minded people never even bothered to learn the Universal Script, instead relying on the more archaic alphabets developed by their native languages. But Kizu never really understood why people stuck to the old scripts. While occasional newspapers and more locally produced texts sometimes used the local language, the Universal Script remained the most in use alphabet for anything intended to be read by a wide audience. It just seemed like stubbornness to not just learn the Universal Script.


    Later that day Anata surprised him when she woke him from a nap with a poke, and then presented him with a message.


    It read- Y har iz gren?


    Kizu scanned it a couple times. There were lines in the wrong positions which could alter the meanings, but he thought he understood the gist of it.


    ¡°Why is my hair green?¡± Kizu asked, checking to make certain his interpretation was correct.


    Anata nodded her confirmation, looking pleased to have gotten the question across. Kizu supposed it made sense for her to wonder about him. She hadn¡¯t been able to ask him questions before. But he was amused that this, of all things, was what she asked first.


    ¡°I mentioned to you before that I wasn¡¯t raised by your grandparents. Instead, when I was a bit younger than you are now, I was kidnapped by a crone. She raised me. In witch covens it¡¯s not uncommon for their members to get exposed to different vapors and fumes from concoctions. Sometimes the most efficient brewing techniques don¡¯t always correlate with the safest techniques. It¡¯s not uncommon for witches to have green, gray, or even purple hair as a result. I got exposed to a nasty substance pretty young, and it stuck with me. But by now, I feel like it¡¯s a piece of me. I wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.¡±


    Anata nodded again, seeming to understand the explanation.


    She went back to practicing her characters. As she did, Kizu remembered another message that he had received. He pulled out the envelope Basil had delivered to him.


    It required his blood to open. The seal pricked his finger when he pressed it against the enchanted wax. Then it unfolded itself for him.


    Kaga Kizu,


    In regards to a promise I made to you at the Festival of Light, you should no longer fear your niece¡¯s identity being leaked into the public. It required discretion and a bit of deception, but those are two attributes I happen to hold in great wealth. If anyone asks, you are watching over her for a friend of mine. You are nothing more than a nanny. If they try to press for more details, send them up the ladder and their questions will be stomped out by my secretary, Roba Jackal. I hope this helps. Your actions have tickled my interest. I look forward to witnessing your growth. I am keenly interested in seeing what future path you will follow.


    Gizrim Ballarfulur


    Wizard Extraordinaire, of the First Degree


    Headmaster of Shinzou Academy


    Kizu didn¡¯t know whether or not to be worried about the headmaster now keeping tabs on him. But he decided the trade off of Anata now being able to walk out in the open without a potato sack illusion overlay was worth it.


    ¡°How about we take a break and do some shopping?¡± Kizu offered to Anata.


    She looked up from her notes and nodded enthusiastically.


    ¡°Did someone mention shopping?¡± Basil said, poking his head down into the crew quarters.


    For the last few hours, he and Ione had been doing their own projects on the ship. Kizu kept them out of Aoi¡¯s laboratory in the captain¡¯s cabin, but otherwise gave them free reign to explore the ship. There had been some initial shock when they discovered Sojan face down in the cargo hold, the black knife smoldering in the back of the gnome necromancer, but they quickly got over their surprise. Basil seemed extraordinarily pleased to speak with the blade more openly. His fascination for the weapon eventually resulted in the two of them fishing together on Owl¡¯s Respite¡¯s deck. While Ione spent a great deal of time mournfully staring down into the black depths. She had quizzed Kizu on every possible detail about the sea monster, but instead of mollifying her curiosity, it only served as further kindling. And since Anata was busy with studying, she couldn¡¯t redirect her curiosity to the half monster girl either.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu said to Basil. ¡°I¡¯m going back into town to get Anata some new clothes and a pair of boots. Any recommendations on where to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a cobbler, but if you¡¯d just told me you wanted some new outfits, I could have prepared something,¡± Basil complained. ¡°But if you need them now, I can show you my favorite spots.¡±


    ¡°Are you joining, Ione?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d rather stay here,¡± she said morosely while continuing to gaze down into the water with her arms slung over the edge of the gunwales. ¡°I want to keep watching for signs of the monster.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you in a few hours then.¡±


    With a quick jump, he transported himself, Anata, and Basil over to the bank of the underground lake.


    While they walked back into town, Basil questioned him about his connection to Aoi. Kizu supposed it made sense for him to be curious, but it was hard to talk about Aoi while dancing around her necromancy habits. That topic dominated almost every interaction he had with her.


    ¡°We have more of a working relationship than a real friendship,¡± Kizu explained. ¡°We¡¯re friendly with each other, don¡¯t get me wrong. But if you¡¯re looking for someone to help you get back in her good graces, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the right person. Not right now, at least. Maybe once I know her better.¡±


    Basil nodded, looking almost as melancholy as Ione had earlier. But his mood completely flipped when they entered back into the town and approached one of his favorite shops.


    Kizu let Basil take the lead as he steered Anata around the clothing store, pointing out different fabrics and explaining what shades of color went best with her pale skin tone. Meanwhile, Kizu found a padded bench and massaged his leg. It had been holding up better the last couple weeks since leaving the World Dungeon. Granted, he rarely removed the leg brace, but he almost believed it might get strong enough again to function like a normal leg someday.


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    ¡°What do you think?¡± Basil asked, presenting Anata to him in a baby blue ball gown with pink accents that puffed outwards. Anata looked both awkward and pleased as she fidgeted in the dress. With her circlet on her brow, she looked like a ragged princess. It highlighted the fact that she desperately needed a haircut as well as shoes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain how much use we¡¯ll get out of it,¡± Kizu said carefully. Upon seeing Anata¡¯s crestfallen face, he amended his statement. ¡°But we can definitely get it if it¡¯s not too much.¡±


    It turned out that it was, indeed, too much. But Kizu still paid the outrageous sum regardless. However, outside of Anata¡¯s earshot, he afterwards insisted to Basil that he focus on more useful outfits from that point on. Basil muttered complaints about Kizu being a joykill, but stuck to everyday clothing after that.


    By the end, Kizu walked away from the shop carrying the ballgown, two daily dresses, a couple tunics, four undershirts, three sets of tights, and a pair of pants. As well as a swimsuit that Kizu had to remind Basil that they needed at the end of the shopping spree. And, while in the seasonal section, Basil also got Anata winter gear, including a woolen sweater and thick pants. Kizu questioned the purchase, but Basil insisted that with the World Dungeon as transportation, it was always useful to have spare sets of seasonal clothing on hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad it¡¯s so difficult for me to alter my mass and height,¡± Basil said. ¡°I would have loved to try out some of these clothes too to test out how she¡¯d look after getting to a less malnourished state. Instead, we just have to use a bit of guesswork. I suppose I can always alter and tweak things down the road as well.¡±


    ¡°She now has over three times the amount of clothes I do,¡± Kizu grumbled as he paid out the Yennies. His coin purse was significantly lighter after the purchases. The clothes took out over half his savings.


    ¡°Stop whinging. Nobody likes a miser,¡± Basil said. ¡°I¡¯ll make you some clothes if you want. But you said Anata was the priority today.¡±


    And so, Kizu swallowed any more complaints as they entered a cobbler¡¯s shop.


    Basil was familiar with the cobbler, obviously a regular. Thankfully, he was able to use his status as a frequent shopper to get discounts on Anata¡¯s shoes. Anata came away with three sets. A pair of boots, a pair of everyday shoes to wear around the ship, and a pair of elaborate slippers that Basil insisted on to go with her ballgown. The only person who looked grumpier than Kizu felt about the expenses was the cobbler. Which, at least, let Kizu know he was getting a half decent deal.


    Finally, they arrived at a hair salon. This was the first shop they visited that Basil had never been to, having never needed help with his hair. Although he knew the hairdresser, an alumnus of the academy from the previous year. After he introduced himself, the woman lit up and started chatting with him about the different possible styles for Anata. As Kizu listened, he wondered just how many people knew about the extent of Basil¡¯s nature as a shapechanger. Some people he was friendly with obviously knew enough to realize he could alter his appearance, but Kizu noticed Basil always subtly deflected certain topics in regards to things like his gender or species. Kizu had always assumed Basil to be male, simply as result of his placement as his roommate in the boys¡¯ dormitory. When a nervous Anata was led to a seat in front of large mirror, the shapechanger sat down next to Kizu in the waiting section


    ¡°Basil, you are a guy, right?¡± Kizu asked.


    Basil blinked as he processed the question for a second. ¡°Yes. I am. At least by a biological stance. And I usually think of myself like that, though I don¡¯t spend much time meditating on it. Everyone of my species technically is male. It¡¯s not something I really like to spread around, but I can¡¯t carry children.¡± He fidgeted slightly, glancing around the hair salon and looking a bit uncomfortable with the topic. But right as Kizu decided to change the subject, he continued on with his explanation. ¡°My body can¡¯t hold a womb for a long enough space of time. You¡¯ve seen what happens when I sleep. In a way, I¡¯m sort of parasitical, relying on other species to mother offspring.¡±


    Kizu recalled how Basil had previously mentioned never meeting his mother. He supposed that made sense. His people likely took him from her after his birth.


    ¡°I think that only sounds as parasitical as any other man,¡± Kizu said. ¡°It takes two to make a child either way. I don¡¯t think your species itself matters all that much.¡±


    Basil flashed him a grateful smile, looking relieved by his response. Then he changed the topic to Kizu¡¯s hair. He insisted that he should also get it trimmed up, stating that he was starting to look shaggy. Eventually, Kizu conceded that it had been a bit unruly ever since his month in the World Dungeon.


    In less than an hour, Anata¡¯s dead ends and scraggly appearance vanished, replaced by a set of blunt bangs and silky clean hair. She looked like an entirely different person. The hairdresser also sold Kizu a paste to help keep Anata¡¯s hair healthy and soft. Kizu tried to get a list of the ingredients from the hairdresser, but she insisted that it was a secret. Still, Kizu resolved to experiment with a few possibilities after his next brewing class. He wanted to avoid paying the additional expense in the future.


    His own haircut went quickly, the hairdresser wielded three different sets of scissors at once. Two she magically suspended and used to clip away at his more disheveled bits that stuck out while she personally held the pair of scissors that made the more important cuts. At the end of it, Kizu was surprised to have her switch to a razor and slice away at his face. He had never noticed growing facial hair before, but as he felt the skin of his cheeks afterwards, they now felt smoother than before.


    Finished with all the errands, Kizu bid goodnight to Basil and started back towards Owl¡¯s Respite. Anata started to nod off while walking, so he ended up carrying both her and all her packaged clothing.


    When he jumped on board the ship, he was surprised to see Ione still on the deck. And even more surprised to find her chatting with Aoi. Nearby, Sojan sat with a fishing pole in hand with a pile of drained fish at his feet.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a clear difference between ectoplasmic creatures,¡± Aoi said enthusiastically. ¡°They have a mass, but it¡¯s almost optional by nature. Their souls can harden from a gaseous form into a solid.¡±


    ¡°In that case, would it be possible to capture one?¡± Ione asked. For once, she appeared wide awake and there was a fire in her eyes. Kizu didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d ever seen her so interested in a topic before. ¡°If they still exist, just in a different stage of matter, it should be theoretically possible, right?¡±


    Aoi bit her thumb as she considered the question. ¡°Yes, I think it is. But it would probably require some sort of enchanted container. Most types of ghosts can easily slip through walls and physical objects that are less than a third of a meter in width. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes less, depending on the species.¡±


    Kizu considered interrupting to say hello, but decided against it. Instead, he went to lay Anata down on her hammock. As soon as he set foot in the crew¡¯s quarters, a small monkey lept at his face. Kizu swore at the ambush and dropped the packages as he grabbed Mort and moved him over to a shoulder. Where Mort bit promptly down on an earlobe.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Kizu told the monkey as he jerked his head. ¡°I know you were bored, but I¡¯ve been pretty busy.¡±


    That did not placate Mort. The monkey tugged on his hair.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Kizu admitted defeat. ¡°You know what, maybe you can help me with something. I¡¯ve been wanting to experiment more with casting spells through our bond. It¡¯s still only theoretical, but I¡¯ve been reading and I think that with the proper set up and practice, we could jump to one another¡¯s locations pretty easily. But first, I need you to try jumping without having me along.¡±


    They went up to the deck where Aoi and Ione continued their discussion, this time though, they acknowledged Kizu.


    ¡°I thought we agreed that we¡¯d discuss it together before revealing the location of the ship to anyone else,¡± Aoi said, sounding a bit irritated.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I forgot,¡± Kizu admitted sheepishly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about it. But I did keep her out of your laboratory.¡±


    Aoi grinned, her stern expression evaporating. ¡°All¡¯s forgiven this time. Why didn¡¯t you tell me you had a friend with so much summoning knowledge?¡±


    ¡°Have you never met Ione before?¡±


    ¡°We knew of one another,¡± Aoi admitted. ¡°But, no offense, I just always thought of her as a less competent version of Sene.¡±


    Ione waved away the insult. ¡°None taken.¡±


    Then they returned to their discussion. They appeared to be fast friends. Kizu supposed their passions aligned. One for monsters, the other for undead.


    Kizu and Mort began practicing their jumps. At first, it took a lot of focus and required physical contact, but Kizu could cast the spell through his familiar. Then he slowly managed to forfeit more control over to the monkey. He started letting Mort decide their location while only acting as the facilitator of the spell. By the time Kizu was feeling woozy and low on blood, Mort could jump with just Kizu channeling through the bond. Kizu still maintained control over when and the amount of blood Mort used. Kizu could also seize control of the jump and redirect it, but it was a conscious choice now. The monkey¡¯s agency with the spell increased significantly.


    For better or worse, by the end of the night, Kizu had a teleporting monkey.

 Chapter II.XX (2.20)- Adoring Fan

    Chapter LXXVI (76)- Adoring Fan


    Kizu always looked forward to his brewing classes. He usually knew everything mentioned during the class curriculum, but the time he was given after each class to work on his own personal projects proved invaluable. With so many raw materials in front of him, what felt like infinite possibilities were at his fingertips. Working on brews both excited and relaxed him simultaneously.


    He currently sat at a side table mashing ingredients with a mortar and pestle. He had a stack of paper copies of his flier for the school ball beside him. The enchanted object used to duplicate the drawing left him with hundreds of copies, but no adhesive to stick to the walls. And, while creating an adhesive paste was a simple process, it became a bit trickier as he tried to time it to dissolve at the same time as the enchanted copies would disintegrate in a couple weeks. He didn¡¯t want to leave giant gooey smears on the academy walls.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± a quiet voice said.


    Kizu turned to see the smallest student he had ever seen standing behind him looking down at his feet. If he hadn¡¯t been wearing a blue academy uniform, Kizu wouldn¡¯t have assumed the boy to be old enough to be a student.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± Kizu asked. He glanced at his current concoction. If he let it sit for too long, it would solidify.


    The boy said nothing, only fidgeting while not looking up.


    Thinking it odd, but harmless, Kizu returned to his paste. He almost had it. If he added crushed blister beetles, the added acidic component might be enough to bring it all together. But finding the appropriate quantity for the ratio would take some trial and error.


    ¡°You¡¯re Kaga Kizu,¡± the boy squeaked. It wasn¡¯t a question seeking confirmation, but instead sounded more like an accusation.


    Kizu twisted his head back to face him again as he continued to stir the brew in front of him.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The boy took a deep breath then looked up at him with clenched hands. ¡°My name is Kimura Harumi. I want to ask you to please help me with my brewing.¡±


    Then the boy bowed at a stiff ninety degree angle and held it for several seconds.


    ¡°Kimura?¡± Kizu said. ¡°As in Officer Kimura?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Harumi mostly unbent himself but still kept his head bowed to the ground. ¡°He¡¯s my father.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Kizu processed that. He supposed the boy looked a bit like his father. ¡°And why are you asking for my help?¡±


    Kizu noticed tears dripping onto the stone floor, wettening it.


    ¡°I¡¯m a failure. I am almost the worst brewer in all of Wave Edge Academy. Please. Please help me.¡±


    Kizu noticed the ¡®almost the worst¡¯ and stifled a chuckle. As bad as this dramatic kid might be, at least Ione was always there to be worse.


    ¡°What makes you think I can help you? To be honest, I¡¯m not really all that good myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a master brewer!¡± The boy shot up from his bowed position to one as stiff as a plank. ¡°Everyone knows that. The first years all talk about you in our common room. You¡¯re a prodigy at everything, passing through the rankings with an ease unheard of. But you specialize in brewing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m good at brewing. Everyone else here is just really horrible at it.¡±


    Harumi stared at him blankly, as if unable to understand. Then something in him clicked. ¡°Then please teach me to not be horrible!¡±


    Kizu rubbed his eyes with a hand, before recalling how terrible the habit was while actively brewing. Thankfully, his hands had been relatively clean. Accidentally sticking his eyelids shut right now would be extremely annoying. Just to be safe, he went over to the well pump and washed his hands and splashed a bit on his face.


    ¡°What are you brewing right now?¡±


    ¡°An adhesive.¡± Kizu passed him the paste. ¡°Here, stir clockwise. I¡¯ll tell you when to stop.¡±


    Harumi took the mixture and launched into the task with gusto. After instructing him to slow down, Kizu got out his scrying orb and looked up the boy¡¯s rankings.


    Kimura Harumi, first year- Combat- 699, Astronomy- 752, Divination- 716, History- 280, Politics- 398, Rejuvenation and Restoration- 789, Conjuring- 778, Brewing- 799, Numerology- 674, Music- 547 (bugle), Enchanting- 741, Illusion- 768, Elemental- 687.


    Not the best standings, but not terrible for a first year. He seemed to be especially decent at history and politics. Likely a result of being raised by a government employee. Kizu noticed that they¡¯d be in Conjuring F and Rejuvenation and Restoration F together next semester. Better to try to build bridges early on.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I¡¯m not a teacher and I don¡¯t really need an assistant, but, if you want, I¡¯ll let you know the next time I brew something and you can come watch.¡± That had pretty much been all the training he received from the crone, so if it worked for him, it might also work for Harumi.


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    The boy¡¯s face lit up and his cheeks'' dimples folded as he struggled to hold back his smile. He looked positively giddy at the prospect.


    ¡°However, in payment I need help posting these around the academy.¡± Kizu gestured at the stack of fliers. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to have them all up before the Student Council meeting tonight.¡± He glanced at his scrying orb again for the time. ¡°Which is two hours from now.¡±


    ¡°Consider it done!¡± Harumi snatched up the stack of flyers, almost greedily. Before Kizu could explain he only needed to distribute some, the boy had run off with the paste and papers in hand. The paste hadn¡¯t been completed yet either.


    Lacking the energy to chase after him, Kizu decided to instead turn his attention to cleaning up his workspace.


    He wondered if he could get a brewing space situated down on his ship. Aoi had converted the captain¡¯s cabin into her own necromantic laboratory, it only seemed fair that he should have his own space too. Maybe in the cargo hold. But getting a decent sized cauldron down to Owl¡¯s Respite would be a pain. Let alone all the ingredients. And he reluctantly admitted to himself he had just promised to let Harumi spectate his brewing as well. That would be difficult to do if he was down at the ship. Better to stick to the academy facilities for now. Still, slowly building towards a real set-up further down the road seemed like something to consider. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to start collecting things now.


    When he finished cleaning up, he went through his inventory list that he had made a few months back of the academy¡¯s brewing supplies. From there, he separated what he viewed as priority ingredients from the ones he considered redundant or unnecessary for his own future cache. He found the process surprisingly fun as he got to hypothesize about different brewing combinations. And, even if he was a long way off from having his own laboratory, it didn¡¯t hurt to know what he needed to keep an eye out for.


    When the time came for the Student Council meeting, Kizu reluctantly dragged himself out of the brewing cavern and up to the tower where the meeting was held.


    When he entered, Ione lay sprawled out on her chair with her head and legs resting on the armrests. She didn¡¯t acknowledge his entrance as she snoozed.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sene?¡± he asked after looking around the room. Her absence was bizarre. Never once had he ever seen her arrive late to Brewing S. And she took the Student Council meetings even more seriously than classes.


    Ione opened an eye, lazily glanced around, then shut it again. Then she stretched out like a lazy house cat and yawned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she finally said. ¡°Usually my sister is pretty punctual. Never missed an appointment before. Maybe she got trapped in a time dilation chamber. Heard the things can keep people from helping out their friends in even the direst of situations.¡±


    Kizu stepped over to the window and stared down at the academy spread out below. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I tried getting out as fast as possible.¡±


    She sat up and popped her back. Then she grinned at him. ¡°Relax, Kizu. I¡¯m just making a joke. No need to always take things so seriously.¡±


    Before Kizu could come up with a dry retort, Sene barged in.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± she barked at him. ¡°We need to get started now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s late,¡± Kizu muttered as he took his seat.


    If Sene heard him, she didn¡¯t acknowledge it, instead she launched into the meeting, skipping the normal roll call and procedures. Kizu couldn¡¯t help but start to feel a seed of worry. Sene was married to those protocols. And a glance over at Ione showed a similar concern on her face.


    ¡°I just got out of a meeting with Professor Kateshi,¡± Sene said. ¡°Terrible news.¡± She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, as if bracing herself for her own announcement. ¡°She decided to hijack our theming and instructed me that we have to turn the ball into a masquerade.¡±


    Kizu shared a look with Ione.


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± he asked, hesitantly. ¡°We have plenty of time, right?¡±


    Sene looked as if he just asked if acid was a healthy snack.


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± she repeated, aghast. ¡°Of course it¡¯s a problem! We already got everything rolling with our preparations. The catering has already been scheduled. The decorations are already arranged. Your fliers should be up. And not only that, what do you think this says about Professor Kateshi¡¯s opinion of us? She felt the need to step in and change everything.¡±


    ¡°Will it cost us more money?¡± Ione asked.


    ¡°Well, no. Professor Kateshi allotted us an extra budget. But that just shows even less faith in our skills to properly budget. It¡¯s humiliating.¡±


    ¡°Did she say why she is altering the ball to a masquerade?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°Is there a reason for it?¡±


    ¡°I am not in the habit of questioning my superiors¡¯ instructions,¡± Sene snapped at him.


    Kizu rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat. At least this didn¡¯t seem like that big of a deal.


    ¡°As a result of this unplanned disaster, we¡¯ll need to take today¡¯s meeting in a different direction than I originally planned,¡± Sene continued. ¡°We need to do damage control and rethink the distribution of our resources in light of the new information.¡±


    Kizu glanced over at Ione who had her forehead planted on the table. He wondered what Sene would do if he followed Ione¡¯s example. Likely flay him alive and drape his skin out the Student Council room¡¯s window. So, he listened with half an ear as Sene reviewed everything from the previous meeting. It sounded like nothing actually changed, besides the fact that now he needed to get a mask for the ball. Kateshi probably just phrased it as a suggestion that Sene was now taking it way too seriously.


    ¡°And of course,¡± Sene said. ¡°We will need to recall all the fliers and rework them into something appropriate for a masquerade.¡±


    Kizu jolted to attention. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t be serious! I just posted hundreds of them around campus.¡±


    ¡°And how else will everyone know to bring a mask to the masquerade? If it¡¯s not in the missive, it will just be a normal ball.¡±


    ¡°But the adhesive paste I used to stick the flyers to the walls is designed to be semi-permanent,¡± Kizu protested. ¡°I can¡¯t just take the flyers down without tearing the whole paper apart.¡±


    ¡°Good thing we still have ¡®plenty of time,¡¯ right?¡±


    Kizu opened his mouth to continue arguing but Ione spoke first.


    ¡°You¡¯re not winning this one, Kizu,¡± she said, her voice muffled as she spoke into the table. ¡°Retreat and live to fight another day.¡±


    Kizu frowned. She had a point. He didn¡¯t see a path forward that would lead him to actually swaying Sene. He folded his arms and leaned back, forfeiting.


    ¡°Good,¡± Sene said with a nod. ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled. I want to clarify that we don¡¯t actually have plenty of time. That was meant as a jab for your earlier comment. You need to have this completed in the next 24 hours, though preferably sooner, before misinformation takes root in the student body.¡±


    Kizu groaned. Hopefully Harumi didn¡¯t mind doing him another favor.

 Chapter II.XXI (2.21)- Swim Lessons

    Chapter LXXVII (77)- Swim Lessons


    ¡°I hate this,¡± Ione said. ¡°I actually hate this so much.¡±


    She currently stood beside Anata on the beach, knee-deep in the ocean. Unlike Anata, she didn¡¯t have an actual outfit designed for swimming and instead wore bands of dark cloth across her chest and a pair of shorts. Kizu would have thought that with the sun overhead that she would be warm, but Ione shivered ceaselessly as she eyed the water with distaste.


    ¡°The key is getting comfortable,¡± Kizu said from where he stood a few meters away, shoulder deep in the water. He bobbed up and down, pushing off the sandy ocean bed with a foot.


    ¡°That is not helpful advice.¡± Ione looked over her shoulder at Basil who lay sprawled out on a towel on the dry beach, basking in the sun.


    The shapeshifter had declined the offer of swim lessons, but tagged along for the show. He currently wore the body of a sculpted man. And he was really showing that body off today, forgoing his massive wardrobe in favor of almost exclusively skin. Already, six different cute academy students had approached, only to get turned away.


    Anata, for her part, had the opposite problem of Ione. She was overly eager and kept rushing deeper into the water and forcing Kizu to go out of his way to rescue her. Her survival instinct was at practically zero. He also worried about her getting sun burns. Her skin was almost as pale as snow. And her Bloodlord heritage likely didn¡¯t lend itself to ideal skincare. He resolved to only do a short trial lesson for their first day.


    ¡°Okay, so the first thing you need to learn is how to float.¡± Kizu slipped onto his back to demonstrate. He stayed there for half a minute before returning to his feet. ¡°I chose this spot specifically because it¡¯s relatively calm. You should be able to float here without any waves crashing down on you.¡±


    He gestured for them to try. Ione just slowly crouched down in the water and put her head back. Anata fell backwards with a splash and immediately folded her body into a V, sinking. Kizu had to rush over to pull her up, out of the water.


    ¡°I should have explained better. You want to keep your chin up and stomach up. Spread your body out and take a deep breath. Don¡¯t let out all your air, take shallow breaths with your lungs still mostly full.¡±


    To her credit, Anata did try. But she still sank and spluttered up salt water. Kizu ended up supporting her back with one hand to help her practice.


    Ione had similar results. She technically did as Kizu instructed, but she was stiff as a corpse the entire time and submerged as soon as she lay back.


    By the end, Kizu realized that teaching someone to be comfortable in water was more important than actually teaching them the mechanics of swimming. So they ended up just messing around and splashing one another.


    As the water war escalated, Kizu wished he knew decent elemental spells to drench his two opponents. But then he realized he didn¡¯t need to. He jumped from the water, directly above Ione, then instantly jumped back into the water. The displaced sea water from his second jump appeared over Ione¡¯s head. She gasped in shock as it splashed down over her. She glared at him. But then something on the shore behind him caught her eye. She smiled, showing her teeth.


    Ione scrambled out of the water, and began sketching in the sand with one hand. She slammed her hand down and a bald, green reptilian creature with webbed feet and a turtle shell crawled out. It stood about the same height as Anata.


    ¡°A kappa!¡± Kizu said with delight. He had heard of the monsters but never spotted one in the wild. ¡°My sister told me stories about them! You¡¯ve actually seen one in person before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There was a family of them that lived near my house growing up. They¡¯re pretty cheeky. And they¡¯re actually not all that magical so it¡¯s pretty easy to create one as a summon.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you bring one out now though?¡±


    Ione grinned evilly and pointed at her summon¡¯s bald head. Or rather, the large divot in it. Often referred to as a dish, kappas usually carried water in it.


    Kizu watched in fascination as Ione¡¯s summon dipped itself into the water. When it emerged, the indent was full of water. Then it waddled over to where Basil sunbathed. The shapechanger was oblivious. His skin was starting to droop, indicating that he¡¯d fallen asleep. So, he remained in blissful ignorance right up to when the kappa bowed to him, completely drenching his face.


    He jolted upright, his features solidifying as he cursed. He threw handfuls of sand at the kappa, chasing it off.


    ¡°Why are you even sunbathing? You can¡¯t actually tan, can you?¡± Ione asked as she sloshed out of the water toward him. She then wrung out her black hair over his legs, causing him to curse again and kick at her.


    Basil glared at her as she nimbly stepped out his reach. ¡°Can a cat tan? No? And yet you don¡¯t dump water on them. Is it a crime to enjoy the sun¡¯s warmth?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re making an unfair comparison. I like cats.¡±


    Anata giggled behind Kizu. He turned away from Basil and Ione¡¯s bickering to see her small hands failing to cover a giant smile. Her red and black eyes sparkled with joy as the sun shone down on them.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Kizu, is that you?¡±


    Kizu watched his niece¡¯s smile fade as she looked behind him at the speaker. She bit her lip. Her sharp canine drew a bead of blood. In a mere moment, she had flipped from jubilation to discomfort.


    Emilia approached on the beach, shielding her eyes from the sun. Kizu tried to smile, but the normal jumble of emotions Emilia produced in his stomach was replaced by a lump of dread.


    ¡°Hello, Emilia,¡± Kizu said, raising his hand in greeting. The irritation he felt toward her was completely unjustified.


    Emilia was tailed by her two usual friends. They both frowned at Kizu in distaste. Something he had done must have somehow upset them, but Kizu couldn¡¯t find it in him to care at the moment. Thankfully, Basil broke away from his arguing with Ione to sidle up to the two friends to start chatting them up. He successfully redirected their attention from Kizu to himself.


    ¡°How¡¯s the water?¡± Emilia asked. ¡°Mind if we join you?¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Ione interrupted, her kappa waddling up to Emilia. ¡°We were just about to leave. Kizu promised to help me study one of the magical creatures he spotted in the forest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you talking about that turtle?¡± Emilia said, sounding vexed.


    ¡°Turtle? No, but that sounds interesting. You saw a magic turtle nearby?¡±


    ¡°Not personally. Professor Knoff mentioned it. It has four heads.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep our eye out for it, thanks for the heads up.¡± Ione turned to Kizu and Anata. ¡°Come on.¡±


    Kizu felt relief wash over himself as he grabbed ahold of the figurative escape rope tossed by Ione. He apologized to Emilia and helped towel off Anata before they headed into the forest toward Owl¡¯s Respite. Basil opted to stay behind, still engaged in a deep conversation with the other two girls. He heard them all give a little yelp of surprise as Ione¡¯s kappa collapsed and started to dissolve on the beach as they walked away.


    Anata held his hand as they walked and he felt her relax as they left the beach behind.


    ¡°You know,¡± Ione said as they walked. ¡°I have actually been working on compiling all my studies of bloodspawn. I even checked out a grimoire from the library.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re actually studying? I¡¯m shocked. Are you secretly actually Sene?¡±


    ¡°Ha. Ha. You¡¯re so funny. Anyway, even despite all the research I¡¯ve done, I can¡¯t figure out how to conjure one. It¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need a summoning circle? Do you already know the right design?¡±


    ¡°No. But I should still be able to develop a connection and figure out the proper pattern based on that. I can¡¯t get even an inkling of an idea of where to start. I haven¡¯t had trouble summoning a monster like this since¡­well, ever.¡± She eyed Anata.


    ¡°Have you been able to get anything else to work recently? Maybe it¡¯s a block with you, rather than the creature.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly insightful of you,¡± Ione said. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t know anything about conjuring?¡±


    Kizu shrugged. ¡°You can get into a slump for anything.¡±


    Ione snapped her fingers. ¡°I know, I¡¯ll try figuring out the proper summon for those sonney we found down below. If I can do that, that proves you wrong.¡±


    ¡°The little furry gerbil creatures?¡± Kizu recalled they were supposedly lucky, but he couldn¡¯t recall any particularly good fortune after they found the creatures. Basil had abandoned them. They¡¯d gotten stuck in a trap. And the thing had died underwater. He still vividly recalled the sound of its dying scream distorted by the water as it got torn apart by skeletal piranhas. He supposed maybe the good luck was that it had died instead of them.


    ¡°Hold up.¡± Ione stopped and started sketching on the forest floor with a crooked stick.


    Kizu and Anata settled back and watched Ione work. It took about ten minutes of her muttering, a dozen failed circles, and three broken sticks, but Ione did manage to finally get a circle to activate. And out of glowing design, crawled a round white rodent creature. It pointed its nose skyward to sniff the air, then it scampered over to Ione. Ione set it on her shoulder, just as she had with the real one they¡¯d encountered a few weeks ago.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± Kizu said, impressed. ¡°Is that normal?¡±


    ¡°Bit slow for me," Ione said, dusting off her bare legs. "But I didn¡¯t get a ton of time to study the creature, so I guess it¡¯s to be expected. Regardless, this completely obliterates your theory. I knew I wasn¡¯t in a slump.¡±


    Anata walked over and reached up to poke the sonney. It squeaked and shook its whiskers at her.


    When they reached the massive cavern that housed Owl¡¯s Respite, Ione immediately went up to the underground lake¡¯s edge and leaned over it.


    ¡°One swim lesson didn¡¯t transform you into an athlete,¡± Kizu warned.


    ¡°Not one lesson from you,¡± Ione said. Then she paused. ¡°Sorry, that came out more venomous than teasing. I really do appreciate your help.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    She sighed loudly and stepped back away from the water¡¯s edge. ¡°I still just have that summoning block on my mind.¡± She paused again. ¡°Plus, I don¡¯t like your friend.¡±


    Kizu blinked. ¡°Which one? Basil?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve mostly forgiven the annoying ooze for abandoning us back in the dungeon. I mean the Tainted girl back at the beach. Emilia. I don¡¯t like how she divides her attention. It seems like she zeros in on specific people she views as holding value and the rest of us don¡¯t exist. It kind of pisses me off a bit.¡±


    Kizu looked over the lake at the ship. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m trying to put a bit of distance between us right now. I¡¯m trying to sort out how I feel about her.¡±


    The three of them stood in amicable silence for a minute while Kizu thought over Ione¡¯s opinion on Emilia.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Kizu said. ¡°What did you call Basil?¡±


    ¡°Annoying?¡± Ione¡¯s brows furrowed in thought. ¡°Wait, you mean an ooze?¡±


    ¡°Is he an ooze?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. They¡¯re all quarantined in Ilosin-Don. They lack the brains to get off the continent.¡±


    ¡°But, regardless, Basil did say to me he was a changeling. That¡¯s a monster type, isn¡¯t it. Could you summon a copy of him?¡±


    ¡°I never really thought of him like that. I¡¯ve only seen him in human form.¡± She considered. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could right now with my current understanding of him. I don¡¯t know anything about his anatomy.¡±


    But Kizu could see the gears turning in Ione¡¯s head as a smile touched the edges of her lips. She might not have enough information at the moment, but Kizu doubted that would last for too much longer. On one hand, he felt a bit bad for unleashing this beast on Basil. But it might help confirm a suspicion he held about the changeling. And, to be honest, Basil had it coming.

 Chapter II.XXII (2.22)- The King鈥檚 Falcon

    Chapter LXXVIII (78)- The King¡¯s Falcon


    Kizu blasted through his tests as quickly as possible. The results didn¡¯t really matter all that much for the paper tests, and he wanted to get back to practicing his jumping near a beacon. He hoped to get in a bit more practice before meeting with Roba. Every day this week he had trained for hours, to the point of nearly collapsing in exhaustion. All with the goal of bypassing the academy beacon and warding scheme. Thankfully, he could afford to be reckless, because at the end of every day when he returned to Owl¡¯s Respite, Anata was always there to refresh him. And today he thought he might finally be on the cusp of breaking through the beacon¡¯s pull.


    When he arrived in the room next to the beacon, he immediately began practicing. After half a hundred new attempts, he finally managed a partial success. Instead of being entirely transported into the beacon room next door, his most recent jump dragged him toward it, but not all the way. His spell was finally strong enough to fight against the beacon¡¯s constant tug. He couldn¡¯t resist grinning maniacally at his success. And then he managed to start replicating the success, around half of his next jumps also fighting back against the beacon. It required a great deal of focus and knowledge of the beacon, but he could get past it now. Sometimes.


    The grin shifted to one of smug satisfaction as he approached Roba¡¯s office a few hours later, eager to see the old woman¡¯s face when he showed her his rapid growth of his new skill at their appointment.


    However, the smirk slipped as he walked in. Gone were the epic windows featuring bizarre ocean fish from the bottom of the sea. Instead, he walked into a room with a dry heat and white marble walls.


    Instead of Roba, the headmaster sat at a desk at the end of the room. He looked up from under his black top hat as Kizu stepped inside and smiled under his curling mustache.


    ¡°Welcome, Kaga Kizu. Please take a seat.¡±


    A leather armchair appeared in front of the desk, directly facing the headmaster. Kizu did as commanded and sat down.


    ¡°Where-¡± Kizu started.


    ¡°Are you?¡± the headmaster finished for him. ¡°You¡¯re in my office, dear boy, surely you could come to that conclusion on your own.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Kizu asked, a bit miffed about being cut off.


    ¡°Because I wished to speak to you. You and your niece caught my attention the other day and I decided to take time out of my schedule to converse with you further.¡±


    ¡°About anything in particular?¡±


    ¡°I have a proposition for you, Kaga Kizu.¡± Headmaster Ballarfulur rested his elbows on his desk and leaned in. ¡°You¡¯re a good student. Long before meeting you in person, I meant to check in with you. However, now I moved you up in my priority list. I¡¯ve checked in on your rankings and seen your development. I also recall receiving a letter from your roommate, Basil, a few weeks ago. And, after speaking to my secretary, I believe I understand your current goals.¡±


    ¡°Thanks?¡± Kizu said. He didn¡¯t see where this was going. He had forgotten about Basil¡¯s letter. In fact, before putting it out of his mind, he¡¯d assumed the changeling had been lying about contacting the headmaster. He wondered what exactly that note had said.


    ¡°You¡¯re most certainly welcome! My praise is well deserved. I don¡¯t believe I have seen Roba so frustrated in a few years. Not since that unfortunate situation with Professor Arclight¡¯s predecessor. She despises mysteries or being ignorant of knowledge. Your sudden growth has vexed her quite thoroughly.


    ¡°However, I believe you could still do better. You just need a little more of a push. So, I am putting something down on the table for you.¡± Headmaster Ballarfulur paused dramatically. When Kizu didn¡¯t respond, his smile widened further. ¡°As of this morning, your current rankings are as follows- Combat- 643, Astronomy- 221, Divination- 103, History- 799, Politics- 799, Rejuvenation and Restoration- 799, Conjuring- 799, Brewing- 1, Numerology- 799, Music- 712 (piano), Enchanting- 341, Illusion- 83, Elemental- 308. Which, as Roba told you last week, is quite remarkable based on where you started.¡±


    Kizu noticed that his rankings hadn¡¯t improved very much in the last week. He had to remind himself that others were also improving and passing him just as he did to others. And he had spent the week focused on spatial spellwork with portal creation and jumping. Still, it was a bit disheartening after his previous improvement.


    ¡°If you add all those scores together with a bit of basic math, they come to a total of 6,407. Now, my offer for you is this. If you manage to get that total number down to 1,000, I will tell you where your sister currently resides.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His mind seemed to break for a couple seconds.


    ¡°You know where Anna is?¡± he said, completely in disbelief.


    ¡°Not personally. But a friend of mine does.¡±


    Kizu stood up, knocking the armchair backwards. ¡°Please, help me find her!¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Once you descend down to the total rank of 1,000,¡± Headmaster Ballarfulur repeated calmly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Kizu said, for the first time since talking to his mother he felt genuine rage directed at someone. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth. ¡°That will take forever. If you know, just tell me!¡±


    ¡°I am an educator. Although, my recent duties seem to involve everything but the task of teaching, that is my official work. But, if you wish for a more practical answer, you will die as you are now. Her environment is far more dangerous than anything you¡¯ve faced. And that includes your little escapade down below. I can¡¯t in good conscience tell you her location at the state you currently exist in. I prefer my students to stay alive. Now, sit down. I want to tell you a story.¡±


    The armchair behind Kizu jolted back into position, buckling Kizu¡¯s knees as it rammed into them.


    ¡°This is an old story from my homeland,¡± the headmaster launched into his tale, not giving Kizu a moment to protest. ¡°A place very far from here. A land where magic is far less common and far more coveted.


    ¡°There once lived a king. This king, above all other things, found joy in hunting. He loved the thrill of the chase, and the joy of the capture. And so, his companion, above all others in his court, was his beloved falcon. Beyond her natural beauty and skill, she was a wise bird and retained a sixth sense for the best days to hunt. Whenever she signaled to him, the king would cancel everything scheduled for the day and leave on a hunt.


    ¡°It was on such a day that he abandoned his kingly duties and went out into the desert canyons. There, he found the most magnificent gazelle in the world. He vowed to have it for his own, and so his falcon flew up and assisted him in cutting it off at the canyon¡¯s end. She flew down, right at the canyon¡¯s exit and blinded the animal with her talons, clawing out its eyes. Together, they proved triumphant as the king speared it from his saddle.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the king had outpaced his royal retinue in his haste for the hunt. They had become lost in the canyon''s winding passages. The king and his horse though were incredibly thirsty from the chase, and without his men who carried their supplies, the king went to find a natural source to quench him.


    ¡°He found a small pool of water beneath a tree that offered them shade. The king dismounted his horse and filled his helmet with the water to give to his horse. However, just before the horse could drink, the king¡¯s falcon swooped down and knocked the helmet out of the king¡¯s hands, spilling it on the dusty ground.


    ¡°Irritated, the king scolded his bird for its jealousy. He explained to it that if it wished to drink, it could either do so from the source or exercise patience. Then he knelt and scooped more water into the helmet. But, just as his horse bent its head to drink, the falcon again knocked it out of his hand with a wing.


    ¡°At this point, the king became furious with the bird. They had very little water left in the pool, and none to waste on pettiness. For a third time, he scooped up the water into his helmet. And for a third time, his falcon knocked it from his hand with a wing.


    ¡°The king snatched up his spear and rammed it through his bird¡¯s offending wing. And, as the falcon fell to the dusty ground, it pointed up with its remaining wing. Up to the tree branches above the pool of water where a tiny draco scorpion lay in wait. The king watched with horror as a drop of venom dripped down from the scorpion¡¯s stinger and into the pool, he had foolishly been gathering water from. It poisoned those foolish enough to drink, killing them in minutes. Then it would feast.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kizu asked, his anger having faded into intrigue by the story.


    Headmaster Ballarfulur shrugged and leaned back in his seat. ¡°The falcon died. And the king returned to his duties, alive.¡±


    ¡°So, the falcon suffered because of the king¡¯s pig-headedness and he got away without punishment? The bird¡¯s loyalty to someone undeserving shielded him from his own stupid actions?¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one way to view the story. But, let me ask you, would you rather be the falcon or the king at the end of the story?¡±


    Kizu paused.


    ¡°The falcon,¡± he admitted.


    Headmaster Ballarfulur nodded. ¡°The king did not escape away without punishment. He went to the grave knowing he killed the thing that loved him more than any other. And, I have it on good authority that mankind will never be able to punish another quite as effectively as someone can to oneself. We are our greatest critics, for only we have transparency to see our most personal flaws. Some philosopher¡¯s believe the mind to be its own place. Our minds can inflict torture far crueler than anything physically incurred.¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this story?¡±


    ¡°It popped into my head the other night after our brief discussion and I wanted to share it. Plus, I thought it might serve a secondary purpose as a tasty morsel of what history class can teach you. As this is a true story, by all accounts, from my homeland. I hope it may inspire you to finally put a bit of effort in.¡±


    ¡°Krimpit doesn¡¯t teach stories,¡± Kizu said dismissively. ¡°Half the time, his history classes aren¡¯t even true. It¡¯s pointless to listen to them.¡±


    The headmaster chortled and twisted one end of his mustache. ¡°You sound like a child half your age. But I suppose that¡¯s the norm for those around your stage of development. You often tend to devolve a bit for a while around puberty.¡±


    Kizu opened his mouth to protest, but Headmaster Ballarfulur continued on.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct, but not in a way that matters. You misunderstand what history is. Often, people will say that ¡®history is written by the victor,¡¯ but that¡¯s not accurate either. In reality, history is written by whomever is around. History isn¡¯t about truth, it¡¯s about what people in a culture believe to be the truth.


    ¡°Professor Krimpit recently taught you the history of our island, correct? What if I told you the story he told vastly changes when taught in academies in Tross. And even more so in Hon academies. Hon especially likes to shift the narrative when reciting history. But we all do it to a degree. It¡¯s all a matter of perspective.¡±


    Kizu thought on that. It was an interesting approach to Krimpit¡¯s lessons, to view it as his version of the events rather than the absolute truth that he believed it to be.


    ¡°You promise that once I make it to a total ranking under 1,000, you¡¯ll get me in contact with your friend?¡± Kizu asked the headmaster.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I can make that happen.¡± It would be monumental, but he knew he could make it work. The real question was, how long would it take? With Anata¡¯s help, he could get the spellcraft rankings. The paper tests were different though. History and politics seemed especially impossible with Krimpit at the helm of his education. And he dreaded numerology next semester. But, in truth, this was his most certain lead.


    Headmaster Ballarfulur dismissed him. Kizu stood and started to leave.


    ¡°Also, one last thing. A certain chef down in the kitchens alerted me to a theft a few weeks back. If you are going to steal academy resources, please at least be a bit more discreet about it in the future.¡±

 Chapter II.XXIII (2.23)- Cloning a Clone

    LXXIX (79)- Cloning a Clone


    Another perk of Anata¡¯s blood transfers was that the energy it gave him could help substitute for sleep. Kizu still needed a couple hours of rest every night, but gone were the days where he walked around in a zombified state.


    He used all that newly found spare time to practice his spells. He decided to focus on his enchanting for the moment, to get it as high as possible. In his most recent class, Professor Kateshi explained the process of unenchanting an object. An extraordinarily difficult feat unless performed by the original enchanter. It required a complete understanding behind the intent of the enchanter at the time of creation. That meant the mage needed to tap into skill with enchanting in combination with either divination spells or an extremely powerful enhanced spellsense. However, even if a different enchanter did manage to figure out the intent of the original spellcaster, it still cost a great deal of blood to undo a spell. Substantially more than creation. And uniquely complex enchantments or artifacts found in the World Dungeon were nearly impossible to destroy, which was why something like Sojan would never be successfully disenchanted.


    Kateshi used to work as a professional cursebreaker. One of the best in Hon. As such, she had more insight into the spellcraft than anyone else Kizu was likely to ever meet. He decided that with the high blood cost and having an expert immediately on hand, this would be the quickest means at increasing his enchanting ranking.


    Surprisingly, Professor Kateshi readily agreed to let him experiment with cursebreaking. She even supplied a sack of wood, each small plank with its own different enchantment.


    ¡°It will always be easiest for the creator to manipulate an enchantment,¡± she explained to him when he approached her after class. ¡°Tweaking and changing enchantments is par for the course when building an enchanted object. Most often, dispelling an enchantment completely is off the table, as it requires too much blood to be a viable solution. So, what we cursebreakers do is attempt to twist the meaning of an enchantment. This essentially breaks it."


    As per usual, before Kizu could question her further about channeling into enchantments, Kateshi dismissed him in favor of one of her other duties. The professor was now even busier than before the midterms. A couple weeks earlier, she had embarked on an expedition to their school excursion site with Professor Grove and some of her previous delving companions. They had been in charge of scoping out the site for any potential dangers and speaking to the locals. Not to mention she was the professor who worked directly with Sene for the Student Council, on top of her duties as at the medical wing. And she performed occasional maintenance on the James. It seemed like the academy dumped a lot onto her plate.


    Originally, Kizu planned to disregard her warning and brute force his way through the planks, with Anata at his side to refill his lost blood. But that turned out to be far more difficult than he initially believed. He simply lacked the power to smash through over two thirds of the enchantment barriers. Which was especially frustrating since the planks were enchanted by the Enchanting D and E classes. Students with rankings far below his own.


    Instead, Kizu had to be a bit more clever. First, he assessed the planks with his spellsense to look for anything familiar. Then, he would probe at it. If he found any notable weaknesses, he channeled into them, exacerbating them until the enchantment collapsed.


    The simpler enchantments proved far more challenging. A piece of wood enchanted to enhance its weight up to four times when triggered under a specific circumstance was easily thwarted. However, a piece of wood enchanted only to be four times its weight at all times was significantly more difficult to break. It left a lot less openings for him to seize on. What he found he could do, though, is add onto the enchantment. It was tricky, but the simple enchantments also let him guess the intent of the enchanter easier. And, with that understanding, he could add a further step. With his own enchantment mixed in, it left the enchanted plank easily exposed for him to shatter or manipulate it.


    "What''s that?"


    Kizu looked up from the current shard of wood he experimented with. Aoi strolled across the Owl''s Respite¡¯s deck, using a humerus like a baton to point at the wood in Kizu''s hand.


    "An enchantment," Kizu said. "It''s designed to attract other pieces of the same type of wood. Like a wood magnet."


    "How is that useful? Seems extremely niche to me. Is the magnetic pull powerful?"


    "No. As far as I can tell, the only use is to verify another wood species inside furniture."


    "That''s silly. Come help me instead."


    He held back a sigh. "With what?"


    "I''m working on a project with Sojan. But an extra pair of hands would make it easier."


    Kizu looked down at the small mountain of unenchanted wood beside him. Over four hours of work. He supposed a break wouldn''t be horrible for him. Taking the piece of wood back from Aoi, he restacked it in his enchanted pile.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He looked over at Anata. Yesterday, the half-Blood Lord girl had gotten into his pack and found some of his vials from his expedition into the World Dungeon. Most notably, she found the unused transfiguration potions designed to transform him into a fruit bat. And, likely believing it to be some sort of beverage, she had downed it. He was incredibly grateful he had used up all the explosive potions. He really needed to add ¡ª ¡®teach Anata self-preservation¡¯ to his to-do list.


    Regardless, now Anata was obsessed with the idea of being a bat. She couldn¡¯t fly, but just dragged herself around on the deck. Currently, she was trying and failing to use the little hooks on her wings to climb up a dilapidated wooden chair Sojan had dragged out onto the deck a few days back. Kizu decided there wasn¡¯t much risk in leaving her alone for a few minutes to check on whatever Aoi wanted. The boat¡¯s rails were far too high for her to fall over while in that form.


    He followed the necromancer princess into her laboratory. It had been over a week since his last visit, and Aoi had not slacked off with her renovations. The sheets of paper she had gathered from the gnome necromancer¡¯s laboratory were now pinned all across the wall with strings spread between them, linking connections between the pages. A couple boards were haphazardly spread across the hole in the floor over in the corner of the room with the massive reptilian foot floating in a tank perched atop it. Beside it, a smaller, human-sized mutated lizard leg floated in a jar. Kizu recalled lugging that up along with several other tools scattered around her table. But several new additions that he had not carried up now also accompanied the macabre collection. The most notable was a half-assembled cylindrical tank in the center of the room, like the one they had found the necromancer¡¯s body within.


    Sojan stood in front of it, wiping it down with a cloth. He turned towards Kizu as he entered behind Aoi.


    ¡°Oh, good, you¡¯re here!¡± Sojan said, sounding chipper. ¡°I was wondering when Aoi would drag you into this as well. There¡¯s only so much I can do with this body¡¯s blood limitations. And it¡¯s so inconvenient absorbing blood with an orifice like a lowly spawn. Not nearly as effective as a good stab.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been drinking human blood?¡± Kizu narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°No, no. Of course not. Which leads me to an entire different list of complaints. Fish was something a bit unique and completely foreign to me a couple weeks ago, but now it¡¯s so mundane. I want something fresh! Something new! Something with a bit more kick to it!¡±


    ¡°Which is what I¡¯ve been helping him with,¡± Aoi added.


    ¡°More like the other way around,¡± Sojan said, rolling his eyes. He leaned back against the glass tank behind him. ¡°This poor little body can only do so many loads of junk for you before it eventually snaps.¡± To emphasize his point, he popped his shoulder out of its joint with a grin. Kizu¡¯s stomach churned at the sickening creaking pop of the gnome¡¯s bones rubbing against one another incorrectly. Then Sojan shoved it back into place.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re doing this.¡± Aoi waved at the tank behind him. ¡°To produce more bodies for him to use.¡±


    Kizu frowned. ¡°This sounds like a horrible idea. The last thing we need are a bunch of Aoi clones running around. I¡¯m pretty sure the academy staff will notice you messing around with soul magic if duplicates of you start popping up in town.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Not for cloning my body. Not yet, at least. The resources and amounts listed throughout the notes are all designed for a gnome¡¯s body measurements. I could maybe clone a child version of myself. But that¡¯s not my goal right now. It wouldn¡¯t work as a back-up life for me without the proper soul strengthening ritual enhancements on myself first. Instead, what I¡¯m doing is cloning Sojan to have spare bodies.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cloning a clone?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! In theory, it should work just fine. And Sojan is the perfect test subject since he can tell me exactly how the bodies function and any flaws in the process. He understands his body far better than you or I.¡±


    ¡°More importantly,¡± Sojan cut in. ¡°I get more blood. Humanoids are so fragile. One wrong move, and all the good stuff spills out. And then I¡¯m left sleeping for a hundred years inside another box.¡±


    ¡°What do you need me for?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°See all this stuff?¡± Aoi gestured around at the necromancer equipment scattered around the room. ¡°Sojan got most of it for me from the laboratory down in the mines. With his current body, he can get into the room without triggering a reaction from the phantasm guardian. But he can¡¯t get it up here very easily.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Kizu asked. The nature of the request already poisoned his thoughts with an inkling of dread.


    ¡°Look at these!¡± Sojan held up his arms. ¡°They¡¯re noodles! This gnome was a scholar, not a coal miner.¡±


    ¡°And I am?¡±


    ¡°You got a great set of muscles on you last I checked! I noticed a bit of atrophy and your leg¡¯s seen better days, but still a million times better than what I¡¯ve got. I¡¯ll tell you what, you insert me into your spine and I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±


    ¡°You can also spend your blood jumping across the lake to the ship,¡± Aoi continued. ¡°Sojan can¡¯t use his excessively. And animal blood substantially dilutes his power.¡±


    ¡°Then use your skeletons,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°I tried that. They got a bit up here, but they can¡¯t carry much more than about ten kilos at a time. Come on, Sojan can get it all past the phantasm first. Mostly I just need you to jump it over to the ship.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go do your errands,¡± Kizu said. ¡°But I get a favor from you in exchange. I plan to set up a plant nursery on the ship and you¡¯re going to help.¡±


    If Aoi was concerned or curious about the favor or his sudden announcement about his intentions to start a nursery, she didn¡¯t show it. Instead of questioning that, she clapped her hands together and instantly started to ramble on about the object details of what she viewed as first arrival priorities and what items could wait until later to be picked up.


    Judging by the verbal list¡¯s length, Kizu suspected he wouldn¡¯t be getting back to his enchantment practice anytime soon.

 Chapter II.XXIV (2.24) - Physical Enhancements

    Chapter LXXX (80) - Physical Enhancements


    ¡°Physical enhancements are bricks within the foundation of magical combat,¡± Arclight instructed them. Her arms were crossed behind her back and she examined each of them with her single eye narrowed slightly, as if eyeing their base physical strength. ¡°Alongside shields, enhancements will be vital to surviving combat with magical creatures and hostile spellcasters. Some of the best combat mages in the world focus entirely on this branch of combat.¡±


    ¡°Why not just use a potion to enhance your strength,¡± one of Kizu¡¯s peers asked.


    ¡°An excellent question,¡± Arclight said. ¡°Thankfully, we just so happen to have a brewing master in our class. Tell us, Kaga Kizu, what are the downsides of a muscle enhancement potion?¡±


    Kizu gathered his thoughts, a bit off-balance from the sudden question. He weighed the pros and cons of a potion that expanded muscles. Then his mind wandered back to the other day when Anata had transformed herself into a fruit bat using a transfiguration potion she¡¯d found in his bag.


    ¡°It could work fine, but it would require extensive training with the specific brew,¡± he said. ¡°Transfiguration potions don¡¯t come with an innate understanding of what you¡¯re transforming into. Turning yourself into a bird doesn''t teach you how to fly. It takes time to learn. It would be the same for suddenly gaining muscle or weight. You would be clumsy as your brain isn¡¯t used to the body. Enhancements through spellcraft are probably more reliable and easier to reproduce for training.¡±


    ¡°A perfect answer!¡± Arclight beamed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself! Understanding your body is key in combat. Mages unfamiliar with their bodies tend to have short lifespans in a vanguard or delving unit. Enhancements are an expansion of your existing body, whereas most potions create a foreign addition. One that you have less direct control over.¡±


    ¡°But why worry about this at all?¡± another student asked. ¡°Can¡¯t we just throw a fireball at the mage and be done though? If a mage focuses on just making himself stronger, he probably won¡¯t have great shields.¡±


    ¡°Another excellent point,¡± Arclight conceded. ¡°However, what will you do when your hypothetical mage makes his skin fireproof? Or rapidly heals from any wound you inflict? Rejuvenation and restoration is a closely related branch of spellcraft to that of physical enhancements. While these mages often lack the finesse to heal complex wounds or heal another person, they¡¯re usually more than capable of healing cuts and burns. And, more than that, they can enhance their bodies in a way that ignores pain.¡±


    Kizu recalled his fight with Ulric, how the older student had been unrelenting despite having half his face burned off. And he also had declined care from the medics. While he still resented him, Kizu couldn¡¯t help but feel a shred of respect for his talent with physical enhancements.


    That shred expanded as Arclight put them to work. Each of them was set in front of a training dummy, painted a sickly green like a goblin. After punching the dummy, it would cackle and read off a number between one and one hundred. The goal was to first hit the thing unassisted by spellcraft and then try again after transforming his blood into expansions of his muscle.


    At first, Kizu had been pleasantly surprised when the goblin dummy listed off nine as his base number. The highest in his class by two points. But he struggled to get it any higher. In fact, the more he punched it, the lower the number went. The only thing that kept him at it was the goblin¡¯s constant high pitched cackle ringing in his ears.


    ¡°Move your foot back,¡± Arclight said as she approached Kizu. ¡°Keep your legs the same distance apart as your shoulders. The arm itself is just the final boost. You must form a solid foundation or the entire attack crumbles. Save your energy until the split second before you move your arm. Then channel into the fiber of your muscle.¡±


    Kizu repositioned himself, ignoring the strain on his bad leg. Just as he started to move into his next punch, he channeled into his arm. For the briefest moment, he felt his arm expand with enhanced muscles. The feeling reminded him of being exposed to Anata¡¯s blood, but where that enhanced his senses, this instead increased something far more raw. The feeling vanished as his fist smashed into the dummy.


    ¡°Twenty-seven!¡± the goblin dummy cackled.


    ¡°Very good.¡± Arclight nodded her head in approval. ¡°Now hit ten more above twenty. Then work on decreasing and managing your output so it stays between ten and nineteen.¡±


    Her instructions, while simple, proved incredibly difficult to pull off. Kizu only managed to execute his channeling¡¯s timing about a fifth of the time. And trying to control the power of the enhancement was like trying to catch a bucket¡¯s worth of water in cupped hands. Arclight, now busy assisting other students, didn¡¯t come over to help him again, so he was left to learn how to manage his strength through trial and error. With an emphasis on error.


    He was drenched in sweat by the end of the class. His uniform¡¯s enchantments, while able to adjust for heat, didn¡¯t help much against physical exertion. Still, he couldn¡¯t help smiling. He¡¯d learned the basics of a new branch of magic.


    It was understandable now why Harvey wore all those tattoos along his arms. Kizu figured they must serve as conduits to help him focus and maintain his enhancements for longer periods of time.


    He wondered if he could enhance his bad leg to keep together in fights. If he could get over that one massive hurdle, he could actually start aspiring for the higher combat ranks.


    While maintaining the enhancement spells was tricky, the blood cost actually wasn¡¯t that bad. At least in comparison to other spellcraft.


    After the bell dismissed the class, instead of heading straight to lunch alongside his peers, Kizu instead decided to head over to the room near the academy¡¯s beacon. Recently, he had been forgoing his lunch period in favor of jumping experience. Since he now spent the majority of his time after classes with Anata, he rarely had any other opportunities to practice near the beacon.


    While both jumping and enhancement spells didn¡¯t directly improve his placements in the academy¡¯s rankings, he still decided to make time for them in his schedule. They were skills he wanted to continue to improve regardless. Jumping, because it was the field of magic that by far interested him the most, and enhancement because he was tired of running away and losing fights. He wanted to be certain to never land in another situation like his fight against Ulric.


    Over the past week, he had almost completely mastered overriding the beacon while focused, but if he lost his concentration, he still slipped back into the room. It was frustrating, but the improvement was notable.


    He rapidly jumped four times in a row, only slightly pulled off course in the third and fourth jump. While an improvement, not ending up exactly where he needed to be could still result in tragedy in the wrong situation.


    ¡°Kizu?¡± a quiet voice said behind him.


    Kizu turned and saw Evie standing in the doorway. She looked nervous, staring down at his feet. As per usual, her face was covered in downward pointing quills, concealing most of her features. She held her gloved hands clasped in front of her, likely nursing her sore knuckles. Kizu couldn¡¯t help but wonder what her score had been earlier in Combat F.


    ¡°Evie, everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Administrator Jackal wants to see you,¡± she said, barely more than a whisper. ¡°She said I could likely find you here.¡±


    Kizu blinked. It was a school day. He still had Enchanting C to attend. The only time Roba had previously summoned him on a school day had been his very first meeting with her and the constable.


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He looked over at the entrance into the academy¡¯s beacon room. He supposed it wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    ¡°Okay, sure.¡±


    He let Evie guide him away. While they walked, he tried to strike up a conversation with her about her position as Roba¡¯s assistant, but she only gave quiet, one-word responses. Even Anata usually gave him more to work with in a conversation. Eventually, he gave up and they walked in silence until reaching the office door. Evie knocked, barely hard enough to be audible.


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    ¡°Enter,¡± Roba said from inside.


    The room was back to its normal appearance. Roba stood to the side of her desk, looking through the glass walls at the marine creatures. She didn¡¯t even turn towards them as they entered, instead entranced by a large white squid as it gently undulated its fins to remain stationary in the water.


    ¡°Miss Alito, you¡¯re dismissed. I apologize for pulling you away. Go enjoy the remaining lunch break.¡±


    Evie bowed and left without another word.


    ¡°An exemplary student,¡± Roba said, turning away from the sea creatures and nodding towards the door Evie had departed through. ¡°But one plagued by uncertainty and held back by insecurities. Quite the opposite from you, who constantly blunders forward.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Kizu said, uncertain what exactly he was apologizing for.


    ¡°You¡¯ve proven yourself unreliable for strictly scheduled chores. You even missed the planned tutoring sessions I scheduled.¡±


    Kizu opened his mouth to protest but she continued before the words got out.


    ¡°Not our last meeting, I am well aware that the headmaster requested time with you instead. I was speaking of before that. Regardless, the headmaster requested that I continue your tutoring, so I rescheduled this week¡¯s lesson to today. But I still want some recompense. I have special assignments for you to complete next semester for me. Unfortunately, you¡¯re not ready for those. So for now I have two simple assignments for you in the meantime.


    ¡°The first of these assignments is that I require you to go to the other side of Shinzoushima and fetch me a creature. Or rather, Professor Knoff wants it fetched. I don¡¯t particularly care, but he asked for a backup to attend the usual students he sends for this. I¡¯m sure they will fill you in on the details by the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re loaning me out to the other professors?¡± Kizu asked, a little annoyed.


    ¡°Yes. I am. Your inadequate performance recently makes me hesitant to give you meaningful work from my table.¡±


    ¡°Fine. What else do you want? Does another professor want something?¡± At least he liked Professor Knoff.


    She frowned at his tone but answered him.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I want you to help Miss Alito.¡±


    ¡°Helping Evie? Your assistant needs an assistant?¡±


    ¡°No. She is more than capable of completing everything I ask of her. I need someone to help her learn confidence. For some reason, she spoke highly of you when you came up in conversation last week. I harbor a small hope that your bullheadedness will rub off just a bit on her. And perhaps her excessively respectful nature on you.¡±


    Kizu stared at Roba, trying to understand. ¡°You want me to be friends with her?¡±


    ¡°If that is how you interpret my instructions, so be it. Though friendship tends to be more difficult to forge than this. I simply demand civility and consistent contact.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I like Evie. We already pair up in Combat F.¡±


    ¡°I am aware. Keep in touch during your school trip as well. Her extended family is from the Tross Tundra and I worry about her being so close to home. The academy has experienced¡­minor altercations with her specific tribe in the past.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not in Astronomy E though. Why would she go with my class?¡±


    ¡°Astronomy F, E, and D will all be together for the school trip. Classes C, B, and A will depart next week. The lower classes depart on their school trip the week after. And the S class has a week of private tutoring following that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Yeah, I can keep an eye on her.¡± Kizu hadn¡¯t realized the school trip was less than two weeks away. Professor Grove hadn¡¯t mentioned it again since the class after midterms.


    ¡°Good. Try to accomplish this duty better than your previous assignments,¡± Roba said.


    It didn¡¯t make sense. Every time Kizu met with Roba, his rankings improved and he thought he did a great job in his tutoring sessions. But Roba¡¯s opinion of him degraded with every meeting. He had made a few mistakes in the past, like accidentally releasing the bloodspawn into the town, but that was as much her fault as it was his. And he¡¯d taken care of that and nobody had been hurt. If anything, she should have been more like this on her introduction to him by the constables and gradually improved. Not the other way around. It irked him, but he decided to ignore the jabs. She was his only viable resource for learning spatial spellcraft. He couldn¡¯t chance burning that bridge.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s review your current studies. I will be busy assisting with the school trip preparations, so I won¡¯t be seeing you again for a few weeks. I assume you¡¯ll be competing again in another combat contest this weekend?¡±


    ¡°Can you help me with the gate spell?¡± Kizu interrupted. If Roba thought him rude, he might as well just match the expectation instead of tiptoeing around. ¡°I already have plans to get better in my other classes, I want to focus on spatial spellcraft with you.¡±


    ¡°Hm? This again?¡±


    ¡°I need it for my enchanting final. If this is my last meeting with you for a few weeks, I really need to devote it to gate creation. My group is counting on me to get it right.¡±


    She considered him with a deepening frown. Then she clapped her hands together. As they split from one another, a rift appeared between them. It flickered as the crack widened, warping the air around it. Finally, Roba stopped expanding it and let it hang in the air.


    ¡°This is far beyond what you¡¯re capable of,¡± Roba said.


    She reached an arm into the rift. As she did so, Kizu felt something jab his shoulder. He whirled around to see a mirror rift behind him with an arm protruding from it.


    ¡°However,¡± Roba continued, withdrawing her arm. ¡°With the proper glyph warding scheme, I believe you might possibly be able to create a stabilized passage for the gate spell.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Kizu said, ecstatic.


    ¡°You will be skipping several crucial steps of spatial magic. Including long distance jumps. You will need to step back after your final project,¡± Roba warned.


    Kizu nodded his agreement.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Roba¡¯s gate collapsed with a crisp pop. ¡°Now then, lesson one- what would have happened if my arm had still been inside that gate when I released it?¡±


    ¡°It would have been severed,¡± Kizu answered, recalling the fact from his readings.


    ¡°Good. You know that much, at least. And what would happen if you created a gate on top of another living creature?¡±


    ¡°It pushes it away with an invisible force.¡±


    ¡°Correct. While jumping endangers those around you, gates tend to be far more dangerous to the caster. It¡¯s not rare for spatial mages to horribly mutilate themselves or lose their lives when they break concentration while crossing their gate.¡±


    ¡°But I will be tying it to an enchantment,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Afterwards, I won¡¯t be able to lose concentration. There¡¯s no risk, right?¡±


    ¡°¡®No risk¡¯ is a stupid assumption and an even more stupid statement to verbalize. But, yes, the risk will be minimalized when connected to a proper warding schem. Otherwise, I would not be willing to touch this subject.¡±


    Kizu relaxed. Roba then immediately launched into complex spellcraft theory. The ratios of distance and the intricate warding used in gate enchantments. By the end of the lecture, Kizu¡¯s brain felt fried as he struggled to retain everything taught.


    He completely missed his lunch period and barely flopped down in his seat at Enchanting C before the bell announced the start of class. Instead of focusing on Kateshi¡¯s review about the difficulties and benefits of coordinated enchanting teams, he scribbled down notes for their final project. He needed to get the ideas down while still fresh in his mind from Roba¡¯s lesson.


    ¡°What do you have there?¡± Basil asked, sliding into the seat beside him as the groups converged to work on their projects. Today, he wore the skin of a bulky, short-haired man and smelled like lemons drenched in pickle juice.


    ¡°An outline of what I need to do to get the gate working properly.¡±


    Basil whistled. ¡°You¡¯re already that deep into the research? I haven¡¯t even looked at my section yet.¡±


    Kizu glanced up at him, to his surprise, Finn stood beside Basil, looking as outraged as Kizu was exasperated.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t studied anything?¡± Finn said. ¡°Like, not even cracked open a book? Are you dimwitted? This is our final!¡±


    ¡°Finals for this sort of stuff don¡¯t really matter anyway,¡± Basil said, dismissively. ¡°They¡¯ll just rank us based off of our blood tests either way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not even remotely true. Future employers have access to all the records of our finals. And this is an experience supervised by one of the greatest enchanters in the known world. When we apply for future careers, her notes and grades matter,¡± Finn said through gritted teeth. ¡°You have the easiest part of the project. Figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly why I shouldn¡¯t need to stress. The two great Kaga brothers will carry me through this.¡±


    ¡°Also, you smell like troll dung.¡± Finn stormed off and sat down at a desk a stone''s throw away before taking out a quill and parchment and scribbling madly on it.


    Basil looked pensive. ¡°Do I really smell like troll dung?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?¡± Kizu answered. ¡°And my brother is rude and antisocial, but he does have a point. We¡¯re in a group project. Activation commands shouldn¡¯t be too tricky.¡±


    Kizu was hesitant to offer help with his already busy schedule, but he did want this portal to actively function. He was borderline ready to offer more of his time to get a working prototype.


    ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ll get to it. I just need to set up a warding scheme on specific books to trigger the gate in the bookshelf. As was just stated clearly to me, it is the easiest of the three assignments.¡± Basil paused. ¡°Okay, so you see, I designed this perfume hoping to develop a scent that attracts trolls. It¡¯s a recent hurdle I¡¯ve been wanting to get past. I¡¯m going to test it out at an upcoming party. But I don¡¯t want to come off as excrement. What do you think about it? You¡¯re a decent brewer, any suggestions? I suppose it¡¯s a positive sign that Finn at least connected it to the species I¡¯m going for.¡±


    ¡°Basil, I¡¯m sorry, but I do not care.¡±

 Chapter II.XXV (2.25) - Cats and Snakes

    Chapter LXXXI (81) - Cats and Snakes


    Kizu¡¯s scrying orb lit up in his bag. At first he ignored it, thinking it was probably a message from Emilia again. He turned the page of his book, continuing to read about the techniques to create mist rather than steam out of elemental spells and the different functions both offered. But then it lit up a second time. And a third. He closed his book and looked down at the orb. Emilia never messaged him more than once every few days.


    He reached down and found five messages from Ione.


    Yo. Stop studying and get down to the town center.


    We¡¯re leaving in an hour and Knoff said you¡¯re coming along.


    Hurry it up. We¡¯ve got a monster to go hunt. Let¡¯s go before daylight ends. It¡¯ll be way harder for me to get details about the creature if I can¡¯t see it.


    Kizu. If you don¡¯t stop reading, I¡¯m going to give some of these partiers in town a tour of your secret boat hideout.


    I¡¯m not joking. Braxton was talking about a party yacht last week in Brewing F.


    Kizu stared at the messages for a minute, rereading them and processing what they said. If he understood correctly, Ione was the one Knoff was sending to go hunt down the magical creature. That¡­actually made sense. She might be a terrible brewer, but Ione loved monsters. No doubt she¡¯d volunteer for the opportunity to go hunt rare creatures down in a heartbeat.


    Let me go grab Mort, he sent back. Give me half an hour. I¡¯m in the library.


    Then, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, he sent another message.


    Do NOT go near Braxton.


    He set the book back on the shelf where he originally found it before hurrying out of the library. The student librarian smiled at him as he left and he returned it with a nod of thanks. Thirty minutes would be cutting it close to get down to Owl¡¯s Respite and back into town. But it was manageable so long as he jumped through the forest.


    He checked his scrying orb as he walked and found another message.


    I knew it! At the library studying the evening before the weekend. Half an hour is fine, just try to be quick.


    While he had his orb out, he sent a quick message to Aoi, asking her to stick around Owl¡¯s Respite tonight. He didn¡¯t know what time he¡¯d be back and he wanted someone on hand for Anata. He needed to go out and didn¡¯t think dragging his niece along would be wise. Aoi shot a message back, saying she was already planning an all-nighter on the ship to get research in before leaving on the school trip. Perfect.


    As he approached through the forest, Mort surprised him by jumping to his shoulder. He had known the monkey could do that, using Kizu as an anchor to travel to, but he still chose to almost never channel spells unless acting as a conduit for Kizu.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s convenient. Ready to go?¡±


    Mort hummed his agreement and the two of them turned back towards town.


    With the weekend in sight, students took to the Shinzou-cho with gusto. In a few days half the student body would be gone to Tross for the school trip, so spirits ran high. Kizu dodged out of the way of several drunken students staggering around. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if they were drinking normal beers, but Kizu recognized the bizarre side effects. It seemed like some alchemist had mixed in potions with whatever alcohol the students were drinking. That resulted in the already dubious quality of the potions unstabilizing and spontaneously transforming students into different creatures. Outside Jeri Co. Kizu spotted a classmate from Enchanting C passed out face first in the mud while halfway transformed into a pig. Another had the face of a giant fly and kept stumbling around and knocking into people. Music blared from the bar across the street. The sun hadn¡¯t even begun to set yet.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re here,¡± Ione said in greeting as he approached the town center.


    She stood beside a disheveled fisherman who was crouched over a small crate filled with chopped up bait. Kizu watched as the man dipped a finger into the squirming mound of maggots and rotten fish bits, tasted it, and nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here. Weird coincidence that it¡¯s the two of us though.¡±


    ¡°Not much of a coincidence. I requested you. You¡¯re like the best brewer at the academy, so I figured Knoff could pull you into this. Better you than the creepy dude I went with last time. Now I¡¯m particularly self-conscious, but that guy¡¯s constant sniffing put me on edge. I don¡¯t think I smell that bad.¡±


    ¡°He was sniffing you?¡± That was weird.


    ¡°He was sniffing everything. I think it was some sort of enhancement spell.¡±


    And then it made sense.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking for a magical creature? You realize it was probably a way to track the monster.¡±


    ¡°Obviously. But that doesn''t mean I had to like it. Plus it was noisy and made it difficult to nap.¡±


    Kizu sighed. ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s going on? Are we hunting some sort of monster? Do I need equipment?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I mean, yeah, we¡¯re looking for a special kind of snake. A hebijikan snake, to be exact. But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need gear. I¡¯ve got my summons, and you¡¯ve got whatever you can do. We¡¯re just going to follow this guy through a portal to the other side of the island.¡±


    ¡°The other side of the island! How far are we going exactly?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Ione looked over to the fisherman. He had unrolled a sleeve of hooks and was pricking his finger with each of them, testing the sharpness of their points.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not exactly sure where the hamlet is,¡± Ione admitted. ¡°But last time I went I returned a couple hours later. They just had me go find a gremlin causing the town problems and bring it back for Knoff. The other student did all the navigation while I sent a summon to hunt it once we got close.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Done yapping?¡± the fisherman asked. He stood and wiped his bloody and gooey hands on his pants.


    ¡°I prefer to yap then nap, but I suppose we can yap and walk now,¡± Ione said.


    They followed him across town to a small shack. The man grumbled while he fumbled in his many pockets for a key to unlock it.


    Inside the shack was a stone arch. It looked ancient, far older than the building that hid it from view. The glyphs etched into the stone were mostly different from the ones Kizu studied for his Enchanting C midterm, but he still spotted similarities. He wondered how it differed as a portal. The fisherman slapped his hands on a few of the ruins, activating the gate spell enchanted into it. As far as Kizu could tell with his spellsense, the fisherman didn¡¯t channel anything into it. It activated via a trigger, like how he intended to design his linked bookshelves. The portal opened, a distorted swirl of color linking the two locations.


    Traveling through a gate felt significantly better than jumping. There was no sudden lurch or discomfort. Kizu simply stepped through and was standing in the center of a fishing hamlet.


    The only resident in sight was an old man who stood waist deep off to the side of the fishing dock. Their companion fisherman grunted at him and then entered into one of the four shacks, slamming the door behind him.


    It was muggier over on this side of the island, and it took Kizu only two minutes to realize how much worse the bugs were as well. Thankfully nothing that bit him appeared to be magical, but it was still annoying having to constantly swat away insects latching onto any exposed skin.


    ¡°Come over here so I can get a better look at ya,¡± the man in the water called out. He placed a bucket on the wooden dock and then painstakingly pulled himself up.


    ¡°Do you need a hand?¡± Kizu asked, hurrying up to him.


    The man waved him off. ¡°Nah, nah. But good of you to ask.¡±


    While he pulled himself up, Mort hopped down from Kizu¡¯s shoulder and examined the inside of the bucket. Kizu glanced over before snatching Mort away. It was full of sea urchins colored a deep shade of purple. They wiggled about, piled up on top of one another. He recognized them from brewing recipes. These guys were venomous. Not deathly dangerous for a human, but a small monkey was an entirely different matter.


    Once the old man got fully out of the water, he sat down in a nearby rocking chair with a grunt.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the ones Knoff sent?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu answered. ¡°You have a snake infestation?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Just happened to bite our rat catching tomcat last week. Got Tora all bent out of shape once he woke up.¡±


    ¡°Tora is the cat?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Jiwan.¡±


    Kizu introduced himself, Mort, and Ione.


    ¡°Good, good. Think I met the missy a few months back.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Ione didn¡¯t answer. Kizu looked over to find her distracted, poking the bucketed sea urchins with a stick.


    ¡°Probably. But, as you were saying, your cat ran after the snake?¡±


    ¡°Tora took off after it after recovering yesterday. Haven¡¯t seen him since. He¡¯s orange and has got two tails.¡±


    Kizu blinked. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°He has a planar cat ancestor,¡± Ione said, interjecting herself into the conversation. ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough for anything magical, like hopping into pocket dimensions, but it¡¯s enough that a recessive physical trait was carried down. I noticed him last time I was here.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that why?¡± The old fisherman considered that and nodded along. ¡°Never knew he was part magical beast. Explains why his talent at tricking people into giving him extra meals. Smart little fiend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just normal cat behavior.¡±


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Jiwan continued. ¡°If you find Tora, you¡¯ll probably spot the snake too. Be wary of that venom though. Can paralyze you for ages. Definitely magical. And it¡¯s all silvery too, like a vein of metal in the ground. Oh, and the snake has wings too. Just enough to flutter around.¡±


    Ione sat down on the dock and stretched, legs dangling over the edge.


    ¡°Alright Kizu, you do your thing. Wake me up when you¡¯ve found it.¡±


    ¡°What ¡®thing¡¯ are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°Divination. Locate the snake for us.¡±


    Kizu considered the best way to approach the problem. Obviously, he had no link to the snake. A vague description alone wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to detect it. However, if the cat was also hunting the snake, he might be able to swoop in at the last minute and steal the reptile from its claws.


    ¡°Do you have any Tora¡¯s hair?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Oh plenty. He¡¯s got a scratching post inside over there.¡± Jiwan gestured at one of the shacks.


    Kizu thanked him and sent Mort off to go grab some hair while he started setting up a divination ritual. This was a slightly different spell from the one used to track his sister, as Tora wasn¡¯t a humanoid. But he¡¯d read his sister¡¯s book cover to cover. He knew how to tweak things in the ritual to better match a nonmagical animal.


    He wished he knew how to use his scrying orb to¡­well, scry. If he could actually see the cat and its surroundings, he¡¯d have a larger advantage in stealing the snake from it. But the scrying spells the crone had taught him required a set access point to spy on people. That¡¯s what she used to watch the villagers. She set them up ahead of time in different locations spread throughout the village. The village pub, mayor¡¯s study, schoolhouse, townhall, and a particularly large tree on a hill overlooking the village were her favorite peeping spots. Set points like those required less active maintenance than scrying on an individual. Unfortunately, not super helpful for the moment. But the thought made him consider setting up a scrying location on Owl¡¯s Respite to better keep track of Anata. He didn¡¯t like being away from her. Plus, then he¡¯d know if an outsider found the ship. A project for a later time though.


    When Mort returned with a handful of orange cat hair, Kizu activated the divination ritual. Unlike when he used it to track Anna, Anata wasn¡¯t here to redirect and cause bizarre side effects. It worked seamlessly, giving him an exact impression of where the cat was in relation to his location. It wasn¡¯t moving either. Which was a little strange, since he thought cats were usually more active in the dusk. But if the cat wanted to nap right now, he wasn¡¯t about to argue with good fortune. It probably just burned itself out after a day hunting in the heat. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t snacking on a magical snake.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± Kizu said, nudging Ione with his boot. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good impression of where Tora is. Let¡¯s go find the cat first and hopefully get to the snake from there.¡±


    ¡°Damn, that was fast. I barely closed my eyes. Would it kill you to slow down next time?¡±


    ¡°No, but it might kill the snake. Come on. It¡¯s not that far. Maybe a fifteen minute walk.¡±


    Mort scouted ahead of them as they traveled through the forest, going directly towards the cat. Ione wanted to summon her giant lizard mount, but Kizu vetoed that. A creature that size stomping through the forest would scare off anything not both deaf and blind in a kilometer radius.


    Fifteen minutes had been a generous estimate. They had to bushwack and, more than once, Kizu jumped them over obstacles.


    Kizu climbed over a massive fallen tree using his enchanted gloves and offered his hand to Ione to help boost her up when Mort sent him a panicked impression.


    The owl monkey had reached the site of the cat. And there was a reason it wasn¡¯t moving. Kiu saw through Mort¡¯s eyes a small campfire with three small green figures around it. The creatures had ears like floppy bat wings, wispy strands of black hair, and red eyes that glowed slightly. Tora was skewered on a spit, his twin tails grazing the open flame. Long dead.


    Kizu quickly took in the sight, and just barely spotted a silvery length of what looked like rope coiled up to the side.


    Then he jolted back into awareness of his own body as Ione yanked on his arm and he fell on her from above. Thankfully she broke his fall.


    ¡°Ow,¡± she said from under him. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    Kizu rolled off her and offered her another hand to get her to her feet. She looked at it suspiciously before dusting herself off and standing on her own.


    ¡°Sorry, Mort distracted me. He found the cat. And maybe the snake too.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? That was fast!¡±


    Then he filled her in on what exactly he¡¯d seen, and her face darkened.


    ¡°Goblins,¡± she said, practically spitting the word. ¡°I can¡¯t believe they killed Tora. There¡¯s plenty of food options out here, but they chose the cat.¡±


    ¡°And maybe the snake,¡± Kizu added. ¡°If it was what I saw, then it¡¯s definitely dead but not cooked yet.¡±


    ¡°We need to go quickly. I won¡¯t be able to study the snake properly as a summon if they burn it to a crisp ahead of time. Have you dealt with goblins before?¡±


    Kizu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think they really exist in Hon. Not that I¡¯ve seen or heard of. They¡¯re mythical like dragons or phoenixes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them hear you say that. It¡¯ll go to their heads. You haven¡¯t seen them before because the Hon Empire has nearly exterminated them. There are a few incarcerated, taken prisoner during Ilson-don¡¯s ooze invasion, but that¡¯s it.


    ¡°Goblins are corrupted forms of gnomes. They¡¯re twisted and cruel by nature. The one I tried to speak to attempted to bite my nose off before I got even a word out. My father held it back by its hair. They¡¯re vindictive, mean, and nasty.¡±


    ¡°But if they¡¯re sentient, that means they can be reasoned with,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°No. Remember how we found bloodspawn? Those were sentient too. But they didn¡¯t exactly do reasoning super well. Goblins are far worse.¡± She paused. ¡°But, also far stupider.¡±


    She sketched in the dirt with a finger, creating a summoning circle. A small dark green caltrop appeared. At first, Kizu thought that was all it was, but then he noticed its tiny pair of eyes in the center. The little creature wobbled on its three points, then flopped over. It continued to flip itself, until it reached Ione¡¯s open palm.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡±


    ¡°A caldrop.¡±


    Kizu stared at her blankly.


    ¡°Okay, technically it has another name, but it¡¯s a dialect from Edgeland that¡¯s impossible to pronounce unless you¡¯re extremely talented at hissing. They¡¯re a bit like a caltrop, only they seriously drop their opponent. So I call it a caldrop.¡±


    ¡°What do they do?¡± Kizu eyed the little creature. It reminded him of one of the sea urchins they¡¯d seen earlier.


    Ione smiled, mischief glittering in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet with those goblins and I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Kizu kept an eye on Mort as the monkey watched the goblins. They finished cooking the cat and ripped chunks of meat from it. His stomach turned when they started playing with the cat tails, whipping one another with them and laughing maniacally. He sent another mental impression to Mort to remind the familiar to stay away and not be seen by the monsters.


    ¡°Do they have magic?¡± Kizu asked as they got closer. ¡°Anything I need to know before we engage with them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re illusionists like gnomes. They usually try using them as intimidation methods. They often turn their illusions on one another.¡±


    ¡°You know a lot about monsters,¡± Kizu commented.


    ¡°Glad you noticed. It¡¯s sort of my thing. My only thing. Got to meet my parents¡¯ expectations in at least one field. Failed every other.¡±


    Before Kizu figured out how to respond to that, they reached the goblin camp. Right on time too. They crawled under a low hanging fern tree and quietly peered out from under the leaves, hidden by the encroaching darkness of dusk.


    Two of the goblins had wrapped the cat tails around their necks like scarves. They danced around their campfire and started mocking the third¡¯s lack of style. The teased goblin turned to the silvery rope behind it, obviously intending to match its companions with its own dead animal scarf.


    As it uncoiled it, Kizu could tell for certain it was indeed a snake. Its feathered wings drooped.


    Ione set her caldrop on the ground and they watched as it flipped itself, slowly approaching the unsuspecting goblins.


    ¡°You¡¯re certain there¡¯s no reasoning with them?¡± Kizu whispered.


    ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t give us away.¡±


    One of the cat tail wearing goblins stepped forward, reaching its hand out to snatch the dead snake away. Then it stepped on the caldrop. For a split second, it froze rigid as a flash of light sparked between its hair. Its eyes popped like squashed grapes. And then it did indeed, drop.


    Instead of acting with concern for their fallen companion, the snake holding one turned and ran to the other side of the fire, clutching its snake treasure close. The other cat tail goblin nudged its buddy with a foot, then saw the caldrop. It picked it up with two fingers and snarled at it before tossing it in the fire. But Kizu noticed the summon fade from existence before it even hit the flames.


    It then stripped its now dead companion and chittered at the sight of a bobble in its pocket. Then it took a cleaver from its bag and started hacking away at the dead goblin¡¯s limbs. Kizu watched in absolute horror as it tore apart its companion, then took the skewer used to cook Tora, and stuck it through the severed arm. In less than two minutes, it had begun cooking its friend.


    Kizu was starting to think Ione might have made the correct call on attacking these creatures on sight.


    It hissed something at its still living companion, too quiet for Kizu¡¯s translation earring to pick up. Then the other goblin approached it, looking grumpy as it handed over the snake and took the cat tail from the goblin corpse at its feet.


    Kizu looked over and saw Ione already had a new summoning circle complete and was sending out another caldrop. But that still left one more goblin. And Kizu doubted it would just accept its second companion''s death as easily as the first.


    He eyed the canopy above them. He wondered about jumping up there to join Mort and then falling on them from above.


    But before Kizu came up with a plan, the second goblin dropped while caressing its new cat tail scarf. That set the last one off. It let out a gargled scream and ran. Straight at them.


    Kizu scrambled to his feet, but he was too late. The goblin waved around the snake by its tail like a lasso until it careened into Ione, tripping over her. The snake¡¯s fangs embedded into her leg as the goblin scrambled across her. Ione froze in place. All signs of life disappeared as her body lay stiff on the ground.


    Kizu¡¯s eyes widened. His heartbeat ramped up. Not from anger, but a frantic mix of desperate dread and horror. He clenched his fists.


    He tackled the goblin and started wailing on its face with his fist, completely forgetting to cast a spell first. And, when he did remember, he simply added physical enhancements to his blows.


    Unlike the goblin training dummy earlier in the week, the real thing howled in rage with every hit. And he felt its bones crumble in. He slammed his fist into it again and again.


    The goblin bit into his forearm, grinding his bone with its jagged teeth, but Kizu didn¡¯t even feel that. He felt completely numb, except for the resounding sadness creeping up on him. He beat it back with every blow. His body was shaking. His vision blurred. Tears trickled down his cheek. Ione. What had it done to his friend? He should have prevented it. Acted sooner. He¡¯d been too worried about monsters.


    ¡°Relax Kizu,¡± Ione said, setting a hand on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s dead.¡±


    Kizu shook his head and blinked away the tears. Ione was crouched to his side, alive and well. Everything was fine. His body slackened and he fell back away from the goblin.


    ¡°Where did that come from?¡± Ione asked him.


    ¡°Sorry. You stopped moving so I thought¡­.¡±


    ¡°That I was dead? I just got nicked by the paralysis venom is all.¡± Ione made a show of looking him up and down. ¡°Kizu, I think you need a vacation. All that studying has you all bottled up.¡±


    He let out a deep breath before he looked over at the goblin¡¯s dead body. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever killed a sentient creature before. Then he recalled the bloodspawn back in the World Dungeon. Had he killed any of them? He¡¯d set some on fire. And dropped others in a pit. It was possible they¡¯d died. He wasn¡¯t certain though. But he was certain this goblin died by his hands. He stared at his bloody knuckles.


    Ione was chatting about the dead snake. It was the right one that Knoff wanted for his potion. She was extremely excited as she went on about its magical properties and already speculating on how to summon a copy of one. But Kizu struggled to hear her.


    He buckled over and puked next to the dead goblin¡¯s body. After a few shaky breaths, he glanced at the pummeled body beside him and puked again. Ione stopped speaking and set a hand on his back.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right,¡± he finally said. ¡°This weekend, I¡¯m taking a vacation.¡±

 Chapter II.XXVI (2.26) - Picnic

    Chapter LXXXII (82) - Picnic


    The sun was out, Kizu had successfully scavenged a bunch of food from the cafeteria, and this week¡¯s tutoring session with Roba was canceled.


    For a while, Kizu had been wanting to go on a picnic like he had back as a child with Anna. Originally, he intended to ask Emilia to go with him, but in the last couple weeks, his feelings had soured. Now, he spent his time avoiding her, rather than pursuing her. He couldn¡¯t quite explain why, but he felt discomfort whenever she approached him. As if she expected something from him that he no longer wanted to give.


    He had barely managed to avoid her when she appeared in the combatant rooms for the combat contest the previous day. Thankfully, he had seen her before she spotted him and overlain his image with the illusion of a student with slicked back black hair and a crooked nose. She didn¡¯t glance twice in his direction.


    He didn¡¯t know what to do about Emilia. The longer he spent away from her, the more relaxed he felt. So, instead he spent his time avoiding thinking about her. She knew nothing about the Owl¡¯s Respite, so she had no reliable way of finding him. Even the few messages she¡¯d sent to his scrying orb hadn¡¯t actually been all that long or deep. Just asking about his upcoming scheduling. At the very least, after tomorrow the higher ranked astronomy students would leave on the school trip for the week, Emilia amongst them. And the next week, it would be his turn to visit Tross. The thought of that little bit of breathing room relaxed him.


    Instead of Emilia, he took Anata with him on the picnic. She held his hand as they walked through the forest and looked positively giddy. Kizu, with Mort perched on his head, carried a basket of food in his other hand.


    ¡°No spellcraft today,¡± he promised Anata. ¡°I need a break from everything. And we both could use a bit of sun.¡±


    And it was true. Even putting aside the goblin incident, Kizu was really starting to feel burn-out from his nonstop spellwork. His standings had once again improved substantially, his enchanting score leaping up to 245 from his week of constant cursebreaking, but if he had to examine one more slab of wood, he thought he might go mad.


    There was now a winding trail beaten down from his and Aoi¡¯s constant walks to and from the town. Kizu didn¡¯t love having a path that led straight to his ship, but he and Aoi usually did a decent enough job of at least disguising the path¡¯s entrance. The last thing either of them wanted was an adventurous kid from town to stumble on their hideout. Unfortunately, anyone who already knew about Owl¡¯s Respite had no problem finding it.


    ¡°Kizu!¡± Basil greeted him from where he sat on a fallen tree. He wore the same appearance as he had the last time Kizu had seen him. ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯ve got there? A basket of something interesting?¡±


    ¡°Just food,¡± Kizu said. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Basil put a hand to his chest and gasped. ¡°I am hurt! Must I want something to visit my dear roommate? You already abandoned and replaced me, must you also treat me so venomously?¡±


    ¡°I went to our room two days ago and you¡¯d converted my bed into a rotating closet,¡± Kizu said dryly.


    ¡°Well, I mean, if you¡¯re not using it, it¡¯s better to at least make the most of the extra space.¡± He stood up and stretched, his arms extending slightly past normal human limits for a second. ¡°Anyway, where are you headed?¡±


    ¡°You really just came to visit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything else right now. I completed the finishing touches on my outfits for the school trip last night. Now I have nothing else to do until we leave tomorrow morning.¡±


    Kizu looked down at Anata, who was patiently waiting for him to finish talking. She looked distracted, contemplatively staring up at some vines dangling from a nearby tree, but she didn¡¯t look stressed or uncomfortable by Basil¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Are you fine if Basil comes along?¡± Kizu asked her.


    She blinked and looked up at him. Then she gave a short nod and returned to her musings.


    ¡°Well then, you are welcome to join us on our picnic if you really are bored.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Basil snapped his fingers and pointed forward. ¡°Onward!¡±


    The forest hummed with life. As they trailblazed through the forest, Kizu pointed out different insects and flora to Anata. She listened with rapt attention, hanging on every word he spoke.


    Basil, on the other hand, whistled an unfamiliar tune. Forming several orifices across his body at once, Basil could create a chorus of whistling. Thankfully, he kept the volume and tune of it to a nonintrusive degree, to let Kizu continue to explain things as they walked. However, it still managed to lull Mort to sleep, as the monkey dozed on Kizu¡¯s head.


    They reached a small clearing that Mort had stumbled on a few nights back. The familiar had been ecstatic upon finding it, as the field housed thousands of grasshoppers. The monkey had spent that night proudly sending Kizu an impression of the field every time he caught a grasshopper. So, the location had been firmly seared into Kizu¡¯s mind. Along with the insects'' taste as Mort mashed them between his teeth.


    Kizu unfurled a blanket and let it flap in the light breeze for a second before laying it out on the ground. A hundred grasshoppers leaped out of the way, which caused Mort to wake up and pounce down on them from above.


    ¡°Great spot,¡± Basil said, admiring the small field. ¡°Good sun. Nice grass. A perfect opposite of where I¡¯ll be stuck tomorrow.¡±


    Kizu took out their food from the basket and spread it across the blanket to help weigh it down. ¡°I thought you would be more excited. Aren¡¯t you from Tross?¡±


    Basil wrinkled his nose. ¡°South Central Tross. Big difference. That¡¯s where the life of the country is. The trip is sending us up to the Tross Tundra, beyond the Betsu Range.¡±


    ¡°Is the difference just in population? Less people in the north?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°You really need to pay more attention in history class. Tross is a conglomerate of different peoples and species. But it didn¡¯t used to be that way. Before Hon¡¯s interference, it was just the Kemon who lived there.¡±


    ¡°Kemon? And who are they?¡±


    ¡°Beast-people. You¡¯ve surely seen them around campus. Only a couple tribes let them come here to study though. Most are pretty antisocial and despise the outside world.¡±


    ¡°Beast-people like Evie?¡±


    ¡°The first-year? That¡¯s the porcupine girl, right?¡± Basil asked, but he didn¡¯t wait for a response before continuing on. ¡°Basically, the Kemon usually have some sort of animalistic characteristic. Wolves, voles, bears. Things like that. They¡¯re really difficult to get the features right on. I can¡¯t transform into animals, so taking on their characteristics is tricky. Anyway, they usually stick to their own nomadic tribes in the north. They left the southern shores when more civilized people started showing up. But it¡¯s all still considered Tross. The nation is massive. Not quite as large as Edgeland, but still over four or five times the size of Hon.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Kizu was skeptical that the Kemon just abandoned their homeland out of an antisocial urge. But he decided not to voice that opinion. Instead, he passed both Anata and Basil riceballs wrapped up in a napkin.


    Anata chomped down on hers, devouring it. After only a moment, she grinned at him, a dozen grains of rice stuck to her face, and held out her empty napkin for another.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s wrong with the tundra?¡± Kizu asked, while passing Anata another riceball.


    ¡°Cold. Empty. Dark. Miserable. A better question would be, what isn¡¯t wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°How bad was it last year?¡±


    ¡°Last year? I haven¡¯t been to the tundra since I was a kid.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go on the school trip last year?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Basil said, finally understanding. ¡°No. I mean, yes, I went on the school trip. But last year Krimpit escorted us around the ancient dig sites in Hon. It¡¯s on a five year rotation, so students only ever travel to the locations once. I believe next year we¡¯re scheduled to spectate some sort of menagerie performance? I don¡¯t recall where.¡±


    Kizu couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit grateful to have missed Krimpit¡¯s trip.


    ¡°Any chance you can get Emilia to stop being interested in me while you¡¯re away?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re at that stage of the relationship.¡± Basil nodded sagely. ¡°Normally, I love serving as a rebound, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to figure this one out on your own. I already have a different romantic focus for the trip.¡±


    ¡°Do you have advice on how to end relationships?¡± Kizu asked glumly.


    ¡°Unfortunately, since you can¡¯t completely permanently alter your physical structure on a whim, you might actually have to talk to her to break up. Being human must be truly dreadful.¡±


    Mort, having managed to scare off all the grasshoppers in the near vicinity, returned to the blanket. Kizu passed him a slice of mango and the monkey nipped his finger in thanks before snatching the fruit.


    Kizu pulled out his most recent acquisition from the library, a children¡¯s book, and started to read with Anata. She had picked up literary skills quickly. In only a few weeks, she could already write a great deal of the Universal Script. Not quite fluent yet but approaching it rapidly. This story, a tale about a broken clockwork golem befriending other forgotten enchantments, was really well below her reading level, but Kizu thought she would enjoy the story of it.


    ¡°Did you feel that?¡± Basil asked, frowning and looking around at the nearby ground.


    ¡°No? What did it feel like?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Thought I felt an earthquake. Maybe the Labyrinth is just shifting below us.¡±


    Despite the warm sun overhead, a shiver went down Kizu¡¯s spine at the thought. He didn¡¯t love the thought that the World Dungeon was always so near. He opened his mouth to say so, but then he felt what Basil had mentioned. The ground shook slightly. He had grown up in Hon, and wasn¡¯t a stranger to occasional quakes, but this felt unique. Instead of the simple vibrating, the ground seemed to twist back and forth slightly at a rapid speed.


    But the shaking ground didn¡¯t stop Kizu from getting to his feet. While wobbly, he still maintained his balance as he put his weight on his good leg and heaved Anata up into his arms. And not a moment too soon.


    The grassy ground split open in cracks all around them. While the cracks were miniscule, barely more than a millimeter or two in width, thick black smoke plumed out. It buzzed as it swelled forward.


    Kizu quickly reached down and ripped a strip off the picnic blanket and covered Anata¡¯s face with it. He manually repositioned her hand so she held it in place over her mouth and nose. Then, as an extra measure, he crouched down and created an air bubble around them. Like the ones he used to breathe underwater, this rejected outside substances, including the smoke. Mort leaped into the bubble as well, perching himself on Kizu¡¯s shoulder and hacking next to his ear. There was something caught in his throat.


    Basil appeared to be completely caught off guard as he still lounged on the grass nearby. The smoke expanded, obscuring Basil from view. Kizu felt a moment of fear for his friend, but then Basil stumbled out of the smoke and into their small pocket of air.


    ¡°Blech!¡± he spat. ¡°Of all the repugnant, loathsome creatures!¡±


    Kizu leaned forward, closer to the edge of the air bubble to examine the smoke. Which turned out not to be smoke at all, but actually millions of tiny flying insects. They battered themselves on Kizu¡¯s wall of air, vainly attempting to penetrate it. Thankfully, while Basil could walk right into the air bubble, the insects individually didn¡¯t have enough mass to pierce through.


    ¡°What are these?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Bugs.¡±


    ¡°Astute observation,¡± Kizu said dryly.


    ¡°Why should I know any more than that? Do I look like an entomologist? All I know is that they fly and bite. I killed all the ones that bit me, if that¡¯s any consolation.¡±


    The air bubble warped slightly, as if a force pressed up against it, bending it inward.


    ¡°How did you kill them?¡± Kizu asked quickly.


    ¡°I excreted a poison from my sweat glands.¡±


    Kizu picked up one of the dead insects that had been latched onto Basil when he entered. It looked like a winged termite but with the mouth and size of a tick. It twitched as he held it in his palm.


    Kizu took stock of his options. He needed to prioritize protecting Anata. He could jump, but didn¡¯t know how far it would get him with his vision obscured. The last thing they needed was to be jumped into a tree. But jumping set another idea into motion.


    ¡°Anata, I need your help.¡± He looked down at the girl. ¡°I¡¯ll protect your body here. Can you project your consciousness into the swarm? They can¡¯t hurt you when you¡¯re not in your body, right?¡±


    She nodded and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Hold on, not yet. I need you to look for something specific. Swarms of termites act as a hivemind. They¡¯re often used in mental enhancement brews. There¡¯s not a guarantee that these creatures are the same as a termite, but there¡¯s a chance based on their appearance. Look for an abnormally large insect. The size of my finger. It will be bulbous and pretty ugly.¡±


    And with that, Anata slumped in his arms. He caught a glimpse of a faint ghostly image of her flicker in the swarm of insects.


    Kizu dug his fingers into the grass below them. He managed to find three stones the rough size and shape of marbles.


    ¡°You know,¡± Basil said after the air bubble gained another massive inward dent. ¡°I¡¯m not a master elementalist by any means, but I could still just toss out some flames and roast the bugs. I admit it¡¯s not an incredibly elegant solution, but far superior to just sitting back and getting eaten alive.¡±


    ¡°I already considered that. Anata is terrified of fire. I want to avoid using it near her. And with all the vegetation nearby, there¡¯s a good chance it could quickly get out of control . I¡¯m not counting it out as an option entirely, but let¡¯s save it as a last resort.¡±


    Anata jerked back into her body. She pointed at the ground a few meters behind Kizu. He silently nodded his confirmation and turned his attention there. He followed the exact direction of her index finger. Then used an elemental spell to launch one of his collected stones out in that direction.


    Nothing.


    The bubble of air shrunk as it dented inwards. Kizu struggled to focus on maintaining it while simultaneously casting other spells. Mort twitched from on his shoulder, finally dislodging the bugs caught in his throat. Kizu could feel his familiar¡¯s unease both physically, as he pulled on Kizu¡¯s hair, and mentally, through their bond. He let the part of him focused on their pocket of air shift to Mort¡¯s focus, giving his familiar control of the spell.


    Kizu took a deep breath and launched his second stone.


    Nothing.


    One last shot. He licked his chapped lips and prepared himself for his final shot. But then Anata moved her hand, instead placing it on his neck. Instantly, Kizu felt something meld into his consciousness. He knew exactly where the queen lay. Despite his obscured position, he could see its hideous bloated body, swollen from giving birth to millions of eggs. Its body enlarged to the point where the creature¡¯s wings flapped uselessly. It remained stationary from where it had crawled out of the ground.


    Kizu launched the final stone.

 Chapter II.XXVII (2.27) - Professor Knoff鈥檚 Secret

    Chapter LXXXIII (83) - Professor Knoff¡¯s Secret


    Kizu plopped a picnic basket full of dead termite monsters down on Knoff¡¯s desk. Today, it looked to be the jovial portly Professor Knoff in charge of class. Since everyone else in his class was in an upper level astronomy class and therefore on the school trip, the classroom was empty save for the two of them.


    ¡°Professor,¡± Kizu said, ¡°sorry to interrupt you, but can you help me identify these? I stumbled on them while in Hayashi Forest.¡±


    Knoff opened the basket and picked up a handful of the dead insects. Then he let them dribble through his fingers like grains of sand.


    ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s a chimera insect breed. Usually created by soul mages by combining different aspects of bugs into one form. Technically, an illegal process in the civilized world. But many of the creatures can still procreate, so not as rare as you might imagine. Though the combinations of insects tend to hold some novelty.¡±


    ¡°Do you know of any brews I might be able to use them in?¡±


    Professor Knoff hemmed and hawed as he got out a magnifying glass to study one of the bugs closer.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Knoff said, snapping to attention. ¡°I know of the perfect brew for you to experiment with. You have a familiar, do you not?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu said, uncertainly. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can get him to drink anything that isn¡¯t water or fruit juice.¡±


    ¡°No, no. He doesn¡¯t need to drink it. You see, these creatures, while numbering in the hundreds of thousands, are actually all connected by a single, mangled soul. It¡¯s a hivemind consciousness. Using an ingredient like this as a base, you may be able to create a brew that temporarily increases your soul¡¯s connection and even further fuse the two souls of you and your familiar. If you decide to go down that route, I would love to test it and give you feedback on your results. It¡¯s a subject I happen to have some vested interest in.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t know you had a familiar though.¡±


    ¡°A familiar? No, no. You misunderstand. Have you not noticed the state of my soul? I thought with your somewhat enhanced perception you would be able to see it more distinctly.¡±


    Kizu stared at the professor, trying to comprehend what he was talking about. Then it finally clicked. ¡°The other Professor Knoff! That¡¯s actually you?¡±


    ¡°In a sense, yes. He is me, and I am he. But we¡¯re obviously also distinctly different people. Our characters could not be further apart.¡±


    That fact was apparent. Whenever that Knoff led the class, it was complete pandemonium. Even their appearances were opposites. The hyperactive, almost skeletal man with a maniacal laugh with a bushy mustache and white hair that stood on end, juxtaposed with the composed, jovial man in front of him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kizu asked, before quickly adding, ¡°If it¡¯s not too personal.¡±


    ¡°An accident in my youth. Most master brewers have at least a couple mishaps while learning. Mine happened to take a unique toll, splitting my soul. Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t quite managed to glue the two pieces back together properly. Most people don¡¯t notice much, beyond the slight change in my personality.¡±


    ¡°But because of my connection with Mort, I have a higher awareness of souls?¡± Kizu guessed.


    ¡°Precisely! You instead likely see two distinct individuals. We often switch depending upon what I am doing for the day. I enjoy books and theory, while he tends to enjoy more hands-on work. Of course, we both retain the same information, regardless of who holds the reins. But we choose to execute that knowledge in very different ways.¡±


    ¡°Who else can see? Just people with familiars?¡±


    ¡°There are other individuals in the academy with unique relations to their souls. It¡¯s not uncommon. I am not comfortable saying who exactly, but I believe you have encountered a few of them.¡±


    ¡°I actually have an enchanted artifact that stabilizes souls,¡± Kizu said, thinking of the circlet he¡¯d gifted Anata. ¡°Would something like that help you?¡±


    ¡°Stabilization isn¡¯t an issue. Both halves of my soul are completely stable. If it was that simple, I would have fixed up this issue decades ago. No, what I need is something that fuses my two souls back together. An altogether more intricate task. One that grows in complexity every day the souls exist apart.¡±


    Kizu decided to experiment with the brew Knoff suggested. Temporarily strengthening a soul¡¯s connection seemed to be a pretty niche potion that might very well help him with his bond to Mort. Plus, Knoff actually offered him a contract with real money involved if he pulled it off. Normally, it was strictly against academy regulations to sell brews made using the academy¡¯s resources, but if the buyer was a member of the faculty, those rules could apparently be bent.


    Remembering his promise, he used his scrying orb to send a message to Harumi, the first year interested in learning more about brewing. He didn¡¯t expect much, since they were technically still in the normal class time, but he figured there was no harm in sending a message.


    Deciding to keep the squashed queen¡¯s corpse for further study, Kizu bottled it in a preservative and set it to the side. The smaller chimera insects proved to be more than enough of a specimen to experiment with for now. He mashed the insects and mixed the paste with shredded ginseng root, the only plant that came to mind when trying to find soul strengthening materials.


    He wished he had access to the fruit Emilia¡¯s family had used to brew that divination wine he and she had drunk months ago. That likely was another material he could experiment with. But, he also recalled her mentioning that it was discovered in the World Dungeon. So, probably not accessible.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± someone said behind him.


    He turned and saw Sene peering over into his cauldron. As per usual, she wore her academy uniform perfectly neat and crisp, as if just freshly purchased. That fact alone revealed her identity. Ione''s slovenly appearance wasn¡¯t due to genetics.


    ¡°Soul strengthening brew,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in Tross right now?¡±


    ¡°S ranked Astronomy students are attending on the third week, for exclusive lessons with Professor Grove.¡±


    That put a downer on Kizu¡¯s week. He had been hoping for a week off from Student Council. Sene had rambled on about cost efficiencies of overhead streamers for over an hour in their last meeting. But he tried to hide his disappointment, instead returning to his brew.


    ¡°You should try adding clear quartz dust,¡± Sene suggested. ¡°They¡¯re listed on page 278 of Minerals as Ingredients Vol. 2 as a good source of magnifying the potency of other ingredients.¡±


    Kizu almost dropped his pestle in surprise. Actual advice from Sene.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, cautiously. ¡°Minerals aren¡¯t something I¡¯ve experimented much with. Witches usually don¡¯t like using them. I¡¯ll read through the book when I get a chance.¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    At her request, he added the quartz dust to the paste before mixing it into a small cauldron of boiling water. Quartz turned out to be the perfect magnifier. He didn¡¯t manage to produce much, but he thought the ratios were a safe amount. He made educated guesses on the measurements and process based on his experiences with other brews. Making new potions became progressively easier with every potion the brewer learned.


    Sene worked on her own project on the other side of the room. While she might not be as outright hostile as when they first met, her friendliness obviously had limits.


    He cleaned up his mess and reentered into the main classroom where Professor Knoff still sat at his desk, working on paperwork. Just as he opened his mouth to present the concoction, the door behind him burst open.


    ¡°Did I miss it?¡± Harumi asked, panting.


    ¡°Kimura Harumi,¡± Professor Knoff said, looking up. ¡°What a pleasant surprise! To what do we owe the pleasure?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, Professor Knoff, sir,¡± Harumi stuttered, dropping his eyes to the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt.¡±


    ¡°I offered to give Harumi some advice on brewing,¡± Kizu said. ¡°He came to me a little while ago asking to spectate my next potion.¡±


    ¡°A phenomenal idea. Students taking initiative outside classwork is always wonderful to see. Just keep an eye on him while you work. Now, Kaga Kizu, I believe you have something for me to test?¡±


    Kizu hesitated. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe for me to give this to you? What if I made a mistake?¡±


    Professor Knoff chortled, then plucked the vial from Kizu¡¯s hand. ¡°Nothing you can make using the materials supplied here could do much to me. My body is selectively resistant to poisons. It would take something far more powerful than this to harm me.¡±


    With that, he downed the vial in a single gulp. He looked off into the distance and, for a moment, his counterpart¡¯s face merged with his own. Kizu watched in fascination as the face bubbled and morphed between the two, before landing on something between them. The professor¡¯s entire person changed briefly, from his body type slimming down, to his hair growing slightly longer with salt and pepper.


    But then the moment was gone, and the familiar Professor Knoff smiled at him from his normal figure.


    ¡°Very good. You¡¯re on the right path. Try adding a bit of ectoplasm. I believe I keep some in the top left cabinets. But just a pinch. Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Harumi said, nervously glancing from Kizu to Knoff. ¡°Did that change something?¡±


    Obviously, Harumi was not one of the students at the academy with a heightened soul perception.


    ¡°It¡¯s meant to strengthen his soul,¡± Kizu said as he guided the younger student into the room with the cauldrons and materials. ¡°Okay, so if you want to help me, the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the ingredients we have on hand. I¡¯ve already created a list of inventory, your job today is to go through everything to make your own list, then compare it with mine.¡±


    Harumi nodded his head seriously and then set off to his task while Kizu redid the measurements for his next attempt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that!¡±


    Kizu looked over his shoulder to see Sene snapping at Harumi for lifting up a jar of pickled bat eyes.


    ¡°No need to count them all,¡± Kizu called over to him. ¡°Just write down, ¡®one jar.¡¯¡±


    After about an hour, Kizu was finishing up his brew, and feeling pretty good about it. Harumi had only managed to write down a third of the ingredients in the room but that was still decent progress for someone unfamiliar with most of the ingredients. Through the skylight, Kizu could see the sun setting. As much as he was enjoying himself, he needed to finish up here and get back to Anata.


    When he presented the brew to Knoff, the professor again gulped it down without pause. This time, the potion stuck and Kizu recorded slightly over six minutes before Knoff reverted back. Kizu couldn¡¯t help feeling a tad disappointed by the outcome.


    ¡°Astounding results!¡± Knoff said. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt this close to myself in ages. Not quite good enough for a commission, I¡¯m afraid, but I think you¡¯ll have it in under a dozen more attempts!¡±


    ¡°Professor,¡± Kizu said skeptically, ¡°if I can brew this, surely you can yourself. I don¡¯t see why you need my help.¡±


    Professor Knoff scrunched up his face, as if smelling something rotten.


    ¡°As much as I might want to work on this, my other half doesn¡¯t feel quite so keen. And he¡¯s usually the one in control when I get a cauldron in front of me.¡±


    Harumi entered a minute later, looking dejected by the fact that he hadn¡¯t finished recording everything.


    ¡°Speaking of help, while I have the two of you here, I have a special request for you,¡± Professor Knoff continued. ¡°Next week you¡¯ll both be in Tross on the school trip, correct?¡±


    Kizu and Harumi both confirmed. Kizu couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit wary. The last time Knoff had a request for him, he¡¯d sent Kizu to go hunt down that snake.


    ¡°I need someone to exchange a message with a contact I have there. A peer within my field. Normally, I would have asked one of the Brewing Club members, but last week it, ah, slipped my mind.¡±


    Kizu could read between the lines. It must not have been viewed as a priority to his other self. It must be incredibly frustrating sharing a body with someone. Kizu didn¡¯t envy his position.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Kizu agreed readily. A far better request than hunting down magical creatures. The opportunity to meet a master brewer in a far off nation definitely interested him. Brewer personalities often gravitated towards becoming reclusive loners, so opportunities like this tended to be few and far between.


    Professor Knoff, pleased by his response, crossed the room to shuffle through a cabinet full of textbooks and parchment.


    ¡°What did he mean by ¡®Brewing Club?¡¯¡± Kizu asked Harumi.


    ¡°You¡¯re both first years, so you wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Sene said, entering the lecture room. She held a potion in hand that glowed an eerie yellowish-green. ¡°In your second semester, you choose a club to join. You then act as an apprentice to whichever teacher is over the club. Surely you¡¯ve seen the Medicine Club working under Professor Kateshi as medics and the Battle Club members helping Professor Arclight with the weekly combat contests?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± Harumi said. ¡°We had a professor come to the dorms after midterms and explain it. He gave us a list of options. I was thinking of joining the librarians¡­but Professor Krimpit is kind of frightening.¡±


    As an anomaly in the academy system, Kizu had obviously slipped through the cracks. And he preferred it that way. He wasn¡¯t keen to donate more of his already limited free time.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Student Council count as a club?¡± Kizu asked.


    Sene frowned and put a hand on her hip. ¡°No. And while it isn¡¯t necessarily mandatory, clubs are how you create connections with the professors. They¡¯re vital to your future.¡±


    ¡°Not mandatory. Understood.¡±


    ¡°These clubs are the quickest way to progress in a field after graduation. You would have to be an imbecile to disregard an advantage like that. It creates invaluable opportunities.¡±


    ¡°But of course Kaga Kizu won¡¯t lack opportunities,¡± Harumi said, sounding slightly awed.


    Kizu gave the boy a side-eye look. Harumi put a hand over his face in embarrassment, obviously aware how obsessive that comment came off.


    Thankfully, Professor Knoff saved them all from the awkward moment as he returned with a rolled-up parchment with a dark stain. ¡°Will you deliver this to Allik? You shouldn¡¯t have any issue finding him. Just ask Bella to point you in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Bella?¡± Kizu asked, confused as he took the parchment in hand. It was surprisingly heavy. And felt slightly damp.


    ¡°Oh, Professor Grove. She knows the locals quite well. Not her first visit to Tross. She¡¯s been arranging these trips for over half a century now.¡±


    ¡°Can I look at this?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I will never shoot down curiosity. Though, I warn you it isn¡¯t quite as interesting as you might imagine.¡±


    Harumi stood on his tip-toes to look over Kizu¡¯s shoulder as he unrolled the parchment. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sene also subtly reposition herself to get a look at it.


    Knoff wasn¡¯t completely correct in his assumption, while Harumi looked disappointed, Kizu still couldn¡¯t help feeling a spike of excitement as he looked over the message.


    It was a list of different ingredients found in the Tross Tundra. Mostly flora, but Kizu spotted a few animal products and even a couple magical creature body parts. This was a completely new set of brewing possibilities.


    ¡°If possible,¡± Knoff continued. ¡°I would like you to bring back a supply of whatever Allik currently has available.¡±


    ¡°Professor,¡± Kizu said slowly. ¡°Would it be possible for me to bring back some for my personal collection as well? You see, I¡¯ve been wanting to create a garden-¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Knoff waved, cutting him off. ¡°As payment I would be happy to donate any surplus to your private stock.¡±


    Kizu couldn¡¯t help grinning as he read through the ingredients list again. He hadn¡¯t the faintest idea what more than half these things did, or how to grow them properly. But he would learn.

 Chapter II.XXVIII (2.28) - The Transfer Student

    Chapter LXXXIV (84) - The Transfer Student


    Kizu entered History F late, fully expecting to be ejected from the class immediately by Professor Krimpit. He had a slip from Kateshi that explained his tardiness was due to her conducting a tune up of his leg brace, getting it ready for the cold weather of Tross, but he didn¡¯t have much faith that Krimpit would let him get that far into an explanation.


    However, to his surprise, Krimpit didn¡¯t even comment on him as he entered the lecture hall. At the front of the room, a child stood beside the professor, fidgeting uncomfortably. It wasn¡¯t until Kizu slipped into his usual seat and more closely examined the guest before he realized his mistake.


    It wasn¡¯t a child, but a gnome. He had pink hair that defied gravity and stood straight up and oversized circular spectacles that looked like they belonged on an adult human. He was certainly younger than Jeri, Kizu¡¯s only comparison, but he could be anywhere between adolescence and middle aged. He wasn¡¯t certain how gnomes aged.


    Krimpit was jabbering about the gnome¡¯s unique knowledge of a culture now almost entirely snuffed out. He named him a ¡®living relic of a bygone era.¡¯ Not the most sensitive title, Kizu noted as he saw the gnome wince slightly.


    ¡°Now, Joon, why don¡¯t you introduce yourself?¡±


    The gnome stepped forward. All the way in the back, Kizu couldn¡¯t hear his voice, but he could see him fidget with his oversized glasses.


    ¡°One moment, Joon,¡± Krimpit said, stepping back up and clipping a collar pin on Joon¡¯s shirt. ¡°There, try that again.¡±


    ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± the gnome said. His voice didn¡¯t boom, but instead it sounded as if the gnome spoke from right beside Kizu. Despite his nervous body language, he spoke clearly. ¡°My name is Jak Joon. I am a transfer student starting here next week. You might know my uncle, Jeri Joon. He runs a shop in town. Professor Krimpit is an old family friend of his and asked that I speak in his classes about my family¡¯s history.¡±


    For the first time, Kizu found himself interested in a topic in History F. Notably, it was the one time Krimpit wasn¡¯t leading the lecture. Big surprise there.


    Jak talked a bit about his childhood in Ilosin-Don. Apparently, he was only a couple years older than Kizu, so he had only been eight when the government collapsed due to the ooze invasion. He avoided talking about the conflict though, instead going into great detail about gnomish performances. Apparently acting was a massive part of gnomish culture. Visual performances accompanied by illusions were their preferred method of passing down histories.


    Krimpit was quick to cut in that these performances each had written records as well, dating back hundreds of years. He disparaged the concept of reliance on a solely oral record, calling it ¡®foolish and uncivilized.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, unfortunately, it is rare to find the Universal Script in Ilosin-Don,¡± Jak continued. ¡°And because Gnomish is a notoriously difficult language to learn, most of the time outsiders only watch the performances. Even amongst gnomes, it¡¯s rare to find someone other than actors and directors studying the scripts.¡±


    Kizu remembered the Gnomish dictionary he¡¯d used to study Primordial. He silently agreed with Jak¡¯s assessment on the difficulty of the language.


    Naturally, Krimpit shifted Jak away from the subject of theater, to Kizu¡¯s disappointment, and instead peppered him questions about gnomish architecture and the unique measurement units used. And while Jak answered the questions, Kizu noticed the gnome seemed like he had the wind taken from his sails.


    ¡°What are the odds you think he¡¯ll end up in any F classes with us?¡± Ione asked Kizu while Jak explained how, unlike in Hon, basements were widespread across Ilosin-Don.


    ¡°I doubt it. He definitely seems smarter than you,¡± Kizu whispered back at her. He was careful to keep his voice down. For one thing, he didn¡¯t want to get thrown out of this class. And for another, he wanted to avoid offending the gnome. He felt bad for him. Not only did Jak completely lose his home and have his species driven to near extinction, now he had to deal with Krimpit being an ass about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m bottom of the barrel by choice,¡± Ione grumbled.


    In the final ten minutes of class, Krimpit opened the lecture for questions.


    A few scattered hands rose in the crowd, a far cry from the usual zero audience participation in the usual History F classes. Apparently Kizu wasn¡¯t the only one who found the gnome more approachable than their professor. Jak pointed at a student, seemingly at random.


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    ¡°What techniques do gnomes lean towards in combat?¡± Harvey asked. ¡°Are there any strategies gnomes are famous for discovering and using?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t a very aggressive people,¡± Jak said, sounding sad. ¡°Historically, both humans and Tainted attempted to occupy Ilosin-Don, but they were always chased out. Not with avert violence, but instead by using sabotage. Occupiers struggled to hold ground due to lack of control over their resources such as food spoilage and building structural instability. Minor inconveniences have a way of adding up.¡±


    ¡°So, you used siege tactics to destroy morale. That makes sense. But the oozes don¡¯t suffer from the same issues?¡±


    Kizu wanted to kick Harvey. The Tainted boy didn¡¯t know how to read the room. He was even worse than Krimpit. And the rest of the class appeared to agree as a murmur went through the room.


    ¡°No. Oozes don¡¯t use the same senses as humanoids. And so illusion spellcraft isn¡¯t a viable option for hiding or distracting. And they don¡¯t require the same needs or wants either. Previous strategies didn¡¯t work. Those of us who didn¡¯t leave, died.¡±


    Beside him, Ione¡¯s hand shot up. Jak looked over at the clock before reluctantly calling on her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your favorite gnomish cuisine?¡±


    The sudden change in topic appeared to break Jak as he froze for a second. Then he smiled appreciatively towards Ione.


    ¡°Baked goods are very popular among gnomes. Most gnomes you¡¯ll meet don¡¯t eat meat, but a lot of us started eating dairy after Edgeland introduced cattle to Ilson-Don during one of their failed incursions about a thousand years ago.¡±


    Jak spent the next few minutes talking nostalgically about food from his childhood until the bell rang, dismissing them.


    ¡°That was pretty decent of you,¡± Kizu said to Ione as they packed up.


    She shrugged. ¡°I was just curious. We¡¯ve all got to eat, after all.¡±


    ¡ª


    Kizu debated about whether or not to bring the box of enchanted items with him on the school trip. Sojan agreed to watch over Anata while he was away, so obviously he would be staying behind. The necklace, book, and bell, though, were another matter. He considered leaving the necklace in Anata¡¯s care but dismissed the idea. If something happened to her, he needed to be able to find her. And as much as he trusted Aoi to hold the place down, being away from the enchanted items still felt risky. In the end, he packed them in his bag. There was of course a risk of someone rummaging through his things while they traveled, but at least he would always be nearby to take care of the problem. Plus, he planned to have Mort watching over his things at all times as well. A fierce guard monkey.


    Without Aoi around to work on their cloning project, Sojan had been brooding around the ship. The normally excessively talkative dagger, instead moped about, complaining about little things. Kizu hadn¡¯t known artificial creatures experienced moods until meeting the dagger. It raised questions about the James golems up at the academy and his enchanted scrying orb. Though he doubted their enchanting was anywhere near as complex as Sojan¡¯s, where did it cross the line into true sentience? A question for another day.


    Currently, at Kizu''s suggestion, Sojan was in the crew chambers passing the time by playing cards with the skeletons. He was even worse at it than Kizu but turned out to be a surprisingly good sport about losing.


    The academy was giving them special uniforms specifically for the school trip, but Kizu still packed the one that Basil had gifted him for their dungeon delve. He liked the outfit and figured it was better to be more prepared than less.


    A tap on his back broke him away from his packing. He turned to see Anata standing behind him with her writing pad and quill in hand. Kizu squinted, trying to read Anata¡¯s small handwriting.


    You are putting clothes in a bag? the note said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu confirmed. ¡°I¡¯m packing for my school trip. It¡¯s going to be cold, so I¡¯m packing extra clothes.¡±


    Anata quickly scribbled on her writing pad. What do I need?


    Kizu hesitated. ¡°No. You¡¯re going to stay here. It¡¯s only for a week. Sojan will watch you while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    I want to go. This time Anata wrote it in large characters. She glared at him, her bottom lip trembling slightly.


    ¡°Anata,¡± Kizu said, taking a knee to look her in the eye. ¡°Listen, it will only be a few days. You need to stay here where it¡¯s safe.¡±


    Anata aggressively wrote another message. Kizu braced himself. But then she paused before violently crossing it out. When she showed him her writing pad, the only legible characters just said, Okay.


    Sighing in relief, Kizu put a hand on Anata¡¯s head. That could have gone much worse.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you back a present. You just promise to keep up your studies while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Pushing his hand away, she glared at him before leaving, her scarlet eye glinting. Kizu had never seen such hostility from the girl before. It was probably actually a good sign. It meant she was breaking out of her shell more. Though he wished it hadn¡¯t happened in a way that left him feeling so guilty.


    He mulled over his decision, trying to make sure it was her wellbeing he was putting forward, not his own convenience. It would be irresponsible for him, as her guardian, to drag her to a different continent where he didn¡¯t understand the customs or the risks. The right thing to do was to leave her in the known safe area here.


    After stuffing another pair of socks into his bag, Kizu shook his head to clear it of the jumble of thoughts and mixed feelings. He reassured himself that she would be fine. What could go wrong in just a couple days apart?

 Chapter II.XXIX (2.29) - Tross Tundra

    Chapter LXXXV (85) - Tross Tundra


    A horde of students loitered around Kizu as he waited for the room to arrive. Just as he had entered the academy on his first day, the school trip relied on the moving rooms that transported them across the World Dungeon. Unfortunately, each room only fit about forty students. And there were almost four hundred departing. Plus all their luggage. While Kizu only carried a single bag slung over a shoulder, he was in the minority. Most of the others lugged around massive boxes, likely enchanted to reduce the weight of their loads.


    He spotted a few friendly faces, Ione, Evie, and Harumi, each of them wearing their new school trip uniforms which were a darker blue with an orange X stitched across the back. The uniforms also came equipped with fur lined hoods, which Mort adored. The monkey made himself at home hanging on Kizu¡¯s back.


    Kizu also spotted Harvey standing next to Ulric, chatting. Kizu¡¯s leg itched. He recalled what Emilia had said about Ulric being in the bottom tier of several of his classes. Astronomy must be among that list.


    Ione noticed him and beckoned him over with a wave. It took Kizu a few minutes to weave his way through his peers to reach her.


    ¡°You ever visit Tross before?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve only ever been to Hon and the academy. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Same. Sene went on a special trip last year to Edgeland to meet with some bigwigs for Student Council things, but I opted out.¡±


    ¡°Nervous?¡±


    ¡°For this trip? Not especially. If it¡¯s anything like Krimpit¡¯s tour of Hon last year, it will be safe and sanitized. I¡¯m hoping to at least discover some magical creatures while we¡¯re there, but I¡¯m not holding my breath.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because polar bears are the apex predator. All the magical creatures I¡¯ve read about that live in the tundra have adapted to hide. They¡¯re all more flight than fight.¡±


    ¡°Are polar bears really that scary?¡± Kizu asked, perplexed. ¡°Surely magical creatures don¡¯t have that much to worry about.¡±


    Ione looked at him like he¡¯d just said the stupidest thing in history. ¡°Polar bears are the only nonmagical creature that will actively hunt humans. They¡¯re easily the most dangerous nonmagical animal in the world. They don¡¯t need magical enhancements or special elemental powers to tear out your throat and eat you alive. Their skin is tough enough to resist spells and hexes. They naturally have the ability to track you from ten kilometers away without issue. They can swim, run, climb. No escaping one if you¡¯re caught.¡±


    ¡°Can you summon one?¡± Kizu asked, curious.


    ¡°Of course. I told you, I can summon any nonmagical creature. That¡¯s child¡¯s play.¡±


    Kizu considered. ¡°Can you teach me?¡±


    ¡°What? Here? Nope. Too many people, not enough space. Besides, you couldn¡¯t even summon a puppy before, you want to graduate up to a polar bear? Don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Kizu looked around. He hadn¡¯t actually been thinking that far ahead, just wondering about the summoning circle and the mechanics of the spell. Despite being friends with Ione for several months now, he still knew next to nothing about summoning.


    ¡°Come on, the next room is about to arrive,¡± Ione said before Kizu could ask her more questions. ¡°I want to get out of here. It stinks like teenage boy.¡±


    Resisting the urge to sniff himself, Kizu followed her forward. It wasn¡¯t surprising it smelled a bit. The new uniforms had enhanced warming spells designed to keep them safe in the arctic. Far stronger than the temperature regulation enchantments on their standard issue uniforms.


    Squeezing their way into the next room, Kizu managed to slip into one of the cushioned seats before they all filled up.


    ¡°Give it up or I¡¯m sitting on you,¡± Ione warned. ¡°I am not standing this entire trip.¡±


    Kizu called her bluff and refused. Unfortunately, it was not a bluff. Ione just shrugged and laid back on top of him. He tried to shove her off, but other students filled in the empty space quickly with their luggage. After only a few moments, Ione¡¯s head started bobbing and he heard a quiet snore.


    His legs followed her to sleep soon after the room started moving. He swore that the next time Kateshi checked up on his leg brace, he would demand she include an anti-numbing enchantment on it.


    When the doors finally opened, revealing their destination, Kizu shoved Ione off him. She stumbled and jolted awake before she fell to the ground. Then she glared at him.


    ¡°You should replace some of that muscle with fat. Even the worst criminals in Hon are given more comfortable places to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± Kizu said dryly. He gathered up his bag and slung it over his shoulder again. As he did, he thought he felt something inside shift. He frowned, but another student jostled into him, shifting the weight again.


    He followed the stream of students out of the room and a wave of cold smacked into his uncovered face. He gasped at the sudden shock. Several other students were rubbing their faces for warmth, many already with red noses and cheeks.


    ¡°This way, this way,¡± Professor Grove called, hovering over them and bobbing slightly. The students shuffled in her direction down a corridor and up stairs that lead to open air.


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    They stood on top of ancient stone ruins looking down at the fields of tundra. Nothing but snow as far as the eye could see. Which, admittedly, wasn¡¯t very far. A clear sky opened overhead, but it lacked the familiar warm sun. Instead the moon hung overhead in the horizon, illuminating the tundra below them. Or rather, illuminating the massive river of snow. The ground was completely obscured by the winds lashing up snow. The wind ripped through the enchantments on his uniform, biting down to his flesh. The air chilled his insides. Already, he started missing the stuffy room they¡¯d arrived in.


    ¡°The inside of my nose is frozen,¡± Ione complained.


    On his head, Mort shook from the cold and tried to bury himself under Kizu¡¯s hood. The monkey wasn¡¯t built for weather like this. The jungle never even reached freezing on the coldest days. For him, this was about as close to monkey damnation as possible.


    Kizu reached into his bag and pulled out two potions. The liquid inside swirled with a color similar to that of the molten rock seen in the World Dungeon. He passed one to Ione.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she asked, eyeing it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust me?¡± he said with a cheeky grin before downing his own vial. A sensation of warmth spread from his heart, down his veins, circulating all the way to his fingers and toes. And the warmth should remain for a few hours before ebbing.


    Ione shrugged and downed her vial. Her eyes widened.


    ¡°Maybe brewing isn¡¯t as useless as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Inspire you to put in a bit more effort?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    Almost immediately after she said it, she raised a hand to cover a cough. Small black pebbles slipped through her fingers and dotted the ground.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, there¡¯s like a five percent chance you¡¯ll start regurgitating molten rocks after drinking it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Ione muttered after she coughed up a few more pebbles. ¡°At least I¡¯m warm now.¡±


    There were still a few drops remaining in his own vial, so he passed it up to Mort who drank them readily.


    Remembering what Roba said about keeping an eye on Evie, Kizu decided to offer one of the potions to her as well. He had stockpiled them over the last couple weeks in preparation so he had plenty to go around.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, her quiet voice barely heard over the wind. ¡°My body is designed for freezing temperatures.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kizu said, surprised. ¡°Well, if you change your mind, let me know.¡±


    Next to the steps at the ruin¡¯s base, a hole in the snowy wind appeared, creating a cylinder of visibility that pierced through the shrouded tundra. Several dogs emerged, pulling a sled occupied by a sizable woman at least two heads taller than Kizu. The dogsled was swiftly preceded by six larger empty sleighs, dogs excluded. Kizu watched in fascination as the empty sleighs traced her exact tracks in the snow. He figured they must be enchanted to trail behind the dogsled.


    ¡°Grove, where you at?¡± the woman shouted out into the wind.


    Professor Grove bobbed down to the woman and they spoke for a minute before the wisp began directing everyone into the sleighs.


    As Kizu approached the sleighs, he got a better look at the woman leading them. She wasn¡¯t just tall and broad of shoulder, she actually had thick brown hair covering her cheeks and features akin to a brown bear. Even her face was warped, with a flat stretch between her eyes that led to a black nose. It was hard to tell from under her parka¡¯s hood, but Kizu thought that her entire skull¡¯s structure might be formed differently from that of a human''s. Basil had mentioned Kemon, but until today Kizu had only seen the porcupine-esk variety like Evie. He tried not to stare at her as he climbed in the sleigh.


    After chatting with Professor Grove, the Kemon woman reboarded her dogsled and sent them off, with the sleighs zipping into motion in a uniform line directly behind her.


    Kizu looked back at the World Dungeon¡¯s entrance as they sped away. An ancient ruin almost entirely buried in the snow with only the tip of it peeking out. But soon that was obscured by the gales of snow.


    Kizu quickly discovered a flaw in the potions he had prepared. While it actively warmed him, it did not protect his eyes from the wind and cold. After only a few minutes, his eyelashes accumulated frozen chunks of ice at the tips, and the wind irritated his eyes into watering. By the time they arrived at their destination, his cheeks were lined with streaks of frozen tears.


    Professor Grove floated over to them and started listing off each cabin¡¯s occupants. Kizu was assigned to cabin 3. He only half listened after his name was called, instead looking around at their camp.


    A dozen cabins were strewn across an otherwise barren wasteland. Heaps of snow had been packed up against each cabin from the winds and it looked like someone freshly dug out the entrances. Kizu was incredibly grateful for his foresight in preparing the warming potions.


    ¡°-and Ulric,¡± Professor Grove finished.


    That jolted Kizu back to the room assignments. Professor Grove started listing off students in cabin 4. Which meant she had only just finished cabin 3. Kizu glanced around and caught sight of Ulric. The large student had a nasty grin on his face.


    But he wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to do anything with so many students around. Harming him in the fighting contests was one thing, but out here was something else entirely. Kizu would just be a bit cautious to always be in the company of others. The older student wouldn¡¯t try anything with witnesses around. Probably.


    When Professor Grove finished, everyone started shuffling forward. Kizu heard more than one student grumbling about the weather as they entered their cabins.


    Moonlight poured in from the windows onto rows of beds. It only took a cursory glance with his spellsense to reveal the windows were reinforced by enchantments. It took him a moment to realize a second enchantment laid on them as well. After studying them for a minute, he realized they should be covered by the snowdrifts outside. The glass windows appeared to pierce through the snow to show the building¡¯s exterior.


    He decided to hang back and wait until after Ulric picked a bed before choosing his own. Ulric appeared to notice this as he turned to meet Kizu¡¯s eyes before sneering and claiming his spot. Ignoring the glower, Kizu chose a bed as far away from the large fifth year as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty exciting,¡± Harumi said, sitting down on the bed next to Kizu¡¯s. ¡°I mean, tomorrow night the aurora is supposed to be out.¡±


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Kizu said. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t get your hopes up. It¡¯s supposedly been a thousand years since the last time someone had anything meaningful occur to them.¡±


    ¡°But not that many people in the world make the pilgrimage up here, do they?¡± Harumi countered. ¡°And people do still sometimes have minor awakenings. Otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be here. Statistically, our odds aren¡¯t as bad as you¡¯d think!¡±


    The optimism reminded Kizu of Harvey before the boy had turned sour. Kizu felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of his friend.


    ¡°I still would rein in your expectations. Nobody last week reported anything.¡±


    Kizu would have said more, but he felt something move inside his pack. Frowning, he undid the cords that bound it and carefully spread out his few belongings on the bed. Nothing stood out. Mort hopped down and started to move things around. Kizu was about to repack everything when he heard a tiny thump from within the wooden box that held his enchanted items.


    Bewildered, he quickly overlaid himself with a discreet illusion before opening the box.


    Inside, he found the World Dungeon Atlas, the bell, and the necklace. All expected. But there was a fourth stowaway amongst his things.


    A bat.


    It looked up at him with a single scarlet eye glittering in the moonlight.

 Chapter II.XXX (2.30)- Nanook and Allik

    Chapter LXXXVI (86)- Nanook and Allik


    ¡°If I understand you correctly,¡± Professor Grove said. ¡°A child that the headmaster assigned for you to watch over broke into your potion supplies, drank a mystery concoction, and transfigured herself into a critter small enough to sneak into your bag before our departure?¡±


    He sat in the professor¡¯s cabin. Though, why she needed a cabin he couldn¡¯t actually say. But it was at least a private place for him to talk to her that was out of the elements. It had no furniture beyond a couple old wooden chairs set up in the center of the room. Two of which were occupied by himself and the Kemon beast woman.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu said. That covered the basics of it. Kizu fidgeted under the professor¡¯s scrutiny, causing the chair to groan pitifully under him as it threatened to collapse.


    It was uncanny talking to someone whose body language was completely foreign and indecipherable. He only had the wisp¡¯s voice inflections to go off of. And her flay and unamused tone didn¡¯t bode well for him so far.


    ¡°And why was your brewing equipment out where a child could get into it?¡±


    ¡°Brewers are all the same,¡± the bear woman cut in. She barked a short laugh. ¡°Asking them to organize their equipment would be like asking you or I to cut off a limb.¡± Then she hesitated, realizing who she was talking to. ¡°Er, figuratively, that is.¡±


    Kizu glanced at the bear woman. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s Nanook.¡± She stuck out a hand to him. ¡°One of the Aklaq Tribe¡¯s four chiefs.¡±


    Kizu took the offered hand and winced as the woman almost crushed the bones in his hand.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu,¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Is the monkey on your head the transfigured child?¡± Nanook asked.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s my familiar.¡±


    The woman immediately let go of his hand and abruptly stood up, posture tense. She examined him with more seriousness, as if sizing him up as an opponent.


    ¡°Nanook,¡± Professor Grove said. ¡°Stop distracting my student. Now, Kaga Kizu, where is this girl?¡±


    Kizu massaged his sore palm with his other thumb. He didn¡¯t need to answer, as Anata crawled out of the inside of his uniform and perched herself on his shoulder.


    There was a moment of silence.


    ¡°Will you answer me?¡±


    ¡°She just showed herself,¡± Kizu said, confused. ¡°She¡¯s next to my left ear.¡±


    Professor Grove bobbed in a bit closer to him, her blue light altering the shadows in the room.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Kizu stared at her. He glanced over to Nanook for clarification but the Kemon woman now looked lost in thought.


    ¡°That soul doesn¡¯t belong to a human,¡± Professor Grove finally said. ¡°It¡¯s far beyond that of a human. Or even a monster.¡±


    Kizu realized that the professor, without eyes, must perceive things beyond physical traits.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just because she¡¯s transfigured.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The wisp held no doubt in her tone. ¡°As if one of them wasn¡¯t enough already. Gizrim will need to answer to this. Until then, you will continue to do your assigned duty and watch over this¡­girl.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to send her home?¡± Kizu asked, shocked.


    The bat on his shoulder perked up. Kizu felt Anata almost lose her balance. She flapped a wing, jabbing him in the eye as she regained her footing.


    ¡°No. While I obviously have other duties at the moment, I will be keeping watch over you. This is something that needs attending to as soon as possible.¡±


    That sounded¡­ominous, but it actually came as a bit of a relief to Kizu. It meant someone else would be watching to make sure he didn¡¯t screw things up too terribly with Anata. Though, he wondered just how much she knew about Anata¡¯s origins. Something about Professor Grove¡¯s examination of his niece tipped her off that Anata wasn¡¯t fully human, but did she understand what the other half was? He couldn''t let his guard down too much. If ¡®attending to¡¯ meant anything other than helping Anata, they''d have a problem.


    The silence stretched. Nanook stood to the side, watching him pensively with her large brown eyes. Unlike Professor Grove, the Kemon¡¯s focus was on him and Mort, rather than Anata. Kizu wondered if familiars were rare in their culture. In fact, it still surprised him how few other students had a bond. He had only ever met one other at the academy, who had bonded with a hawk. Out here though, Kizu would have thought that they could serve as an incredibly helpful boon. They certainly helped the witch covens in the Hon Basin.


    He was about to break the silence and ask Nanook about it, but then Anata shifted her weight again on his shoulder. This time, she attempted to glide down from her perch, but instead ended up flapping and flailing as she fell. Before she hit the ground, the potion¡¯s effects wore off.


    As per usual, she wore her circlet that Kizu had gifted her, but she also wore the wool sweater and thick winter pants that Basil had picked out for her during their shopping trip. Kizu silently cursed the changeling for helping her find winter gear. But, truth be told, it was probably a good thing. Anata likely would have followed after him regardless, at least now she wouldn¡¯t freeze.


    ¡°She¡¯s a bit thin,¡± Nanook said, turning her inspection onto Anata. ¡°Have you been feeding her enough food?¡±


    Anata hid behind Kizu and glared at Nanook in Kizu¡¯s defense. Endearing. But not nearly enough to build her goodwill back from him.


    ¡°She was thinner when I first met her.¡±


    ¡°And how did you meet her?¡± Professor Grove probed. ¡°Did Gizrim introduce you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to direct all questions about Anata to the headmaster. You¡¯ll have to ask him.¡±


    Professor Grove hummed irritably and attempted to ask more questions about Anata¡¯s age and diet and hobbies. Kizu felt a bit of satisfaction at each question he successfully deflected. Professor Grove, however, appeared to grow more agitated with every thwarted topic. Eventually, she dismissed him and Anata.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Kizu said, looking back at them from the door. ¡°Where is Anata supposed to sleep?¡±


    Professor Grove hummed thoughtfully. ¡°A good question. It¡¯s easy to forget these things after mortality, age, and gender fade. But I agree it isn¡¯t proper to have a young girl in a cabin with half a hundred teenage boys. Nanook, do you have any more spare cabins?¡±


    ¡°Not in a decent condition,¡± the beast woman said. ¡°But I agree Kaga Kizu shouldn¡¯t bring her back to one of the boys¡¯ cabins. They can both stay in my private cabin. I have a few extra beds.¡±


    Just like that, Kizu loaded up all the stuff from his assigned cabin and moved everything to a smaller cabin on the edge of the camp. Nanook gifted him and Anata each a pair of snowshoes to better maneuver around since they were further out now. Apparently everyone else would be receiving a pair the next day.


    Nanook¡¯s cabin felt more like a living space than a bunkhouse. She obviously spent a great deal of time here, even if it wasn¡¯t her primary residence. A hearth heated the space and illuminated the room. Beside it, Kizu was surprised to see a brewing cauldron, stained by soot and with the black scars of flames across the bottom. Other than that, the room was mundane. A nightstand beside each of the four beds and higher quality wool blankets than what the other cabins contained.


    ¡°Make yourselves at home. My husband will be arriving tomorrow with the rest of our tribe. Other than that, it¡¯s just us here.¡±


    Kizu settled in and set down his bag on a bed, with Anata claiming the one nearest him. Not having any physical books to read to her, Kizu instead took out his scrying orb. While it was designed with the intention of scrying for information, Kizu had realized before that it could pull up a lot of information from the academy¡¯s library archives. After some trial and error, he managed to get a copy of a chapter book. As he skimmed the first few pages, he recognized it as one of the adventure books Finn liked to read. While a little beyond Anata¡¯s current reading level, he still passed the orb over to her. Maybe a challenge would keep her out of trouble for a while.


    ¡°Orb,¡± he instructed. ¡°Keep that information up. Don¡¯t read any of it out loud. Just switch pages whenever someone taps your side.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Kizu sighed and flopped back on his bed.


    ¡ª


    Kizu felt terrible when he woke up in the morning (though, perhaps ¡®morning¡¯ wasn¡¯t quite the right word, as the sun never rose over the horizon). His head hurt and his entire body felt exhausted. It felt similar to the hangover he had suffered after drinking at Emilia¡¯s party.


    He sat beside Anata around one of the many fire pits scattered throughout the camp, with a bowl of porridge in his lap. Anata treasured every bite of the warm food, while he felt sick just looking at it.


    It took him a while to understand why he felt so terrible. The previous day he¡¯d broken from his usual training regime. Which meant he hadn¡¯t received any of Anata¡¯s blood to restore his energy. His body suffered from withdrawal. A concept he was more than familiar with.


    As a child, around eight years old, he had gone through an addiction soon after being taught how to brew by the crone. His vice had been a simple mind blank potion that completely cleared him of thoughts and emotions. It left him completely numb and in a meditative trance. Some of the required ingredients had been highly addictive. The crone had beaten the addiction out of him and forced him into creating an association between the brew and pain. She called it ¡®positive punishment.¡¯ It had been an incredibly painful process and the memory stole his breath for a few heartbeats. Whenever he so much as thought of the potion, memories sparked that made him ill enough to puke. The crone had relished in his pain as she peeled back the skin on his forearms, exposing his muscle and bone underneath. She¡¯d dribble drops of the potion into his screaming mouth while she cackled.


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    Afterwards, he spent weeks locked in his cupboard suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms, akin to what he felt now. But far, far worse. He shuddered at the thought of it.


    His self-diagnoses actually made him feel a bit better. He didn¡¯t love the idea of getting sick every time he stopped absorbing blood, but at least the knowledge of what was wrong gave him a measure of control over the situation. And, based on his past experience, he had a vague understanding of where he stood with the addiction. He wasn¡¯t very far gone into it. But it was something to be mindful of. He could probably even counter the effects with the right combination of ingredients.


    ¡°They snore,¡± Ione complained, slumping down in the seat next to him and Anata.


    ¡°Hello to you too, Ione.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a heavy sleeper, you know that. But even I didn¡¯t stand a chance against some of my cabinmates. I don¡¯t know if I can make it the entire week.¡±


    Kizu noticed Anata who was looking down mournfully at her empty bowl of porridge. He passed her his untouched bowl. Ione glanced over at the motion.


    ¡°Oh, hi Anata. How¡¯d you get here?¡±


    ¡°She drank a transfiguration potion and turned herself into a bat. Then she hid in my bag.¡±


    ¡°You should do a better job of storing your potions out of the reach of children,¡± Ione opined.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll keep that brilliant suggestion in mind,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been pretty grumpy lately. Is this still about that girl you were seeing?¡±


    Kizu blinked, taken aback. ¡°No. Sorry. Maybe? I was avoiding thinking about it.¡± But even as he said that, he realized how often Emilia still came up in his thoughts. Like an ever present weight.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± she continued, lifting her feet closer to the firepit. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to meet with a Kemon tribe today. We have lessons from them.¡±


    ¡°When do they get here?¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± a deep voice said behind them.


    Kizu looked over his shoulder and saw a massive man looming half a meter taller than himself. Like Nanook, he also bore the features of a grizzly. A large brown braid traced along the man¡¯s spine and he wore an overgrown beard in contrast to Nanook¡¯s more subtle fur. Kizu couldn¡¯t help but notice that his humanoid hands were marred by large, thick, black claws.


    ¡°Er, hello?¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the brat who decided to get into my wife¡¯s cabin.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No. I mean, yes, but not like that! I-¡±


    Then the bear man burst out laughing. ¡°I know, I know. Don¡¯t worry, Nanook already explained the situation to me. My name is Allik.¡±


    ¡°Allik?¡± Kizu recognized the name, but it took him a moment to realize from where. ¡°You¡¯re a master brewer!¡±


    ¡°Guilty.¡±


    ¡°Professor Knoff asked me to give you a message.¡± Kizu had left it in his cabin with his things and a sleeping Mort.


    ¡°Ah yes, I was surprised when I was never presented with his shopping list last week. But don¡¯t worry about that. We¡¯ll take care of it later in the week.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Kizu said, still feeling a bit nervous around the large man. ¡°I was wondering if you might be willing to show me some techniques you use out here.¡±


    ¡°Attempting to poach my skills?¡± Allik grinned, showing his canines. ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°I thought the Kemon were more secretive?¡± Ione asked.


    ¡°Some tribes are. There is still a lot of resentment held towards outsiders. But the Aklaq Tribe lived up here in the north before most of the others arrived. We were never displaced. Though I suppose our good will might be obvious simply by the fact that we meet with your academy every couple years.¡±


    ¡°Why not send any of your students to Shinzou Academy?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°If you¡¯ve built a good relationship with the academy, surely you could make a deal.¡±


    ¡°The answer¡¯s simple. We don¡¯t have any children of academy age. Not out here at least. Some other tribes are blessed with excessive fertility, alas Aklaq is not.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Kizu privately wondered if the fertility of the tribe depended on the animal they had the features of. But he decided asking might be rude, and he really wanted to see what Allik could do with the materials up here.


    ¡°Which is a reason I¡¯m not keen on hoarding knowledge. If something happened to our tribe, I¡¯d like my knowledge to live on at least in some measure. So, if you want to learn, I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    He extended the offer to Ione as well, who promptly declined. However, Anata was more than happy to tail them as they returned to the cabin.


    The first thing that Allik instructed Kizu on was how to fill the cauldron with snow.


    ¡°Clean, fresh snow. Make sure you don¡¯t get any sticks or dirt in it. Right now it isn''t ideal conditions, as the wind often blows silt off the glaciers, but as long as the snow is white, not gray or brown, it should be fine. Keep in mind, snow takes up more space than water, so always gather in excess.¡±


    When Kizu returned, dragging the cauldron behind him, he entered the room to see Allik throwing Anata in the air and catching her. He watched as Mort leaped down from the cabin¡¯s rafters to grab ahold of Anata mid throw. Allik let out a bellowing laugh and Kizu saw even Anata smiling ear to ear (one of which was firmly gripped by Mort).


    ¡°Ah good, you¡¯ve returned!¡±


    ¡°Allik, sir,¡± Kizu said slowly. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay for me to be here studying with you? I want to learn, don¡¯t misunderstand, but the other students were all at the other side of camp.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re studying star charts and the mythos of my people. As useful as it is, you could probably learn it in a book. I¡¯m offering a more hands-on lesson. I cleared it with my wife a few minutes ago when she stopped by to change clothes, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Allik set Anata on the floor and she beamed up at him. Any trepidation from earlier now melted away.


    ¡°Another thing,¡± Kizu continued. ¡°Do you need me to collect ingredients? I didn¡¯t exactly search the room, but nothing stood out to me here.¡±


    ¡°Again, no problem at all, Kaga Kizu.¡±


    Allik raised one of his beastly hands. Kizu had missed it earlier, too focused on the terrifying claws, but Allik also wore several rings. A quick glance from Kizu¡¯s spellsense revealed them to be enchanted. Though they were far too complex for him to understand.


    Then Allik reached over with his other hand and touched the ring on his pinky. Or, Kizu thought he was simply touching it. Instead, his hand went into the ring. A moment later he pulled out a handful of red berries. He tossed one to Kizu, who caught it.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Allik asked.


    His knee jerk reaction was a raspberry, but the coloring was a deeper shade of scarlet and the shape more spherical. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he answered, ¡°Salmonberry.¡±


    ¡°Close, but incorrect.¡± Allik tossed him another berry. ¡°This one is a salmonberry. The first one is known as a nagoonberry. Taste both of them. It¡¯s important for any decent brewer to be able to pick out distinct tastes within a brew.¡±


    Kizu did so. He expected them to taste wretched, like the ingredients the crone used to make him try for this same process. Instead, to his shock, they were sweet. As he looked back up at Allik, the beast man tossed two of the berries over to Anata as well. Then he handed Kizu another berry, that was a yellower shade of the salmonberry.


    ¡°Next are the cloudberries. They¡¯re used for similar purposes and often used interchangeably as substitutes, but it¡¯s still important to be able to identify one from the other. All three of these berries grow in different regions around Northern Tross.¡±


    Anata scratched at her teeth, trying to dislodge a seed stuck between her fanged canine tooth and her normal teeth. She yelped as her hand slipped across the sharpened tooth. It left a gash along her finger.


    Kizu rushed to her side before Allik could. The last thing he wanted was someone else exposed to her blood. Using his uniform sleeve, he applied pressure on the wound. Still, some of the blood seeped through the cloth and he felt a jolt of exhilaration from the contact.


    Allik launched into an explanation on the different uses between blueberries, crowberries, twisted stalk berries, lingonberries, and serviceberries. For each he offered Kizu and Anata another berry to taste. Time after time, Kizu was consistently surprised by the richness of the tastes. The effect of Anata¡¯s blood appeared to have a slight lingering effect on him, enhancing his senses. He speculated it was a result of abstaining for a couple of days ahead of time.


    Each plant could be used for something entirely unique. Kizu listened intently as Allik explained how to boil the bark of the serviceberry¡¯s plant to create a counter to snowblindness. His mind attempted to connect each plant mentioned to the million possibilities it offered.


    ¡°Do you have instructions for more offensive brews?¡± Kizu asked. He had plenty of utility and poisonous brews mastered but lacked direct attacks.


    Allik considered the question. He reached into a different ring and pulled out a dried out blue flower that wilted under the weight of its petals. ¡°If you properly prepare chiming bells, they can be used to increase lung capacity when paired with the giant toads in the south. I¡¯ve heard magical creatures in the scorpionidae family are actually a far more potent combination and can even create incredibly powerful exhales strong enough to blast people away. Essentially the air elemental equivalent of breathing fire. But we are a long way away from anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just trade for those sorts of materials?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Trade with whom? The other tribes don¡¯t travel further south than the mountains. There isn¡¯t a permanent settlement on this side of the range and traders aren¡¯t keen to start wandering the tundra selling niche magical creature parts.¡±


    ¡°You could use the World Dungeon to travel to the city. Like how we got here.¡±


    ¡°Blasphemy,¡± the man snarled, his face darkening. The tone immediately shifted as the man growled, his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kizu said quickly. ¡°Is that bad? What do you mean?¡±


    Allik closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Of course you don¡¯t know. You¡¯re not familiar with the customs here.¡± When he opened his eyes, he appeared himself again. ¡°What you call the World Dungeon, we believe to be the entrance into the Underworld. The place souls go to rest. Though, I suppose I should warn you, in case you encounter another Kemon, it is a bit of a contentious belief amongst the different tribes. Others believe the aurora to be the bridge to the afterlife.¡±


    Kizu nodded understanding and not wanting to open his mouth to risk souring the man¡¯s mood again.


    ¡°And besides,¡± Allik continued. ¡°Face the wrath of the Tross, Hon, Edgeland travel pact? No. Only a fool would risk that. Even if we chose to commit the grievous sin and also discovered how to work the transportation rooms, it would only spell more trouble for the tribes. It would require extensive treaties and new agreements with the world¡¯s acting powers.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re trapped here?¡± Kizu said in disbelief. ¡°Completely isolated?¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes. But there are always choices. In the modern day, we could always travel through the mountain passes to one of the cities in the south. And some Kemon do choose that sort of life. But we wouldn¡¯t be able to live the lifestyle we want in the mainland of Tross. We¡¯re lucky that the Tross government doesn¡¯t require a tax from us. I think they believe it to cost more than they¡¯d make back.¡±


    That was incredibly interesting. It actually reminded him a bit of the witch covens of the Hon Basin.


    ¡°Back on the subject of more combative potions. I suppose you must already know plenty of poisons. How about this?¡± He pulled out a brown stubby plant. ¡°This is called glasswort. Sometimes referred to as pickleweed. While it tastes excellent when properly pickled, as the name implies, when paired with yeti fur it can create a chain reaction of ice growth. Smash it on a target and it will freeze in place.¡±


    Kizu took the plant and examined it. It had been dried out, like most of the other plants Allik had shown him, but Allik knew his craft and managed to maximize the plant¡¯s potency while preserving it. A lesser brewer would have ruined the plant¡¯s potential.


    To his surprise, Allik offered him yeti fur as well, interested in seeing what he came up with on his attempt.


    Despite Allik¡¯s instructions, the first attempt was a bust. The cauldron froze over before Kizu could seal the potion within the vials. However, his second try proved a lot more fruitful. He managed to get three potions before it froze over again.


    ¡°You need to prepare it in smaller increments,¡± Allik explained. He took one of the vials from Kizu and help it up, examining it. ¡°But it looks usable. Not completely optimal, but definitely a valid potion. Well done. I can¡¯t remember the last time I saw someone get the formula correct on only the second attempt.¡±


    Anata tugged on his sleeve. She placed a finger on her lips. The action, done by anyone else, Kizu would assume the person was asking for silence. But he knew Anata well enough to understand.


    ¡°Allik, is there a place we can go to get food?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll show you the way. There should be lunch prepared soon.¡±


    Allik opened the door and it blasted inward by a wuthering gust of wind. Snow flurried over the drift in front of the doorway and into the cabin. Kizu felt the chill of the outdoors start to sink into his bones.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right,¡± Allik muttered. ¡°The forecast is supposed to be clear. I need to contact the chiefs and shaman. Maybe they set this up as some sort of strange test.¡±


    Kizu looked over at Anata. She looked up at him with her mismatched eyes, pleading.


    ¡°Is there something to eat on the way?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°Anata is pretty hungry. I¡¯ll just swing by and bring back some food for her, if that¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll point it out as we go. Bundle up. It¡¯s cold today.¡±


    Kizu opted to leave Mort with Anata, the monkey not cut out for the cold, miserable weather. He promised both of them to be back in a few minutes with something tasty.


    Taking a deep breath, Kizu shouldered his way forward, out into the freezing tundra.

 Chapter II.XXXI (2.31) - Ulric鈥檚 Rematch

    Chapter LXXXVII (87) - Ulric¡¯s Rematch


    Kizu regretted not drinking one of his warming potions before following Allik outside the cabin. After only a few minutes of trudging against the snow and wind, his feet felt like frozen lumps and his hands barely retained enough mobility to form fists. The silt carried by the wind made his eyes water, which resulted in frozen tear streaks down his cheeks. Even breathing was difficult, each intake a gasp that competed for oxygen against the gales of wind.


    When Allik gestured to a cabin on the left, Kizu broke away from the Kemon man¡¯s path. Before entering, Kizu looked behind himself at the path they¡¯d forged through the snow. Normally, a three-minute walk, it had turned into a ten-minute slog through the snow. His cabin, usually visible at this range, was engulfed by the blizzard. The lanterns that hung outside each cabin door vanished behind the miserable weather.


    Kizu practically fell through the cabin¡¯s entryway as he shouldered the door open. The warmth of the hearth inside welcomed him with the kindest embrace imaginable. Inside, his old cabinmates all ate lunch seated on benches that stretched the entire length of the long cabin. It looked like the cabins had been paired up, his old cabin with one of the girls¡¯ cabins. Boys sat on one side of the table while girls on the other. Harumi practically shot out of his seat upon seeing Kizu.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± the boy asked frantically. ¡°Yesterday you packed up all your things and disappeared. And then you didn¡¯t show up for the astronomy lesson this morning. Some people speculated you¡¯d been sent home. Not me, of course, but some people.¡±


    ¡°I was meeting with the brewer Professor Knoff asked us to deliver a message to. He gave me a few tips about how to use the local flora.¡±


    Harumi¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°No way? You had private lessons with the tribe¡¯s medicine man?¡±


    ¡°I guess so? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the term they use here, but yeah. Anyway, what¡¯s on the menu?¡±


    Harumi showed him a bowl of reddish brown mush. Kizu took a bowl for himself and examined it. As far as he could tell, it contained berries mashed up with animal fat. He spooned a bit into his mouth and was relieved to find it didn¡¯t taste as nearly bad as it looked. In fact, the berries made the dish surprisingly tangy while the fat exacerbated the flavor. And even Mort should be able to digest both of the ingredients without any issue.


    Grabbing an extra bowl, he started back to the cabin¡¯s door.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Harumi chased after him. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Kizu raised one of the bowls. ¡°I have to deliver this back to my cabin.¡±


    ¡°Can I come with you? I mean, Professor Knoff asked me to deliver the message too. Do you think it would be okay? I just want to talk a little with the brewing master.¡±


    Kizu thought about turning down the first-year, but decided against that. If Harumi joined, he might be able to entertain Anata for a bit and give Kizu some more time to study the plants Allik had introduced to him. He still warned Harumi that it might be a while before Allik returned, but the boy appeared unbothered by the fact.


    As they exited the mess hall, Kizu looked over his shoulder and spotted Harvey sitting adjacent to a pretty Tainted girl with a nice smile that emphasized cute dimples. He was showing her part of his tattoo near his wrist and beaming with pride. And she looked enthralled by the conversation. Apparently, Harvey had finally cracked the code for talking to girls. Good for him.


    The trip back to his cabin was only marginally better than his walk over. At the very least, now his back was to the wind. But it felt like his ears were going to fall off. And, even stuffed inside his uniform¡¯s pockets, his hands had lost all feeling.


    As they trudged forward, Kizu caught a glimpse of a humanoid figure slightly off to the side, back to them and staring out into the flurry of snow. Curious about who else might be out in the blizzard, Kizu broke off from the path to catch up with the mysterious figure.


    It only took an extra minute before he spotted quills sticking out from the back of the academy uniform.


    ¡°Evie?¡± Kizu asked.


    The Kemon girl stiffened and turned her head around, brown eyes wide and glistening.


    Before Kizu could get another word out, she dashed off into the night, moving far quicker than Kizu. Regardless, Kizu prepared to jump forward to catch up with her. He had promised to keep an eye on her. This was not a good place to lose her.


    Harumi tried saying something to him but the words were lost in the wind.


    ¡°What?¡± Kizu asked, distracted by Evie¡¯s disappearance into the storm.


    Harumi spoke louder this time, but at that same moment Kizu¡¯s bond with Mort flared. Something was happening. He focused, attempting to block out the blizzard and Harumi. Only able to gain an impression of danger from Mort. Monsters. Kizu froze for less than a fraction of a second, then sent back a simple command. Stay with Anata. Then he felt Mort move, leaping into action.


    Kizu dropped the bowls of food into the snow and scrambled forward through the blizzard as quickly as possible, leaving Evie¡¯s trail behind.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Kizu yelled at Harumi. The surprised first-year stumbled after Kizu.


    When the cabin came into view, Kizu immediately noticed the damage to the structure. The front door stuck out of a snowbank several meters away and the doorway was smashed. Mort wasn¡¯t here. Kizu could tell that much immediately. But he still stepped into the building.


    ¡°Was it like this before?¡± Harumi asked as he looked around the trashed building. The walls had fist holes the size of an adult¡¯s head and almost every piece of furniture had been smashed, leaving wooden debris scattered across the floor.


    Kizu didn¡¯t bother responding to the question. He snatched up his pack. It had been shoved off his bed, but thankfully remained closed and the contents secure. He shed his usual academy uniform.


    ¡°Harumi,¡± Kizu said, shoving the uniform into his hands. ¡°Listen to me. I need you to do something important. You need to deliver a message to Professor Grove and Nanook. They need to track me. Grove is more than capable of finding me if she uses my uniform as a link. Whoever broke in here is on the move. I need to leave and go now. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°N-no? Why do you need to follow them? How are you following them? Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡±


    Instead of answering, Kizu set a hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder and looked him in the eye. ¡°Details don¡¯t matter right now. Do you understand what I need you to do?¡±


    Harumi nodded slowly and gulped, color draining from his face.


    ¡°Then go!¡±


    Kizu reached into his pack and downed one of the warming potions. The sensation relaxed tension from his shoulders like a warm bath, but he shook off the feeling and focused. He considered putting on the necklace to hide his presence, but decided against it. Professor Grove needed him visible to track his location.


    Why would someone break into his cabin for Anata? It didn¡¯t make any sense. A jolt of fear gripped his heart as he thought of the possibility of Ulric coming for him and finding Anata. But he had just seen the students bunking in cabin 3 eating lunch. Ulric should have been there. And, even if not, Kizu surely would have crossed paths with him on the way. He¡¯d only detoured for a minute or two.


    He cursed himself for not putting more pressure on Professor Grove to send Anata home. He had known it wouldn¡¯t be safe for her to join. Unfortunately, having his concerns validated didn¡¯t make him feel any better about the situation. Somehow, he needed to find a way to curb Anata¡¯s constant reckless decisions in the future. Assuming he found her.


    Again he tried to get a clearer image from Mort. But the monkey only returned the sensation of cold. He was clinging to Anata while huddled under her sweater. Other than his vague direction, Kizu couldn¡¯t make out any more details. They were safe for the moment, but Mort still radiated fear.


    Kizu strapped on his snowshoes and left the cabin¡¯s warmth behind.


    He only made it a couple minutes out before he met someone standing in his path. At first, Kizu thought it was Nanook or Allik, based on their stature. But as he raised an arm, hoping to receive help in his search, he saw the uniform denoting the identity of a student. And not Evie this time. This was a goliath of a student who sneered down at him with utter contempt scrawled across his face.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The good news was that Ulric didn¡¯t have Anata, so his fears there were misplaced. But the bad news was that Ulric had seen his raised arm. The brute had followed him out of the mess hall and now stood directly in the path between Kizu and Mort.


    Kizu looked to the side, over to where Evie had disappeared earlier. Maybe he could follow after her and catch up. She probably knew the land far better than anyone else save the Aklaq tribe. If he jumped in that direction, he might be able to lose Ulric and find her. But¡­that plan required a lot of maybes. He didn¡¯t even know why she was out here. He doubted it was connected to the monsters, but how well did he even know the quiet girl? She likely would just abandon him like Basil had.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu,¡± Ulric said, his voice grinding like a whetstone. His tone was filled with loathing, as if disgusted by Kizu¡¯s name. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to have a private¡­conversation with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this Ulric. I need to get past you.¡±


    ¡°No time. I agree.¡± He showed his teeth.


    ¡°Ulric, I don¡¯t know what your problem with me is, but it¡¯s not important. If you want to talk about reinstating your spot in the weekly fights, we can talk later. Move aside. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what my problem is?¡± Ulric barked three humorless laughs. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t going to get out of his path. Kizu could see that much. And every moment he spent here, he felt Mort slipping a bit further away.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he snapped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did I do? Enlighten me. This entire vendetta against me is idiotic! You shatter my leg then you have the gall to still resent me? I¡¯m pretty sure this entire vengeance thing is backwards! Now move out of my way!¡±


    ¡°Emilia!¡± Ulric bellowed.


    Kizu blinked. That had not been the response he expected. Then it finally clicked. Emilia had mentioned Ulric several times. And never in a positive light. Ulric had been there at the party when he first met her. And Emilia had made her interest in Kizu pretty clear, even back then. That was long before the combat contest.


    Far more expected, however, was Ulric pumping himself up with enhancement spells and rushing at Kizu. Anticipating that the older student would result to violence eventually, Kizu had vigilantly watched him with enhanced spellsense throughout their brief conversation. The moment he saw the enhancements activate, Kizu jumped behind Ulric.


    Normally, Kizu always aimed for a few centimeters above the ground to give himself a margin of error to work around. This time, his perception completely warped by the blizzard around him, he found himself knee deep in the snow. Instead of using his jumps as an escape, as he had initially planned, they instead functioned as a trap. Sealing him in the snow.


    Ulric, thankfully, took a moment to realize what had happened. It gave Kizu the precious few moments to jump again, this time on top of the snow just half a meter up. Unfortunately, not everything came with him. Unused to the bulky snow shoes, one of them remained buried beneath him. He reoriented himself on the snow. Missing a snowshoe, he took a knee to remain balanced.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to break up with her!¡± Kizu said, hoping to placate Ulric. ¡°As soon as I get back from this trip.¡±


    Ulric snorted and spat. The glob of spit caught in the wind and flung itself out into the tundra.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight.¡± Kizu tried one last time to make peace with Ulric. He could still feel Mort moving away with every passing moment. But he couldn¡¯t leave like this. He needed to dig out his snowshoe or he stood no chance at tracking Anata down.


    This time when Ulric charged, Kizu attempted a new strategy. He created an illusion overlaying himself with a whited out image, camouflaging his location in the snow while simultaneously creating a second illusion, this one of himself, over to the side, reacting like he had just jumped to the spot.


    He started frantically digging with his hands into the snow, searching for the lost shoe. With the wind billowing, he never heard Ulric¡¯s attack.


    Ulric chopped down on Kizu¡¯s bad leg. The split second he felt the metal of his leg brace bend inward, Kizu acted on instinct and jumped.


    This time, he aimed too high and the remaining snowshoe strained, the binding snapping slightly as he fell onto the snow. His leg brace, while having protected the bone from Ulric¡¯s strike, now jutted into his calf, the metal piercing through the skin. Blood dribbled down the leg and stained the snow.


    ¡°I can see you, dumbass.¡±


    It took Kizu only a glance at his illusion to understand. The snow of the blizzard went straight through it. Ulric likely just used his spellsense to find Kizu after noticing that. Kizu cursed himself silently for not putting on the necklace earlier.


    Kizu dismissed his illusion and stood, balancing on his single snowshoe. Ulric cracked his knuckles. He approached, his own pair of snowshoes leaving massive footprints behind him.


    It was time to fight seriously now. Kizu clenched a fist and raised it out in front of him.


    He jumped again. But this time, not in retreat. He jumped into Ulric, his fist appearing inside the older boy¡¯s leg. Just as Roba had warned him about so many months ago, jumping prioritized the mage. Bystanders were fodder to be displaced.


    Kizu, chest deep in snow, felt the warmth of Ulric¡¯s blood soak his hand. The fragments of his calf¡¯s bone scratched against his knuckles. But if the older student was in pain, he showed no sign of it. Ulric bared his teeth again in a nasty smile.


    Kizu ignited his fist in flames.


    That got more of a reaction out of Ulric as the reek of burning flesh filled the air. But not the response Kizu expected. He felt Ulric channel his magic into his leg, enhancing it and expanding the muscles in his calf. Kizu¡¯s hand, now caught in the muscle¡¯s tissue, trapped him in place.


    Ulric punched down at him and Kizu didn¡¯t react in time, catching a glancing blow to his forearm before jumping away.


    This time, his remaining snowshoe broke completely as he fell a full meter before slamming the snow. He wiggled his boot out of the broken bindings of the snowshoe. His arm throbbed where Ulric had made contact, but he ignored that. Without any footing, he was as good as dead.


    Despite his low rankings, Ulric wasn¡¯t an idiot. Having wised up to Kizu¡¯s jumping strategy, he now approached him erratically, making it difficult for Kizu to predict his movements. But he did, however, limp. The leg Kizu had injured was lit up by a burning pant leg illuminating a circle of red muscley sinew that held the leg in form.


    Kizu pressed his hands against the snow as he attempted to pull himself up to his feet. It melted against his warm flesh. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind. If snow was just water in another form, he could manipulate it. Once he knew what he wanted to do, the execution was quick and simple. He melted and molded the snow with elemental magic, then refroze it to the bottom of each of his boots in a thick sheet of ice.


    Standing, blood dripping down his leg and coloring the once pure snow under his feet, Kizu faced down his enemy. His makeshift-snowshoes reminded him of another resource he had on hand. He reached into his pocket and removed the three vials he had brewed earlier in the day.


    Ulric charged at him, Kizu staring him down. Just as Ulric¡¯s fist was a handspan away from his face, he jumped.


    Not to the side. And not even behind him, like Ulric expected. Instead, Kizu jumped five meters over his head and dropped one of the vials. Before rapidly jumping back to the snow nearby. The time between jumps was so miniscule that Kizu had the opportunity to watch with horror as the vial, instead of falling on his opponent, was snatched by the wind and hurled against a nearby empty cabin. Crystalized ice exploded as it smashed into the dilapidated building.


    Kizu then hurled the second vial at Ulric, hoping to salvage the moment of distraction. Not missing a beat, Ulric threw himself to the side with inhuman speed. The second vial flew harmlessly past him and disappeared into the tundra.


    However, the sudden movement still caused Ulric some damage. The hole Kizu had created in his leg reopened slightly, signifying a loss in focus on Ulric¡¯s enhancement spell.


    The final vial in hand, Kizu jumped again at Ulric. While Ulric still managed to chaotically maneuver so Kizu couldn¡¯t predict where exactly to jump to, the older student didn¡¯t have full use of his other leg. Ulric predicted that Kizu would go for the wounded leg a second time, and aimed an enhanced kick with his good leg.


    Kizu enhanced his arm and met the kick with an open palm, the glass vial shattering at the contact.


    Ice exploded out, fully engulfing Kizu arm and solidifying him up to his shoulder. Likewise, it spread across Ulric¡¯s leg. But, unlike Kizu, he had no escape.


    Kizu jumped one last time. Shards of glass from the broken vial still jutted out of his palm¡¯s skin. With Ulric finally stationary, he could have easily sent a fist into his skull, but instead he opted for a nonlethal option. His bloody fist appeared inside Ulric¡¯s frozen leg, shattering his kneecap. As an added present, Kizu left behind the glass shards in the broken knee as he removed his hand. No matter how much muscle enhancement Ulric used, he wouldn¡¯t be walking off the near complete removal of his knee.


    Not that Ulric didn¡¯t try. As Kizu stepped away, he watched as Ulric snarled like a beast and expanded his muscles again, sending cracks through the ice. It shattered and Kizu prepared himself for the worst.


    But Ulric collapsed face-first into the snow. He reached towards Kizu, pathetically trying to worm his way forward. He didn¡¯t even glance over at the chunk of his kneecap lying in the snow a couple meters away.


    Kizu stared down at him. Surprisingly, Kizu felt more guilt and pity about killing the goblin than maiming his classmate. Instead, he looked at the pathetic giant student and felt hollow. Almost¡­satisfied. He¡¯d given Ulric a dozen outs. And still, the older student had relentlessly pushed for this unnecessary fight. If he was smart, he would crawl over to the nearby empty cabin until the storm subsided. His life wasn¡¯t in any real danger.


    He considered taking Ulric¡¯s snowshoes, but decided against it. Moving within Ulric¡¯s reach still would be a stupid decision. Besides, his ice snowshoes seemed to be working well enough.


    ¡°Hope your leg heals better than mine did,¡± Kizu told him as he turned and started to walk away. One less obstacle between himself and Anata.


    Ulric raged, shouting incoherently into the wind. The only thing Kizu understood from the ravings was the name ¡®Emilia.¡¯


    Kizu was starting to think dating girls might be more trouble than it was worth.

 Chapter II.XXXII (2.32) - Yetis, Zombies, and Foxes

    Chapter LXXXVIII (88) - Yetis, Zombies, and Foxes


    Kizu regretted not taking Ulric¡¯s snowshoes.


    For the fourth time, Kizu crouched, exposed to the elements, as he recreated another snowshoe from ice. It was becoming obvious that figuring out a safe way to take Ulric¡¯s would have saved him a lot more time in the long run.


    During his second stop, he had also managed to bend a chunk of his leg brace back from where Ulric had struck him. It was painful. The blood had half-scabbed over and half-frozen so it peeled off a bit of the surrounding skin as he yanked the metal out of the wound, but it soon caked over again. Thankfully, it was nothing more serious than a nasty gash, easily wrapped up and ignored.


    The good news was that wherever Mort and Anata were being taken, they¡¯d likely finally arrived as he felt them stop moving. Mort still hid under Anata¡¯s sweater, so the only bits of intel Kizu managed to gather from their bond was that they were alive and their general direction. Which was vital since Kizu had absolutely no idea where he was going beyond that.


    He wished he had the foresight to make one of those potions to protect against snow blindness, as his vision currently only reached a couple meters in front of him at the best of times. He had no idea what direction he was walking beyond the fact that each step brought him ever so slightly closer to Mort. Without that lifeline, it would feel like he made no progress as he stumbled forward into the seemingly endless white void in front of him.


    With the sun never rising or falling this time of year, the only gauge of time Kizu had at his disposal was his warming potion¡¯s effects slowly dwindling. Before it finally could wink out entirely, Kizu downed a follow-up. He suspected it was almost midnight which meant he¡¯d been walking for over nine hours. Without any food in his pack, he munched on handfuls of snow and ice. While it didn¡¯t satisfy his stomach, it at least kept his mind off the monotony.


    No other creatures, magical or otherwise, crossed his path as he trudged forward. Likely because no one else was stupid enough to leave their home in this blizzard. Holing up in a cozy den would be the rational decision. But that begged the question- who would risk the weather to capture Anata?


    All of a sudden, Kizu stumbled forward, out of the storm. As he crossed through an invisible barrier, the blizzard stopped entirely. Looking back, he examined a wall of snow-whipped wind. It was like standing in the eye of a hurricane. Except when he looked up, he could see the storm curving in an arch overhead. It was a pocket of peace. In front of him, a small, triangular mountain stood at the center of the calm pocket. As Kizu approached it, he spotted tracks marring the otherwise flawless sheet of snow.


    While one set of footprints definitely looked like Anata¡¯s boots, there were two other massive pairs. Each print was at least twice the size of his entire head. But, other than the abnormal size, they looked like the prints of bare human feet.


    They led into a cavern on the side of the mountain. Not wanting to take any chances, Kizu cast an illusion of darkness over himself. While his illusions might be a bit off-color if a creature with night vision looked at him, he figured it was far better to cover himself with something than enter completely exposed.


    The cavern¡¯s interior was covered in filth. Dried straw was scattered along the ground, Kizu assumed it was meant to help insulate and keep the area warm, but resulted in a pungent reek from the scattered soiled patches. He avoided those, consciously deciding not to look too closely.


    Kizu crept around a corner and momentarily forgot how to breathe. Three massive creatures, easily over twice his height and covered in coarse, white hair, loitered in front of what appeared to be an ancient stone door carved into the side of the cave wall. Their hair looked extremely familiar to Kizu. It looked to be the same coloring and relative length as the hair he¡¯d used brewing the freezing potions earlier in the day. Yeti hair. A quick glance at their feet showed them to be the ones who escorted Anata here.


    Mort wasn¡¯t present, but also not too far away either. Kizu could feel his bond directing him lower. More likely than not, through the door guarded by yetis.


    Kizu didn¡¯t believe this was a fight he should take. He¡¯d already used up blood fighting Ulric and he didn¡¯t know what exactly held Anata. If there had only been one yeti guard, he might simply use the jumping trick he¡¯d relied on while fighting Ulric, but three was another story altogether. Once he lost the element of surprise, the fight would become significantly trickier.


    Instead, he opted for stealth. Using illusion spells cost him very minimal amounts of blood, so he maintained his spell that blended him into darkness, altering it only slightly to better camouflage with the stone cavern. He slowly sidled towards the door with his back to the wall.


    If the yetis were aware of his presence, they showed no sign of it. They grumbled back and forth to one another, in the middle of a conversation. Kizu was caught off guard as he started to understand some of the things spoken by them.


    ¡°-Winter seal too chewy. Don¡¯t know why she wants that,¡± one of them said, its voice slow and with a thick drawl.


    Kizu realized that his earring must be translating their words for him. Despite the dire situation, he found himself fascinated. As far as he knew, there were no records of mankind making any sort of significant contact with the monsters. He found himself wishing Ione was there to give him more information on yetis.


    ¡°Bird is better,¡± another one agreed. ¡°Bones crunch. Less oily.¡±


    ¡°I like the oil,¡± the third one grumbled. ¡°Slips down throat.¡±


    ¡°Seals eat fish. You eat fish and seals. Birds better.¡±


    The first one nodded his head, as if something sage had just been stated.


    ¡°Fox wants seal.¡±


    ¡°Always wants seal. Never eats seal,¡± the third one complained.


    ¡°Today, fox eats seal,¡± the first one promised.


    Despite the translation, the conversation devolved into something barely coherent. Kizu turned his attention to the door. It was human sized, so the yetis would have difficulty chasing him through it, at the very least. Assuming he could open it. Then he stopped and stared up at the symbols marked over it. It took him a fair bit of time before he finally realized why they looked familiar. It was Primordial. The same writing used in the World Dungeon Atlas. And, once that clicked into place, he realized that he recognized the exact word as the same as on his atlas¡¯ cover.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Of course Anata got dragged back down into the World Dungeon.


    Once the door was within an arm¡¯s reach, he cast out a second illusion, creating a bright glint back towards the cavern¡¯s entrance. The yetis immediately took notice and two of them trotted away to go take a look. And the third one, busy staring after them, remained oblivious as Kizu pressed his shoulder against the stone door. With all his weight against it, he managed to open it just barely more than a handspan. He slipped through and winced as the door¡¯s slam echoed.


    Not wanting to wait for them to check out the noise, Kizu dropped his illusions and dashed away as fast as his wounded leg would let him.


    This area of the World Dungeon appeared completely different from the volcanic tubes that stretched beneath the academy. Instead, a layer of ice coated everything in sight and it shimmered with cyan gleam. Ancient cobblestone roads stretched out beneath the ice. Despite the icy passages, Kizu still found his footing solid as he ran.


    After several minutes, he stopped to catch his breath. The metal of his leg brace might not be piercing through his skin anymore, but that didn¡¯t stop the wound from reopening. On top of the fact the leg ached. But that was typical at this point. Especially considering the strain he¡¯d put on it while stumbling through the tundra. Honestly, he was impressed it was holding up so well. Professor Kateshi must have put some stronger enchantments on the leg brace back when he¡¯d gotten it tuned up for the cold. The wires remained flexible while still supporting his weight.


    Opening his pack, he rummaged through his things. He took a few minutes, studying the atlas. He knew where the academy was on it, but the tome had a couple thousand pages. Even if he was fluent in Primordial, finding his location in just a couple minutes would be near impossible. Still, if he wanted to get out of here after picking up Anata and Mort, knowing where to go to get out would be vital. He scanned the pages that indicated the more northern reaches of the dungeon, but nothing stuck out to him.


    Of course, he also still had the bell he¡¯d stolen from the spawn. Hypothetically, he could use it to command and reshape the dungeon at his whim. But the last time he had used it, not only had it been an incredibly painful experience, it also destroyed his enchanted earring. He wanted to avoid that if possible. It was a resource, but one he wanted to keep in reserve as a last resort.


    The last quandary was what to do with his necklace. Monsters in the dungeon had an acute spellsense and any nearby likely already knew he was here just by the fact he held enchanted items. The necklace, when worn, would be able to stop them from sensing anything magical in a small radius around him. After a moment of indecision, he slid the metal chain around his neck. Professor Grove would pick up his trail again once he removed it. Assuming she didn¡¯t think him dead.


    Feeling more secure now, Kizu moved in the direction of Mort. Unable to rely on his atlas, he moved slowly to avoid any traps. Unfortunately, not slowly enough apparently.


    His stomach sank as he felt the stones beneath the ice under his feet give way ever so slightly. There was a click behind him. He dived forward, fearing a pit trap or darts. Instead, there was a much louder thump behind him as a massive block of ice fell onto the space he had stood milliseconds earlier.


    Kizu sighed, relieved. That outcome could have gone worse.


    Inside the massive ice cube, Kizu made out the frozen figures of people. Despite their gelid appearance, they also looked half decayed, with their bodies shriveled and deformed. They appeared to have been frozen while in great pain, their mouths agape in silent screams.


    Kizu took a step backward. The giant cube moved a bit forward. To his horror, Kizu realized that he currently stood on a slight slant. One that gradually increased, becoming more prominent as the corridor continued. While the cube started moving very slowly towards him, every second it accelerated. And Kizu saw no clear forks or turns in the path to break the building momentum.


    Kizu pressed his back against the cube and dug his heels into the dungeon floor. Once this cube gained speed, Kizu would end up squashed at the bottom of the corridor. Despite him doing his best to act as a wedge, the friction he created only slowed the massive ice cube¡¯s advance, it didn¡¯t stop it. He turned back to face it and tried to create more ice using an elemental spell to freeze it in place, but it was as if the block of ice absorbed his spell.


    Seeing as ice didn¡¯t appear to work, Kizu went with the other end of the spectrum. He lit his hands ablaze and pressed them against the cube¡¯s surface. Steam hissed and in less than a minute he found himself elbow deep in the ice cube. Unless he lit his entire body on fire, he would only melt fist sized holes.


    The smell of burning leather filled the air as friction heated his boots. He was now moving faster than he could feasibly run. Kizu moved to withdraw his arms and try melting handholds to climb over the cube.


    One of the corpses¡¯ hands inside the ice cube, thawed from his melting, grabbed a hold of his wrist, ignoring the flames. It dug its fingers into his skin, holding him tight. Kizu looked at the corpse with horror and then noticed its eyes move ever so slightly as it tracked him.


    A zombie. All the corpses frozen inside the cube were undead. Because what giant ice cube wouldn¡¯t be complete without half a dozen frozen zombies?


    Glancing over his shoulder, Kizu saw the wall at the end of the corridor that the cube was obviously designed to smash him into. Again, he tried to yank his hand free, this time enhancing the tug with magic. But the zombie held steadfast.


    If he had time, he could burn the zombie¡¯s hand to ash and force his way free, but they sped toward the wall at a terrifying speed. He had seconds.


    Taking a risk, Kizu jumped to the other side of the cube.


    The moment he committed to the spell, he felt the pull of a beacon, confirming his fears. Kizu tried to fight it, using the techniques Roba had taught him. But disoriented and unfamiliar with where the beacon attempted to drag him off to, it knocked him off track. Grasping at anything to avoid the beacon, he seized a hold of his bond with Mort and used it as an anchor to circumnavigate the pull. Something he had never known was possible before.


    Kizu smashed into a chamber nearby, toppling over a couch. Creatures all around him yipped their surprise as he face-planted on the carpet next to a warm fireplace.


    Groaning, Kizu sat up, the zombie¡¯s hand still dangling on his wrist like an accessory. Hundreds of foxes were scattered across the room, each of them now with arched backs and baring their teeth.


    Anata stared at him from across the room with her mouth agape in shock. Two juvenile foxes flanked either side of her. A red fox with a white scarf to one side of her, a white arctic fox with a red scarf on the other. Behind Anata, stood the most beautiful woman Kizu had ever seen.


    Her gorgeous hair, the reddish shade of the foxes, tumbled down her shoulders and overlapped a deep scarlet kimono. Instead of the misshapen skull structure of the other Kemon Kizu had met, this woman looked completely human, save for a pair of fox-like ears on top of her head and a large tail that flicked back and forth. Her red lips pursed in anger, she pointed at Kizu.


    Kizu prepared himself. Now with a slightly better understanding of where the beacon was located he could better bypass it, but it was still a big risk. He still didn¡¯t have a one hundred percent success rate against the academy¡¯s beacon, let alone one he knew so little about. But he only needed a single successful jump to secure Anata, then he could use the bell as an escape. It was risky, but the best option he saw in front of him at the moment.


    ¡°Kill,¡± the fox woman ordered.


    All hundred canines in the room leaped into action at once. Kizu ducked and closed his eyes, visualizing where he needed to go.


    ¡°STOP!¡± Anata cried out, her voice ringing with terror.


    And everyone stopped.

 Chapter II.XXXIII (2.33)- Kitsune

    Chapter LXXXIX (89)- Kitsune


    In his entire time knowing Anata, Kizu had only ever heard her speak a few words and also only while disconnected from her physical body. He had assumed that she might actually be mute. Perhaps unable to form words due to her father¡¯s monstrous heritage. And the few words she had communicated while in an astral state had never been more than a whisper.


    Hearing Anata shout, Kizu didn¡¯t do a double-take, he did a quadruple-take, not believing at first the word had been truly spoken by her. But the foxes also appeared equally surprised. Several of them still rammed into him, mid-jump, but they at least closed their mouths and didn¡¯t sink their teeth into his skin. They lay on the ground, dazed and confused by the command.


    ¡°Why?¡± the fox-woman said, her slitted eyes narrowing. ¡°What is he to you?¡±


    Whatever compelled Anata to speech a moment earlier left her now. She blinked up at the woman, wide-eyed.


    ¡°Her uncle,¡± Kizu growled back as an answer.


    That gave the woman pause. ¡°Oh. From her mother¡¯s side. Very well. I suppose you¡¯re family as well then. Distant, but still related. Sit down.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m taking Anata back.¡±


    ¡°Anata? Is that her name?¡± She looked over at Anata who nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying for nearly an hour to get that from her. Honestly, knowing Otochi¡¯s reputation, I assumed he would choose something a bit more sinister for my cousin. Anata is almost¡­cute.¡±


    Her cousin. And, judging by her adult age, extremely unlikely to be Finn¡¯s daughter. Kizu tensed. That implied an extremely close relation with likely the most powerful creature he had ever encountered.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming back with me,¡± Kizu repeated.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Of course. Why would I keep her here? I just wanted to chat with her.¡±


    ¡°You sent yetis across the tundra to kidnap her from me. Just to chat,¡± Kizu said flatly.


    ¡°Not quite,¡± she said. ¡°They brought her as a surprise. If I had known, perhaps I might have considered going to visit myself. But with that wisp floating around, this is likely the better outcome of events.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®as a surprise?¡¯¡±


    She looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°Have you not noticed how magical creatures are lured by her?¡± There was a pause. Then she barked a humorless laugh. ¡°You really haven¡¯t? Magical creatures are drawn to her just as mortal humanoids are to her father. How dense of a caretaker does she have? Surely, Otochi didn¡¯t truly pick you to watch over her? I was led to believe my uncle has more wits than that.¡±


    ¡°What are you?¡± Kizu asked. If she was a normal Kemon, he doubted there would be much of an issue entering into their camp.


    ¡°A Kitsune,¡± she said, as if everyone should know what that was. ¡°Technically, only half. Just like your niece here. Now sit down, your looming is stressing out my pack.¡±


    A couple of the foxes slinked off the nearby sofa, making room for him there. They still eyed him with narrowed eyes. Their suspicion of him appeared to equal that of his for them. Slowly, he sat down. He estimated he¡¯d almost used about half his available blood reserves. If he reached Anata, that could be refreshed in an instant. But it would be ideal to get through this without killing Anata¡¯s relatives in front of her.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s unfortunate you didn¡¯t arrive last week. It could have been a real family reunion. Alas, perhaps it''s better to get more acquainted in smaller groups. Can I get your name?¡±


    ¡°Kizu.¡±


    ¡°Very nice name. You may call me Kumiho. Now, Kizu, before you rudely interrupted, I was introducing Anata here to my children.¡±


    Kumiho gestured to either side of her. The foxes shifted, sitting up straight.


    ¡°My name is Mae,¡± the red fox said in a childish voice. ¡°Daughter of Kumiho, granddaughter of Zanko and heir of the Kitsune.¡±


    There was a pause. The white arctic fox gnashed its teeth.


    ¡°Kon,¡± he finally said. His voice, while equally childish, was gravellier and sounded sullen. He gave no further introduction. Shaking his head, he continued to bite at the air. Kizu was familiar with the look from his years in the wilderness. It was one of a wild animal struggling with the idea of someone encroaching on his territory while being powerless to prevent it.


    ¡°I think this is a lovely surprise,¡± Kumiho said. ¡°I never thought my estranged family would have a child around one of my own¡¯s age. I believed most were a generation older, or a generation later.¡±


    Kizu just nodded. He wanted to hear more about the details involving his sister and Anata¡¯s father, but also wanted to be careful not to reveal anything to this creature about Anata. She was playing nice for the moment, but only a minute earlier she had demanded his death. If she could flip so easily once, a second time hardly seemed unlikely.


    ¡°You¡¯re barely more of a talker than your niece,¡± Kumiho commented.


    Another humanoid with a similar structure as Kumiho entered the room, holding a silver platter with teacups. The Kitsune woman¡¯s arm shook slightly as she passed around the teacups to him, Kumiho, her children, and Anata.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the lack of windows in the room, Kizu might be able to believe he was visiting one of his parents¡¯ friends, not surrounded by monsters in the upper floors of the most northern regions of the World Dungeon.


    ¡°It¡¯s sad isn¡¯t it?¡± Kumiho said after dismissing the server.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything particularly sad.¡±


    The two Kitsune children gave him glares at the comment, but Kumiho ignored him.


    ¡°In mythos, Kitsune could take the form of the most beautiful humanoids on the surface and live amongst them without anyone noticing. Now, the strongest pure Kitsune can barely hold shape for a few minutes before reverting.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be doing fine.¡±


    She waved, seeming to accept the comment as a compliment. After a sip of tea, she looked him in the eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m a half-breed. And my children are three-fourths. We are anomalies. Not unlike your niece.¡±


    ¡°Your parent was human? Who?¡± Kizu asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from Anata.


    ¡°Yes. My father. You wouldn¡¯t know him, he was a nobody delver who went into the dungeon looking for riches and glory. I only knew him for a decade before he passed. Humans die so quickly. But I treasure those precious memories of him. He taught me how to be who I am. Humanity is a difficult concept for those down here to understand. Even more for Harbingers trapped between worlds.¡±


    ¡°Harbingers?¡±


    She set down her teacup and leaned forward, scrutinizing him with a frown.


    In front of her, Anata tried to take a gulp of her tea. Sputtering, she coughed and spilled her tea all down her sweater. Which made Mort, under the sweater, yelp and scurry out onto Anata¡¯s head. The damp sections of the shirt steamed.


    ¡°Smaller sips, Anata,¡± Kumiho instructed sweetly. She leaned forward to dab at the spill with a handkerchief. ¡°You¡¯ll burn your mouth. And who¡¯s your friend here? Hm. Is this how your uncle found you down here? Curious.¡±


    Mort tensed as the Kitsune woman met his eyes and bared her teeth. Kizu felt him battle with his fight or flight instincts to keep his ground on Anata.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic,¡± Kizu said, frustrated with himself for engaging in conversation with the Kitsune. ¡°I¡¯m taking Anata back with me.¡±


    ¡°Anata,¡± Kumiho said, her attention snapping away from his familiar. ¡°Do you want to return with this young man to the surface?¡±


    Anata looked over at Kizu, then back to Kumiho. She nodded her head vigorously.


    ¡°Very well.¡± Kumiho stood and sighed. ¡°You want to return to that frigid wasteland above. I can¡¯t say I understand, but if that¡¯s your wish.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here if you hate it so much?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have another choice,¡± the Kitsune snapped, momentarily losing her composure. ¡°Do you think I want to be buried under an ocean¡¯s worth of ice, freezing half to death?¡±


    The other foxes in the room growled. For the first time, Kizu noticed their red eyes. Not that different from those of bloodspawn.


    She let out a breath, tension releasing from her. ¡°Before you depart, please let me at least extend my hospitality. Prior to your arrival, Mae planned to show Anata around our humble home. Please don¡¯t rob my daughter of that opportunity. She has precious few peers.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The red fox beside Anata perked up. She obviously hadn¡¯t expected to still have her request fulfilled.


    Kizu met the gorgeous woman¡¯s eyes. Her pupils were slitted like that of a fox. In every tale he¡¯d ever been told of foxes, they were tricksters. Even their elegant appearance was notoriously deceptive. They were creatures more likely to drag someone down alongside them out of spite, rather than gracefully exit. He suspected those stories had roots amongst the Kitsune. The crone taught him all tales contained a kernel of truth. But she also taught him that humans foolishly villainized things they didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°No,¡± he said flatly. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    ¡°Is every word out of your mouth designed to antagonize me?¡± she asked cooly.


    ¡°Please!¡± the young red fox blurted out, interrupting her mother. She stepped forward and swished her bushy red tail back and forth. ¡°I really, really want this! I just met my cousin, don¡¯t take her away already!¡±


    Kizu was about to coldly dismiss the fox when he caught a glimpse of Anata¡¯s pleading expression. This was likely the first person her age who had ever spoken to her in her entire life. Like Kumiho said about Mae, Anata also had no friends. Not unlike himself at her age. Perhaps even worse off. He hadn¡¯t done a good job of introducing her to other children. Another failure on his part.


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to tear her away from her first friend. However he and Mort tagged along as well and Kizu remained wary with his spellsense enhanced and ready to detect anything unsavory. Now that he understood his bearings better, he could likely jump them to safety at a moment¡¯s notice. And he also still kept the enchanted bell in arm¡¯s reach, just in case.


    Thankfully, Kumiho and her retinue of foxes opted to remain in the main room as Mae led them off down corridors. That allowed him to relax a little.


    Mae spoke an endless stream of words to Anata. She told her all about her life down in the dungeon. If Anata¡¯s lack of verbal engagement bothered her, she didn¡¯t show it. Her brother, Kon, slinked after them as well, though he appeared far less happy about their company. Despite their animal faces, both Mae and Kon wore their emotions on their sleeves, their faces incredibly expressive. Though on opposite ends of the spectrum.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you had a familiar with you!¡± Mae said, looking at Mort, who was perched on Anata¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize people actually used familiars. Mother made it sound like humanity learned their lesson from that.¡±


    ¡°What lesson?¡± Kizu asked, curious.


    Mae looked back at him and tilted her head. ¡°The people in the overland here are all messed up, right?¡±


    Kizu thought about that. ¡°You mean the Kemon? Familiars did that to them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Mother says. Familiars are bad news.¡± She flicked her tail back and forth. ¡°But one that¡¯s already bonded to someone isn¡¯t dangerous. Otherwise, Mother wouldn¡¯t let it near us.¡±


    That didn¡¯t make much sense to Kizu. Mort had been a normal monkey before their bond. They¡¯d both changed each other, but not until after the crone had set up their bonding ritual. It took a lot of effort and wasn¡¯t something that could just occur by accident. But he kept that to himself, not wanting to explain the process to the girl.


    ¡°Do you always get to walk around looking like a human?¡± Mae asked Anata. ¡°I¡¯m jealous. I can only manage it for fifteen minutes. Mother says it will get easier after we spend more time on the surface around humans, but I wish I didn¡¯t have to wait so long.¡±


    ¡°You can transform?¡± Kizu asked.


    As a response, Mae stopped and shut her eyes tight. After a second, mist plumed off her fur like a small cloud. When it faded, a girl stood in front of him who looked a lot like a miniature version of Kumiho with freckles. Her red hair fell down her back all the way to her poofy tail that stuck out from under a snow-white kimono embroidered with pink cherry blossom flowers. She still wore the white scarf she had around her neck as a fox. Kizu scrutinized it further with his spellsense and noticed an enchantment laced into it, easily overlooked with a cursory glance. She grinned at him, showing off dimples. Like her mother, her pupils remained slitted like that of a fox.


    Anata was starstruck by the transformation. She looked Mae up and down, shocked. She looked over at Kizu, and he got the impression that she wanted to ask if she could also transform into a different creature.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes might not seem like a lot in comparison to Mother, but Konkon can only hold his shape for less than a minute,¡± Mae bragged.


    In his peripheral vision, Kizu saw the arctic fox roll his eyes. A bizarre and slightly off-putting action to see on an animal. While Kon remained hostile towards Kizu, he seemed to not mind Anata as he tailed directly behind her and Mae. Kizu wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that, but decided to quiet down and let the situation play out.


    While in a humanoid form, Mae enthusiastically stumbled around as she pointed at different objects in the corridors and offshoot rooms. One aspect of her mother she appeared not to have inherited was the Kitsune woman¡¯s effortless grace. Though maybe that would come along with age.


    Kizu silently listened as Mae told the history of the Kitsune to Anata. Or, at least, the history as she knew it, Kizu thought to himself, remembering the headmaster¡¯s lesson. According to Mae, thousands of years ago, Kitsune acted as the messengers between humanity and the denizens of the World Dungeon. They were seen as the peacekeepers of this region of the world and loved by all. But when their sibling monsters acted out, the Kitsune got locked away in the dungeon with them. The greatest injustice in history.


    It all sounded a bit too fanciful to Kizu, but he kept his opinion to himself. Anata was enraptured by the tale.


    ¡°Your father tried to make an army, right? To fight against the oppressors?¡± Mae asked. ¡°Did he ever tell you about it?¡±


    Anata shook her head.


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Mae said with an exasperated sigh. She pointed at a grisly painting of a battlefield filled with more shades of red than understandable images. ¡°That¡¯s as much of the war as I know. My mother won¡¯t say a word about it.¡±


    ¡°Might not know,¡± Kon said, speaking for the first time. ¡°Not old.¡±


    ¡°Konkon, Mother¡¯s like over forty. That¡¯s ancient!¡±


    That surprised Kizu, though it really shouldn¡¯t have. He had thought she looked mid-twenties at the oldest, and that was reinforced by the idea of her being Anata¡¯s cousin. But he thought like a human. These creatures lived for centuries, if not millennia.


    It chilled him to think Anata might still be around in a thousand years. It sounded lonely. Perhaps it was for the best if she became friends with others like Mae. Assuming Mae lacked an appetite for human flesh. Something yet unproven.


    ¡°And this is my room!¡± Mae said, continuing the tour. She waved her hands at an entrance that barely reached Kizu¡¯s waist.


    With a pop of smoke, Mae transformed back into a fox and scurried into the room with her head held high and her white scarf flapping behind her.


    Anata ducked to enter the room after her.


    Kizu and Kon remained outside, both untrusting of the other. Kizu crouched to look inside the room. He saw hundreds of plushies of different animals and creatures. Each stylized and colored flamboyantly enough to make even Basil jealous.


    Anata stared in slack-jawed awe at the collection while Mae showed-off an orange hydra plushie, gently raising it by one of its scruffs with her teeth.


    Every single plushie in the room apparently had a name and story, as well as a unique relation with the others. Despite his misgivings, Kizu found himself slowly won over by Mae¡¯s sheer earnestness as she explained how Henry the Wyvern was jealous of Ji the Wyrm¡¯s scale colors. It just seemed so¡­childish. In a comforting way.


    If he had brought something like a plushie to the crone, she would likely have repurposed it as a curse designed to inflict pain on whatever creature it might resemble. In fact, as his memories drifted back, he vaguely recalled hearing the crone once say she trapped her last apprentice¡¯s soul in a doll. But that likely was just a story to scare him. But¡­if not, he wondered what had happened to the doll after the crone¡¯s hut had been raided. Aoi would likely be willing to kill for a cursed soul imbued item like that.


    ¡°Her name is Komori,¡± Mae said, noticing Anata had picked up a purple bat. ¡°She¡¯s not very popular with the others because she can¡¯t see and is always bumping into them. If you like her, you can take her with you!¡±


    Anata gaped at her and tried to set the bat plushie back on its perch among the others, but Mae cut in front of her and pushed the bat back up at her with her snout.


    ¡°She¡¯s so lucky to get to travel outside the cave. Please take her with you!¡±


    Kizu noted with some amusement that Anata gave in without too much more pushing on Mae¡¯s part. She must really want a stuffed doll. He resolved to get her more toys when they returned.


    ¡°I wish I could go with you too. You¡¯re so lucky.¡±


    ¡°Better here,¡± Kon grumbled from the entry next to Kizu. ¡°Safe.¡±


    If Mae heard him, she didn¡¯t acknowledge her brother.


    ¡°I wish you could tell me what it¡¯s like up there,¡± she continued wistfully. ¡°Mother says Hon is beautiful and filled with trees that grow pink flowers. I want to see them for myself one day.¡±


    From Kizu¡¯s perspective, cherry blossoms seemed pretty mundane in comparison to the bizarre features of the World Dungeon. But he wasn¡¯t so tactless as to stomp over a child¡¯s dreams.


    ¡°What¡¯s stopping you?¡± he asked.


    Mae buried her head in a bunch of plushies and grumbled incoherently. Then she perked up and whipped around, grinning at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to talk about the seal with people outside the family,¡± she said. ¡°But you¡¯re part of the family! Mother even said so!¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not,¡± Kon snarled.


    ¡°Is too. Anyway, if you have a problem with it, go complain to Mother yourself.¡±


    Kon growled, but didn¡¯t protest further.


    ¡°We have to break the seal to let all the Kitsune out again. Or, well, I don¡¯t personally, but Mother is supposed to. And since the seal¡¯s here, so are we.¡±


    ¡°A seal?¡± Kizu said slowly.


    ¡°Like the ones the slimes broke,¡± Mae offered helpfully.


    ¡°You mean¡­when the slimes escaped the World Dungeon? The event that resulted in a massive genocide that brought the gnome species to the brick of extinction?¡±


    Mae blinked at him. ¡°Maybe? But it¡¯s not like we¡¯re like that. Mother told us Kitsune are the mediators between worlds. If we got free, maybe that wouldn¡¯t happen anymore. We don¡¯t want to kill people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d kill them,¡± Kon offered unhelpfully.


    ¡°You¡¯d kill anything if Mother let you. It¡¯s not like you discriminate.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t kill you.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, when Mother found Anata, she thought she might know where the seal was. I don¡¯t know why. But obviously she doesn¡¯t know.¡± Mae paused then looked over at Anata who was still holding up her new bat plushie. ¡°You don¡¯t know, right?¡±


    Anata looked over and furrowed her brow before shaking her head.


    Kizu wanted to ask more questions about this seal and those Harbingers that Kumiho mentioned earlier. If they had a seal here for the Kitsune and the slimes had another. Did that mean there was another one somewhere for the bloodspawn? But before he could find a delicate way to structure the question, Kumiho walked down the corridor. Her scarlet kimono swished around her legs as she approached with four foxes in her wake.


    ¡°I thought I might find you here. I realized that if you wish to return to the surface, you will need a guide. Your familiar might have been able to direct you here, but won¡¯t be much help on the way out. Sekai likes to play tricks on fools who enter.¡±


    Kizu almost instinctually declined the offer. He didn¡¯t trust the Kitsune. Even more so now that he knew they wished to break some sort of seal. He might not know the details of the situation, but if Ilosin-Don served as an example, he figured those seals existed for a very good reason. Avoiding further genocide seemed like the best course of action.


    But he struggled to find a way to explain that he could find a way out of the World Dungeon on his own. He was loath to mention his atlas, let alone the bell.


    ¡°That would be very kind of you,¡± he ended up saying through gritted teeth. ¡°Will we depart now?¡±


    ¡°Unless you wish to stay longer. Though your manners leave much to be desired, you and Anata are guests here. Family.¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re ready to leave.¡±


    ¡°Very well, follow me.¡±


    She pivoted and started down a side corridor.


    ¡°Anata,¡± Kizu called to his niece. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡±

 Chapter II.XXXIV (2.34) - Aurora

    Chapter XC (90) - Aurora


    Mae protested and pouted about how little time they had together. Anata wasn¡¯t much better, her bottom lip quivering as she looked up at him with big, mismatched eyes. But Kizu held steadfast to his resolve. He crossed Mae off as a threat, but he didn¡¯t feel the same about the other Kitsune. While only Kon remained openly hostile, Kizu still felt extremely unwelcome.


    And Mort, perched on his shoulder, didn¡¯t help the emotion as he sent a steady stream of distrust through the bond. Monkeys might usually be absent in the diet of most foxes, but the canines were notorious for killing for fun. And the hostile looks Kumiho shot Mort¡¯s way only reinforced his discomfort.


    Mae, in her human form, decided to follow them as far as her mother would let her. And, by proxy, Kon slinked along beside her as a fox. He acted like Mae¡¯s bodyguard, untrusting of strangers near his sister. Mae whispered to Anata as they walked and he heard her get a few giggles out of the usually silent girl.


    The other foxes avoided looking in his direction. He suspected that they didn¡¯t like that he had been allowed to trespass on their home without punishment. But he didn¡¯t like letting them get away with kidnapping his niece without punishment. So they were all leaving unhappy.


    Occasionally, Kumiho led them around a gulf or trap in the path, but for the most part they stuck to one main corridor that led up.


    When they exited through the doorway, Kizu let out a breath he¡¯d been holding. He had recovered Anata and Mort and they¡¯d all made it out alive. The yetis still hung out at the entrance and were grunting at one another. If they noticed or cared that Kizu exited the dungeon alongside the others, they showed no sign of it. Instead, they zeroed in on Anata. They almost looked nervous as they shifted their weight and glanced at one another.


    That was as far as the Kitsune retinue could follow. Kept back by an invisible barrier, they patiently sat back on their haunches to wait. Mae, however, pushed herself through the doorway with visible effort. Only having a quarter of human ancestry really seemed to make penetrating the exit a great deal more difficult for her and Kon. But they both persevered.


    Kumiho acknowledged the large, hairy yetis before walking out of the cavern with the rest of them following. While they walked, Kizu discreetly removed his necklace and stuffed it in a pocket. He needed Professor Grove able to detect his presence if he had any hope of finding his way back to camp.


    The first thing Kizu noticed was that the blizzard had completely vanished, leaving the tundra in peace. Not just their little pocket around the ruins, but as far as the eye could see.


    ¡°At least we don¡¯t need to walk back in the snow and wind,¡± Kizu said to Anata.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Kumiho said. ¡°I asked the yetis to release their storm. I don¡¯t want my cousin dying out there.¡±


    In hindsight, it made sense that the yetis created the blizzard. He used their hair earlier in a brew to create a freezing potion, so they obviously had magical properties. But disrupting the weather to that degree¡­that was powerful.


    Kizu looked up at the sky and found himself breathless. In place of stars, a brilliant sprawl of greens and indigos lit up the sky overhead. Like someone painted the skies in long brushstrokes. He watched it as it ebbed and flowed like a river.


    Before he managed to say anything about the marvelous sight, he felt it swell forward, engulfing him in the luminous hues. Everything else around him vanished as the aurora consumed his senses.


    Half-formed figures swelled up from the river of color all around him. Hundreds of creatures half formed before dipping back down below, clutching at him and whispering as they tugged at his soul.


    ¡°A champion?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like much.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s potential there.¡±


    ¡°Missing a piece of soul. Sekai¡¯s work?¡±


    ¡°An opening regardless.¡±


    ¡°Enter it.¡±


    ¡°Can he kill her?¡±


    ¡°Will he kill her?¡±


    ¡°No reason not to attempt.¡±


    ¡°Timeline is sped up.¡±


    ¡°Other options?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. The prince from before?¡±


    ¡°Yes. For the best.¡±


    ¡°That one held a strong spirit.¡±


    ¡°And was very receptive.¡±


    ¡°But first, we act on this one.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. A truly inimitable opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Child, you want power?¡±


    ¡°Advance beyond mortals.¡±


    ¡°Wield strength of a thousand mages.¡±


    ¡°Live a hundred lifetimes.¡±


    ¡°Grandiose titles?¡±


    ¡°Harbinger Slayer.¡±


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    ¡°The Savior of Humanity.¡±


    ¡°Destroyer of Evil.¡±


    ¡°Join us.¡±


    ¡°Kill her.¡±


    ¡°Kill her.¡±


    ¡°Kill her.¡±


    ¡°KILL HER.¡±


    The last demand shook Kizu to the core, implanting itself in his brain. It echoed over and over as he floated as if suspended underwater with the colors of the aurora streaming all around him. He forgot how to breathe. He forgot all other thoughts. Only their demand remained.


    Yes. He would kill. It was singularly important to him.


    ¡°Ignore them,¡± a quiet voice said beside him. He felt something sliver its way under the demanding impression, as if prying up the command from his mind and sliding into its place. ¡°Follow your own path. Our decisions were our own. We left the world better off than we found it. But you¡­decide for yourself. Forge a unique future for your time. Create a new world.¡±


    ¡°Who¡­are you?¡± Kizu managed to choke out.


    The form solidified into that of a young man with shaggy hair and a sad smile. His incorporeal body swirled with the colors of the aurora. He set a hand on Kizu¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­difficult question. Individuality is so foreign now. Knowledge of who we were exists, but me as a single entity? That¡¯s lost.¡±


    The man¡¯s neck folded, as if an origami kite collapsing its form in the wind. He plummeted into the surrounding void.


    Kizu gasped, suddenly back in the snow laying next to Anata. Kumiho and Mae looked down at him with worry written on their faces. His body was cold in a way unrelated to the weather. It reminded him of when Anata used to tear him out of his body when he slept.


    Beside him, Anata remained passed out on the ground. He felt sick looking at her. As if she was toxic and needed to be removed from the world. Unnatural. He raised a shaking hand to touch her pale neck, compelled by the demand branded into him. Then he sucked in a breath of the crisp air and brought his hand back, clenching it in a fist. It was like shaking off a dream as the compulsion faded.


    In its place, he felt nauseous disgust with himself. What had he just been about to do there? That disgust quickly transformed into rage.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Mae asked. She looked giddy with excitement. If she noticed anything odd about his actions, she let nothing on. She sat back on her haunches in her fox form, but her tail flicked back and forth, sweeping the snow and showing a poorly contained restlessness.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Kizu snapped, accidentally redirecting his anger into his words. ¡°Just fainted.¡±


    Kumiho¡¯s eye twitched. Kizu knew the lie was incredibly feeble, but he lacked the emotional energy to care.


    ¡°How long was I out?¡± he asked.


    ¡°A minute,¡± Kumiho answered.


    Kizu pressed his fingers against Anata¡¯s neck again, this time feeling for the rapid thumping of her pulse. Alive. He scooped her up. She hung limp in his arms. Even after over a month in his care eating a healthy diet, she was so light.


    ¡°Do you know where to go now?¡± Kumiho asked.


    Kizu hesitated. He planned to just wait and hope Professor Grove arrived soon. His lack of an active strategy must have shown, because Kumiho continued.


    ¡°I will show you back to your camp, I know the way. But I wish for you to loosen your lips in exchange for the favor.¡±


    ¡°I¡­saw some people in the aurora.¡± He clenched his jaw and ground his teeth while his heart rate picked up at the thought of them. Closing his eyes, he composed himself well enough to continue. ¡°They offered me power. I didn¡¯t accept it.¡±


    ¡°Good. Those deals rarely end well. My mother told me about the last mage foolish enough to accept. What impossible task did they ask of you?¡±


    ¡°Kill the Harbingers.¡±


    ¡°Not a surprise. You¡¯re in an ideal position to do so. In close contact with three of the five.¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± Kizu asked, confused.


    Again, Kumiho narrowed her eyes and looked at him like this was something he should already be aware of.


    ¡°Yes, one of your classmates. I mentioned earlier that he visited last week.¡±


    Kizu wanted to ask who, but Anata stirred in his arms. All his attention immediately went to her. Her mismatching eyes fluttered open and stared up at the aurora above them before shifting over to meet his. She smiled and fidgeted, indicating that she wanted to be set down.


    ¡°Anata!¡± Mae said, running up and circling her a dozen times in excitement. ¡°I was really worried about you! Are you okay? What did you see?¡±


    Kizu half expected her to speak like earlier. Instead, she simply pointed out into the tundra.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the direction of your camp,¡± Kumiho said.


    Anata pointed three more times to emphasize the direction.


    ¡°There¡¯s something out there? What did you see, little cousin?¡±


    Visibly frustrated. Anata closed her eyes and focused. Then, an image split itself into Kizu¡¯s mind, causing him to wince and grip the side of his head. She showed him a massive azure crystal, buried under a mass of ice the size of a city. Judging by everyone else¡¯s reactions, they also received the image. Mae yelped in pain and Kon buried his face in the snow.


    ¡°The seal!¡± Kumiho cried out. Her face broke into a broad smile. As the older Kitsune woman beamed at Anata, Mae¡¯s humanoid resemblance really shone. ¡°You found it! You actually found it! I had hoped you might bring some news of it, but I never thought¨C I mean, you did it!¡±


    ¡°We get to finally go break the seal?¡± Mae asked, swiftly recovering from the mental blow and swishing her tail again in excitement.


    ¡°You do not,¡± Kumiho said sternly. ¡°You are going to join my retinue and return home immediately. Say your goodbyes to Anata and Kizu for now. Unfortunately, they¡¯ll need to decide if they want to wait here for my return or find their way to their camp without me. I am leaving to attend to this immediately.¡±


    Mae pouted and complained, but Kumiho was unrelenting. And Kon backed his mother¡¯s every word. Eventually, Mae returned down into the dungeon with Kon on her heels while she sulked. That left Kizu with just Anata, Mort, and Kumiho standing beside him in the tundra.


    Kizu remained silent. On one hand, breaking a seal of the World Dungeon was altogether a horrible idea. He knew what had happened to the gnomes when their local seal broke. Rationally, he should challenge her now that she stood in front of him alone. She stole Anata, causing him to travel out into a blizzard and down into the World Dungeon. Now she wanted to unleash something from the dungeon out into the world. Kizu viewed the Kitsune woman as unstable and unreliable. A dangerous woman and a threat to civilization.


    But his vision from the aurora planted a seed of doubt in his mind. Those¡­creatures had tried to force him into killing Anata. They tried to make him kill Anna¡¯s daughter. The anger rekindled into a blaze. How dare they? They attempted to dominate his autonomy to commit something utterly despicable. They tried to snuff out the life of someone he loved. Using his hands. Kizu forgave a lot in his life. Ulric breaking his leg. Finn¡¯s horrible behavior. Even the crone¡¯s abuse. But this was not on the list of forgivable sins. He barely contained his boiling rage as he stared up at the aurora¡¯s churning colors. He wanted to counter them. More than that, he wished to tear down the sky.


    Create a new world.


    Kizu didn¡¯t understand what the man had meant by the vague instruction. But that implied there was something else. A new direction. He wasn¡¯t shackled to any past. Tross didn¡¯t need to turn out like Ilosin-Don. Despite his misgivings and initial hostile introduction, the Kitsune appeared to genuinely feel love and wanderlust. Mae simply wanted to see cherry blossoms.


    Who was he to stand in her way?


    ¡°We¡¯ll join you.¡±

 Chapter II.XXXV (2.35) - The Polar Glacier

    Chapter XCI (91) - The Polar Glacier


    ¡°Did you also experience a vision?¡± Kizu asked Kumiho as they trudged across the tundra.


    Anata, rode on his back while he trudged forward on his ice snowshoes. Without the blizzard raging all around him, he found the walk almost eerily calm. Even more so with the multicolored aurora overhead.


    ¡°Never. That was unexpected. Whoever your sister was, her divination skills must have been peerless. Harbingers tend to inherit and amplify their human parent¡¯s strengths. Anata unconsciously took control of part of the aurora and used it to her own means.¡±


    ¡°And your father¡¯s strengths?¡± Kizu asked, curious.


    As a response, Kumiho raised her hand and blue lightning crackled between her fingers.


    ¡°Kitsune used to innately command lightning. But that was lost when we were exiled down into Sekai. I believe my father¡¯s skill in that branch of elemental magic attracted my mother. She spoke very little about her reasoning for choosing to save his life. He was just a lost human delver.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter claimed Kitsune acted as a bridge between humanity. Why wouldn¡¯t she help him?¡±


    ¡°Kitsune aren¡¯t as vengeful as dragons. But they still held a deep grudge. It wasn¡¯t until after my birth that the other races finally wised up and finally understood the prophecy of Harbingers. Now, my aunts and uncles are scrambling to find any humans.¡±


    Kizu thought he was following. ¡°Harbingers are all half-human, half-something else. Anata is half-Blood Lord. You¡¯re half-Kitsune. And there are three others. One of which is¡­a dragon?¡± He hoped that he had misunderstood that last bit. But Kumiho nodded her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you don¡¯t know these things already. Did Otochi not teach you anything when he handed Anata off to you?¡±


    ¡°I took Anata,¡± Kizu said bluntly. For now, he was choosing to trust Kumiho but still decided to only share information she could easily obtain by contacting Otochi. ¡°I found her while tracking down my sister. She was being kept like a caged blood bag. In worse condition than an animal. So I decided to take her with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­see,¡± Kumiho sounded skeptical. ¡°And Otochii never retaliated?¡±


    ¡°How would he?¡±


    ¡°His servants drank Anata¡¯s blood?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then he likely has a stockpile to allow them access to the surface. It wouldn¡¯t work for himself, of course, but his spawn aren¡¯t true children of the dungeon.¡±


    ¡°You think they could be on the surface?¡± Kiza asked, feeling a chill unrelated to the snow.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely.¡±


    ¡°Why does he need Anata? If he could steal humans, couldn¡¯t he just harvest them and use his servants on the surface to destroy any seal? What¡¯s the point of Harbingers?¡±


    ¡°It requires fresh blood from one of us. The Ooze Harbinger was very close-lipped on the subject, but it¡¯s clear that this isn¡¯t a task that any crony can accomplish.¡±


    At the very least, this expedition would show Kizu what to look for in regards to the seal. If it meant spitting in the aurora entities¡¯ faces, he would let Kumiho release the Kitsune. But he had zero intention of allowing the Blood Lord out of its prison. That would lead only to utter disaster. Knowing what to keep Anata away from would be vital in preventing any accidents. The more information he gathered about the seal, the better.


    After a couple hours of walking, fatigue started to set in, sleepiness weighing down his eyelids. He was a bit jealous of Anata snoozing on his back as they walked. He almost asked her for some blood to jolt him awake, but squashed the temptation with Kumiho here. Instead, he resolved to someday ask Ione to teach him how to summon one of those giant lizard mounts she liked to ride.


    He wished Ione was with him now. Even beyond her utility as a summoner, he wished he had a friend with him. Anata was mute and speaking to Kumiho put him on edge. Talking with Ione was comfortable and relaxing. And he was certain she would have been ecstatic to see those yetis earlier.


    Right when Kizu opened his mouth to request a bit of time for a nap, they hit the edge of the tundra. A slight dip signified the beginning of the snow covered beach. From there, it almost looked like the flat land of the tundra continued on, except, instead of ground, it was sheets of ice with fissures of ocean showing through. Further out, the mounds of ice grew out of the sea, creating what looked almost like jagged mountains.


    ¡°We accidently passed it, right?¡± Kizu asked, looking out at the frozen ocean with dread.


    Kumiho continued walking out onto the ice.


    ¡°Watch your step. It¡¯s not far.¡±


    Kizu deeply regretted his decision to follow her here. As he walked out onto the ice field, he kept his eyes only on two places. Where Kumiho set her feet, and where he set his own. Nothing else mattered.


    The worst moments were when he felt the ice shift under his weight and heard it popping. It only happened when leaping over to smaller sheets, but each time caused his heart to plummet.


    Mort felt his anxiety and answered it with his own. Despite Kizu petting him, he couldn¡¯t sooth the monkey¡¯s worries with their emotions directly linked. Mort felt every pang of fear Kizu felt and Kizu felt every fear of Mort¡¯s. It was an endless cycle. At least somehow Anata still soundly slept.


    ¡°Where did you find that circlet?¡± Kumiho asked.


    ¡°Circle?¡± Kizu said, scrambling up the lip of ice. He wobbled slightly as he scanned the ice looking for something circular.


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    ¡°On your niece¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? I found it at a shop full of magical trinkets. I know it¡¯s too big for her, I just thought it looked nice.¡±


    ¡°It affects her soul. Stabilizes it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Let me know if you find another. It looks remarkably useful.¡±


    Kizu glanced up from his feet to look behind himself at Anata slouched over his shoulders. The circlet lay slanted on her head, covering one of her eyes. It glittered green in the aurora¡¯s light. As far as he could tell, she only wore the circlet because it was a gift. The same reason as to why she currently held a stuffed purple bat plushie under her chin. He didn¡¯t think she actively used the enchantment for anything. In fact, he doubted Anata even knew the enchantment existed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if I come across anything.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It would make me feel much more confident about allowing my children more independence.¡± She stopped suddenly on a large sheet of ice and pointed forward over the ocean. ¡°That is what Anata showed us in her vision.¡±


    Kizu narrowly avoided stepping on her tail as he careened forward. Instead, he stumbled to the side and fell to a knee. He looked up at a cliffside of ice splitting through the ice fields.


    He watched in horror as a massive chunk split from it and fell a hundred meters before smashing into the ocean below. The boom of ice colliding with water sent a shockwave through the air followed by a surge in the sea.


    Kizu tensed and dug his fingers into the ice flow below him as it rose with the surge and dipped back down. The following ripples still rocked the ice, but didn¡¯t risk toppling him over. Even after the sea stilled, Mort continued to pull on Kizu¡¯s hair, clinging to the back of his neck.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kizu asked, staring up at the wall of ice.


    ¡°Polar Glacier. The gateway into the most inhospitable land in the entire world. Even Sekai doesn¡¯t reach beyond it. And it is our current destination according to your niece¡¯s vision.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s named that because it¡¯s so cold?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s named for the bears that crawl all over it.¡±


    Polar bears. He recalled the warning from Ione as he¡¯d arrived in Tross.


    ¡°At least they¡¯re not magical,¡± Kizu grumbled.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be certain. Strange things happen over here. Normal bears would be in hibernation this time of year. I should have suspected that the glacier hid the seal¡¯s location. A cursory glance revealed nothing though and I dismissed it as an option.¡±


    Kumiho continued to hop between ice flows until she reached the edge of the icy cliff. The ice sheets closer to the wall were now wet from the recent wave and Kizu struggled to maintain his balance with Anata on his back. His bad leg gave out and slid into the ocean and he scrambled back onto the ice with his bare hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your leg?¡± Kumiho asked, seeming to notice it for the first time.


    ¡°It healed wrong.¡±


    ¡°And you can¡¯t get it fixed?¡±


    Kizu didn¡¯t want to get into the specifics of explaining the complications of excess bone growth so he just grunted.


    ¡°You should cut it off and get a new one.¡±


    The naivety of the statement showed her resemblance to her daughter. She really didn¡¯t understand how things worked outside the World Dungeon. Sure, Arclight had apparently found a powerful prosthetic down there, but that wasn¡¯t exactly commonplace elsewhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Kizu said. ¡°It has to do with the soul¡¯s image of the body. I don¡¯t fully understand it myself. But it won¡¯t be an issue for the climb, I have a leg brace.¡±


    Kumiho frowned in distaste but said nothing else. Instead, she transformed.


    In front of Kizu now stood a brilliant red fox the size of a small bear. She looked back at him and nodded once before leaping at the wall of ice. Digging her claws into it, she climbed.


    Kizu reached into his bag and pulled out his Enchanting C midterm project. A pair of gloves designed specifically for climbing vertical surfaces. He also took out three of his academy uniform belts and linked them, cinching Anata to his back in a makeshift harness. If he had known they would be ice-climbing glaciers, he would have left her with Mae.


    Anata, now awake again, clung to him as he began his ascent. Even with his baggage and leg, the climb was easy with the enchantment sticking him to the cliff¡¯s surface. He and Mort used to spend days just climbing trees this same size. In fact, as they rose, he felt Mort relax slightly.


    He heaved his elbows over the edge and stared at the sight before him. Kumiho, still in her fox form, stood down a polar bear. The glow of the aurora illuminated its yellowish fur and massive set of bared teeth.


    A breeze whipped up a dusting of snow and silt that scattered across the glacier¡¯s plateau.


    Before Kizu pulled himself up all the way, the bear stood up on its back paws, standing nearly three meters in height, and roared. It hurled its weight down at Kumiho.


    Nimbly, Kumiho dived under its strike. As it smashed down onto the ice, Kumiho nipped at it. Kizu saw the slight flash of lightning as she managed to bite its shoulder. Unfortunately, not enough power to even make the massive beast flinch.


    Despite its large frame, the beast whipped its head around to catch Kumiho¡¯s back leg as she moved to retreat. As the creature bit down on her, her fur sparked with electricity and the jolt zapped its mouth. That gave the beast more pause as it retreated back and shook its snout vigorously.


    Though Kumiho hadn¡¯t left the exchange free of wounds either. A streak of blood ran down her back leg from where it scraped against the bear¡¯s teeth. Blood smeared across the ice red with every step as she circled her enemy, looking for an opportunity. Her hair stood on end, static electricity crackled between her fur like an angry storm. Her eyes glowed a menacing scarlet. Even Kizu felt his body start to tingle in anticipation. Anata gripped the back of his shirt and Mort burrowed back under her sweater. The next attack obviously wouldn¡¯t be just another minor zap.


    Kizu decided now might be a decent time to interfere. The last thing they needed was a bolt of lightning to break apart the ice shelf they currently stood upon. While the bear had definitely noticed him earlier, it had dismissed him as a threat. It stood still, eyes locked on Kumiho¡¯s light display. Big mistake.


    Kizu jumped and buried his fist into the back of the bear¡¯s skull. He fell forward on the bear¡¯s back as it slouched to the ground, dead. Kizu yanked his fist free with a sickening squelch and wiped it on the bear¡¯s coarse, yellow hair. The brain matter still stuck between his fingernails no matter how much snow and ice he scrubbed his hand with.


    ¡°You should lead with that,¡± Kumiho commented, licking her wound. All traces of lightning completely faded without a trace.


    ¡°It only works if I can predict the target¡¯s movements. Its focus was on you so it was easy. A charging enemy is another matter entirely.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± She waved a paw dismissively, ¡°Anata, dear, can you please point me in the direction of the seal?¡±


    Anata squirmed on his back and Kizu saw in his peripheral vision a small, sweatered arm point out from beside his head towards a crevasse a stone¡¯s throw away.


    They walked over to the giant gash in the glacier and stared down into it. The ice reflected a light blue glow, but the drop twisted, obscuring the bottom from sight.


    A sudden roar almost caused Kizu to lose his balance. He looked up quickly and saw two more polar bears dashing at them from across the glacier¡¯s surface. The massive creatures were still at least two hundred meters off but closing the distance fast.


    ¡°Time to go,¡± Kumiho said, standing beside him in her humanoid form.


    Kizu felt her shove her palm into his lower back, knocking him off balance. He pinwheeled his arms forward, but before he had the presence of mind to jump, he fell.

 Chapter II.XXXVI (2.36) - The Guardian

    Chapter XCII (92) - The Guardian


    A gust of wind buffeted him as he slammed into the side of the crevasse on his way down. But the fall still hurt. At least he managed to keep on his front at the point of impact, so Anata and Mort on his back didn¡¯t smash into the wall. When he finally slammed into the ground, wind swelled up around him, like a cushion. But it didn¡¯t stop him from releasing an audible oof as he smacked into the icy floor.


    Kumiho descended far more gracefully, the wind rippled through her kimono, giving her an angelic appearance.


    ¡°I think I broke a rib,¡± Kizu complained as he sat up. He gently poked at his chest and winced. Upon further prodding, he decided it was only bruised, but it hurt regardless. One of his teeth was loose now too. ¡°Was that you controlling the wind?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Air currents go hand-in-hand with lightning. While I¡¯m not powerful enough to fly, I can at least slow my fall easily enough.¡±


    Kizu recalled months ago when he first saw Sene fight. She had used the wind to lift herself in the air and strike down her opponent with lightning. It made him wonder just how powerful Sene must be. He always considered her a big fish in a small pond, especially considering her average brewing skills. Perhaps his view had been skewed by the crone and her associates. But, then again, he doubted Kumiho had many opportunities to practice flight while locked away in the World Dungeon. And that lightning attack she had been charging up at the end of the earlier fight had been far stronger than anything he¡¯d seen Sene use. Magic wasn¡¯t a one-to-one comparison.


    ¡°Where do we go from here?¡± he asked.


    Kumiho looked over at Anata who was unstrapping herself from his makeshift harness. Once free of the belts, she stood up and pointed down a tunnel of ice.


    Each of the passageways they walked through were surprisingly wide. A few of the offshoot tunnels shrunk in size considerably to the point where they would require a belly crawl to pass through, but Anata never gave those more than a glance as she led them forward.


    As he followed his niece, Kizu examined the icy walls. They glowed an eerie shade of blue. The aurora didn¡¯t offer enough light to reflect this far down. So, Kizu figured the walls must be enchanted like in the World Dungeon. He trailed a gloved hand along the surface to test the enchantment, careful not to accidentally activate the gloves'' own enchantment. He didn¡¯t attempt to break something as massive and complex as the glacier¡¯s wall. Especially on his current blood reserves. But touching the smooth, damp surface helped him understand the enchantment a bit better as he examined it with his enhanced spellsense.


    He stopped. A few meters deep into the glacier¡¯s ice, he saw a human. Frozen in place, his eyes were open and his face twisted in an expression of outrage mixed with loathing. He wore the heavy furs that Kizu had seen on the local Kemon, but appeared completely human. In his hand, he clutched a wand, pointing it forward at an unseen foe.


    I know him.


    Though it sounded in his head, the sudden thought wasn¡¯t Kizu¡¯s. Rattled, it took effort to tear his eyes away from the frozen corpse and return to following Anata and Kumiho. If they noticed him lagging behind, they made no sign of it. Mort however, looked back at him from on top of Anata¡¯s head. He cocked his head and hummed in confusion. Kizu could sense Mort questioning why he decided to stop. Whatever had just spoken to Kizu, it had bypassed his bond with Mort. That worried him.


    But if the mysterious speaker had anything else to say, it kept it to itself as he continued. He spotted a few other people frozen in the glacier, but no other words followed their discovery. He started to think he might have just imagined it. Or maybe there was a mental trap down here. Spells that directly attacked a person¡¯s mind were extremely rare, but the crone had known a few and even tested some lesser ones on him. So Kizu knew they existed.


    They entered a massive pocket at the center of the glacier. Kizu thought this cavern alone might actually be large enough to fit the entire academy within it. Tunnels from throughout the glacier all appeared to merge at this point. An ankle-deep spring of glacial water covered the floor, slowly churning down into an adjacent tunnel. Kizu spotted slimy, thin, white creatures squirming around in the clear water. Some were as long as his forearm. They lacked eyes but had spindly legs and a mouth.


    In the center of the room, a massive blue crystal hovered. It hung suspended in the air, a shard of ice at least four or five times his height. When he faced it, he felt the chill¡¯s bite despite his warming potion¡¯s effects. Anata and Kumiho appeared to be drawn to the crystal. Kumiho raised a quivering hand up in its direction, as if beckoning it to come to her.


    The guardian approaches.


    Before Kizu had time to dissect the recurrence of the voice in his mind, he heard a snarl echoing down a cavern to his left. The same sound as the bear he¡¯d killed earlier. Only this was more guttural and the noise vibrated the glacier under his feet.


    ¡°Kumiho!¡± he shouted. ¡°Fire lightning above this cave¡¯s entrance, now!¡±


    She did as he demanded without question, a bolt of lightning slamming into the ice above the tunnel. An avalanche of ice poured down from the point of impact as the tunnel collapsed. But Kumiho¡¯s action was tinged with lethargy as she turned her attention from the crystal. The spell hit too late.


    Kizu quickly discovered the reason why the ice tunnels leading to this cavern were all so wide.


    A polar bear the size of a house smashed through the debris of ice. It wore hundreds of ancient scars and shards of rusty metal pierced its back and sides.


    It roared. The glacier shook again.


    Kizu flicked off a chunk of ice debris from his shoulder. It took only a quick glance at the monster to discard the idea of jumping into it. Even if the thing stood completely still, he would have to bury his entire lower body into the thing¡¯s head to reach the brain. And it was possible that wouldn¡¯t even lobotomize it. He needed another strategy.


    ¡°Dire bear,¡± Kumiho muttered under her breath. ¡°Get ready for a fight.¡±


    Kumiho aimed her next blasts of lightning at the rusty metal protruding the beast¡¯s flesh. But the blue lightning bolt spluttered out into nothing almost the moment it made contact.


    The bear was completely unperturbed by the attack. Instead, it locked its eyes on Anata, who had wandered the closest to the floating crystal. It charged.


    Kizu jumped to Anata¡¯s side, grabbed her, then jumped away to safety. He watched as the bear¡¯s swipe slammed down on the ice where Anata had stood less than a second earlier. It left a crater sized dent in the ice floor. Too close.


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    ¡°You said you just need your blood on that thing?¡± Kizu called to Kumiho.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He swiped Anata¡¯s knife from her belt. Then he jumped beside Kumiho and passed her the knife. The bear¡¯s attention was back on them. Kizu reached out to jump Kumiho over to the seal, but met with air as she transformed into a fox and dashed off in the crystal¡¯s direction by foot, with the knife clenched in her teeth. Kizu cursed and mentally readjusted his role from carrier to distractor and defender.


    Mort vaulted himself off of Anata and zig-zagged across the floor. Understanding his intention, Kizu overlaid his familiar with an illusion to camouflage him with the ice.


    Snatching up ice debris from the floor, Kizu blasted them at the monster with elemental magic. It was significantly more cost efficient than creating ice, but it simply bounced off the dire beast and it remained focused on the Kitsune woman. Kizu needed to draw its attention away to give her an opening. So, he created a second illusion, his mind grasped at the most terrifying thing he was intimate with. In a flash, suddenly a massive version of the crone loomed over them. The warts on her face were the size of his body and her eyes blazed with an anger he¡¯d seen hundreds of times throughout his childhood. This copy of her stood at eye level with the dire bear and sneered at the beast with far more confidence than Kizu felt. It opened its mouth, showing her yellow teeth and cackled silently at the bear.


    The bear lunged forward, aiming for the illusion¡¯s neck but Kizu deftly puppeteered it out of reach.


    Kizu started to shout, incoherent words tumbled out in an attempt to keep the dire bear¡¯s attention in his direction. And it worked as the bear remained locked on the illusion and, to a lesser extent, Kizu. It opened its jaws, revealing three separate rows of jagged teeth.


    Instead of spitting out acid or fire, like Kizu half-expected it to, it inhaled. All of the warmth in front of the monster dissipated, consumed by the creature. It didn¡¯t breathe out cold, but rather, it sucked in heat.


    Kizu jumped a few meters away and collapsed on the floor. His vision blurred as his eyes began to freeze over from just the moment exposed to the monster¡¯s attack. With shaking arms, he blindly unslung his pack and snatched up one of his heating potions. He downed it and let the warmth return to him.


    He blinked and saw the illusionary-crone flickering as the bear attempted to crush it under its weight. Thankfully, the illusion had bought him the moments he needed to recover. And Mort had enough time to spring up onto the creature¡¯s fur. The monkey swiftly scrambled up the side of the monstrous bear and found purchase near one of the rusted chunks of metal protruding its back.


    Having discovered the illusion¡¯s inauthenticity, the monster stood on its hind legs, raising its height to the point where its scalp scraped the cavern¡¯s ceiling. It roared again. Then it sought out its next prey.


    Kizu stood and prepared himself. Using Mort as a tether to guide him, Kizu jumped onto the dire bear¡¯s back. He quickly wrapped the monster¡¯s hair around his right palm and activated his glove¡¯s enchantment to keep from tumbling off. Mort, in turn, leaped onto his arm and clung to him.


    Then he and Mort launched into their plan. He channeled through Mort, using his familiar as a conduit to amplify his spell. His left hand burst into a blaze of flames. Kizu stroked the back of the dire bear¡¯s fur, creating a streak of fire. The acrid stench of burning hair caused Kizu to cough, but he maintained enough control of the flames to keep himself and Mort from harm. The smoke still made him woozy and the world swam in his vision for a moment, but he ignored the sensation.


    Under him, he felt the monster tense with rage. He prepared himself for the creature to slam its back into a wall or roll over on the water covered ice. Instead, the creature¡¯s attention returned to someone else in the room. Anata. Kizu hadn¡¯t accounted for this. The bear was too dumb to realize the attack came from on top of it. It thought she was the perpetrator.


    Anata stood near the far reaches of the glacial cavern where Kizu had deposited her at the start of the fight. If anything, Kizu expected the bear to turn around and resume its hunt on Kumiho. But Anata stood in the direct line of sight of the creature.


    Kizu jumped forward with Mort still clinging to his arm. He aimed for the dire bear¡¯s head with the intention to blind the monster with more flames and then reposition Anata. Unfortunately, he overshot and landed on a snout the size of a tree trunk from the Hon Basin. It shook its head to shake him free like a tick. Kizu slipped down a bit but slammed his palm into the side of the snout with his enchanted glove before falling far. He hung there beside its mouth. Its currently closed mouth.


    Kizu slammed his other palm into the where monster¡¯s lips met one another and activated his second glove. Then he swung down and stuck his first glove next to it.


    He jumped down to Anata¡¯s side, selectively abandoning his enchanted gloves.


    The monster attempted to open its mouth, but found one side of its lips stuck together. It still consumed heat as it sucked in, but only to the right side of it. It thrashed around, its back still burning and unable to split its lips fully apart.


    As Kizu jumped Anata across the cavern, his legs buckled and he slid to the icy floor. Completely soaked from the cold water, he gasped. He tried to get to his feet again but lacked the strength. His vision smeared everything in front of him, blinding him. His blood, he realized, he was running out of blood. He cast too many spells too rapidly.


    Anata didn¡¯t have her knife, he recalled dimly. He¡¯d handed it off to Kumiho. How could she help him without her knife?


    Anata grabbed his hand and attempted to drag him off into a side tunnel. He was too heavy. His niece lacked the muscle mass to tug him more than a couple meters before the dire bear turned on them. At least she got his head out of the water. He dimly recalled learning that even ankle-deep water threatened lives when the person couldn¡¯t move. That fact normally mattered for helping infants. He was supposed to be stronger than that.


    Focusing, Kizu¡¯s vision cleared a bit. Behind the monster, he spotted Kumiho in her human form with her hands pressed against the giant crystal. Cracks slowly spiderwebbed out from her touch. Very slowly.


    ¡°Blood,¡± Kizu gasped, fighting off unconsciousness. ¡°I need blood.¡±


    Anata obviously didn¡¯t understand. She raised one of his hands and showed it to him. His earlier collapse had opened a gash along his knuckles. Frozen blood mixed with icy debris stuck to the back of his hand. Everything around him started to dim. He felt himself sinking into unconsciousness. He looked up at Anata as if at the bottom of a well. Objects in his peripheral vision faded. His arm remained clutched in his niece¡¯s grasp as she looked down at him, scared and confused.


    Mort darted across his arm like a bridge and bit Anata¡¯s hand. She yelped and pulled back but Mort had already thrown himself back at Kizu. The moment Mort rubbed his teeth against Kizu¡¯s skin, the world exploded back to life with vengeance. Only two drops of blood, but still enough to jolt him awake.


    To his horror, Kizu watched as the dire bear opened its jaws. Fresh blood now stained its chin¡¯s white fur while its bottom lip dangled from its upper. The pink and black of its now exposed gums glistened with saliva and blood.


    Embracing Anata, he jumped them across the cavern next to Kumiho. She barely glanced at them as they appeared next to her, her focus entirely consumed by the crystal seal.


    ¡°How long?¡± Kizu asked, placing a hand on the crystal for support as he staggered. The miniscule amount of Anata¡¯s blood hadn¡¯t been enough to fully recharge his supply.


    ¡°Maybe another thirty seconds,¡± she growled back.


    ¡°Either work faster, or come back some other time,¡± Kizu said, watching as the dire bear finally reoriented itself and found them.


    It charged. The fire on its back, stocked by the beast¡¯s momentum, grew into an inferno that released a cloud of black smoke in its wake.


    Frantically looking from Kumiho to the charging bear, Kizu decided they were out of time. He grabbed the Kitsune woman and jumped them across the cavern near a smaller tunnel to hide in.


    But, before they had time to duck inside the hole to safety, the bear smashed head-first into the massive crystal. It shattered. Splinters of crystal showered the cavern. They glinted in the glacier¡¯s enchanted lighting as they fell. The tinkle of shattering crystal shards crescendoed into a roar. Then silence.


    The dire bear lay on the floor with its back still smoldering with flames. Kizu watched for any signs of life. The chest didn¡¯t rise. No twitching movements. The eyes remained open, pierced by shards of crystal.


    For better or worse, the guardian was dead and the Kitsune now freed.

 Chapter II.XXXVII (2.37) - Polar Glacier鈥檚 Collapse

    Chapter XCIII (93) - Polar Glacier¡¯s Collapse


    Kizu scavenged the parts of the dire bear the best he could. He was never very talented at butchering and extracting useful bits of animals. It was by far his weakest point in brewing. For plants, he knew effective techniques to gather and preserve the most magically potent components. But the crone always had become irate whenever he accidentally mishandled or messed up harvesting animal corpses. She hated him wasting resources and usually took control. So, while he managed to slice some uncharred hair and clip off a bit of its nails from the massive bear, when he tried to gather some of its eyeball, the organ deflated and sprayed his face with a rank liquid. Gagging, he tried to wipe it off, but the fluid was sticky and all he managed to do was get it all over his arms. Mort found the scenario extremely amusing. At least, up until the monkey found out that Anata didn¡¯t want him to ride on her. She still held a small grudge about him biting her during the fight. And Kumiho remained distasteful of the familiar. Which left Mort with only a stinking, sticky Kizu.


    ¡°Let¡¯s return,¡± Kumiho said as she stepped towards an exit. She held several of the larger shards of broken crystal seal. ¡°I suspect whoever put the seal here also left behind that monster to watch over it. With the guardian now slain, it should be a simple path home.¡±


    ¡°One moment, I want to recover my gloves.¡±


    Unfortunately, the massive beast had landed face-first in the ice with his gloves pinned against the floor. He set his back against the face of the creature and enhanced his strength as he shoved himself into the bloody jaw.


    The effort made him woozy, but the dead creature¡¯s neck bent and the head to crumpled to the side.


    Unfortunately, while his enchanted gloves technically still worked, they were now stretched to the point of uselessness. He packed them up, though he didn¡¯t expect to salvage much from them. He wasn¡¯t holding his breath on being skilled enough to repair the damage. At least he¡¯d gotten good marks on his midterms from them. They¡¯d served him well while they lasted.


    With a final look back at the corpse, he couldn¡¯t help thinking that Ione would have killed to have seen this monster in person. He wondered if she would actually be able to summon something like it if she studied it enough. Knowing her, probably.


    As he stared up at it, the head of the monster slumped. The metal spike protruding from the top of its spine, right where the neck met the head, slipped out with slurp.


    The rusted metal clanged on the glacial floor. As it touched the ice, it sent a shockwave through the entire cavern. Kizu grabbed a hold of the wall to steady himself. A shard of the shattered crystal seal jabbed into his palm, piercing his flesh.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Kumiho whirled around to face him.


    ¡°I-I just wanted my gloves!¡±


    The glacier shook and a massive icicle fell from above, narrowly missing Anata¡¯s head. She yelped in fear and fell backwards, slipping on the ice and splashing into the shallow pool of water.


    The white worm creatures living in the water started leaping up and splattering themselves on Anata. She swatted at them, desperately trying to get them off of her. Their scraggly legs crawled up her as they piled on. The longer of the creatures attempted to wrap themselves around her arms like bracelets.


    Kizu dashed over to his niece¡¯s side and dragged her to her feet. Her clothing was completely soaked. He yanked off the slimy creatures and threw them to the side.


    Mort snatched one of the smaller worms from Anata¡¯s hair and bit into it. Kizu could taste the bitterness of the bug as his familiar spat it out. The monkey glared at him, as if blaming him for the wretched taste.


    Then the glacier shuddered again. Not with the same strength as the first time, but Kizu still barely managed to maintain his balance and catch Anata before she fell back into the water.


    Go now! The others awaken.


    The demand came from inside Kizu¡¯s head again. It didn¡¯t bother elaborating but Kizu took the warning to heart.


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    ¡°Kumiho! How do we get out of here?¡±


    ¡°Through the wall! It¡¯s all falling on top of us regardless.¡±


    The Kitsune woman charged herself with lightning, hovering as the static leaped from her body. Unlike lightning seen crackling in storms naturally, hers was scarlet like that of her eyes. She was pulling all of her strength.


    A large chunk of ice fell from above her but was vaporized by the lightning before it got within a meter of her.


    The shards from the shattered seal, on the other hand, appeared to amplify the lightning. They reflected the electricity back at her, creating a loop of gradually increasing power.


    Every hair on Kizu¡¯s body stood on end as he watched the Kitsune woman. He opened his mouth to ask her which way, and felt his tongue go numb from the electric current in the air before he voiced more than a syllable.


    She raised a hand and cast a bolt into one of the thinner walls in front of her. It blasted apart.


    Kizu chased after her, Anata in hand. Her wound from Mort¡¯s bite earlier pressed against his sticky palm, slightly rejuvenating him. Not a lot, as it already scabbed after several minutes of healing. But it gave him enough blood to jump whenever the ice started to collapse under foot or debris threatened to crush them.


    The glacier continued to shake and reposition. Kizu felt the momentum of the icy floor slowly sliding off to the side. It reminded him of Owl¡¯s Respite back when the boat was still half-submerged in the lake. The glacier was a slowly sinking ship, but on an entirely different magnitude.


    Howls started echoing down the caverns. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly where. They were mangled screeches, not entirely human sounding. Kizu desperately wished they were just panicked polar bears, but they sounded far higher pitched than any bear¡¯s roar.


    Faster!


    Kizu did not need any encouragement. He dragged along Anata, who clung to him with one hand while her other still clutched at her damp, purple bat plushie. She slipped several times but Kizu caught her and towed her onwards.


    He warned Kumiho about their pursuers but she couldn¡¯t hear them clearly with her electricity crackling around her. More than once, Kizu had to direct her to aim a bolt of lightning behind them to cut off the creatures tracking them. It mostly worked, resulting in the shrieks fading.


    Even still, Kizu had a few scares as he heard the creatures getting dangerously close through the side caverns.


    Mort watched his back while Kizu plowed forward after Kumiho. The familiar alerted him just in time as two pale blue hands reached out from a crack in the wall. Their nails brushed against Anata¡¯s skin, causing the girl to cry out in fear. But, thanks to Mort¡¯s warning, Kizu was already pulling her out of reach.


    He lunged forward, shoving his niece to the side as he grabbed the creature¡¯s wrists and lit his hands aflame. The ice walls surrounding them wept as he increased the temperature higher than he¡¯d ever attempted previously. Instead of red and orange flames, his fire turned a wicked shade of blue. The creature howled in pain and attempted to jerk its hands back but Kizu enhanced his grip, holding them in place for several seconds until the creature pulled back with such force that it lost its knuckles and fingers in Kizu¡¯s grip.


    Kizu dropped the smoldering charred flesh and bones on the glacial floor. Anata stared at him, wide-eyed in fear. He¡¯d forgotten she really didn¡¯t like fire. She still let him grab her hand, though she tensed at his touch, as if expecting to be burned by him. He dragged a stunned Anata behind him and chased after Kumiho who had continued forwards, forging a path for them.


    Finally, after over ten minutes of scrambling through the collapsing glacier, Kumiho burst out the side of the glacier and into the open air. The ice wall they had climbed up an hour earlier was illuminated by the aurora above.


    But now the wall was slanted, the entire glacier having shifted as it collapsed. Instead of an incline perpendicular with the sea, it had become a slope all the way down to the ocean below. Larger bits of the collapsed wall snowballed down the glacier before splashing into the water below.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Kumiho said. ¡°Follow after me. I¡¯ll catch you at the bottom.¡±


    A second later, she¡¯d thrown herself out onto the ice and was sliding down the incline on her feet, her hands spread to either side as she balanced herself with an elemental spell.


    There was a roar above them and Kizu looked up and saw three polar bears. They glared down at him and Anata. Behind him, Kizu heard another of the humanoid screeches echoing through the caverns. There was only one way forward, he had no choice but to trust the Kitsune woman.


    Kumiho had reached the foot of the glacier and leaped over on top of a large slab of drift ice.


    ¡°Okay Anata, hold on to me,¡± Kizu instructed his niece.


    She obeyed, hugging his still sticky arm.


    With his other hand, he got out his ruined gloves, hoping to use them as a way to slow and control their descent. Cautiously, he stepped out of the cavern and onto the slope.


    His foot slipped out from under him.


    And then they were gone.

 Chapter II.XXXVIII (2.38) - Shamans and Snow Caves

    Chapter XCIV (94) - Shamans and Snow Caves


    Kizu desperately clawed at the icy slope in an effort to slow his descent. If it accomplished anything more than peeling off one of his fingernails, Kizu couldn¡¯t tell.


    Both Anata and Mort clung to Kizu as they sped downwards, rapidly gaining speed. A second before they slammed into the ocean surface, Kizu closed his eyes and braced for the impact, hugging his companions close.


    A wall of biting cold wind slammed into him, stealing his breath and knocking his head backwards into the ice. The sheer intensity nearly caused his eyes to freeze to his eyelids. When his vision finally cleared, he stared up at the aurora in the sky above. He lay on an ice sheet level with the ocean.


    ¡°Those chunks of metal on its back were enchanted,¡± Kumiho commented as Kizu sat up. ¡°It was a trap designed as a last-ditch effort to kill the Harbinger if it managed to kill their guardian. But it didn¡¯t die like they intended so there was a delay.¡±


    ¡°Clearly,¡± Kizu grumbled.


    As she continued to speak, she flipped a shard of the crystal seal between her fingers. It appeared mundane at first glance, his spellsense told a different story. It radiated with magic. Her lightning had somehow dealt no permanent damage to the broken artifact.


    Weirdly enough, the shard didn¡¯t seem to be an enchantment like he¡¯d first assumed. It was something else. He stared down at his hand and pulled out the thin bloody shard that had embedded itself into his palm earlier. While nowhere near as large as Kumiho¡¯s shards, it still glimmered the same way to his spellsense. Examining it was like looking at a coin, where one side felt like no other magic he¡¯d encountered. But the other seemed extremely familiar. He felt like he was on the edge of recognizing it.


    ¡°Kizu? Do you have a concussion?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, returning focus to the conversation. ¡°My mind just wandered a little. What did you say?¡±


    ¡°Do you still need a guide back to your camp? I¡¯d like to go to my children as soon as possible, but I can¡¯t just abandon you and my cousin. Not after your help. We¡¯re deeply in your debt.¡±


    ¡°Ah, can we figure it out after we¡¯re no longer floating on an iceberg? And if you promise to keep the Kitsune peaceful, consider any debt paid.¡± He reached behind him and dropped the bloody shard into his pack along with the harvested brewing ingredients. He had to shake it to get it unstuck from his palm. Mort hissed at him from where he hid inside the bag. The monkey was not having a good day.


    ¡°Easy enough. Honestly, I doubt any of my people have any intention to go anywhere near human civilization. They hold a grudge, but we Kitsune tend to be the silent sulking type. They¡¯ll think of themselves not returning to their position as peacekeepers as vengeance.¡±


    That seemed good enough. So long as no other bad seals opened up. As much as Kizu loathed those beings in the aurora, he had no intention of opening up the seal to release Otochi. Or even worse, that seal nailing the dragons down. Unless every story he¡¯d been told had been a grossly inflated lie, the world was definitely better off without those creatures terrorizing it. Breaking those seals out of spite would be the epitome of stupid.


    As they stumbled away from the glacier and back onto the decimated ice flow, Kizu made a rude hand gesture up at the brilliant green and purple river of color in the sky. He was fatigued and bruised but had emerged victorious.


    As they moved forward Kizu spotted a few polar bears in the distance on the ice, but none of them made any move to pursue them. Kizu almost felt bad for the animals. He¡¯d killed their leader and destroyed their home. But their leader had been a building-sized monster designed to murder anyone who approached. So he didn¡¯t feel too sorry.


    Kizu¡¯s exhaustion really caught up with him as he vaulted himself between the sheets of ice in the ice flow. The adrenaline faded from his system, leaving him stumbling and exhausted. After he slipped and nearly toppled into the ocean, they moved Anata over onto Kumiho¡¯s back instead of his own. And even after, the Kitsune woman still had to stop and wait for him regularly until they finally reached the shore.


    Kizu fell on his knees on the snowy beach and let out a sigh of relief. Finally, the worst of it all was over. All that was left now was to walk back to camp. While that still sounded miserable, it at least didn¡¯t risk him drowning.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Kumiho raised a hand. She raised her nose into the air, as if smelling something. ¡°There¡¯s someone coming. Dogs. And Kemon. And¡­a moose?¡±


    ¡°Nanook?¡± Kizu asked hopefully.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is. Are you expecting someone? Wait, no. Of course the wisp can track you. I should have considered that. Sekai emits a haze that interferes with many divination spells. After so many years below, it¡¯s easy to forget how exposed you are on the surface. Unless you¡¯ve set up anti-divination measures?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t using any.¡± Not at the moment at least. He still felt hesitant to mention the necklace in his bag.


    ¡°You should consider finding some. I recommend tattoos. Regardless, this saves me the hassle of escorting you back to your camp.¡± Kumiho carefully set Anata on the ground before transforming into her fox form.


    Kizu crouched next to Anata and took her hand. They faced the Kitsune for a final goodbye.


    ¡°Little cousin, it was wonderful meeting you. I¡¯ll let Mae know you¡¯re safe. She¡¯ll likely want to see you again.¡± Kumiho started to walk away but turned around one more time. ¡°Kizu. You have my word, the Kitsune will not harm any human or human adjacent race without provocation. But you should instead save your concerns for your own safety. And the safety of Anata. There is a reason I chose to remain in the dungeon for the last thirty years. Mind who you place your trust in. And beware of Harbinger Hunters.¡±


    Without further explanation, Kumiho hopped over a snowbank and out of view.


    The dogsled came to view a minute later. As expected, Nanook and Professor Grove rode on the sled. Or rather, Nanook did, Professor Grove simply floated along beside her.


    Less expected was the huge bear-man who rode on a large moose. Kizu recognized the creature from an old bestiary of the crone¡¯s, but the thing was far more massive in real life. Large antlers jutted from its head like gigantic, curled hands.


    The rider smiled and waved extremely muscular arms at them. Not Allik, but a Kemon with darker fur, closer to black than brown. His fur layered thicker along his cheeks came down to a point at his chin, giving him a bearded appearance. He also wore a massive double-headed ax strapped to his back. The patterns etched in the ax glowed a slight green, obviously enchanted.


    ¡°I should have sent you both home,¡± Professor Grove launched into a lecture. ¡°The moment I learned of your ward¡¯s existence, I should have sent you back on the spot to watch her. Of course you land yourself in the worst sort of predicament and wander out into a blizzard to chase after her. You¡¯re almost twenty kilometers from the cabin. I expected to recover frozen corpses. Especially when you decided to cast a spell to throw off my divination! How dare you!¡±


    ¡°I can ex-¡± Kizu started.


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    ¡°Oh, you can explain? You can explain the reason for popping up on the very edge of the known world? You can explain why the door to Nanook¡¯s cabin is currently feeding a fire as scrap wood? Or perhaps you can explain why one of your classmates has no kneecap?¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself, Grove,¡± Nanook said. ¡°The maimed boy never said Kizu had anything to do with his injuries. Before we sent him back to your academy, I recall him being incredibly mum about how he lost his kneecap. You can¡¯t punish Kizu for something the victim never accused him of. And don¡¯t drag my door into this. If anyone is to be upset about my door, it should be me.¡±


    That seemed to only stoke the wisp¡¯s anger as she continued to rebuke them and explain in great detail the dangers of blizzards.


    Throughout Professor Grove¡¯s tirade, the big Kemon stood to the side covering his mouth with a paw to poorly conceal a grin. When he caught Kizu looking, he rolled his eyes. But when Nanook sharply looked over her shoulder at him, the Kemon man was stoically nodding along to Professor Grove¡¯s words with an exaggerated frown.


    Kizu genuinely tried to focus on the lecture, but he wobbled unsteadily on his feet until his knees eventually buckled and he collapsed. He struggled in the snow, trying to get back on his feet.


    ¡°Jay, get a shelter set up,¡± Nanook said. With a wave, she heaped the nearby snow into a massive mound. ¡°We¡¯re staying here for a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Aye-aye.¡± The muscular man saluted her. Then he raised a furry fist and punched the snow heap. The snow collapsed inward at the impact, creating a shallow indent. He slammed his next fist into the same area. Again and again.


    While he worked on their shelter, Nanook unhooked her dogs from the sled and started pulling out fatty meat for them to chew. While they ate, she cast different spells. With his head foggy, it took him a bit to understand what she was doing. She was purposefully creating an updraft instead of allowing the smell of the meat to be caught by the natural wind. She didn¡¯t want the polar bears picking up on their scent. It was clever, and not something Kizu would ever have thought to do.


    She noticed him watching and passed him and Anata both a stick of jerky. She looked like she wanted to say something, but after a glance at Professor Grove she just accepted his thanks with a silent nod.


    It only took Jay a few minutes to complete the snow cave. He stood to the side, smiling smugly as he gestured at the shelter¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Here, let me help you,¡± Nanook said, lifting Kizu to his feet. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot. Rest now, you can fill us in later.¡±


    Kizu noted that Professor Grove grumbled a protest, but it thankfully lacked the conviction of her earlier lecture.


    After crawling forward a bit, Kizu collapsed on the snow. He fumbled around in his backpack for a warming potion.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Nanook asked sharply. ¡°Did Allik give it to you?¡±


    ¡°No. I made it. It keeps me warm.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that all? No need for it. With four of us in here, we should be plenty warm. The snow keeps the heat inside. Nowhere for it to escape to.¡±


    Technically, with Mort there were five of them. And he supposed she also wasn¡¯t counting Professor Grove. But Kizu was too exhausted to protest or care about technicalities.


    It seemed like only a minute, but when he blinked his eyes he awoke to Nanook¡¯s loud, rhythmic snores. Just as she had promised, the snow cave was a cozy temperature. Almost hot. Likely a result of the half a dozen dogs crowded in the cave with him. And someone had dropped a blanket over him. He felt a sudden jolt of terror realizing Anata wasn¡¯t there with him. But it eased as he felt his bond with Mort. They were together, just outside.


    He pulled his leg, slightly damp from drool, out from under a dog¡¯s jowls and crawled out of the snow cave. The large Kemon man, Jay, tended to a fire. At the beach nearby, Anata sat on a large driftwood log that protruded from the snow. She sipped a drink from a wooden cup while staring up at the aurora above her. The sky still swirled. Now more green than purple, the hues melded with one another. While Kizu still felt like cursing at it, Anata was utterly enamored by the colors as she gazed skyward. As he glared up at it, he did have to give it a bit of credit. It was an incredible sight. Especially backlit by the thousands of stars, dimmed but twinkling.


    Mort sat perched on Anata¡¯s shoulder. It looked as if she had forgiven him for biting her earlier. Relaxed, the monkey wrapped his tail around the back of Anata¡¯s neck while he sucked on the stem of a green plant.


    Kizu also spotted Professor Grove bobbing along the beach¡¯s edge, further down. She illuminated the snow around her in a soft blue glow as she appeared to be looking out at the fractured glacier in the far distance. It was now cleaved in two. Professor Grove doubtlessly knew there was something odd about their timing and the glacier fracturing.


    Not wanting another hour of lectures about responsibility, or worse, being questioned about the glacier, he slinked away from the wisp and took a seat next to Anata.


    For a while they just sat there, gazing up at the stars and enjoying one another¡¯s company.


    ¡°That one is called The Traitor¡¯s Vine,¡± he told Anata, pointing up at a constellation. ¡°Do you see how it curls across the sky and ends in a hook? There¡¯s a story about why.¡±


    Anata listened attentively as he told her about a monstrous plant that lured in prey with its wonderful scents before plunging its spear-like point into their hearts to feed on their blood. She sipped her drink and nodded as she looked up at the sky with awe.


    After three more tales about the stars, Kizu took Anata¡¯s empty cup and stepped over to the other side of the snow cave to investigate their camp¡¯s progress. The large Kemon man, Jay, sat on a rock near the campfire. His moose lifted its head to look at Kizu from where it lounged and snorted a small puff of warm air, but it lost interest and returned to napping after only a few seconds.


    ¡°Oh, good morning!¡± Jay said, looking up from the fire. ¡°Hope you don¡¯t mind, I gave your monkey some fireweed. I brought some down on my last trip to Hon to give to my kids and some local monkeys stole it. Saw the monkeys the next day, fighting over an apple, looking as healthy as ever, so figured it was safe.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been to Hon?¡±


    ¡°Been there? My entire family lives there!¡± His face split into a joyful smile. He reached into a bag and pulled out an incredibly detailed small painting. It showed a boy and a girl. The boy only looked a few months old and the girl was looking down at him with a similar smile to her father¡¯s. Only on a more human face. They lacked any of the Kemon fur.


    ¡°They¡¯re your kids?¡± Kizu asked, slightly confused.


    ¡°You can see it in their eyes. Hold on.¡± He pulled out several more images of his children. And, sure enough, Kizu did spot similarities as he searched for them. Not just the smile and eyes, but he realized they had rounded bear-like ears instead of human ones.


    ¡°Um. Cute?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they! That¡¯s Jolene and the other one is Tomlin.¡± The names did not sound like the other Kemon. Jay must have noticed Kizu¡¯s confused look because he laughed. ¡°The names come from all over. My wife, Tori, is from Hon, but we actually met over in Edgeland. A whole diplomatic meeting. Super boring. But you know how it is. Got to do it as one of the tribe¡¯s shamans.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of the shamans here?¡± Kizu asked. He¡¯d heard Allik mention them before, but wasn¡¯t sure exactly what the title entailed. ¡°Is that like a mage?¡±


    ¡°A certain style. It¡¯s more reliant on luck than other spellcrafts. Usually, most everyone has some affinity for everything involving magic. Sure, all people have different degrees of talent for specific spells, but almost everyone can learn how to throw a fireball with enough practice and dedication. Shamanism is more rare in that only a few are born with enough natural talent to get meaningful results. No matter the training.¡±


    ¡°But what does it actually do?¡±


    ¡°Details are a clan secret. But basically I use totems to align myself with certain aspects of nature.¡±


    ¡°Like a druid?¡±


    ¡°Again, no details. But it¡¯s different from those dandelions. Our magic is way more linked to ancestry. It¡¯s like if you mixed up enchantments, soul magic, summoning, and transmutation all into one nice roll of sushi.¡±


    ¡°Sushi?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You know, rice and fish wrapped up in seaweed. You¡¯re from Hon, right? Thought I¡¯d compare it to something you¡¯re familiar with. Jolene loves sushi. It¡¯s her favorite.¡± Jay then pulled out another image of his daughter. This one showed her with bits of rice stuck to her cheeks while she grinned.


    While Jay continued to fawn over more of his images, Kizu examined them with his spellsense. The enchantment used to maintain the image reminded him a bit of the device he used to copy those fliers for the school ball. But this was obviously permanent and designed to capture images not already on paper.


    ¡°How did you create the image?¡± Kizu asked, interrupting the man mid-ramble.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon artifact.¡± He pulled out another image, this one of his infant son. He looked like a grumpy old man stuffed in an oversized turquoise bonnet. ¡°Hon keeps a massive storage vault of valuable ones. One of the perks to being married to an ambassador. Oh, you¡¯ve got to see this! They¡¯re adorable! It¡¯s my absolute favorite! Or maybe, third favorite.¡±


    Kizu sighed and settled in as Jay pulled out another four images from a pocket. He realized it might be a while before he managed to break himself free of the man. At least this was still a better alternative to the angry wisp.

 Chapter II.XXXIX (2.39) - The Ilaanquciq Tribe

    Chapter XCV (95) - The Ilaanquciq Tribe


    Anata¡¯s drink, as it turned out, was a thick, liquid chocolate. Something Jay brought back from his most recent trip to Hon. It was a new trend among the rich and nobility. Kizu learned all about how the man¡¯s wife was addicted to the stuff. When Kizu voiced his surprise that Anata didn¡¯t just gulp the drink down instantly, the Kemon man laughed and told him she had indeed tried that exact thing at first and not only burned her mouth, but also accidentally spilled half a cup in the snow as a result. Which was why she drank with a great deal more care.


    They left their little camp as soon as Nanook awoke. Anata rode with Nanook on the back of the dog sled with Professor Grove hovering beside them. Meanwhile, Kizu ended up on the back of the massive moose. With Jay, who continued to go on about his children. The man was unrelenting as he regaled him with tales of his son and daughter doing mundane things. Like his daughter combing her hair with a chestnut shell or his son loudly burping at inopportune moments.


    Thankfully, the moose appeared to be magically enhanced so it kept pace with the dog sled. When the cabins of the camp came into view, Kizu let out a sign of relief. Jay was extremely kind, but he was at his limit.


    As they approached, students took notice and swarmed the moose and dog sled. Kizu swung himself down from the moose and helped Anata disembark the dog sled. Allik, at the head of the crowd, began quietly discussing something with Nanook and Jay. Whatever news he brought them, it soured their moods as they both scowled. The three of them departed without any further words, leaving Kizu with Anata, his classmates, and Professor Grove.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡± Harumi said, looking up at him in awe.


    ¡°What happened?¡± another student asked.


    ¡°Did you lose any toes or fingers? Show us!¡±


    ¡°Was it really you that messed up Ulric?¡±


    ¡°No way. There¡¯s barely a scratch on him. You saw what happened last time they fought.¡±


    ¡°While your concern for your peer¡¯s wellbeing is admirable,¡± Professor Grove said, her form bobbing up to block Kizu¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Please return to your lessons. The good people of the Akaq Tribe are wise and have much more knowledge to still bestow on you. Open your ears to them.¡±


    The students grumbled and slowly dispersed. All except for Harvey, who remained, eyes locked to the snow covered ground.


    ¡°Mr. Hugo, that includes you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kizu,¡± Harvey said, completely ignoring Professor Grove. ¡°It¡¯s my fault you were attacked.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Harvey?¡± Kizu asked, confused.


    ¡°I got distracted. I should have known when your cabin was moved that Ulric would come find you. I should have realized. But, well, out of sight out of mind.¡± He looked near tears. The juxtaposition between his miserable face and his new hair and vicious tattoos felt off. Like a puma eating a carrot.


    Professor Grove wobbled in the air, a gesture Kizu now recognized as her expressing irritation. He decided to cut in before Harvey got in trouble.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I took care of Ulric. Go join the other classmates.¡±


    ¡°It is a big deal!¡± Harvey insisted. ¡°One reason I joined up with Ulric¡¯s group was because he wanted you dead! I thought I was helping you by holding him back!¡±


    Kizu blinked. That made sense actually. It had been strange that Ulric never directly confronted him after their fight. His friends had approached Kizu, but never Ulric himself. That revelation felt like stepping into a warm bath. The last month Kizu had filled his schedule to the brim, never allowing himself to dwell on Harvey for too long. The fact the Tainted boy hadn¡¯t just abandoned him ¨C no, hadn¡¯t just not abandoned him, but had been actively looking out for him ¨C that healed a hole in him.


    ¡°Professor Grove, can Harvey please accompany me back to my cabin? I still feel pretty light-headed.¡±


    The wisp grumbled, but permitted it. Kizu knew she wanted a full account of what had happened to him, but she didn¡¯t want to discuss it in front of Harvey. She had previously wasted her time before returning to camp lecturing him instead of asking him questions. And since she couldn¡¯t physically help him if he fell over, Harvey now had a legitimate excuse for walking with them.


    ¡°Tell me the other reasons,¡± Kizu said as they walked.


    Harvey bit his lip and looked away for a moment. ¡°There was an¡­incident back home. I have no chance of continuing after this year. Next semester will be my last. But if I manage to get far enough in the combat rankings¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then you can join up with a mercenary group,¡± Kizu finished, remembering what Emilia had said. Mercenary work was Ulric¡¯s best odds of success after flunking the academy next semester. His friend had tried to talk Kizu into reinstating Ulric in the combat contests for that exact reason.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell me this? Why hide all this from me?¡±


    Another stretch of silence as they marched through the snow. Professor Grove pretended to not be listening, but Anata looked wide-eyed up at the miserable Tainted boy.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    He said nothing.


    Then Kizu understood. If Harvey spent time with him, Ulric might withdraw his training. It was one or the other. Then not only would Harvey have no future, but Kizu would be back in Ulric¡¯s line of sight without Harvey there as a buffer between them. And trying to explain that would be¡­messy. Harvey should have told him about this earlier. It would have saved him a lot of worry and stress. Not knowing had been the worst of it.


    But, as he thought about it, he realized that he was currently doing something very similar with Emilia. He was avoiding talking to her because it was an uncomfortable conversation. He needed to actually talk to her. He couldn¡¯t keep stringing her along.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kizu lied as they approached the cabin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Kizu sat down on the cabin¡¯s steps, the snow cushioning his seat. Anata looked at him, then sat in the snow next to him. He still felt utterly exhausted. Someone had replaced the cabin¡¯s door. There was still an outline around the doorway from where it had been torn off its hinges, but he had to look closely to notice it.


    Harvey looked relieved, but he didn¡¯t say anything more on the topic. Instead, as he shuffled his feet in the snow.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the girl?¡± Harvey asked after a minute. He glanced at Anata. ¡°Your sister?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s all,¡± Professor Grove interjected. ¡°Then Mr. Hugo you should return to your studies. Kaga Kizu is perfectly safe here.¡±


    Harvey muttered something incoherent then retreated. Leaving Kizu with the wisp.


    Kizu spent the next couple hours telling a very fractured version of his last two days. He left the Kitsune out completely. Along with his journey into the World Dungeon. And the seal. Really, very little of the true story remained. He told Professor Grove about the yetis taking Anata and Mort, but made it sound like they went to the glacier. He tracked them there using his familiar bond and fought off the yetis and polar bears. Then he stumbled on an artifact in the ice tunnels that accidentally split the entire glacier in two. While the cobbled together story left some holes, Professor Grove showed no sign of skepticism. Though, that was difficult to gauge when speaking to a soul condensed into a floating ball of light.


    Before anything else could be said, the door jolted open and Allik staggered in, looking even more haggard than Kizu felt. He rubbed his furry face.


    ¡°Grove. Now that you¡¯re finally back, can you help my wife deal with the pinheads? They arrived yesterday and I haven¡¯t slept since.¡±


    The wisp¡¯s attention turned to him. ¡°They¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Yes. They say they won¡¯t leave without the Alito girl. We barely managed to extract her last night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Grove said tersely. ¡°Watch these two, make certain they don¡¯t run off into another blizzard.¡±


    Professor Grove bobbed out of the room, phasing straight through the door. The room dimmed with her departure, the only light now from the moon shining through a cracked window. Kizu noted the aurora had finally faded away, leaving a starry sky in its place.


    Allik sighed and sat on his bed. It sagged with his weight.


    ¡°Did I hear you mention yetis as I entered? By any chance, were you able to scavenge any parts from them?¡±


    Kizu hesitated. He wanted to seize the opportunity to ask about the dire bear parts he¡¯d harvested and put in his bag, but that would directly go against the story with the yetis he¡¯d just told Professor Grove. After a second, he just shook his head.


    ¡°Pity. That yeti hair you used to brew potions the other day is just sheddings found caught in trees. We haven¡¯t been able to kill one in a while. A restock would be helpful.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I think the bodies will be buried in the snow by now,¡± he lied.


    ¡°Still, give me a rough idea where to look and I¡¯ll send out word to the tribe to keep an eye out for bones or anything else left behind by the scavengers.¡±


    ¡°The large glacier off the coast.¡±


    ¡°Ancestors knot me,¡± he groaned. ¡°Polar Glacier? Nevermind. We won¡¯t find anything. You¡¯re lucky to still have a head attached after visiting there.¡±


    Kizu grunted in agreement. He didn¡¯t want to lie to Allik anymore, so he shifted the topic.


    ¡°Who are the pinheads?¡±


    Allik closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not their real name, I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I just¡­get a bit exasperated sometimes. I don¡¯t like conflict. Not with people, at least. And those folk tend to attract drama wherever they go. I was referring to the Ilaanquciq Tribe.¡±


    ¡°Ilaan¡­sorry, can you repeat that?¡±


    ¡°Which is why I referred to them as pinheads earlier. The Ilaanquciq Tribe is the group of Kemon that your classmate Evie Alito is from. They don¡¯t care much for the occupancy of Southern Tross. And they don¡¯t like that your classmate is attending your academy. Even if she is only half-Kemon, they think it looks bad for their tribe¡¯s reputation. And they believe they should have authority over her.¡±


    ¡°What do they want?¡±


    He waved a hand. ¡°They wanted to remove Evie Alito from the academy. At first, they sent her a letter and convinced her to travel across that blizzard to them. Before you told me about the yetis, I was certain the storm was their doing. Anyway, it took a lot of resources yesterday to finally get Alito back from them. They¡¯re crafty and devious. Thankfully, now that Nanook is back, she¡¯ll handle them.¡±


    ¡°They want Evie to stay with them?¡±


    ¡°No. Well, yes. They don¡¯t want her here. They deeply resent her. But they do want her natural talent. You see, she has, ah, a special sort of magic. One they don¡¯t want the academy to have access to. It¡¯s complicated and if I try to explain, my wife will flay me for revealing tribe secrets.¡±


    Kizu nodded slowly. That meant it likely had to do with the shamanism Jay had mentioned. A special type of magic linked to Kemon ancestors.


    ¡°Suffice it to say,¡± Allik continued, ¡°I¡¯m not fond of the Ilaanquciq Tribe. They¡¯re part of an alliance of the northern tribes along with us, which is how the girl gained sponsorship to the academy. But frequently their stances conflict with the Akaq Tribe. Recently, almost always.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Kizu thought about Roba¡¯s request to keep an eye on Evie. It was interesting. She knew something like this might happen.


    Allik shook his head. ¡°I apologize. I shouldn¡¯t unload these politics on an academy student. It¡¯s probably not professional.¡± Then he hesitated. ¡°But between you and me, they¡¯re selfish hypocrites. Don¡¯t trust them. They try to present themselves as a peaceful people, but violence isn¡¯t the only way to hurt others. They lace their quills with poison.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Kizu said. ¡°But I doubt I¡¯ll ever see any others besides Evie.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another one or two like her in your academy. But your point stands. It¡¯s unlikely you¡¯ll meet any others from the actual tribe. Still, keep that in mind with any people you might meet. Sometimes the outward face of a person isn¡¯t an accurate depiction of who they actually are. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.¡±

 Chapter II.XL (2.40)- The Breakup

    Chapter XCVI (96)- The Breakup


    The last couple days of the school excursion were relatively uneventful. Half the time Kizu went to special brewing lessons with Allik and the other half he learned about astronomy used by the Akaq Tribe. Their mythologies regarding the stars were almost equally as interesting as learning about their unique herbs. Kizu noted a not-so-subtle bias for constellations involving bears. One about a worshiped dire bear that flattened the tundra and brought peace to their land made him particularly uncomfortable.


    As they departed, Allik clasped his arm in farewell. He made Kizu promise to contact him if he ever returned to the tundra. Then he passed Kizu a letter for Professor Knoff. It was surprisingly hefty for its size.


    The Ilaanquciq Tribe, who had kept to themselves on the outskirts of the academy¡¯s camp since Nanook¡¯s return, stood outside their snow caves and watched Evie¡¯s departure from the Tross Tundra. Or, Kizu assumed they watched. It was hard to tell with their veil of quills obstructing their faces. They had tried infiltrating the camp a few times to get to Evie, but had been rebuffed by the Akaq Tribe at each attempt.


    Glancing over at Evie, Kizu saw her huddled in the center of their sleigh with her head down. As far as he knew, she hadn¡¯t said a word to anyone since her return. He¡¯d tried speaking to her a bit and, but she¡¯d been completely unresponsive.


    ¡°When I was a kid, my neighbor got abducted by a cult that looked just like that,¡± Ione commented as they passed the hostile tribe. ¡°Well, without all the porcupine parts and snow equipment. But still, same energy.¡±


    ¡°I doubt we will see them again,¡± Kizu said, remembering Allik¡¯s warning.


    ¡°I sure hope so. I can¡¯t wait to get back to the academy. I thought Basil was just being whiny when he complained about the weather here. But it¡¯s actually miserable. And I didn¡¯t get to study a single magical creature. Probably because they¡¯re all smart and are hibernating for the winter. Complete waste of time.¡±


    Kizu rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not much of a surprise you didn¡¯t get much from the trip. You practically hibernated yourself all week as well. I barely saw you.¡±


    ¡°Normal people sleep when it¡¯s dark. Not everyone is nocturnal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always dark here,¡± Kizu said dryly. ¡°And I recall someone sleeping on the sunny beach instead of participating in my last swim lesson.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s beside the point. And that¡¯s a nap anyway. Completely different.¡±


    They disembarked at the World Dungeon ruins that they¡¯d arrived through. Before entering though, Kizu looked back over the tundra one last time.


    Peeking out from behind a piece of ancient rubble, Kizu spotted a small red fox with a white scarf. Kizu tapped Anata on the shoulder and pointed. Her face lit up and she grabbed his arm. After making eye contact with Anata, the red fox bound forward toward them, but a white fox lunged forward and grabbed her tail with his teeth. She yelped in surprise and whipped around to tussle with her brother. A breeze rippled over the snow. By the time it cleared, it took all signs of the foxes with it.


    ¡°Come one,¡± Kizu said to Anata, who stared at the place the foxes had been moments earlier. ¡°They just wanted to say ¡®goodbye.¡¯ They know where to find us.¡±


    Nobody questioned Anata joining them on their return trip as she sat next to him on one of the couches. In fact, people actually gave them a bit of space out of respect. Or maybe out of wariness. The rest of his classmates had been told by Professor Grove that Kizu was her babysitter. They were told the lie that she was the daughter of a close friend of the headmaster. And Kizu redirected any further questions back at the headmaster. The only hiccup with Anata had been the previous day when Kizu overheard one person refer to her as the ¡®half-wit girl.¡¯ Kizu nearly ripped his classmate¡¯s head off. Ione and Harumi held him back while the other student apologized profusely. After seeing Ulric¡¯s wounds, nobody wanted to get on his bad side. Other than that, Anata remained silent and nonintrusive, so most of his classmates quickly forgot about her existence.


    Since Ulric had been sent back a few days earlier to visit with Professor Kateshi, Kizu had no reason to stress as they traveled home. He closed his eyes and took a nap of his own.


    When they finally arrived back at the academy there was little fanfare. A James stood at the room¡¯s exit and ticked their names off a list, then they were free to go. They had the rest of the day to themselves.


    Kizu knew what he needed to do, but he instead found him wandering around the campus with Anata. They ended up sitting on a bench in a courtyard. A few students played a game where they had to kick a ball into a basket. But the ball was enchanted to avoid them. It dodged and weaved through their legs as they attempted to pass it to one another.


    Gregor, from Kizu¡¯s Music F class, raised his arms in victory as he finally scored into their basket. His friends whooped and patted him on the back as they reset the ball.


    Sighing, Kizu finally reached into his pack and pulled out his scrying orb. Anata perked up, likely thinking he was going to use it to produce another book for her to read.


    Instead, he sent Emilia a message.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Are you available to meet today?


    He felt his heart sink as she messaged back almost immediately.


    Yes. The town square after dinner. 7 pm.


    Well, it was done. As much as he dreaded this meeting, he needed to talk to her. If he had met with her before the school trip, the entire fight with Ulric could have been avoided. And, while he didn¡¯t regret his decisions in the fight, he hardly wanted more complications like that in his life.


    This time cheers went up as a friend of Gregor managed to kick the ball into the basket. The Tainted boy lifted his friend up on his shoulder and they all cheered before he collapsed under the weight and they devolved into laughter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± Kizu said to Anata.


    They returned to Owl¡¯s Respite and found an armless Sojan on deck, wielding a fishing rod with his teeth. His mouth full, the enchanted dagger just growled something when Kizu questioned him. Kizu left him to his fishing and entered Aoi''s laboratory.


    The princess had both of Sojan¡¯s arms spread out on a work table and was poking at them with an enchanted needle. He watched her for a few minutes as she muttered to herself and pricked different parts of the arms. Occasionally, they would twitch slightly. Despite the severed limbs and a bucket of decomposing fish bones in the corner, the room smelled sterile.


    ¡°Will you be able to reattach those?¡± Kizu asked.


    Aoi jumped and dropped her needle. It skewered the arm¡¯s palm. She turned and scowled at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t sneak up on me. Yes. I¡¯ll be able to reattach them. As long as he¡¯s attached, Sojan can help meld the arms back in place. I want to experiment with another method as well, but I can¡¯t because of how Sojan reacts to third party substances. And he stubbornly won¡¯t let me pull him out. Once I get the cloning process better figured out, I¡¯ll have more subjects to test my hypothesis on. But this is all only possible because of this very unique tool. I found the instructions to create it on one of the necromancer pages we recovered. The design wasn¡¯t anything too difficult to enchant, but it¡¯s an absolute lifesaver for a necromancer. It preserves body parts. As long as I keep experimenting with it, it will keep body parts from decaying. This gives me a unique opportunity to view the limbs at a state of near stasis. Is that all you want to ask about? I need to focus.¡±


    Kizu hesitated. ¡°Have you ever broken up with someone before?¡±


    Aoi lit up. ¡°You¡¯re dumping Emilia? That¡¯s great news! I hope it ruins her day.¡±


    Kizu gave her a flat stare.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that. I¡¯ve never had to terminate a relationship before.¡± She thought for a moment. Then she stabbed one of the arms again with the needle. ¡°Well, I managed to sneak out an engagement my mother set up for me last year. But that was all politics. It involved me hiring a detective to expose him as an enjoyer of golems. It was a big scandal and my mother immediately dismissed him as unworthy of me. If you look closely enough, everyone has something about them that deems them unworthy in the eyes of a mother. Does that help?¡±


    It did not.


    Kizu left the laboratory and went to read his current library book to try to pass the time. But, after reading the same paragraph about the relevance of surface area to a gate spell, he realized he wasn¡¯t getting anywhere.


    Down in the crew quarters, Anata slept in a hammock with Mort nested on her head. The gnome skeletons played cards, just as they always did whenever they lacked instructions from Aoi. Kizu drew a hand for himself and joined them.


    He continued to lose at cards for the next few hours until it was finally time to go. He jumped to the shore and started his walk back to town.


    Emilia was already there in the town square when he arrived. She sat in the center, next to a fountain wearing her academy uniform while she read from a small pocketbook. She was gorgeous, as usual. Her wavy blond hair tumbled over her shoulders perfectly. All around her stall vendors packed up their wares. Dusk was closing in and the street lamps were illuminating with a magical light. It looked like an image straight from an oil painting.


    Freezing in place, he contemplated turning around and running back to the ship. He could just send her a message through his scrying orb. It would be so much easier. But no. He forced his feet forward while his stomach knotted.


    ¡°You¡¯re breaking up with me,¡± Emilia said, not looking up at him as he approached. But her eyes didn¡¯t move as she gazed down at the pocketbook in her hand.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu admitted, sitting next to her. He stared off into an empty street.


    ¡°I knew it was coming. I¡¯ve known for weeks now.¡±


    There was a moment of silence between them. Kizu spotted Jeri the gnome chatting with someone on the other side of the town square. He chatted amicably, the setting sun glinting off his bald head. Kizu was tempted to just walk over and start talking to them. To end the horribly awkward moment between himself and Emilia.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kizu said, thinking he might be able to just finish the conversation there.


    Emilia sighed loudly and snapped her pocketbook closed as she redirected her gaze to the sky. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to break the news to my parents. They¡¯re going to be so disappointed. They really liked you.¡±


    ¡°Why? I never met them.¡±


    She glanced over at him, irritation plain on her face. ¡°I explained this to you already. Unifying our families would be a guaranteed success for trading negotiations. It bypasses several tariffs between Edgeland and Hon. We could easily coast just off the trade routes we inherited. But it also opens a world of opportunities for expansion.¡±


    Kizu stared at her. ¡°And what does Ulric¡¯s family have?¡±


    ¡°Ha. Ulric? Nothing. Less than nothing. They¡¯re buried in debt and expect him to carry them out of it. A task he clearly isn¡¯t up to. That¡¯s why we split.¡±


    There was another pause in the conversation.


    ¡°I still love him,¡± she finally said. ¡°It makes no sense. He''s an unfriendly brute. By all rights, he¡¯s horrible for me. When I finally broke up with him, he threw a massive tantrum. It was after that party where I first met you. And then there you were. You have the potential to be so perfect. Everything I should prioritize wrapped up in a nice, safe package. But still, I don¡¯t feel the same way as when I separated from Ulric. I never loved you.¡±


    Despite the fact he initiated the breakup, her words still hit like a punch to the gut. Rationally, it was a good thing that she wasn¡¯t hurt. Right? Wanting her to feel hurt would be deranged.


    He decided it was time to go. It was over.


    ¡°Thanks Emilia. You taught me a lot. I¡¯ll¡­see you around.¡±


    ¡°See you around, Kizu.¡±

 Chapter II.XLI (2.41)- Student Council Shake-Up

    Chapter XCVII (97)- Student Council Shake-Up


    The letter Allik had given him for Professor Knoff contained two rings. Both enchanted as spatial pockets to hold brewing materials from Tross¡¯s tundra region. One with supplies for Knoff, and another for Kizu. The gift completely caught him off-guard. But Knoff even read the note out loud, reassuring him that it was indeed meant for him.


    The ring was an invaluable asset to Kizu, and he quickly began using it to store his collection of brews. Especially since it preserved the ingredients and kept them fresh. However, he quickly learned that the weight of the ring increased the more it contained. Not as much as the weight of the physical item stored within, but approximately ten percent of that. The inconvenience of carrying around a five-kilo ring quickly outweighed the convenience, as he performed his experiments in only one of two places- at the academy¡¯s brewing facilities, or on the beach near Owl¡¯s Respite. So he usually kept it on the shelf above his hammock unless he specifically planned to use it. Which turned out to be a lot.


    Kizu spent large chunks of his free time during the next few weeks focused on experimenting with new brews by mixing concoctions designed by the witches of the Hon Basin with Allik¡¯s materials. He was still limited by what he could obtain from the academy supply, but it was more than enough to keep him occupied. Especially since Harumi insisted on always tagging along and watching him brew whenever possible. And the younger student always had so many questions. But eventually Kizu managed to successfully teach him how to properly prepare a basic healing potion. An endeavor Kizu didn¡¯t mind too much since it meant stocking up on the potion for himself while he taught.


    When not brewing, Kizu devoted the rest of his study time to developing the gate for his Enchanting C final. Despite his utter disdain for Kizu, Finn was incredibly reliable. He finished his portion of their group work several weeks early. He enchanted the foundation of both bookshelves for Kizu and even put extra effort in layering additional protections to prevent them from damage. Basil, on the other hand, was utterly unreliable. Kizu barely ever saw the shapeshifter. He was absent from the majority of classes and was aloof in the few he attended. Not unfriendly, but extremely distracted. When Kizu managed to corner him, he promised he was hard at work enchanting the books that would act as the triggers for the gate. Technically, Kizu could create a work-around by triggering the spell manually with his own spatial spellcraft. But that only worked for someone practiced in the art. Which meant it was useless to pretty much anyone besides himself and a select few professors.


    His own progress on the gate was steadily moving forward. Once Finn finished with the foundation wards, Kizu started to layer his own glyphs over the shelves. He took quite a bit of pride in his progress. While not quite confident enough to test with a live subject, he still managed to transport some nonorganic material through. The big issue now would be transporting something with blood, as it could conflict with his own that he used for the enchantment and thus cause the spell to act erratically.


    Over the weeks, his rankings steadily improved as well, despite him not dedicating too much time to them. He managed a pretty decent bump up in Enchanting, due to his curse breaking exercise. And he participated in the combat test every weekend. Each week he secured an easy victory, so his rank steadily rose. He still wanted to catch up to Harvey and beat him in the ring. But Harvey also continued to win matches, keeping just out of reach of Kizu.


    By far the most surprising ranking increase was in both History and Politics. As he skimmed through the test pages, found he actually knew a few of the answers. A history question from Jak¡¯s lesson on Ilosin-Don, and two questions of politics involving Tross that Allik mentioned. His placements actually increased. Not a lot, but it was still a nice surprise. But he still had a long way to go before he¡¯d be able to get any information out of the headmaster about his sister.


    Combat- 462, Astronomy- 201, Divination- 92, History- 797, Politics- 795, Rejuvenation and Restoration- 799, Conjuring- 799, Brewing- 1, Numerology- 799, Music- 712 (piano), Enchanting- 177, Illusion- 81, Elemental- 300.


    Outside of his schoolwork, Kizu dedicated his spare time to helping Anata. She was progressing well as a swimmer, though her lack of muscle still cut their lessons short. And she could now read just about anything he set in front of her. Which showed an almost scary amount of talent. Her rapid comprehension only remained stunted by her refusal to speak. Now that he knew she was capable of talking, he occasionally tried to prod words out of her. But he always dropped it after seeing her terrified expression. It was a bit frustrating because it also stilted her chances of making friends her own age. Kizu brought her to the beach for a party with a bunch of other children from the town, but she ended up sitting alone in the sand and staring out over the ocean. It wasn¡¯t just that the children avoided her, though that was certainly the case, she was also uninterested in them.


    Overall though, he was pretty pleased in his progress the last few weeks. He still had things he wanted to do before the end of the semester, but he was progressing.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go in there,¡± Ione warned as Kizu approached the Student Council¡¯s room. ¡°Not if you value your life.¡±


    She leaned up against the wall next to the door. Her black hair was a mess that covered her face. She looked as if she was resting after barely surviving a bear attack. Though, far more likely, she¡¯d only woken up a few minutes ago before dragging herself up here.


    ¡°Did the caterer mix something else up?¡± Last week, the restaurant Sene hired for the ball¡¯s feast had accidentally switched the quantities of asparagus and celery in their order, which resulted in Sene ranting for over an hour. Not that it actually mattered, since the ball was still weeks away. But Sene took that as a personal affront.


    ¡°Far worse,¡± Ione said grimly, pushing her hair out of her eyes to look at him. ¡°The unthinkable happened. We gained a new member.¡±


    ¡°Wait. But that would mean¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sene got moved down in the rankings.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not that bad. She took my transition pretty well.¡±


    ¡°But that was all orchestrated by her. She planned to move you up into that position as a ploy to try to get to me. She had no control over this switch. And Sene doesn¡¯t like losing control over something.¡±


    Kizu opened the door to see who exactly usurped Sene¡¯s spot. Sene sat in her usual seat at the head of the table. She glared down the table at a gnome. A gnome with familiar pink hair and thick spectacles. Despite his small stature, he met Sene¡¯s gaze. No words were said as the uncomfortable tension built between the two of them.


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    ¡°It¡¯s Jak, right?¡± Kizu said as he walked in, trying to break them out of their hostile staring match. ¡°I saw your presentation a few weeks back. Really interesting.¡±


    Jak¡¯s eyes flitted over to him for a second before returning to meet Sene¡¯s.


    ¡°Thanks. According to the information I was given, you must be Kaga Kizu. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    They continued their silent confrontation for another minute while Kizu took his seat. Then Ione slinked into the room and Jak melted. The transformation was instant. One second, he was meeting Sene glare for glare, and the next he was smiling and welcoming Ione into the room.


    Ione didn¡¯t seem to care much. She slouched down into a chair and put her head down in her arms, ready to nap.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Professor Krimpit would do this,¡± Sene said, finally speaking. ¡°He is attempting to sabotage the ball. It¡¯s outrageous.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t up to Krimpit,¡± Jak retorted. ¡°I scored a higher score than you on the history exam.¡±


    ¡°Then you cheated.¡±


    ¡°I took it three times. Three completely separate tests in separate locations with varying levels of difficulty while directly supervised by the academy staff.¡± The gnome fidgeted with his glasses then returned to glaring at Sene.


    Sene harrumphed before finally starting their meeting.


    ¡°Until his fraud is exposed by the academy, Jak Joon will be joining our Student Council meetings. Consider him the temporary acting secretary. This means that Ione Kajima¡¯s duties have been lessened to just that of the treasurer.¡± Sene paused, as if waiting for Ione to protest, but her twin was already snoring softly. ¡°Vice-president, Kaga Kizu. Do you have anything else to add?¡±


    Kizu was caught off guard for a second. Sene rarely asked him to speak during these meetings unless it was something directly involving him, like setting up the posters. Then it made sense as he realized she wanted him to disparage Jak¡¯s appointment.


    ¡°Nothing super noteworthy. Just, welcome, Jak. I hope we can all work together well.¡± Kizu was going to leave it at that, but then something else occurred to him. ¡°Oh, and by any chance do you have any leads to where we might be able to find fireworks for the ball? I had a lead, but last week it fell through. Right now, the only other real option I found is an expensive import from Hon.¡±


    Jak furrowed his brow in thought. ¡°I might be able to figure something out. What¡¯s the budget?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s confidential information for official Student Council members,¡± Sene cut in. ¡°As a temporary member, you¡¯re not privy to it.¡±


    ¡°125,000 yennies,¡± Ione said, her voice muffled by her arms. ¡°There¡¯s a total of 250,000 total available for entertainment, but we decided to split it evenly between the dance contest and the fireworks.¡±


    Sene gave Ione a look of absolute betrayal. Kizu was more surprised by the fact that Ione knew any of this. She almost never showed any sign of paying attention during their meetings.


    ¡°We finished planning the dance competition two weeks ago,¡± Kizu said, deciding to fill Jak in on the rest of the event¡¯s expenses. ¡°We hired two professionals from Tross to help teach lessons at the start of the ball, and then work as judges for the contest at the end of the night. Professor Kateshi volunteered some officials from Hon as the other judges.¡±


    The gnome nodded, considering. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to my uncle. He might have some contacts. I¡¯ll fill you in next week with what he comes up with.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re here next week,¡± Sene muttered.


    Eventually, Sene managed to seize control of the meeting again. She didn¡¯t say anything antagonistic towards Jak, instead switching to a new strategy of pretending like he didn¡¯t exist. It reminded Kizu of his first interactions with her in Brewing S.


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget to get a date for the ball,¡± Sene announced at the meeting¡¯s close. ¡°It¡¯s expected that you don¡¯t show up stag.¡±


    That sent a jolt of fear down Kizu¡¯s spine. He hadn¡¯t thought about finding a date. And, now that Emilia was off the table, he had no idea where to look.


    If any of the other three had any concerns about finding a date, they hid it well. As they departed the room they said their goodbyes and split up. Kizu went to his old spot under the stairs to practice elemental magic and sort through his thoughts. Anata was visibly uncomfortable when he practiced producing fire and doing so on Owl¡¯s Respite seemed foolish anyway.


    As he tossed fire from one hand to another, he sorted through his thoughts. His potential dating pool was severely limited, and he wasn¡¯t keen on getting involved in another relationship right now, regardless. He was friendly with a few people, but not to the point where he was comfortable asking them to the ball as a friend. He was popular enough that he might be able to ask out a random person he didn¡¯t know. But that thought terrified him.


    Eventually, he snuffed out the flames and decided to go to the dining hall to see if anyone there might stand out to him.


    The food¡¯s theme today appeared to be from Edgeland. Heaps of meat, carrots, and potatoes weighed down his peers¡¯ plates. Of course, the first person he noticed was Emilia. Swiftly looking away, he scanned the benches for anyone else.


    He spotted Evie and considered approaching her. Then he thought better of it. Asking her to join him as a friend would probably be extremely uncomfortable for her. He didn¡¯t really know much of what she actually thought of him. And she was clearly still distraught from the excursion. Better to not overwhelm her with things.


    Finally, he found the obvious choice.


    ¡°Hey Ione,¡± Kizu said, sitting down beside her. ¡°By any chance do you have a date to the ball?¡±


    Her eyes widened and she stared at him, speechless. She held a spoon of mashed potatoes hovering centimeters from her mouth.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she finally said quietly as she set down the spoon. ¡°You¡¯re a few hours too late.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Kizu said quickly. ¡°I was just thinking about what your sister said about needing a partner.¡±


    ¡°You could try Sene,¡± Ione said. ¡°She looks like me.¡±


    Kizu blinked and took a moment to form a response. ¡°Ah. Thanks for the suggestion. I think I¡¯ll pass. I wasn¡¯t asking you to join because of your looks.¡±


    Ione raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Not to say that you aren¡¯t pretty! You¡¯re very pretty. But Sene would be miserable to go with and likely drag me into all sorts of extra work. Not that going with you wouldn¡¯t be worth work but-¡±


    Ione laughed, cutting him off. ¡°Relax, Kizu. I set you up for that. We¡¯re friends. Don¡¯t stress. But if you have a question like that again, maybe try asking a little faster next time. Now, what are you eating? It¡¯s on me.¡±


    ¡°The cafeteria food is free,¡± Kizu said dryly.


    ¡°Does that response mean you want me to pick?¡±


    Kizu snatched the menu from her. He chose clam chowder and sourdough bread. A moment later the food appeared in front of him. Tearing a chunk from the bread, he dipped it in the soup.


    ¡°You could try basil,¡± Ione suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he has a date,¡± Kizu said between a mouthful of food.


    ¡°I meant as a seasoning for your soup. But maybe he¡¯d know someone to set you up with.¡±


    Kizu thought back to how Basil knew so many of the people in town when they¡¯d gone shopping together. Then he recalled the first outfit Basil had picked out for Anata. A ballgown.


    ¡°Actually, I have a better idea. I¡¯ll take my niece.¡±

 Chapter II.XLII (2.42) - The Ooze Harbinger

    Chapter XCVIII (98) - The Ooze Harbinger


    Kizu sat on his bed. Not the hammock he slept in most nights. Instead, he rested in the dorm he¡¯d barely visited in the last couple months. Mounds of clothes covered everything as far as the eye could see. In fact, he had needed to push a stack off his bed to make room for himself. His bed had recently been converted into a makeshift closet.


    It was nostalgic being back in the heavily perfumed room full of unfinished clothing. He spotted Mort¡¯s old nest in the rafters above. That was the only remaining sign of his time in the room. Everything else had been packed up and brought out to Owl¡¯s Respite. Or been forgotten and absorbed by Basil¡¯s ever-growing clutter.


    He didn¡¯t have anything specific to do, so he read from his library book about the mechanics of the gate spell. In his next meeting with Roba he planned to finally put the theoretical knowledge into practice. It had been a long time coming and he was almost as nervous about that meeting as the one he currently sat waiting for. Almost.


    Finally, around 2 am, the door swung open, revealing Basil. The changeling blinked in surprise and smiled.


    ¡°Kizu! To what do I owe this surprise? Don¡¯t tell me Anata kicked you off your boat?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the Ooze Harbinger.¡±


    Basil¡¯s smile froze. Then it started drooping slightly as his control over his form slipped.


    ¡°Back when Otochi mentioned Harbingers, I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about. But now that I know what they are, it makes sense. That¡¯s why you left us in the World Dungeon, to go talk to Otochi. Because he¡¯s your uncle. You released the oozes on Ilosin-Don. You killed everyone on the continent.¡±


    The final piece had been when Kumiho mentioned meeting the Ooze Harbinger with the previous week¡¯s batch of students. It seemed extremely obvious in hindsight. He had seen Basil¡¯s gelatinous form when he slept. He was a species of ooze. Or, at least, half-ooze. Basil had told him before that his mother had been human. Just like Anata¡¯s mother and Kumiho¡¯s father.


    Basil finally regained control over his motor abilities and he quietly closed the door behind him. Kizu wondered if he needed to be fearful of the ooze, but he found himself not caring much. If it came to it, he could fight now.


    ¡°I was six years old,¡± Basil said softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what I was doing. What six-year-old wants to commit genocide? They told me my mother was a researcher on the overworld and gave me directions.¡±


    ¡°They?¡±


    ¡°My fathers. My family. They showed me how to take the form of a gnome. I was exactly the right height at the time, so they decided not to wait.¡±


    ¡°And you found your mother?¡±


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    ¡°Of course not.¡± Basil¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°I found the seal. They told me breaking it would reveal her. But, more than that, I was drawn to it. It was beautiful. The most gorgeous shade of verdant green. It consumed my thoughts until I finally corrupted and shattered it. Then the nightmare began. There was¡­so much death. I tried to stop them, but I was too weak. And they didn¡¯t need me anymore.¡±


    ¡°You told me you grew up in Tross. You escaped Ilosin-Don?¡±


    ¡°Headmaster Ballarfulur found me starving to death in an abandoned gnome village.¡± Basil shuddered at the memory. ¡°Food¡­was scarce. I ate what I could find. And I could barely even halfway hold a physical form together. At first they thought I was a gnome infected by a magical disease. But even after he discovered what I was, he still helped me. He rescued me and arranged for a friend of his in Tross to take me in until I could come here. In exchange, I told him everything. About my family, the Harbingers, Sekai. Everything. Officially, I¡¯m now his ward. His protege, discovered on one of his mysterious journeys.¡±


    So the headmaster knew about the Harbingers. That was important information Kizu filed away. Along with the knowledge that he hadn¡¯t killed Basil for his role in the disaster.


    ¡°You know what Anata is?¡±


    ¡°The Blood Harbinger. I knew it the moment I saw you two together. I should have told you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°If your family cut ties with you, what exactly were you doing with the bloodspawn? Why leave us down there?¡±


    ¡°I intended to come back for you,¡± Basil muttered. ¡°I can read Primordial. If you look closely, there are species listed in the atlas. Since you were the only humans in this area of the dungeon, I thought I could doubleback after a day or two.¡±


    Kizu blinked. Was that true? He didn¡¯t actually know what ¡®human¡¯ looked like in the language. But there was a lot written in the margins that he didn¡¯t understand. He would check it later, just to be certain.


    ¡°I wanted to meet my cousin,¡± Basil continued. ¡°But Otochi refused. He insisted she was under special surveillance. Then he wanted to keep me down there and extract any information on the seal. I just¡­wanted to meet family. To make sure she didn¡¯t make the same mistake as me.¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯ve met her.¡±


    Basil smiled and looked up. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s great. For a while I worried that everyone in our bloodline was a monster. I thought it was part of our curse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not a monster, Basil.¡±


    ¡°Am I not? I caused a mass genocide. I ran away. Now I spend my time partying and sleeping around while my victims lay decaying in the dirt of a destroyed nation. And when I think about it, I feel numb. Are those not the actions of the most ignoble, despicable person imaginable? A monster.¡±


    Something stirred within Kizu. The parasitic soul from the aurora wrestled him for control. He coughed, and tried to hold it back. Then it spoke with his voice, from his mouth. But the words weren¡¯t his own.


    ¡°The fact you feel that way about yourself proves your humanity. Your worth goes beyond the role of the Ooze Harbinger. You care about your cousin. You care about your friends. Your parentage does not dictate those whom you choose to love. Too often we let our pasts consume us and rule over our lives. You have been living in the present as a means of distracting you from the past, instead I implore you - look to the future.¡±


    With those words, the entity within Kizu withdrew again. While Kizu found himself agreeing with the words said, he couldn¡¯t help a chill at the thought of losing control so suddenly. It eerily reminded him of Sojan controlling his body.


    Basil collapsed on the floor and wept. He gripped a fallen strip of cloth and shook as tears poured down his face. His body softened as he struggled to hold form. No more words were spoken.


    Not knowing what else to do, Kizu simply sat there beside his friend while he cried. They stayed there together until the sun came up, bringing a new day.

 Chapter II.XLIII (2.43) - Hebijikan

    Chapter XCIX (99) - Hebijikan


    Kizu practiced the piano like a mad man. Unlike his more spell-based classes, Anata¡¯s blood couldn¡¯t be used as a shortcut for the skill, so had to take time out of his day to actually sit down and practice. Thankfully, over the last few months, he had gotten to the point where he could allow his mind to wander as his fingers played. Granted, he only had a few songs down to that point and he wouldn¡¯t be winning any contests anytime soon. Still, it felt almost therapeutic now, the music relaxing him while he sorted through his thoughts.


    Basil had recovered after their discussion a few days previous. In fact, more than that. Basil acted like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. Surprisingly, the changeling had reused the same body for the last couple days, something Kizu had never seen him do before.


    When questioned about the bloodspawn seal, Basil explained little more than Kizu already knew. However, he did mention more than once how his seal had consumed his thoughts after his discovery of it. It kept compelling him to it until he eventually destroyed the seal.


    Based on that knowledge and what he had seen in the Polar Glacier, Kizu held a strong suspicion of where Anata¡¯s seal might be. While it stressed him out, he put it in the back of his mind, as she couldn¡¯t gain access to it for now.


    ¡°You¡¯ve improved.¡±


    The sudden interruption caused Kizu¡¯s hand to slip, playing an off-key sharp. He stopped and looked over at Professor Ignis who stood behind him with a clipboard. The professor had set up a sound bubble around them, but Kizu hadn¡¯t noticed with the sound-eating slugs in his ears.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kizu said. Ignis was the professor he¡¯d interacted with the least over the semester. The fiery haired man barely taught lessons, only going over the most basic points of musical theory in a couple classes throughout the semester and setting them loose with sheet music to practice. Most days he looked pained by the classes.


    ¡°The headmaster asked me to keep an eye on your performance. He mentioned that he wants me to evaluate your progress throughout next semester as well.¡±


    That made sense. Kizu hadn¡¯t considered how he¡¯d move through the music rankings without having a music class.


    ¡°But then I took a better look at your transcript. It seems you¡¯ll be in one of my advanced illusion classes next semester. Gizrim must see something special in you.¡± Ignis sighed loudly and looked around the classroom at the other students playing instruments poorly. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I¡¯m not very good at teaching low level musicians. The majority of these students here don¡¯t care about the art. They treat it like a joke. And their dismissal makes me furious.¡± He glanced over Kizu¡¯s shoulder, a fire lighting in his eyes as he examined a student goofing off and playing a shamisen with her toes. Then he took a deep breath, visibly forcing himself to relax, and refocused on Kizu. ¡°I often want to write the entire class off altogether and stop showing up. But I¡¯ve always been of the opinion that in regard to something distasteful, it¡¯s better to be completely apathetic, than care too much. So, I¡¯ve been purposefully ignoring the students here. You¡¯re one of the few that takes improvement seriously and I apologize it took an outside influence for me to actually notice.¡±


    Kizu didn¡¯t know how to respond to the apology. It came from out of nowhere. He bowed his head in acknowledgement.


    ¡°I¡¯m updating your rank to show your current merit. You¡¯d fit easily into my D class at this point. You are almost skilled enough to start incorporating spells into your music. If you keep at it, I will give you a few private lessons next semester to boost you in the rankings for next year¡¯s music class. With proper dedication, you may reach as high as the B class by that time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Kizu had only heard Harvey¡¯s music infused with spellwork and it had been months since then. But what had been on display had been powerful. He wanted the ability to tap into that magic. The prospect of starting another branch of spellcraft excited him.


    With a final reminder to study for the final, Ignis left. It wasn¡¯t long after that the bell rang and dismissed them from Music F.


    When he arrived in Brewing S, he settled into his seat, ready for one of their final lectures. He was going to miss this class next semester. Knoff was meant to teach Numerology F, so he¡¯d still get to see the professor and he would still have access to the brewing supplies for his personal experimentations, but he wouldn¡¯t have the lessons anymore. Even if he knew most of the material, it felt good to review the knowledge and there was new information sprinkled in throughout the lessons. Professor Knoff knew far more than he taught. This was just the appropriate level for his peers.


    ¡°One last brew!¡± Professor Knoff said as a greeting. He was his eccentric persona today. Kizu noticed a long spoon stuck in his white puffball of hair. ¡°Before you all descend into the madness of finals. There is one last brew to teach you. Special, just for all of you, my sweet S classers. Today, we mold time itself!¡±


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    ¡°But temporal spellcraft is forbidden,¡± one student said, glancing at his peers.


    ¡°Bah! This is only the most surface level of temporal brews. Only one or two of you could handle anything more. If you¡¯re scared, go whine elsewhere. No time for that!¡±


    Kizu perked up. This was something new. He glanced over at Sene. She held a quill in a death-grip, ready to start her notes. She hungered for the knowledge, perhaps even more than Kizu.


    The rest of the student body shuffled nervously.


    Knoff snapped his fingers, causing a cauldron to snap into existence, clattering to the floor in front of him with a clang. He rapidly started listing ingredients. The majority of what he listed wasn¡¯t in the normal cabinets. Instead, he spoke about things found deep in the World Dungeon, like subterranean cacti and winged serpents called hebijikans. Kizu blinked at the name and description of the snake. That was the thing he¡¯d hunted with Ione. Knoff said the serpents could eat time itself and appear in the future. Their bite could preserve a moment. He then called them all over to different cauldrons.


    Kizu spread his small portion of the dead snake-monster at the bottom of his caudron. He then had to massage the creature¡¯s corpse, to get it to secrete a grayish liquid from between its scales.


    ¡°Elbow grease!¡± Knoff shouted at them unhelpfully. ¡°Put your back into it! Arclight not running you all hard enough? More effort!¡±


    After half an hour, Kizu had a slimy coating across the bottom of his cauldron and all over his hands. As they started into the next steps, Knoff finally began to explain exactly what they were creating.


    ¡°Stasis, is the most bare bones of anything temporal. There are spells that can be learned. But those take months of training to efficiently use. One of these potions, however, can freeze someone in time for an hour when consumed orally. They won¡¯t age, they won¡¯t think, they won¡¯t hunger. External forces can still affect them, but their bodies are perfectly preserved from the ever-oppressive decay of life.¡±


    As if on cue, one of the students in the class froze in place, her mouth agape as she stared down at her hands.


    Knoff leaped over a cauldron, giddy about the example. He snatched Sene¡¯s quill off of her desk and started to draw on the face of the student trapped in stasis. The professor¡¯s drawing skills were somehow even worse than Kizu¡¯s. His best guess was maybe he was attempting to draw for a lumpy flower.


    A minute later the student started moving again, looking a little confused. She touched her face, her fingertips coming back ink stained.


    ¡°Why did she only freeze for a minute?¡± one student asked.


    Knoff laughed maniacally, then called on Sene to answer the question.


    ¡°First, the potion is incomplete,¡± she said. ¡°Second, Professor Knoff literally just mentioned that the potion needs to be taken orally.¡±


    Something clicked in Kizu¡¯s mind. Obviously, the body could absorb things through its pores like he¡¯d just seen, but most potions worked best when taken orally. Which made him wonder about Anata¡¯s blood, which he had been absorbing through his skin for the last few months. The idea of drinking it was macabre and disgusting, but he frequently used other creatures¡¯ blood in potions. What exactly could be made from Anata¡¯s? Suddenly, he was very happy he kept her blood a secret. If someone like the crone discovered it, she would be in extreme danger.


    ¡°Correct! Correct!¡± Knoff said. ¡°Touching the right mixture will result in body stasis. Occasionally, only a partial stasis, which can cause all sorts of bodily issues, so be careful! And don¡¯t forget to wash your hands when you¡¯re finished!¡±


    ¡°Why would anyone purposefully drink something like this?¡±


    Kizu answered this time, already understanding its value. ¡°To move forward in time. If you don¡¯t age, you could skip ahead months or even years without altering your body. But you would need a lot. And someone you trust to watch over you. You¡¯d be completely vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Correct! I¡¯ve been commissioned six different times to mass produce this particular mixture. The wealthy elite love the idea of leaving everyone else behind for a better time. Mostly, it¡¯s used during the time of a scandal to skip ahead to when people have moved on and forgotten.¡±


    ¡°How much does it cost?¡± the student with ink all over her face asked.


    ¡°Oh, roughly 16,000,000 yennies a day for the ingredients.¡±


    Sene gasped. ¡°That means we each have over 660,000 yennies worth of materials in our cauldron.¡±


    ¡°Correct! My number 1 numerology student strikes again! But don¡¯t go selling it after class!¡±


    ¡°We have to return the potions when we¡¯re finished?¡± another student guessed.


    ¡°Incorrect!¡±


    That settled it for Kizu. He focused entirely on the next instructions. Unless he planned to hunt another hebijikan himself, he likely would never get another opportunity to use the ingredient. Knoff frequently broke away from his instructions on random tangents, but Kizu knew from his years living with the crone how to withtract the useful information from the lecture.


    By the end of class, he was pleased to have a new potion in his repertoire. And judging by Knoff¡¯s examination, he easily had the most potent version in the class. He resolved to save the valuable potion for when he needed it the most.


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 Chapter II.XLIV (2.44) - Gate

    Chapter C (100) - Gate


    ¡°You impressed Ignis,¡± Roba said, looking over his most recent results. ¡°He¡¯s raised you to rank 599. That¡¯s a substantial increase for only a couple months of practice.¡±


    Kizu half expected her to berate him for somehow cheating, but she seemed pleased by the rank movement. So pleased, in fact, that she immediately launched into details about how to properly perform the gate spell.


    ¡°So, boy,¡± she said, after finishing her lecture. ¡°Are you ready to attempt a gate?¡±


    Before Kizu could even respond in the affirmative, Roba jumped them to their usual training ground.


    ¡°For now, you should only attempt a short-range gate. Aim for it to be about the size of your thumb. The glyphs you enchant will magnify the result. Your goal today is to keep the portal open for a solid minute.¡±


    Kizu channeled his magic in the way Roba had taught him. It was similar to jumping, but more external. Instead of picturing himself, he solidified the image of the port and destination in his mind. He channeled into that image, creating a bridge to link the locations.


    It was only the size of a yennie, but a rift opened in front of him. A glance to the side showed him a mirror rift a couple meters away. Almost exactly where he¡¯d aimed it. He continued to channel into it


    Roba picked up a stick and approached the rift over to the side of him. She thrust the stick through. It suddenly appeared right in front of Kizu, jabbing him between the eyes. His concentration dropped as his hand reflexively reached up to massage the point of impact.


    The gate winked out of existence. The stick snapped in half and the ground at his feet.


    ¡°Why did you stop channeling?¡± Roba asked, waving her half of the stick in the air like a wand.


    Kizu glared at her. At that moment, she looked and sounded exactly like the crone.


    He knew better than to complain. Instead, he set up another gate. This time, a pebble fell on his head from above. He gave Roba a side-eye, while maintaining the gate. He suspected she had transported the pebble throughout an external jump. Theoretically, he read it was possible to force an outside force to move while not jumping oneself. But it was a tricky maneuver as the mage was only directly involved through the start of the spell. It gave a lot more room for error. But it wasn¡¯t surprising Roba would have mastered that. Especially in such a short distance jump.


    Six more times, pebbles and sticks prodded at him. The only time his concentration wavered a bit was when the ground below him swelled with elemental magic. But he regained his focus before fully allowing the distraction to break the spell.


    ¡°Good.¡± Roba waved a hand, dispelling his portal with antimagic. ¡°Maintaining that spell is vital. You have a decent foundation to build on. It could still be better, admittedly, but so long as you¡¯re expecting an interruption, you do passably well.¡±


    She then launched into an explanation of how to properly combine his enchanting with his spatial magic. He knew the basics from Professor Kateshi¡¯s lectures that involved linking enchantments to elemental and illusion spells, but he found Roba¡¯s explanation more thorough and exact.


    ¡°You must enchant each of the glyphs two at a time, matching them with its partner on the other side of your portal. Ten to twenty matching pairs should suffice, so long as your glyph work is passable. However, time is vital in this process. Give yourself at least two days between each pair of enchantments to recuperate your blood. Though I¡¯d recommend closer to four or five if you¡¯re also casting spells outside of these enchantments.¡±


    That wouldn¡¯t be necessary with Anata¡¯s help, but Kizu nodded along, listening intently to her instructions. By the end of his private lesson with Roba, he was giddy as he quickly went to Professor Kateshi¡¯s classroom to obtain the materials Finn had already reinforced.


    Finn had layered strengthening enchantments on the physical qualities of their portal. Enchantments to keep it from buckling under strain and from being scraped or water damaged. With that completed, Kizu was free to start working on glyphs for the actual utility of the portal.


    Their cache of materials was piled in the back of the classroom. Since they were designing their portal to function as two connected bookshelves, it lay in scattered pieces, waiting to be assembled.


    There were a few other unfinished student projects nearby as well. Kizu spotted what looked like clay body parts of a doll in one pile and what looked like a small pile of metal piercings in another.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu?¡± Kateshi asked, sounding surprised as she entered her classroom and spotted him in the back. She looked completely exhausted, with large dark bags under her eyes.


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    ¡°Professor Kateshi. Sorry, I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Kizu said as he lifted up a board of their portal bookshelf. ¡°I just finished a tutoring session with Roba and wanted to get started on my project as soon as possible before anything slipped out of memory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I was simply surprised to see a student here. How is your leg brace holding up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been working well.¡± He thought about mentioning the strain he¡¯d put it under during the school excursion to Tross but thought better of it. He was doing fine now.


    ¡°Hm, good. I¡¯ve been meaning to speak to you. Last week I met with some of the royal medics in Hon and your leg came up in our conversation. One of them thought she might be able to mend your leg with a new technique she¡¯s developed. It¡¯s experimental, but perhaps worth pursuing if it''s something still bothering you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Kizu¡¯s heart raced. He had almost written off the idea of having a permanent fix to his leg. He had been looking at temporary solutions like enhancement spells.


    ¡°It would involve breaking your leg apart again and realigning it to properly heal.¡±


    ¡°But you told me before that my leg was broken too extensively to do that. What¡¯s different about this technique?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are correct. Similar surgeries have been done to lesser degrees before, but your leg is an altogether more complex issue. However, my associate was intrigued by the challenge that your particular case posed. Your leg would need to be cut open to the bone and then shattered in exactly the right spots. Then the excess bone growth from the malunion needs to be shaved away in correct ratios. There are over three dozen locations that would need to be rebroken and reassembled. She told me it would be a step-by-step process where she breaks and heals the bone before peeling back the skin, fat, and muscle of the next break. And she would use an advanced divining technique to use your healthy leg as an example to find the correct ratios to keep the mangled leg from healing lopsided. The bone growth makes it an extraordinarily intensive task. If you choose to go through with the surgery, you¡¯ll have Shinzou Academy¡¯s financial support.¡±


    ¡°That would be amazing! When can I start?¡± It actually sounded extremely grisly, but Kizu didn¡¯t care in the slightest. It reminded him of some of the Crone¡¯s old punishments.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact her and let her know you¡¯re interested. Don¡¯t expect anything before the end of the semester though.¡±


    After dropping that news on him, she began to gather up the books she apparently had come here for. It looked bizarre as she stuffed the massive tomes into a spatially enchanted handbag. Kizu caught a glimpse of the spines and noted that they looked like astronomy books. He had expected the topics to be on medicine or enchanting, but he supposed the professors likely each had interests outside their fields.


    ¡°I have an alarm enchanted to let me know if you tinker with another group¡¯s work,¡± Kateshi warned as she exited through the classroom¡¯s painting. ¡°Keep that in mind and stick to your own project while you¡¯re here.¡±


    Kizu had no intention of touching anything other than his own work. And he doubted anyone in this class would want to sabotage his project. Well, other than Finn. But since Finn was stuck working alongside him, that was a nonissue. Probably.


    His lack of blood proved to be a problem. By the time he finished connecting two pairs of seals, he was already feeling woozy. In the end, he gathered up a pile of boards and made his way down to Owl¡¯s Respite to seek out Anata¡¯s help. The goal of the project had been to connect the two places with a gate to begin with, so if he assembled one end of the portal there, it would help test the capabilities before he submitted it as the enchanting final.


    When he arrived, panting and exhausted after dragging along more of the project than he rationally should have, he found Anata sitting in front of his scrying orb reading a book. He glanced over her shoulder at the book¡¯s title at the header of the page. The Reckless Wolf - Book 6 of Bean the Fox. Kizu had never heard of the series, but Anata obviously must like it a lot to already be on the sixth book. She¡¯d been reading a lot recently. While he still gave her reading and writing lessons daily, she mostly had moved on to mostly personal reading. She used his scrying orb in the last few weeks more than he ever had. Personally, he felt reading from the thing was a pretty tedious endeavor as it flashed words over its surface. It had information, but he couldn¡¯t do things like sketch out divination rituals or bookmark specific pages.


    Rather than interrupt Anata, Kizu went over to Sojan, who was in his usual spot at the ship¡¯s bow, fishing rod in hand. His arms had been reattached as if nothing had ever happened. Kizu stepped over the piles of blood-drained fish strewn across the deck.


    ¡°I have a question about something,¡± he said. It had been nagging at him for a few days now, ever since his talk with Basil.


    Sojan rolled his neck, looking back at him without repositioning his body.


    ¡°Is it about stabbing? You could definitely improve your technique.¡±


    ¡°I got you a body, didn¡¯t I? Stop complaining. It¡¯s something else.¡±


    Sojan stretched his gnome body and turned around. He smiled, giving Kizu his full attention.


    ¡°You mentioned before that you liked this new body because there wasn¡¯t a soul to contest with.¡±


    ¡°Very true! Extremely convenient. Efficient.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you wrestle control from a person¡¯s soul to puppet the body?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s rarely an issue. Just means I need to drink more blood. Only times it¡¯s really difficult is with a soul like that Blood Lord you stabbed.¡±


    ¡°When Basil inserted you into my back, did you notice anything about my soul?¡±


    ¡°You mean the lesion? Obviously I noticed that.¡±


    ¡°Lesion?¡±


    ¡°Like someone scooped out a piece. Left an easily exploitable divot. Not as easy as this glorious body, but still nice.¡± Sojan waved his arms to gesture at his current body. Kizu had to duck to avoid a fishing hook in the ear as the rod swung in Sojan¡¯s grip.


    ¡°From my bond to Mort?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Completely different. That was long healed up and solidified. This was new. But I don¡¯t know much about souls beyond bypassing them. You should try asking your necromancer pal about it.¡±


    Kizu really didn¡¯t want to bring up the fact he might have another entity wedged into his soul to Aoi. It was less intrusive than she would be upon finding out about his situation. So far, the entity had only helped him. But it had heard his discussion with Basil and taken control, which implied that it listened in on his conversations. There was no promise it wouldn¡¯t turn on him if it realized he wanted it removed. And Aoi was thorough in her questioning whenever it involved anything soul related.


    With no plain answers obtained, Kizu went back to glyph work for the portal. At the very least, that was something he could actually work on with a clear path forward.

 Chapter II.XLV (2.45) - Ballrooms, Libraries, and Warlords

    Chapter CI (101) - Ballrooms, Libraries, and Warlords


    ¡°Where are you going with those streamers? We need them on the east side to compliment the tablecloths.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s eye twitched as he looked down at the origami streamers in his hand. The little paper birds folded into the bottom were alive and cooing softly as Sene sped off in a different direction. The Student Council President was a whirlwind of motion as she crossed the ballroom, yelling different demands at people. Quite literally a whirlwind, as she used elemental magic to zoom across the area on a miniature tornado. She claimed to do so as a way of sucking up any dust from the floor, but Kizu suspected that she just enjoyed being able to inflict her demands on people faster. Unnecessary demands. As he had been actively walking to the east side of the ballroom when she¡¯d yelled at him. It had been like that all morning. Sene was overzealously micromanaging every centimeter of the ball¡¯s decoration.


    At least he still had the other two Student Council members to keep him sane. Ione had summoned one of the creatures they¡¯d encountered in the World Dungeon, the creepy invisible monsters with the jaws that hung ajar and reached the floor while its body remained attached to the ceiling. Somehow, she managed to convince Jak to crawl into the monster¡¯s mouth and he hung suspended in the air as he hooked up more streamers to the ballroom¡¯s ceiling.


    ¡°Have I mentioned how grateful I am that you joined the Student Council?¡± Kizu asked the gnome floating in the air above him. ¡°It would just be me and Sene doing everything otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I summoned the thing,¡± Ione pointed out.


    ¡°You made it more convenient for someone else doing work. That¡¯s not the same as doing work yourself.¡±


    ¡°I refute that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Jak said from above. ¡°Really, I¡¯m happy to help.¡±


    ¡°You give her a crumb, she¡¯ll eat the cake,¡± Kizu warned.


    ¡°You¡¯re more likely to eat someone¡¯s cake,¡± Ione said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your diet.¡±


    Jak swayed slightly as Ione¡¯s summon relaxed its jaw, lowering him back down.


    ¡°What¡¯s that thing called?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°Did you ever find out after we left the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Looked in all the bestiaries I could get my hands on. As far as I can tell, they¡¯re rare enough that I get to name it myself. I was thinking maybe calling them Kizus, after someone I know who shares a resemblance with them.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Ione chortled at her joke. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m naming them Lurkers. It¡¯s more descriptive. Actually, the discovery inspired me to start my own bestiary.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Jak asked, intrigued. ¡°Have you met that many magical creatures already?¡±


    ¡°Eh, a few. Only like a dozen well enough to summon them. And most of them are pretty situational. Like, when am I going to use a Lurker outside of interior decorating?¡±


    ¡°When being chased by bloodthirsty monsters?¡± Kizu suggested. To be honest, it seemed like a pretty useful summon in his opinion. Being able to set up an invisible obstacle to take out anyone tracking him could be invaluable.


    ¡°That only happens when I¡¯m with you. And if I did that, it would deny you the opportunity to grow as a person.¡±


    Jak apparently didn¡¯t know how to respond to that, as he took Kizu¡¯s streamers and stepped back in the monster¡¯s gaping maw.


    ¡°How often is this room used?¡± Kizu asked, changing the subject. ¡°I never knew we even had a ballroom before Sene mentioned it.¡±


    ¡°Mostly for the school dance, ceremonies, and school festival. And I think some clubs use the space for their activities.¡±


    ¡°School festival?¡±


    Ione shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t go last year or the year before. You can ask Sene about it though. It happens next semester after midterms.¡±


    As if summoned by Ione¡¯s words, Sene appeared and started telling Kizu to set up different enchanted objects on the other side of the ballroom.


    ¡°Go to the east side and roll out those disks along the sides. It needs to be an even split between spring and winter. West is winter, east is spring.¡±


    Kizu sighed, and went back to the winter side of the ballroom. The temperature was several degrees colder, which Sene insisted on for authenticity.


    The disks, as it turned out, were enchanted to create marvelous ice statues, carved and enchanted by masters of the craft. Ice wyverns and hydras stood alongside human-looking carvings. All of which moved about, as if alive. Thankfully, they couldn¡¯t leave the radius of their disks. Kizu reached out and tapped the stubby leg sticking out of a large, round-bodied ice creature. The top hemisphere of its head swiveled on its spherical body to look down at him.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kizu quickly apologized. ¡°I just wanted to see if you were real.¡±


    It made no reply, just going back to sitting on its disk and staring off into the distance.


    Snow began to fall from above. Startled, Kizu looked up and spotted Sene on her whirlwind above him, in the middle of creating a complex enchantment on the ceiling overhead. Large flakes lazily drifted down and coated the west side of the ballroom.


    After setting up the tables for the caterers, Kizu finally managed to dismiss himself from the ballroom. If he didn¡¯t duck out now, Sene would undoubtedly add more tasks onto his now completed list.


    They were entering into the final week of the semester, which meant a week of vigorous testing and presentations. Unlike the tests used for placements, these paper tests were used to gauge students¡¯ retention of the lessons offered. They were focused exclusively on topics discussed in class. In some ways, people cared more about these tests than the rank placement tests as the latter were exclusively confidential, only showing the placement, not the test themselves. The finals, however, could be accessed by future employers who filed a request to Shinzou Academy. Not only could they view the scores, but also the notes left by the professors on the performance tests. This meant the majority of the student body was crunching down on their studies.


    The library was filled to the brim with students. Kizu passed over the doorway into the Living Library¡¯s wing. The assistant librarian incharge, a boy with a lazy eye and spectacles too large for his small head, sneered as he passed by the front desk.


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    ¡°Monkey boy, I need your credentials. You¡¯re not allowed here.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Kizu stopped. ¡°Kateshi¡¯s given me permission. Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°Then show it, you half-wit.¡±


    Kizu blinked at the odd hostility from the boy. He looked like a frail first-year. Had he maybe beaten him in one of the recent combat contests?


    ¡°Listen. You have my name on file. Kaga Kizu. I¡¯ve been here nearly everyday for weeks now.¡±


    ¡°Your pass?¡±


    Kizu had the permission slip in his bag, but he didn¡¯t feel like showing it. He didn¡¯t need to. They had him on record. They knew his face. But the boy didn¡¯t make any move to check the massive leather tome over to his left. He just sat at the front desk with his arms folded, glaring down his nose at Kizu.


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing my job.¡±


    ¡°Not very well. I just gave you my name. Look me up in the record book over there if you have doubts. It¡¯s been magically enchanted to record my information. I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Kizu stepped away and the boy started crying out. Wailing about an intruder. All eyes went to Kizu. He saw more than one other student reach for a wand in surprise.


    Another assistant librarian, a girl with glasses and a friendly smile, rushed over. She quickly shuffled her coworker out of the room, saying soft, soothing words to him to calm him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she apologized to the room after she successfully pushed him out a door. ¡°All is fine, just a brief misunderstanding.¡±


    A few students chuckled but most simply rolled their eyes and returned to their readings. The librarian then turned her attention to Kizu. He recognized her as one of the regulars at the front desk.


    ¡°Sorry, Kaga,¡± she said. ¡°We just moved him over here. He was stationed in the Archive Library until yesterday. He spilled a bottle of invisible ink all over the table there and didn¡¯t tell anyone. Now there are invisible ink fingerprints covering at least a hundred different volumes. Professor Krimpit demanded he be moved.¡±


    ¡°Not fired?¡± Kizu asked, curious.


    ¡°If only. Nobody ever complains about him too loudly. Not while his brother is still here.¡± She glanced around then leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. ¡°He¡¯s a half-troll.¡±


    Then it made sense where Kizu had seen him before. He vaguely recalled that he was the librarian from his very first visit here when he brought Mort along. Gob Lucas¡¯ half-brother. The one Harvey had insulted.


    ¡°Please, in the future just show him your pass,¡± she pleaded. ¡°I know it¡¯s annoying, but it¡¯s easier for everyone.¡±


    Kizu reluctantly agreed and she thanked him profusely. She tried to change the topic, shifting it over to the dance of all things. But Kizu didn¡¯t want to think of that right now. He managed to excuse himself and started going off to his usual nook to study.


    But then he hesitated and changed course, taking a detour over to the side. For over a month, he had his eye on a specific shelf and decided today was the day to explore it. If that other librarian was going to be checking his pass everyday now, he wanted to explore the shelf before he lost access to the Living Library next semester.


    It was near the section with gate enchantment guides, but a slightly different topic within the field of spatial magic. Dimensionalism.


    He tapped the spines of the books until he found one that caught his eye. Pocket Dimensions Made Easy. It sounded like a perfect place for a beginner to start. The book looked to be only a couple dozen pages long, but like everything in the Living Library, it was more than it seemed. Kizu skimmed through over a hundred pages as he studied over the next few hours.


    Pocket dimensions were surprisingly a lot like enchantments. Often the two were actually combined, the enchantments enhancing the capabilities and stabilizing the spell, but not always. There were notes about spaces in the wild where space warped, creating larger or smaller spaces than rationally should exist, and a powerful spatial mage could actually create more space or less, like an elementalist creating or destroying an element. While not a pocket dimension, it was an adjacent subject and had an entire chapter dedicated to the topic. It even listed out some mathematical formulas that went way over Kizu¡¯s head.


    He also learned that many pocket dimensions, like the ring gifted to him by Allik, were designed for storage and couldn¡¯t sustain life. Living things dropped inside usually died from a lack of oxygen after only a few minutes. They also didn¡¯t usually have a way out from the inside. Kizu shuddered, grateful he never considered putting Mort in there.


    He lost himself in the book until he eventually looked up and realized the majority of the other students had cleared out. Being the start of finals week, the library remained open at all hours, but most people still slept at night.


    Since curfew was lifted for final¡¯s week, Kizu decided to go pick up a few more wooden shelf boards for his bookshelf portal. He was so close to finishing it. So he put the book away and headed off to Kateshi¡¯s classroom.


    Kizu froze as he entered through the painting. An adult stood in the back of the classroom, examining the many half-complete projects scattered around the room. And it wasn¡¯t Professor Kateshi.


    Prince Inari, Warlord of Hon, turned to face Kizu.


    ¡°Bit past your bedtime, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± he said with a dry smile.


    Kizu knew he should just turn around and leave. That would be the smart thing to do. But he was still irritated from his confrontation in the library earlier. He was tired of people trying to push him around. So, instead of being intelligent, he spoke up.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep. Professor Kateshi told me I could come work on my project whenever.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± His cold blue eyes bore into Kizu. ¡°I recognize you. Why is that?¡±


    Kizu held the gaze. His leg throbbed. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Then Inari snapped his fingers, his smile spitting into an ear to ear grin. ¡°The kid with the leg!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what-¡± Kizu started to say. But then the air left his lungs.


    He struggled to breathe. Touching his throat, his mind flashed back to his fight with Ulric. This was the same thing. The warlord was using the same spell on him again. Calming himself, he closed his eyes and focused. It was just like swimming. So long as he didn¡¯t panic, he knew how to hold his breath for well over a minute underwater. Then a thought occurred to him. Just like swimming. He pushed against Inari¡¯s spell, creating an air bubble like Aoi had taught him back on Owl¡¯s Respite. It didn¡¯t work. It was too spread out. He opened his eyes.


    Inari didn¡¯t even watch as Kizu fell to his knees. He examined his raised fingernail, inspecting them for dirt. There was nothing somatic about his spell. Anyone who walked in wouldn¡¯t even be able to tell. The same as before in the arena. But this time the warlord also showed no sign of letting up on the spell.


    Kizu refocused. He condensed the spell into a small ball of fresh oxygen inside his mouth. Then he shoved it down into his throat. He felt it settle in his lungs.


    He gasped in the air as Inari¡¯s spell broke.


    ¡°Well done.¡± Inari applauded. ¡°You¡¯ve improved. Quite quickly. Next time you lie, I¡¯ll try something new.¡±


    Kizu glared at the man.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Inari raised an eyebrow. ¡°You counter one simple spell and think you can start making demands? Would you like another? People in agony are a bit obnoxiously loud, but I do love watching a good display. Perhaps I could practice a mute hex on you simultaneously. A double hex maybe? Those are certainly a fun challenge. Something to think on.¡±


    Kizu opened his mouth to respond but suddenly bit down on his tongue, his mouth filling with the tang of blood. He tried to open his mouth and found he couldn¡¯t. He thought maybe it was another spell from Inari and prepared an antimagic barrier, but then a voice from within him spoke.


    Not now. Not with him.


    ¡°Silence suits you.¡± His eyes went over to the midterm projects at the back of the classroom. ¡°I¡¯ll be off now. I¡¯m sufficiently bored by you and your peers¡¯ toys. A disappointing display.¡±


    He passed Kizu on his way to the exit.


    ¡°I look forward to our next meeting. I won¡¯t forget you now and next time I promise to have something new for you.¡±

 Chapter II.XLVI (2.46) - Finals

    Chapter CII (102) - Finals


    Basil did not show up for Enchanting C. It was their final class before their presentations. Finn was livid.


    ¡°Of course your friend would be an unreliable, lethargic idiot,¡± he said to Kizu. ¡°Imagine anything else from a person who can¡¯t even commit to a single skin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not any happier about this than you are. But Basil¡¯s not an idiot. He¡¯s just lazy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s worse! Though I don¡¯t believe it. He¡¯s a buffoon.¡±


    Finn ranted to Kizu for the entire class period. In his anger with Basil, he forgot that he hated Kizu. Kizu sighed and listened to his brother¡¯s tirade. Nothing had the power to bring people together quite like mutual frustration.


    Kizu had sent Basil a message a few days earlier about the project via his scrying orb. And received no reply. The worst part was, if Basil didn¡¯t want to be found, Kizu would have no hope of tracking him down. All he had to do was stay away from their dorm and blend in with the student body to become completely indiscernible from everyone else. Kizu would likely need to handle the trigger mechanism himself now.


    While Finn complained, Kizu got to work on mapping out the mechanics of the needed enchantment. It really wasn¡¯t very complicated. He thought he could pull it off by the end of the week when the projects were due. Everything else was set up, the bookshelf assembled in the back of the classroom and the other in the crew quarters of Owl¡¯s Respite. Both were enchanted with the correct warding scheme to connect them. Hypothetically, all he needed was the proper trigger. It would be cutting it close, but he thought he could have it finished. They had until the day after the Winter¡¯s End Ball to complete the assignment.


    The other finals were taken in class. Astronomy¡¯s class test turned out to be a simplified version of the one he took biweekly for Roba. Only this version contained questions that directly addressed in the class¡¯s lectures. Kizu breezed through it. However, the final question gave him pause. It asked for a report of the school excursion, requesting that he detail out what he learned and how he had since applied it in his life. That proved tricky, as astronomy wasn¡¯t exactly something he really used in his daily life. In the end, he wrote about how the same knowledge from different sources can give a different perspective on the star constellation¡¯s meanings. What he actually learned on the excursion was several unique applications for dozens of different arctic plants and creatures in brewing, but he was pretty sure that wasn¡¯t what Professor Grove was looking for in an astronomy final.


    Elemental F was the easiest, as Professor Oasaji just wanted to see a unique elemental spell perfected by the students. Kizu demonstrated the perfected version of his fire fist spell and passed with flying colors.


    As it turned out, in Music F, the entire semester they were all supposed to be practicing together for a mock concert performance. If Ignis had mentioned that previously, it had been lost in the cacophony of the class.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to miss this,¡± Gregor said, repeatedly slamming his fist into his drum at an off-beat tempo.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be here again next year,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°Yeah, but you and Yon will be gone. You, to bigger and better things in a more prestigious class, and him to wherever they¡¯ll hire him. It won¡¯t be the same ever again.¡±


    That was true, Kizu realized as he looked around the room. They¡¯d never again all be together making noise simultaneously. The thought made him a bit melancholy.


    And then a student started blindly staggering around the room, crashing into everyone¡¯s instruments, his head stuck inside a massive tuba. The melancholy was immediately replaced by relief.


    ¡°You¡¯ll survive,¡± Tara said. ¡°We¡¯ll all still be around in the academy next semester. Nobody¡¯s dying.¡±


    ¡°Certain?¡± Gregor asked. ¡°Krimpt¡¯s final might very well have a few casualties this year.¡±


    The Brewing S final was a paper test. Kizu was surprised when he realized it actually posed a bit more of a challenge than the standard placement tests. He still answered everything correctly, but a couple questions actually gave him pause. He supposed Knoff wanted to push them with this final test. It was an S ranked class, after all. His peers were still sweating over the test as Kizu handed his in. Since he had spare time, Knoff let him go and experiment with some potions over on the side behind the curtained off area.


    Kizu hadn¡¯t forgotten that Knoff was looking for a cure for his fractured soul. And now that Kizu was aware of his own internal defect, his drive for studying the subject was accelerated. Unfortunately, his few tests proved fruitless, the potions fizzling out as a result of a very clear defect.


    The next day was the dreaded History F final. Krimpt was ruthless with his test. Kizu stared down at the paper, skimming it for anything he might know the answer to. Nothing stood out to him. Not until he reached the final question. It asked for a short answer written response to - ¡°Why were the witches of the Hon Basin exiled and trapped within their jungle?¡±


    Kizu stared at the question for a long minute. He 100 percent knew Krimpit included this question for him specifically. He longed to answer it just as he had on the very first day, claiming that they weren¡¯t exiled at all. But he remembered the headmaster¡¯s lesson. History was far more malleable than one simple answer. He sighed and wrote what he believed to be Professor Krimpt¡¯s truth. Something about an emperor¡¯s execution of three witch coven leaders after they cursed his daughter. The crone had told the story to him before, though in such a wildly different context that he hadn¡¯t connected it to Krimpt¡¯s question until only a couple weeks ago. He left out the part of the story where the cursed daughter had later joined the covens, thinking that part likely didn¡¯t make it into the history books.


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    ¡°Welcome back!¡± Arclight greeted them as they all filed into the courtyard. ¡°This semester you have learned the very basics of combat, and I¡¯m incredibly impressed by each of you! You have all improved and you should all take pride in your advancements.¡±


    Kizu looked around at his classmates. They did, in fact, look pretty proud of themselves as they grinned at one another. Arclight¡¯s attitude was infectious.


    ¡°Next semester we will be back here again. As you know, this is the only class that is attended every semester of your time at Shinzou Academy. However, it will be structured fundamentally differently as we will be focusing on applying your new skills in a practical sense. So prepare yourself for an altogether different experience.


    ¡°In the meantime though, I believe you all have a final to complete. It¡¯s a simple enough assignment. Just as we first met, you must come at me with everything you can muster. Show me your growth!¡±


    They lined up by height, just as Kizu had done on the day of his arrival at Shinzou Academy. He stood in the back and watched as his peers stepped forward to attack Arclight. Every blow attempted was parried, blocked, or dodged. Still, Kizu actually could see the improvement in their actions as they attacked. Most lacked the wild abandon they first arrived with, and none of them used wands or other conduits.


    Evie¡¯s fight with Arclight surprised him the most. On her first day she had failed to properly conjure a monster, messing up its binding marks, and Arclight had needed to step in to save the Kemon girl. This time though, Evie went with an entirely different strategy.


    She enhanced her quills to function like needles and shot them at Arclight. And, as the battle mage blocked them, the detached needles burst with different elemental magic, attempting to pierce through Arclight¡¯s physical shield of air, only to be stopped by her steel-like antimagic shield.


    The strategy reminded Kizu of Basil¡¯s tactic against the bloodspawn. He had flung pieces of his oozey flesh to act as a conduit for explosive results. Unfortunately, Evie was significantly less successful than the Ooze Harbinger.


    Arclight still seemed pleased by the showing and praised her for the ingenuity of her technique. Then she sent her aside with the other spectating students and moved on.


    ¡°No familiar, Kaga Kizu?¡± Arclight asked as he approached.


    ¡°He¡¯s sleeping. I didn¡¯t realize this would be the assignment, otherwise I would have brought him along.¡±


    ¡°Too bad, I wished to see how you¡¯d improved with your bond. Nevertheless, this is meant to represent a sudden fight, with no time to prepare. So show me what else you¡¯ve learned!¡±


    Arclight beckoned him forward with a hand.


    Kizu stood still, feet planted solidly in the dirt and waited. And waited. Finally, Arclight cocked her head and opened her mouth to speak, then Kizu attacked. He jumped behind her, leaving behind an after image illusion of himself. If it bought him time, it made no difference as she spun with inhuman speed and blocked his enhanced punch with a raised arm. Kizu opened his fist just before impact and gripped the professor¡¯s arm, then he lit his hand up with flames.


    Arclight¡¯s smile widened, completely unbothered by the fire on her arm. Kizu prepared himself to disengage, expecting an antimagic shield at any moment. Instead, Arclight jumped to the side.


    He stumbled forward, no longer pressed against the professor, but caught himself.


    ¡°I see. This is what Roba¡¯s been teaching you? Excellent choice, Kaga Kizu! But can you land a blow on me now?¡±


    He scattered half a dozen mirror images of himself throughout the courtyard and overlay himself with one of them as well. He added a defect to the form of the one over himself, making its jaw unevenly matched with its cheekbones. The idea was to make himself indistinguishable from those other illusions and mask himself from her spellsense, the defect hopefully making her write him off as a fake.


    It was dizzying, but he then engaged in each of the illusions jumping around the courtyard, striking at Arclight.


    She also rapidly jumped around, narrowly dodging every strike from himself and the illusions alike. Kizu thought he had her, overwhelming her with numbers, but then she closed her eye.


    His illusions¡¯ attacks passed harmlessly through her, but as he jumped beside her, she jumped away immediately. She had another way of sensing him. At first, he thought it was a more advanced version of spellsense, but then he realized his problem. His illusions made no noise. She simply listened for his approach and blocked out all other distractions. And she was likely closing her eye to give him a hint of her new tactic.


    For the next five minutes he played cat and mouse with the battle mage as she jumped around the courtyard. A couple times he felt himself get dragged a bit off course by the academy¡¯s beacon, but for the most part his jumps were exact. Finally, she opened her eye and caught one of his blows.


    ¡°Incredible improvement,¡± Arclight said, stepping back and evaluating him. ¡°Tell me, why didn¡¯t you attempt to jump into me, like you did with Ulric? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re squeamish?¡±


    The question startled him, he hadn¡¯t known she knew about that fight. For a moment, he was hesitant to admit to breaking the older student¡¯s knee, but if Roba already knew there was no point in not telling her.


    ¡°You likely have an innate protection,¡± Kizu said once he recovered. ¡°If I attempted that it would have put me at a disadvantage as you would have known better than me where I¡¯d actually end up.¡±


    ¡°Very good! An excellent appraisal of your opponent. You would have indeed ended up redirected in front of my fist.¡± She raised her arm and showed him a tattoo that circled her wrist like a bracelet.


    ¡°Overall, leaps and bounds superior to your first performance. Before, you had skill with your illusions, but now you¡¯ve learned to be imaginative and inventive with them. Next semester you¡¯ll learn to cover a few of your current weaknesses in your new classes. I look forward to seeing what you have for me in a few months! This year¡¯s tournament will certainly be entertaining!¡±


    Kizu bowed awkwardly and walked over to join his classmates.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± one of them whispered. ¡°You went toe to toe with Arclight.¡±


    Kizu recognized the speaker as one of the student¡¯s he had fought in the weekend contests. He had humiliated her in front of a crowd of onlookers. Shame burned his cheeks with the memory.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. She was just testing me and pushing to see my limits. All she did was dodge and block, the same as everyone else.¡±


    Still, despite him pointing that out, his other peers continued to praise him. And with that test out of the way, all of Kizu¡¯s finals were complete save for Enchanting C¡¯s.


    Arclight launched into another speech and Kizu listened with a smile. While he wasn¡¯t as good as the others in the class thought, he had improved. And that was the most important thing.

 Chapter II.XLVII (2.47) - Winter鈥檚 End Ball

    Chapter CIII (103) - Winter¡¯s End Ball


    Anata swirled in her ballgown, giggling as the blue fabric twisted around her legs. After helping the girl into the outfit, Aoi had bummed a jump off Kizu and started back up to the academy. When Kizu asked the necromancer why she wanted to head back up instead of studying on Owl¡¯s Respite, she surprised him by saying she had a date to the ball.


    Kizu felt immense gratitude at having his niece go with him. The thought of bringing an actual date tied his stomach up in knots. This was definitely the right decision. It was less stressful for him and made his niece extremely excited.


    He wore the formal outfit Basil sewed for him several months ago. While the green and brown outfit didn¡¯t match with Anata¡¯s blue and pink dress, Kizu didn¡¯t really care much.


    With Mort riding on her shoulder, they set out towards the academy. Mort wore a pink neckerchief to match Anata. It only cost Kizu a dozen puncture wounds on his hands from the monkey¡¯s teeth.


    These day¡¯s Mort spent more time with Anata than he did with Kizu. They still went on their nightly runs around the forest, scavenging for brewing supplies, but Kizu dedicated too much time to books for Mort¡¯s taste. He preferred playing games with Anata and messing around with the skeleton gnome sailors. With spring break fast approaching though, Kiz was looking forward to spending more time with his familiar.


    When they arrived at the corridor in front of the ballroom, they approached a James stationed in front of the double doors.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Kizu said. ¡°You have masks for us, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, simply place your head in the helmet and visualize what you would like.¡± The James gestured at two full head helmets laid out on a table. They were round metal domes with no eye slits. The only opening was the base.


    First, Kizu lifted Mort off Anata¡¯s head and slid one of the offered helmets onto her. He didn¡¯t bother taking off the circlet she wore everywhere, the helmet fit over it without issue. It wobbled, far too large for her tiny skull, but it should work just fine. Then he placed one on his own head, picturing a simple green eye mask, to match his outfit.


    Professor Kateshi had gifted them the enchanted objects as an apology, of a sort, for thrusting the masquerade theme on them so suddenly. She had crafted the devices herself and as Kizu removed the helmet and examined himself in the mirror, he had to marvel at the skill of a master enchanter. The green eye mask was exactly as he had pictured it in his mind.


    He helped Anata remove her helmet and sighed at the thing plastered on her face. A bat had wrapped itself across her face, with slits in its wings to see out of. She rapidly looked between himself and the mirror on the table, smiling giddily.


    ¡°Very creative,¡± Kizu complimented. He had practically no knowledge of fashion, but even he could see it clashing spectacularly with her baby blue ballgown with pink accents. It didn¡¯t really matter though.


    They entered the ballroom.


    The last Kizu had seen of it, it had all still been a work in progress. Just the bones of the decorations. Now though, it was like walking into another world.


    Half of the room was a winter wonderland, with snow covered pines and an ice-skating rink surrounded by the ice sculptures he had set up. The other half was a springtime paradise, with pink cherry blossoms stretching over a babbling creek and origami animals scattered about among the chatting students. That extra budget Kateshi had given them hadn¡¯t gone to waste. The caterers had supplied all manner of treats, split between winter themed and spring themed foods.


    In the center of it all, students danced while a small orchestra played over to the side. One thing Kizu couldn¡¯t help but notice though was how sparsely populated the winter side of the ballroom was. While looking beautiful, he quickly realized the low temperature kept everyone at bay.


    The students all wore masks. To his dismay, he realized Anata¡¯s stood out far less than his own. He remained in a minority of standard looking masks while the majority opted for bizarrely inventive objects on their faces.


    Ione saw him and waved him over. Accompanying her was none other than Jak the gnome. She wore a mask that looked like her skin peeled back to show the red brains under her skull while thick, demonic horns spiraled off of her forehead. While Jak countered that look with a mask covered in exotic feathers of every color imaginable. His eye holes glinted, rainbow glass replacing his usual spectacles. The sight of them together made Kizu feel weird and unsettled, but he shoved the feeling away as they approached.


    ¡°Ooh, I love your mask Anata,¡± Ione said cheerily. ¡°You came up with that on your own?¡±


    ¡°Decided to stick to something more traditional?¡± Jak asked Kizu.


    ¡°You mean, boring,¡± Ione corrected before Kizu could answer. ¡°We had the option to choose anything at all, and that¡¯s what you went with? You look a pair with my sister.¡±


    Kizu scanned the crowd, looking for Sene. He spotted her talking to Professor Kateshi and a few officially dressed adults wearing full blank facemasks that Kizu assumed to be the judges. While they wore full oval facemasks with no distinguishable features besides their colors, Sene wore an eye mask akin to his own. The only difference was that hers was black, to match her conservative dress, instead of his green.


    Kizu groaned. Of course he had to match Sene of all people.


    "I''d be careful if I were you," Ione said in a conspiratorial whisper, crouching next to Anata. "I think your date might be two-timing you."


    Kizu rolled his eyes. "Who is Sene''s date, anyway?"


    "She didn''t bring one."


    "Wait, seriously? She made a big fuss about us finding one."


    "She''s above such things," Jak said dryly. "Likely believes she doesn''t have time to waste on dating."


    While Sene wasn''t the easiest person to get along with, Kizu still felt bad for the girl. He doubted Sene attended the ball alone by choice.


    The song changed and Jak asked Ione to dance. She shrugged and joined him on the floor. Kizu thought the image almost comical, as the gnome wasn''t even a full meter tall, but realized with a bit of mirth that his own dance companion was the same. He''d likely look far more silly than them, soon enough. Besides, at least Jak looked like knew how to dance as he guided Ione through the steps. As a child, Anna had taught him the basic dance steps, but those memories were buried so deep as to be irrelevant.


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    But it wasn''t like he cared about looking foolish.


    "May I have this dance?" Kizu asked Anata, holding out a hand to her. She giddily grabbed it and dragged him out onto the dancefloor.


    They bumbled around, getting in everyone else''s way as they spun around. People began to dance in the other direction whenever he and Anata approached. He considered dancing up closer to Ione but decided against it. Getting in Ione¡¯s way was one thing, but he¡¯d feel bad about ruining Jak¡¯s night.


    He was enjoying himself, right up until he saw Emilia. She wore an elaborately designed half face mask, covering the left side of her face. Ulric, her dance partner, wore the other half of the mask on the right side of his face. Despite himself, Kizu took satisfaction in the large limp Ulric endured while dancing. His teeth were clenched, smiling through pain. A quick glance with his spellsense showed that Ulric kept himself standing with an enhancement spell.


    Rationally, he shouldn¡¯t feel jealous. He had been the instigator of terminating their relationship. But unfortunately, he didn¡¯t feel particularly rational.


    Anata tugged on his sleeve, making Kizu realize he had stopped dancing in the middle of the floor. He smiled at her and tried to resume, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it anymore. After a bit more swaying and twirling, they returned to the edge to go find some food.


    Kizu, knowing Anata¡¯s penchant for finding trouble, never let his niece out of his sight. Not when there were so many people around. And it was a good thing too, as someone with a full-face mask stylized like a perpetually overly smiley person took a knee beside her and started speaking. She reached out to touch Anata but jerked back as Mort lurched forward to bite her hand.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Kizu butted in, putting himself between the masked person and Anata. ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    He expected to hear the voice of a friend, someone familiar with Anata. Instead, it was a squeaky voiced girl whose pitch kept warbling. He immediately felt something off about her.


    ¡°Is this your sister?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your business,¡± Kizu responded coldly.


    ¡°Not my business that you came with a child? It¡¯s certainly odd. She¡¯s definitely not old enough to be a student here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Not your business,¡± Kizu repeated. ¡°Take it up with the headmaster.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he already knows, does he? My mistake.¡±


    The woman took her leave, glancing back over her shoulder to look down at Anata. Kizu figured she must be a caterer and made a note to ask Sene about her after the dance. Whatever restaurant that woman was from, they wouldn¡¯t be catering any other Student Council activities if Kizu had his way.


    ¡°You need to be careful,¡± Kizu warned Anata as he handed her a glass of punch. ¡°I know the people you¡¯ve met on the surface seem friendly and trustworthy. But not everyone is. Keep your guard up. And stay with me or one of our friends.¡±


    Anata nodded and sipped her drink. The visible part of her face lit up at the taste and she started guzzling the juice.


    Speaking of friends, Kizu spotted Aoi gracefully swoop past. The princess obviously had extensive dance training as she elegantly glided across the floor. She wore a skeletal mask and her usual pair of braids, which was a dead giveaway to her identity for Kizu. Her partner, on the other hand, Kizu didn¡¯t recognize. It was another teenage girl, though a bit taller, wearing an even more luxurious dress than the princess. It cut low, exposing far more than just a perfect set of shoulders. Her mask was equally as dazzling, a multicolor display that glinted in the light and reflected it back.


    ¡°Basil?¡± Kizu asked Anata.


    Mort hummed in agreement from his spot on top of Anata¡¯s head. She giggled, wiping her mouth with her dress¡¯ sleeve.


    ¡°Yeah, nobody else at the academy would wear a light show on their face. Good to see he and Aoi finally made up.¡±


    As they lounged off to the side, Kizu spectated the other students. It was a fun challenge to discern who was who under the masks.


    He spotted his Music F classmates, Tara and Gregor dancing together with Tara pressed so closely that Gregor practically carried her across the dancefloor. And Yon danced with a partner off in the less popular winter side of the ballroom. They both wore suits and Yon looked uncharacteristically happy.


    Edgar, the medical assistant that had helped him at the beginning of the semester, danced alongside one of Emilia¡¯s followers. And his old girlfriend Raygen, the student responsible for ¡®healing¡¯ Kizu¡¯s leg, danced nearby with an unfamiliar boy. It looked as if she was trying to get her ex¡¯s attention, but Edgar¡¯s eyes were focused solely on the girl in his arms.


    Tip and Weston, friends of Ulric and Harvey, both had dates, but there was no sign of Harvey anywhere. Unsurprising, but Kizu still found himself a bit sad. Date or no date, the Harvey from the start of the semester wouldn¡¯t have missed this dance for the world.


    Kizu also noticed his brother¡¯s absence, though that was even less surprising than Harvey. Finn showed no sign of affection for anything other than studying. The fact that Kizu had lived with a hag in the jungle for ten years and somehow turned out more sociable than his brother was an irony not lost on him.


    A few of the professors participated in the festivities as well. Arclight and Oasaji danced together, the turkey wearing a human face mask over his face, though his red wattle still stuck out from below, making the face look decapitated. Arclight lifted the turkey up and threw him into the air, he spiraled back down in a glide before they resumed their dance seamlessly.


    Emilia had moved on from the dancefloor and onto the ice-skating rink off to the side. Kizu recalled her explaining the sport to him back at the festival. She showed off her skill, leaping and twirling across the ice with even more grace than she¡¯d displayed while dancing. Ulric stood applauding off to the side.


    Looking down at Anata, she watched the dancers with complete fixation. Wonder clearly written across her face. He knew he¡¯d made the right choice in priorities.


    ¡°Want a break from nannying?¡± Ione asked, appearing from the dancefloor with Jak to her side. Her face was covered in sweat, dripping down to her cheeks from beneath her demon mask.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay watching her for a minute?¡± Kizu asked.


    Ione waved him away and he maneuvered along the edges of the crowd until he reached the front of the ballroom. Sene stood, looking up at the judges who had just seated themselves in wooden thrones that hovered above the crowds, overlooking the dance floor.


    ¡°Do you want to dance?¡± Kizu asked her. He felt that he should at least offer. She had set up this entire party and didn¡¯t even have a date to show for it. He felt bad.


    Sene didn¡¯t respond for a minute. Then she looked over her shoulder and started.


    ¡°Were you asking me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one I¡¯m looking at.¡±


    She bit her lip, looking up at the judges who were chatting amongst themselves. Two of the seats, likely belonging to the tutors they¡¯d hired, were empty but the others each wore the full oval facemasks Kizu had spotted earlier in the night.


    ¡°Yes, I suppose. But only for a minute.¡± She took his arm and guided him off to the side.


    ¡°Ah, before we start, I should warn you that I have no idea what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll lead, you follow.¡±


    Sene was very forceful as she directed their movements. He could tell they looked stiff, but far less chaotic than his dance with Anata. Sene smiled to herself as they danced. For a moment, she looked like her sister. Perhaps that was the biggest difference between the two of them. One of them was far happier than the other.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you arrive early for the dance instructions?¡± Sene asked. ¡°You knew we hired some of the best tutors available. And they¡¯re still about somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I decided it wasn¡¯t worth the bother. I was going to stand out with my dance partner regardless.¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t expect to get very far in that competition you arranged. These professionals are picky people. And the other judges are high nobility as far as I can tell. They¡¯ve questioned me about almost every student here. Likely they¡¯re using this as a political move and are going to vote for whoever¡¯s family is in their best graces.¡±


    Kizu processed that as Sene pushed him forward and out of a couple¡¯s way. She sounded irritated by the process, which he supposed made sense. As far as he could tell, Sene had achieved all of her positions by her own academic merit.


    ¡°Thank you for the dance,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re terrible, but I enjoyed it. Now, the competition is about to begin. I need to go facilitate things, go find your partner.¡±

 Chapter II.XLVIII (2.48) - Dance Competition

    Chapter CIV (104) - Dance Competition


    When Kizu rejoined Anata and Ione, he found Ione engaged in a confrontation with another one of the full-masked students. This one had colored swirls over his mask.


    ¡°Sod off,¡± Ione said. ¡°You¡¯re annoying.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°I was just asking some questions, that¡¯s all,¡± the boy said defensively. ¡°I wanted to know what¡¯s going on with the little girl. Thought it might be some sort of curse.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not cursed,¡± Kizu said coldly. ¡°But you¡¯re about to be if you don¡¯t get lost.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± The boy lifted his arms in defeat. ¡°You¡¯re Kaga Kizu, right? I hardly want to get on your bad side. Heard what happened to Ulric.¡±


    Once the boy left, Kizu turned to Ione.


    ¡°What¡¯s his deal?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain,¡± Jak said instead. ¡°Bunch of them have been going around asking questions to people who stand out. I was asked about my heritage over a dozen times in just the last hour.¡±


    ¡°Annoying pricks,¡± Ione said. ¡°Leave people alone to enjoy the night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty used to being questioned,¡± Jak continued. ¡°But it¡¯s strange how all the questioners have been wearing similar masks. It¡¯s as if they¡¯re hiding who they are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s suspicious,¡± Kizu agreed. ¡°But not our problem. I just spoke to Sene. It likely has to do with political posturing.¡±


    He considered finding Aoi and Basil and warning them, but thought better of it. Aoi had more experience with political maneuvering than any other student he knew. Well, except maybe for Emilia.


    ¡°The competition is about to begin,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°Ready to fail?¡± Ione asked.


    ¡°See you in the loser¡¯s bracket.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t brackets,¡± Jak said, confused. ¡°We just get eliminated.¡±


    Sene¡¯s voice cut them off, the music ending while her instructions boomed over the ballroom. Everyone with a partner interested in the competition entered into the center of the dance floor.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kizu whispered to Anata. ¡°I have a strategy. Stand on my feet and I think we can get through this painlessly.¡±


    Anata did as he instructed. As the music began, Kizu started dancing. Unfortunately, his idea had one single massive defect. It relied on him knowing what he was doing. He ended up trying and failing to copy what other people were doing around him until eventually he reverted to the four step basic waltz Sene had done with him.


    Still, if Anata noticed their lack of skill, she didn¡¯t show it. She beamed as they danced in a square formation. And Mort, riding on Kizu¡¯s shoulder, twisted around, hopping from shoulder to shoulder.


    Three of the judges were going around the dancefloor, tapping people on the shoulder who were eliminated while the others sat above, watching them. To his surprise, the song ended and nobody approached them. Their numbers had thinned to a mere third of what they had before.


    ¡°Looks like we survived,¡± Kizu said to Anata. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much longer we can make it.¡±


    She grinned up at him, her Blood Lord canine a protruding snaggletooth.


    Only two of his friends had also survived the culling. Aoi and Basil off to the side, unsurprised at their advancement. And two other people Kizu would rather see less of. Emilia and Ulric also stood in the center of the dance floor, Emilia looking very pleased with herself. Despite his limp, Emilia¡¯s skill had carried her partner.


    For the next round the judges would call out the top twenty pairs at the end of the dance, with Sene there to supply them with their names. One of the judges said something inaudible and the musicians started playing a new song, cuing them to begin.


    Kizu did his best mostly just to stay out of everyone else¡¯s way as they stumbled around. Anata laughed in delight.


    While they danced, Kizu noticed Sene quickly looking back and forth from her scrying orb to the participants, obviously trying to memorize everyone¡¯s names as quickly as possible. Which would be extremely difficult as there were well over a hundred students on the floor.


    Meanwhile the judges chatted amongst themselves, pointing down at the students from their floating thrones. One of them pointed exactly at Kizu and Anata.


    When the music ended, Sene started listing off names of those who moved on to the next group. Kizu started looking over at the banquet tables on the sides, wondering what food they should grab next.


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    ¡°-and finally, Kaga Kizu and his partner.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s head spun around to look at Sene so fast it made him dizzy. And he wasn¡¯t the only one shocked, many of the eliminated dancers grumpily glared at him and Anata before clearing the dance floor. Not the least of which was Emilia, who looked baffled by the decision. Kizu felt a bit of satisfaction watching Ulric stumble off to the side.


    It left Kizu suspecting that maybe his parents might have some dealings with one of the judges. He saw no other reason why he and Anata remained alongside the likes of Aoi and Basil. He hoped not. The last thing he needed was someone chatting to his mother about Anata¡¯s presence at the ball.


    In the next dance, Kizu accidentally tripped over Anata, both of them ending up sprawled across the floor. Their fall caused Mort to angrily dart off into the crowd. Apparently, even his parents¡¯ influence couldn¡¯t excuse that blunder and they were finally eliminated.


    ¡°Well done,¡± Ione said as a greeting as they joined her on the ballroom¡¯s perimeter. ¡°I don¡¯t really get it, but they must have seen something in your performance that is invisible to a plebian like myself.¡±


    Kizu looked back up at the judges. Now that he was closer, he could better examine the one that wore a black oval mask who had pointed him out earlier. Kizu noticed a scar stretched from his larynx up across the length of his neck and ending at his ear. Inari. Suddenly, he thought his family might not have as much to do with his competition advancements.


    Kizu repositioned himself in the crowd, strongly considering heading home. But instead they watched the end of Aoi¡¯s and Basil¡¯s performance. After another round ended, they remained the finalists against Weston, the second best combat fighter and Ulric¡¯s friend, and his partner, a Tross girl with purple hair.


    Basil and Aoi thoroughly trounced their competitors. Basil finished his performance with a bit of magical flair as he dipped Aoi, his exposed skin sparkling like diamonds and illuminating her.


    The entire ballroom erupted into applause. Illusionary bursts of flames erupted from either side of the ballroom. An enchantment Kizu and Jak had set up the previous week. Sene had been against the idea, since she thought it clashed with the theming, but Kizu noted with some satisfaction that the student body didn¡¯t care about that. They just cheered even harder as the flames roared.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu,¡± someone said behind him, jolting him out of his silent revelry.


    With a glance over his shoulder, he identified the speaker as Professor Kateshi.


    ¡°Professor,¡± he acknowledged.


    ¡°I spoke to my contacts. One was viewing your display just now, evaluating how your leg performed under pressure and taking notes. She asked that I perform some tests on your leg brace. Do you mind allowing me to take a look?¡±


    Kizu blinked. That made a lot more sense than unknown politics.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kizu said slowly. ¡°But I¡¯ll need to sit down to remove it.¡±


    At that moment, Basil swaggered his way up to Kizu and wrapped a feminine arm over his shoulders. He appeared completely oblivious to Professor Kateshi. Mort leaped over to the changeling and perched on his still-sparkling shoulder, attempting to grab at the sparkles.


    ¡°Kizu! An easy victory, you saw it, right? We¡¯re spectacular, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Kateshi continued, sparing Basil none of her attention. ¡°The tests will require me to break the enchantment down and reconstruct it. I¡¯ll need more than a few minutes. However, I have a spare prototype in my classroom.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Kizu considered it. He looked down at Anata who yawned. ¡°Would now be okay?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no issue with it. My duties tonight are finished. I believe the ball is winding down.¡±


    ¡°Basil,¡± Kizu said, turning his head to the shapeshifter. Aoi had walked up and linked her arm to his. ¡°Is it safe to assume you¡¯re heading to the ship?¡±


    ¡°You know it.¡± Basil winked.


    ¡°Can you and Aoi bring Anata back with you?¡±


    Aoi grimaced. But Basil agreed readily. Though he didn¡¯t say it, Kizu knew he had been wanting to spend more time with his cousin.


    ¡°You can bring your ward with you,¡± Kateshi said. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. She was assigned to you by Gizrim, correct?¡±


    Kizu waved away the offer. It was past Anata¡¯s bedtime and she wasn¡¯t used to this much exertion. He let her load up on sweets before they went their separate ways. He was starting to think that indulging her sweet tooth might not be responsible. But those were thoughts for another day.


    Kateshi¡¯s classroom was pretty far from the ballroom. The corridors were bleakly empty, the majority of the student body at the dance. To break the silence, Kizu asked about the process to fix his leg.


    ¡°First, she will examine the leg in depth. Part of that will come from my notes on your leg brace to help evaluate which parts of your body pressure what parts of the muscle and bone. But there¡¯s also a special enchanted object of great value designed to see the skeletal structure of bones. It not only identifies the bone, but is enchanted with temporal divination to see how things used to be as well. Through it, she should be able to identify the locations of different breaks. Between that tool and a diviner analyzing your good leg, they should be able to identify what your bone is supposed to look like.¡±


    The object she described reminded Kizu of the enchanted spyglass Aoi used to see through different layers of people¡¯s skin. They¡¯d discovered it on the necromancer¡¯s ship. He decided to keep silent about its existence though and continued to listen.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to require the bones to be completely shattered again, almost exactly as they were in your fight. She will then shave down pieces of the broken bone to discard the excess bone growth before fusing it back together. You¡¯ll be numbed for that, of course. Otherwise she would risk you dying from the pain. And then she and her assistants will reconstruct your leg. It¡¯s not an easy task with a mangled healing of such an extensive break, but it is hypothetically possible. ¡±


    They entered into the painting of her classroom.


    ¡°Okay, take a seat and let¡¯s see that leg brace.¡±


    Kizu sat in the front row and rolled up his pant leg, showing the leg brace she¡¯d been working on for the last few months. It was mostly made of cloth tightly wrapped around his calf, though metal wires stretched out lengthwise down his leg, enchanted with an added support.


    Professor Kateshi knelt and laid a hand on the brace.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this, Kaga Kizu. But the risk is too great. She can¡¯t be allowed to live.¡±


    Kizu opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about, then pain sheared through his leg, garbling any words. The leg brace, the object of his utter dependance these last few months, came to life and tore apart his flesh.

 Chapter II.XLIX (2.49) - Broken Leg

    Chapter CV (105) - Broken Leg


    Kizu gasped in pain as the cloth of the leg brace squeezed tight around his calf, the metal support wires now alive and burrowing into his sinew and bone like a parasite. He grasped at his leg as he fell from his chair to the floor, attempting to pry out the metal digging into his body. His fingers tore against the cloth fruitlessly.


    ¡°I heard you have a penchant for jumping,¡± Kateshi said. ¡°I¡¯ve reenchanted it with antimagic to keep you from simply leaving it behind in a jump. It¡¯s designed to keep you in this room at all costs. So long as you don¡¯t struggle, it won¡¯t cause any long-lasting damage.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Kizu growled through the pain. It made no sense. Kateshi had been stern, but an altogether reliable teacher.


    Kateshi looked at the exit, then sighed and looked back to him.


    ¡°I was at Ilosin-Don ten years ago. I suppose I owe you that much of an explanation before I go catch up with the prince. I helped the evacuation efforts. Kusatta and I both were pulled from our delving exhibition and placed on site. I saw what Harbingers do. I don¡¯t know why Gizrim has been shielding her and, frankly, I don¡¯t care. I won¡¯t let it happen again. No cost is too great.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s only a child,¡± Kizu said, shocked by the insinuation.


    ¡°Which means easily manipulatable. I¡¯ve read reports that state the Ooze Harbinger was also a child. I visited the north weeks before you did and saw the aurora. They didn¡¯t have all the information, but they told me enough to know the increased monster activity was due to a breach in the dungeon. The Blood Harbinger escaped. So I set up a situation where Kusatta could send some agents in to discreetly interrogate students about any strange recent happenings. He uncovered some information and examined you at the dance. It was pretty clear after only a cursory examination. I had heard you were watching over someone for Gizrim, but never thought much of it until tonight.¡± She grimaced, as if swallowing something foul. ¡°I trusted that man.¡±


    Kizu ignored the pain and dragged himself to stand on his non-mangled leg. He raised his fists and prepared to launch himself at the professor.


    Kateshi waved her hand and the leg brace cinched, shattering the bone. The blood-stained metal wires pierced out of his leg and wrapped themselves around the chair he had been sitting on. Blood oozed out of the piercings in his leg.


    ¡°I told you before,¡± she said. ¡°The enchanter holds complete power over an enchanted object. I can manipulate it however I like. But Kizu, I never lied to you about that healer. Stay put and stop struggling. You¡¯ll be fine. I don¡¯t begrudge you attempting to protect a child. You¡¯re a good student and your heart is in the right place. You simply lack the understanding of the risk she poses to humanity.¡±


    With that final statement, Professor Kateshi stepped through the painting. It rippled, the usual response to someone traveling through it. But this time when it settled, the painting bled out all its color, only a white slate remaining. Kateshi had cut off his escape.


    Kizu growled in frustration and turned his attention to his leg brace. He attempted to scan it with his spellsense to start breaking it down and understand it better to break the cursed object. He only managed a brief glimpse before pain raked through his body, the blood below his knee boiling. Every second he attempted to channel spells; the pain traveled a dozen centimeters up his thigh. The antimagic laced into the leg brace didn¡¯t just weaken his spellcraft, it punished him.


    He reached out through his bond with Mort. That, at least, caused no reaction from the cursed item. Mort and the others were safe, for the moment. They were walking down the trail over to Owl¡¯s Respite. Basil and Aoi were laughing at some joke and Anata grinned at them. The moment Kizu made contact though, Mort understood his pain and panic. The monkey¡¯s first instinct was to rush back to the academy to find him. Kizu pushed against that. He steadfastly directed Mort towards Anata. She was the one in danger, not him. Mort understood enough to stay by Anata¡¯s side.


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    The jovial moment with the small party ended as Mort leaped down and started nipping at their heels. Very clearly panicked and not his usual playful self. The monkey rushed their party along, hurrying them to get as far away from town as quickly as possible. He didn¡¯t stop until the whole group was running.


    Next Kizu attempted to channel through Mort to jump. If he was successful, the academy¡¯s beacon should draw him in, letting him escape the room and alert the academy that someone had entered the beacon¡¯s chamber.


    He blacked out.


    Uncertain how long he¡¯d been unconscious, Kizu dragged himself across the room. He saw only one way out from here.


    His leg brace gripped into everything nearby, attempting to anchor him down. Grabbing onto nearby objects, he tore through it all, causing his leg to rupture as he slowly dragged himself toward the remaining unfinished final projects. There was a trail of blood and torn skin from the front row all the way to the very back of the classroom.


    The bookshelf was still there, glyphs completed. It only lacked Basil¡¯s trigger. It was connected to its pair. The other bookshelf down at Owl¡¯s Respite. Kizu closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain.


    Once he arrived he could warn Basil to take Anata as far away as possible. Take her and the atlas and return to the World Dungeon via the entrance in the necromancer¡¯s laboratory. Yes. It was a clear escape. They had all the tools on hand. He just needed to remain conscious.


    He linked with Mort and summoned all his remaining energy to manually trigger the glyphs etched into the bookshelf. It should have only required a miniscule amount of blood to activate, with the glyphs already set up. It took everything in him not to black out again from the effort. He managed the smallest spark of a gate spell.


    It was enough.


    It spluttered to life, a swirl of energy linked to its twin at Owl¡¯s Respite.


    He reached through and heaved his body through. He needed to be quick, the gate threatening to cut power at any moment.


    The familiar sight of skeletons playing cards around a table greeted him. He had made it back into the crew¡¯s quarters. Escaped the classroom.


    Then his leg caught. With dread, he recalled what Kateshi had said. She enchanted it to keep him inside the room. He felt his leg rip to the side, dislocating as the strands of metal wrapped themselves around the bookshelf¡¯s kickplate.


    Kizu closed his eyes. The gate spell was running out of energy. Only two options remained. Return or stay. In reality, only one option truly remained. Kateshi offered to heal his leg, to bring him back to what he used to be from before the academy. All he had to do was stay in the classroom. But, honestly, he never wanted to return to who he used to be. Instead, he looked to the future. Anata¡¯s future.


    The portal cleanly severed his leg across the thigh.


    Blood sprayed from the wound. He hauled himself forward in a wormlike crawl, leaving behind a trail of blood, attempting to reach his potion stash on the other side of the room. He needed the ring given to him by Allik. It contained solutions. He hated himself for deciding it too inconvenient to always wear. After a painstakingly long minute, he reached his hammock. Then he realized his foolishness. His ring sat on a shelf above him. How would he reach above his hammock? It remained completely out of reach.


    He felt a spike of utter dread and confusion from Mort. It was close. They were in Aoi¡¯s rowboat, crossing the lake to Owl¡¯s Respite.


    Not close enough, he realized. He had no blood left to jump. And even if he did, he lacked the focus. Gripping his stump, he stained his hand in his blood. Then he dragged his palm across the wooden floor in front of him. Before passing out, he wrote two words in the Universal Script ¨C


    ANATA RUN.

 Chapter II.L (2.50) - Graft

    Chapter CVI (106) - Graft


    Kizu drifted, darkness consumed his vision. His bond with Mort strained, he felt the distance between them expanding, threatening to snap the link as the pressure increased.


    Then someone grabbed a hold of him. At first, Kizu thought it was the parasitical soul inside him acting, but then he realized it was as helpless as him. No, this was a different entity. Anata held him in place.


    ¡°Please,¡± Anata begged. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me. Kizu, please.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet!¡± Aoi yelled from somewhere far away. ¡°Get him upstairs to my lab!¡±


    Kizu barely heard the words.


    ¡°Your lab?¡± Basil asked.


    ¡°UP NOW!¡±


    If he moved, Kizu didn¡¯t feel anything. Just a dark nothingness around him with the occasional words piercing through.


    ¡°Sojan! Where the hell are you? We need to insert you!¡±


    This time Kizu did feel something as a cold presence shifted inside him, chilling his heart.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Sojan asked, the noise reverberating inside him. ¡°There¡¯s someone else here this time. I can¡¯t-uhrg.¡±


    Just like that, the cold dissipated.


    ¡°I apologize,¡± the aurora¡¯s entity said quietly. ¡°I never saw this outcome. I designed myself to keep out my kin. I¡¯m a clot in your soul.¡±


    ¡°Put him there,¡± Aoi demanded.


    He heard something shatter.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Basil said. ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many other options right now!¡± she snapped back. ¡°His soul is unstable. He should have already died. Even if we cauterize the wound, his soul will fade, it won¡¯t recognize the body¡¯s base structure. I¡¯m not good enough to coax it into an unfamiliar form. I don¡¯t know what Anata is doing, but she¡¯s barely holding him in place right now. He has no pulse! He needs this!¡±


    ¡°Let me do something first.¡±


    There was a pause.


    ¡°I¡¯m inserting it!¡± Aoi said. ¡°I¡¯m channeling into his soul now!¡±


    As if struck by lightning, Kizu jolted up.


    He gripped his heaving chest, panting. Mort was clinging to his shirt, shaking and weeping. He touched his head, Anata¡¯s circlet was perched on his brow, acting as a stabilizer for his soul. There was a child¡¯s bloody handprint plastered onto his arm which slowly absorbed into his skin, refreshing his internal blood.


    ¡°It actually worked!¡± Basil said, a smile splitting his face ear to ear. His hand was missing from his body.


    ¡°What-¡± Kizu gasped.


    Then he looked down at his leg, expecting to see the stump or a regrown version of his mangled leg.


    Instead, he saw the reptilian limb from one of Aoi¡¯s vats.


    The green, scaly limb was attached by an oozy substance that Kizu recalled from witnessing Basil sleep. They¡¯d used his body and Aoi¡¯s necromancy to graft the limb to his body.


    He flexed its toes. They responded.


    The mixture of wonder and horror inside him vanished before it fully solidified.


    ¡°Anata!¡± He cried out. ¡°Where is Anata?!¡±


    Aoi, drenched in sweat, gestured over to the side of the room where Anata slumped against a wall. She had a gash on her hand where she¡¯d cut herself. But her current unconsciousness had nothing to do with that small wound. Kizu recognized the look as her using her astral state. She¡¯d clearly cut herself in an attempt to replenish Kizu¡¯s blood supply.


    ¡°She can¡¯t be here!¡± Kizu said. ¡°We need to get to the World Dungeon!¡±


    He stumbled off of Aoi¡¯s table and collapsed on the floor next to Anata. He grabbed her in his arms and slouched against the cabin¡¯s wall to push himself up to his feet. While unsteady, he stood. He felt no pain from the unfamiliar limb, only strangeness.


    With Mort on his shoulder and Anata in his arms, he stumbled out onto the deck and back toward the crew¡¯s quarters.


    This time, when he reached his hammock, he managed to scoop everything into Allik¡¯s ring. Potions, his atlas, the bell. Everything he needed.


    Sojan¡¯s gnome body lay crumpled on the ground next to Kizu¡¯s bloodstain. He spotted the discarded dagger a few meters away and restuck it into the gnome¡¯s spine.


    The body¡¯s eyes flickered open.


    ¡°Oh, good. You stabbed it. Got worried there for a second. Oh! You¡¯re alive! That¡¯s excellent news! Good for you! What¡¯s that in your soul?¡±


    ¡°We need to go.¡± Even as Kizu said the words, he heard three distinct thumps on the deck above him.


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    ¡°Harbinger,¡± a sing-song voice called out. ¡°Where are you at?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing on my ship, Kusatta?¡± Aoi demanded.


    Kizu remained completely silent. He could jump them off the ship, but not far without direct line of sight. And he¡¯d be spotted immediately.


    ¡°Cousin? Is that you? What a lovely surprise. Well done with the dance earlier tonight! Quite the performance. Living up to your mother¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°Get. Off. My. Ship.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t do that. You see, me and my friends here are on strict warlord business. Outside the authority of someone as low as you. Just a minor princess. Feel free to try again when the twenty people in front of you die and you¡¯re the Empress. Now, have you seen the Blood Harbinger anywhere?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is,¡± she said coolly.


    ¡°Little girl wearing a bat mask. Black hair and bangs. Evil looking tooth. Sound familiar? I need to kill her.¡±


    ¡°Kill her?!¡± Aoi repeated.


    ¡°Yes. As much as I love my family, I¡¯m not here for a social call. Now stand aside.¡±


    After a moment, he heard Inari sigh loudly, followed by the sound of something collapsing to the deck.


    ¡°Search the ship. I¡¯ll remain here and watch for any sneaky escapes.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like it¡¯s time to fight,¡± Sojan said cheerfully. ¡°Blood¡¯s been pretty diluted over the last few months of draining animals. I¡¯m excited to get some new human blood back in the system.¡±


    The trap door above them opened and the blue oval masked judge looked down at them.


    ¡°Attack!¡± Aoi commanded.


    The skeletons all sprang into action, immediately leaping out of the crew quarters and tackling into the unsuspecting judge.


    Inari laughed maniacally.


    Kizu grabbed hold of Sojan¡¯s shoulder, then he jumped himself, Anata, Mort, and Sojan to the deck.


    Inari stood over Aoi, slamming the heel of his boot into her bloody face repeatedly. As Kizu appeared, Basil charged at the warlord from an ajar captain¡¯s cabin but was intercepted by the other judge wearing a green oval mask. The skeletons had managed to slip a sword into her stomach, but she appeared unperturbed by it as she raised glowing hands to fight back the skeletons.


    With a blast that shook the ship, the green-masked judge detonated an explosion from her palms, blasting the skeleton in front of her to pieces.


    Sojan flicked his hand at Inari, firing a beam of darkness from his fingertip.


    Inari¡¯s demeanor and focus shifted instantly, deflecting the beam with an antimagic barrier as he turned toward them.


    ¡°Happy day!¡± he said. ¡°You brought her to me. And here I thought I would need to sink this ship. I still might, but now I don¡¯t need to. Just as I don¡¯t need to punish my cousin for stupidly risking the world.¡± He punctuated the statement with another kick to Aoi¡¯s head.


    ¡°You¡¯re unhinged.¡± Kizu had seen flickers of the sadistic behavior before, but now it was on full display.


    ¡°Am I?¡± He raised his hands, palms towards them.


    Kizu felt something slam into him, making him want to puke, but he held himself together. Sojan and Basil looked completely nonplussed though.


    ¡°Not humans?¡± Inari asked. ¡°That hex should have worked on gnomes as well. What are you three? Scaleless Tainted? Wrong skin tones though.¡±


    Sojan bared his teeth and launched into a complex spell, the deck around Inari¡¯s feet began to rot and fall apart. Inari remained standing, as if held up by an invisible force. Kizu could see the ripple of wind billowing through his yukata, suspending him in place.


    The two of them both laughed and Sojan raised himself up in a cloud of dark smoke at the same time that Inari climbed into the air, grasped by invisible strands of wind.


    The skeletons kept Inari¡¯s green masked lackey busy, constantly diving at her and attacking while she beat them back with powerful explosive spells. The blue masked one crouched down behind the safety of his friend and started drawing on the deck with a piece of chalk. Whether it was a summoning circle or a divination ritual, Kizu couldn¡¯t let him finish.


    He jumped, hoping to insert a fist into the man like he had with Ulric, but he had a resistance akin to the one Arclight had shown him, likely an enchantment tattooed on his body, which caused Kizu to slide off him. Thankfully, he still remained in a position to stop the summoning.


    Putting all the force behind the blow he could muster, Kizu kicked the chalk out of the lackey¡¯s hand. The man¡¯s wrist snapped back with a pop, bending unnaturally far back, as to be parallel with his forearm. Crying out, the man clutched at his arm, huddled over the broken limb. Kizu barely even processed the sheer power of his kick before he raised his reptilian foot and slammed it down on the man¡¯s back. The impact of the blow left a crater in the wooden deck.


    The harsh snap of the man¡¯s spine sickened Kizu, but he lacked the luxury to care at the moment. While Sojan and Inari were locked in a battle in the sky, Mort scurried across the deck to Aoi¡¯s side, leaping over the charred bones of defeated skeletons. Once the monkey grabbed ahold of her arm, Kizu channeled through him, a practiced maneuver, sending his familiar and the princess across the lake to safety on the bank with a jump. She was now out of harm¡¯s way.


    Kizu wanted to do the same with Anata, but they came here for her and likely would ignore the rest of them to prioritize killing her. Running wasn¡¯t an option for them right now.


    Basil was left alone to defend the unconscious Anata from the green masked lackey. Finally finished with her undead opponents, she raised her hands and faced Basil, small explosions erupting in her palms.


    With enhanced speed faster than Kizu could track, she lunged at Basil and grabbed his arm. She blew it apart, splattering gunk across the deck. In turn, Basil grabbed her wrist with his remaining arm and attempted a similar move, his lesser explosion grazed the woman, but she resisted any true damage.


    ¡°Ooze,¡± she growled at him.


    Distracted by Basil, she didn¡¯t notice the freezing potion until Kizu slammed it into the back of her head.


    Like Basil¡¯s earlier explosion, she resisted the effects at first. But Kizu had designed this potion under Allik¡¯s tutelage. It spread, strengthening as it absorbed the moisture from her skin.


    She reached up and gripped the ice consuming her. As her hands got absorbed into the growing crystal, she set off an explosion, blasting it apart and sending shards of ice everywhere. Unfortunately for her, the power required for the explosion to work, also broke through her natural resistance, taking off a part of her scalp on the back of her head. A shard of her mask shattered, revealing a human face.


    Before she could heal herself, Basil reached up and jammed his half-formed hand into the fresh wound. It oozed out onto the exposed flesh and under the skin of her skull. The woman reached out and clutched at her head while it began to bubble and pop. She screamed in agony.


    Suddenly Kateshi stood beside her. She waved a hand at the woman passed out on the deck. Her body healed, leaving patches of smooth skin scattered throughout her hair.


    Kateshi wordlessly threw up two collars. They spun in the air before zeroing in on Basil and Kizu. Enhancing his speed for just an instant, Kizu raised his hands and caught the collar aiming for his neck. It broke it two. Then the two separate pieces shifted in his hand, twisting like an unruly snake, and clamped down on his wrist. He felt the antimagic cut off his spells. It was the same material used by Kateshi all those months ago when he had overexerted himself and used too much blood.


    He was rendered completely powerless.


    Then Sojan fell from the sky.

 Chapter II.LI (2.51) - Devour

    Chapter CVII (107) - Devour


    Sojan smashed into the deck at their feet, his body pale and stretched across his bones.


    ¡°All spent up,¡± he wheezed out. ¡°Not great in a battle of attrition. Best of luck to you, Kaga Kizu.¡±


    Inari looked almost angelic as he descended from above. Kizu stood between him and Anata, refusing to move. He might not be able to cast spells like normal, but he could still manage a bit from his familiar bond.


    Inari backhanded him. The force slammed Kizu into the gunwales next to Kateshi. She looked down at him piteously as he crumpled beneath her.


    ¡°I told you to stay behind,¡± she scolded him. ¡°I¡¯m impressed you found your way here, but it was in your best interest to let the girl die. It¡¯s in everyone¡¯s best interest.¡±


    ¡°Stop lecturing the trash,¡± Inari said. ¡°But what I¡¯m curious about is the slime here. Did you know about this?¡±


    Basil was struggling to keep his form together. Unlike Kizu¡¯s new antimagic bracelet, Basil¡¯s collar penetrated into his body and appeared to interfere with his innate shapeshifting. Only then did Kizu realize his bracelet was lined with silver. It must be agony for the changeling. His structure began to melt into a writing mass of clear goo, the collar visibly floating within him.


    ¡°No. I knew there was a shapeshifting student, but Gizrim explained it as if it was the result of an inhumane experiment on a child. Not as the Ooze Harbinger.¡±


    ¡°I suppose it won¡¯t hurt to kill him while we¡¯re at it. Won¡¯t bring the gnomes back, but we can chop him up and send the pieces all across Sekai as a message for the other denizens.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sick, Kusatta.¡±


    Inari chuckled. ¡°I am a warlord for a reason.¡±


    Anata, having regained consciousness, huddled behind Sojan¡¯s body. The body remained stiff and unmoving.


    A flash of red from behind the waterfall, followed by a distant bang announced the start of the firework show over the academy. The lake looked like blood under the red lighting.


    Kizu pushed himself forward, desperate to put himself between the two of them. He still had one more desperate idea.


    His bracelet yanked him back, dangling him next to Professor Kateshi, his feet a dozen centimeters off the deck. Kateshi barely spared him a glance as she focused on Inari reaching out towards the cowering girl in front of him. His hand glowed with white light, as if about to purge her from existence.


    Unable to apply his plan to Inari, Kizu reached into his ring with his uncollared hand and pulled out a vial of liquid. As he slammed it into Professor Kateshi, he saw her adjust her position and put up a multi-faceted barrier to protect herself from its effects. Unfortunately for her, the barrier¡¯s protections didn¡¯t apply to stasis. Temporal magic required a unique protection. One she never would think to use against a student. The professor froze in place, completely locked in time. Absorbed through the pores, the potion¡¯s effect would linger for less than a minute.


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    Kizu swung his new reptilian leg over and slammed it into her chest, knocking her off the ship. The splash caused Inari¡¯s head to turn.


    With Inari¡¯s focus distracted, Anata sprang forward, Sojan in hand. She jabbed the enchanted knife through Inari¡¯s ribs. The man made no move to stop her, unconcerned about the knife. Then his eyes widened. He reached to pull it out of his side but froze, his hand quivering in place right over the hilt.


    ¡°Blocked,¡± Sojan said through Inari¡¯s gritted teeth. ¡°Same as you. Can¡¯t hold.¡±


    Kizu pressed his hand against the bracelet keeping him suspended and channeled through it using Mort¡¯s blood. He desperately clawed at the enchantment, attempting to alter it. The antimagic enchantment remained strong. It was a clear and simple command set on it. But he found a flaw in its secondary command. The enchantment suspending him in the air was less structured and layered on top of the device. He twisted at that, altering it to the point of snapping.


    He dropped to his feet, the anti-magic bracelet still on his wrist but no longer with its secondary enchantment. He rushed at Inari. Sojan desperately fought for control and was actively failing. It didn¡¯t matter. So long as he kept the warlord from casting magic.


    Kizu braced himself with his new monstrous leg. He wasn¡¯t able to enhance himself with the antimagic restraints, but he pushed using all his available strength from the new leg and tackled Inari with a shoulder into his gut.


    The man flipped over the edge to join the professor in the waters below.


    Kizu turned and plunged his hands into the glob of goop that Basil had become. He found the collar and ripped it out of his friend, throwing it across the deck. Basil undulated and released what Kizu could only imagine must be a sigh of relief. He slowly began to meld back into the structure of a humanoid.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time,¡± Kizu said to Anata. ¡°Using Mort, I maybe have enough blood for one jump. If you can refresh his supply, we can escape into the World Dungeon.¡±


    But Anata wasn¡¯t listening, she peered over the gunwales and down into the water. Glancing down, Kizu saw what she stared at. The water had begun to glow. Not only occasional bursts of light from the fireworks, as before, now it was an eerie light mixing with the reds from the show. The flashes of colors had drawn out the lake¡¯s monsters. The massive jellyfish approached the two floating bodies of Inari and Kateshi. Inari clawed at the water around him, summoning currents to push him upwards, but Sojan continued the battle for control, interrupting the currents and creating a chaotic whirlpool that kept them suspended in the water, neither ascending nor descending.


    Color drained from Anata, only her single red eye retaining its sheen. She floated slightly off the deck, wisps of black smoke emanating from her.


    Anata opened her mouth and spoke.


    ¡°Devour.¡±


    The jellyfish''s tentacles whipped out, wrapping around the two adults and pulled them in. Even from above water, Kizu could hear the squelch as their heads imploded from the creature¡¯s attack. He remembered the psychonic wave that had hit him while he worked on the ship. And the monster had just been curiously probing him. Unprepared and still frozen in place, they stood no chance against the creature while bloodthirsty. Then they disappeared into its glowing maw. The monster made no further sign of aggression, simply drifting back down into the lake¡¯s depths.


    Just like that, two of the most powerful mages on the island died.

 Chapter II.LII (2.52) - Recovery

    Chapter CVIII (108) - Recovery


    It took a few minutes for Basil to reform into something akin to human. In the meantime, Kizu examined Inari¡¯s lackeys, both of whom remained alive although thoroughly beaten. While the green masked woman was a brute who could take a sword to the gut and blow things apart, the blue masked man had never truly shown his true power to them during their fight. The simple fact Inari kept him by his side scared Kizu. Judging the unknown danger to be the larger threat, Kizu clamped down Basil¡¯s collar round his neck. Unfortunately, his own antimagic bracelet remained stubbornly stuck around his wrist. Still, he wasn¡¯t without resources. He dumped a narcotic potion down both of their throats. It was a brew he had designed for himself ages ago in an attempt to fix his sleep schedule. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t deliver truly restful sleep and left the drinker in a fugue-like state for hours after, but that was hardly an issue with these two.


    In the final moments before Basil finished creating a body, Kizu looked over the edge of Owl¡¯s Respite and stared down at the dark water below. Fireworks still blasted in the distance, illuminating the lake slightly in bursts, but there was no sign of the monstrous jellyfish. And no sign of its two victims. They were dead. Kizu had killed his professor. They had tried to kill Anata and he¡¯d had no choice. Inari¡¯s death didn¡¯t weigh heavily on Kizu. The prince had been a horrible person. But Professor Kateshi had taught him. She¡¯d connected with him, praised his work ethic and his advancements. Advised him in his physical therapy and devised a leg brace to support himself. And now, she was dead. He had killed her.


    He looked across the deck and spotted Anata. His niece was picking up skeleton bones and putting them in a pile. She was alive. It was a terrible trade he¡¯d had to make, but he exchanged Kateshi¡¯s life for Anata¡¯s. He trembled slightly as his mind attempted to find any other solution. What could he have done? Maybe there was some third option where everyone could have lived, but Kizu didn¡¯t know what it would have been. Kateshi would have shielded or resisted against anything except for temporal magic.


    Basil reformed. Now in a male form. His ballgown hung loosely from his shoulders and he had ripped off the hem to allow him to walk easier. He set a thin hand on Kizu¡¯s shoulder and thanked him for saving his life. They were alive.


    Without a lot of other options available to them, the two of them returned to the shore via Aoi¡¯s rowboat. Once there, Kizu dumped both of the sleeping lackeys onto the shore and traded their company for Mort and the unconscious Aoi. Basil had lost muscle mass and so it fell to Kizu to carry Aoi. He lifted her and they started down the trail back to the academy. As they walked he marveled at how well his new leg held up. He stumbled occasionally, but that was due to the strangeness of the new limb, not its effectiveness.


    Aoi, Anata, Basil, Mort, and himself. The five of them had survived against a warlord. One of the most powerful people in Hon. They¡¯d been incredibly lucky. If they hadn¡¯t fought on Owl¡¯s Respite with Aoi¡¯s undead on hand, Sojan controlling the body of a powerful necromancer, and a mysterious monster under the water below them, they wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance. But that didn¡¯t change the simple fact. They were alive.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Basil said as they entered the academy grounds. ¡°Before we drop off Aoi at the infirmary, we need to change clothes.¡±


    ¡°You could have mentioned it back on the ship,¡± Kizu said, irritably.


    ¡°Forgive me for forgetting while I was a puddle of slop on the floor. As is though, we¡¯re going to get more than just curious glances. Thankfully, I keep a stash over in a nearby closet.¡±


    Basil was right. The color had never returned to Anata¡¯s dress after she¡¯d cast whatever spell she¡¯d used to control the jellyfish monster. Though, he had to admit that her black mask now matched her outfit far better. And she perhaps looked the most normal out of the group. Kizu¡¯s clothes had been drenched in his own blood and his entire leg swapped out with a new one that didn¡¯t match his species. His pant leg severed mid-thigh. Basil¡¯s dress was in tatters and barely still hung to him. Also, he stank horribly. Not only that, just being a man in a ballgown undoubtedly would call attention to him. And then there was Aoi. Like Kizu, her outfit was covered in dried blood. A combination of his blood from the grafting process and her own from the beating Inari had dealt her. Her face was nearly unrecognizable through the caked blood and broken nose. Kizu had been tempted to give her a health potion to heal her back up, but decided against it. Head injuries usually required more finesse, and he didn¡¯t want her skull ending up like his leg.


    Redressed in a slightly too tight academy uniform, Kizu led the others up to the infirmary.


    It had been a while since his last visit, but the place looked as pristine and sterile as ever. He didn¡¯t recognize the student staffed there, but that made sense as the only two he knew by name were Edgar and Raygen, both of whom were at the ball. In addition, he had heard rumors that Kateshi had fired Raygen after the butchered healing on Kizu¡¯s leg, though he never followed up on the gossip.


    ¡°Professor Kateshi isn¡¯t in right now,¡± the student said, looking up from his book. His eyebrows rose as he noticed Aoi¡¯s condition. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Tumble down the stairs,¡± Basil said quickly. ¡°We drank a lot and her shoes broke.¡± He raised a shoe with a broken platformed heel.


    The medical assistant barely glanced at the shoe, instead ushering them over to a bed where he started doing healing probe tests.


    ¡°She should be fine in time,¡± he said finally. ¡°Professor Kateshi will want to do a full examination herself though. She usually checks in before curfew so she should be here shortly.¡±


    Kizu fidgetted uncomfortably.


    ¡°Not tonight, Ichiro.¡±


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    Gizrim Ballarfulur stood in the doorway with Roba at his side. The normally cheery man looked grim. He pulled on his curled mustache as he examined the group with a frown.


    ¡°Headmaster!¡± The student snapped to attention.


    ¡°Take a walk,¡± Roba instructed the boy.


    He looked to the headmaster first, who nodded, then dismissed himself.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu,¡± Ballarfulur said. ¡°With your niece, Anata if I recall correctly. And my ward, Basil.¡±


    ¡°Niece?¡± Roba said sharply.


    ¡°Yes. The Blood Harbinger, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    Kizu quickly scanned the room. His mind raced. He still had on the antimagic bracelet, but with Mort here, he might still be able to make an escape. They didn¡¯t know about his new leg yet, could he use that to his advantage? Mort readied himself, prepared to leap from his shoulder and act as a conduit.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Basil said to him. ¡°He¡¯s known about me for over ten years. I¡¯m still fine.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Ballarfulur confirmed as he summoned a pair of chairs for himself and Roba with a snap of his fingers. ¡°Though you¡¯re not the same level of threat as the Blood Harbinger. Your seal is already shattered.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to kill you,¡± Roba said quickly, glaring at the headmaster. ¡°But we need to know what happened tonight. I intercepted a message by one of Prince Inari¡¯s messengers about a Harbinger as she attempted to slip out of the academy. At the time, I assumed she spoke of Basil and contacted the headmaster.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite talented in the field of divination,¡± the headmaster continued, picking up his end of the story. ¡°And discovered you four here. Care to explain?¡±


    Kizu half expected the aurora¡¯s splintered soul to speak up and tell him whether or not to trust the man. But it remained silent. Kizu couldn¡¯t even be sure how much it observed.


    Basil looked over to Kizu, as if asking for permission to speak, but Kizu didn¡¯t meet his eyes, instead focusing on the headmaster in front of him. The man stroked his curly mustache, their gazes locked. Kizu held his gaze and looked into his eyes. Mort felt at ease with the man in front of them, but Kizu remained uncertain. One wrong word could be the end of everything.


    After the silence stretched, the headmaster sighed.


    ¡°Roba, go fetch Knoff. Tell him to bring any truth potions on hand. I don¡¯t like it, but I need these answers.¡±


    ¡°We killed Kateshi,¡± Kizu said.


    He expected a bigger reaction from the middle-aged headmaster or his ancient looking assistant, but they simply shared a glance.


    ¡°Continue,¡± Roba said.


    Kizu started explaining their night, Basil occasionally hopping in to add a comment. It took quite a bit of time and more than once Roba had to shoo away students attempting to enter the infirmary for non-urgent issues.


    ¡°I suspected she was up to something,¡± Roba grumbled when he brought up how Aoi grafted the new leg to his stump. ¡°Reports said she was disappearing from the academy for long periods of time. I should have trusted my gut and followed up about that necromancer.¡±


    ¡°If you had, a few of them wouldn¡¯t be here in front of us right now,¡± the headmaster pointed out. ¡°If she has this sort of talent from being primarily self-taught, I¡¯ll personally speak to her family about the subject of easing the restrictions on her necromantic training. But we¡¯re deviating into a tangent, let¡¯s recenter our attention on the story.¡±


    As Kizu finished, Roba silently stood and dismissed herself with a jump.


    ¡°She¡¯s checking on Inari¡¯s followers,¡± Ballarfulur explained. ¡°I¡¯m impressed you subdued them so easily.¡±


    ¡°I was lucky,¡± Kizu said. ¡°They didn¡¯t expect me to know how to jump and I took one out before he could finish his spell. If it had been a normal two versus two, I don¡¯t think we would have come out of it intact.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s speculation. What matters is what did happen. You won. And now Professor Kateshi and Prince Kusatta Inari, Third Warlord of the Hon Empire, are dead.¡±


    Kizu winced.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about retribution from the empire. In case you didn¡¯t notice, a princess is currently here as well. One whose succession was above Inari¡¯s. I¡¯ll have my contacts spin it as Inari attempting to further his position in the empire. A lie easily believed, as he¡¯s assassinated plenty before. When he was born, he was forty-seventh in the line of succession. No one will bat an eye at an assassination attempt gone wrong. Although, they might question how students managed the deed. I¡¯ll have to tweak the participants a bit. Perhaps Kateshi stood against him? Hm, something for me to puzzle over.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kizu said. ¡°But why? Why help us?¡±


    Ballarfulur clapped a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. His brown eyes didn¡¯t twinkle, like when Kizu had met him before. Instead, their color hardened.


    ¡°Nobody should have to apologize for their birth. Not you. Not Basil. And not Anata. We all claim an equal amount of life and an equal amount of responsibility to make good on that life. Until you violate that, I will be by your side.¡±


    ¡°I killed one of your teachers.¡±


    ¡°Your niece did,¡± Ballarfulur corrected. ¡°Using an incredibly powerful glamour on that monster.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? It¡¯s the same thing either way. My actions resulted in Professor Kateshi dying. Wasn¡¯t she your friend? Don¡¯t you care?¡±


    The headmaster closed his eyes and sighed, his body sagged with weariness and the weight of the world. He pulled up a seat. ¡°I have seen many friends die. Some I¡¯ve held and wept as they passed. Others I cut down myself. It always leaves a scar in my heart, knowing I¡¯ll never see them again. I don¡¯t know that death gets easier. Perhaps. But there are times when death is unavoidable. You need to find peace in your decisions. Kateshi attempted to kill someone innocent. A person you loved. She did what she believed to be right, you did what you believed to be right. You won.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°School just continues on, like nothing happened? What happens next?¡±


    ¡°There will be changes. Luckily, we have spring break to sort through those. I applaud your timing. I will need to call in some favors, but I already have someone in mind to fill in Kateshi¡¯s classes. He¡¯s an old friend. But other than him, Roba, and myself, I implore you not to share the details of your experience with anyone else. Kateshi was not the only professor to witness the atrocities of Ilosin-Don. In the meantime, I think you should go rest at your dorm tonight. I¡¯ll have Roba clean up your boat for you but it will take a day or two.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I still have one final question for tonight,¡± Ballarfulur said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°What happened to that enchanted dagger you mentioned?¡±

 -Epilogue II- Otochi

    -Epilogue 2-


    Otochi pressed his hand against the mirror. Unsurprisingly, it showed no reflection of himself. His soul functioned fundamentally differently from what this was designed to ensnare. The issue was prying out the piece he wanted from the ancient artifact. Especially since it was unclear what, exactly, he desired from it.


    When he spoke to his father months ago, Sekai had left the imprint image of this mirror in his mind. It had been during a rare burst of self-awareness and Otochi did not intend to waste any gift left for him in that moment. Tracking the mirror was an altogether arduous task. His heritage gifted him an innate awareness of his father¡¯s movements, but it didn¡¯t tell him where objects existed within Sekai. It had been a relief when a bloodspawn finally located and retrieved it.


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    He sorted through the mirror¡¯s contents. Hundreds of souls competed for his attention. To make matters more difficult, each was incomplete, just a sliver carved off and stolen by the mirror. They flashed the images of the soul¡¯s original host in the glass in front of him, all of them seemingly wanting to be seen by him. Finally, he saw what his father sent him here for.


    Kaga Kizu stared back at him, grinning.


    Otochi smiled back at the image. So clearly it reminded him of Kaga Anna. With both her and Anata now missing from his life, it would be nice to have a piece of the Kaga family back under him.


    -END OF BOOK 2-

 Chapter III.I (3.1) - The Medic

    Chapter III.I (3.1) - The Medic


    Fireworks exploded outside the window, showering the medical wing with momentary bursts of color. Below, noise still boomed from the school¡¯s masquerade ball. Kizu, while still dressed for the dance, had long since discarded his mask and now lay back on the bed, wondering about what came next.


    He wasn¡¯t alone in the room. Besides a grumpy medical student reading a book in the corner, his friends were in beds to the left of him and his niece in the one on his right. And of course, Mort remained in the windowsill, transfixed by the fireworks outside.


    Only Aoi was injured enough to really justify staying overnight at the medicine wing, but the headmaster had insisted after their discussion with him.


    Aoi¡¯s head had been properly bandaged and the headmaster himself had seen to her wounds to make certain she was stable, but he still wanted a more experienced medic to look her over before performing the most important heals on her. Head wounds were not something to take lightly, and Kizu knew firsthand the results of a poor healing. His newly grafted leg twitched at the thought.


    Basil and Anata had made it through the night relatively unscathed, though Basil had been in a lot of pain for a while. Anata had mostly just been scared.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± a gruff voice asked. ¡°This is supposed to be Shinzou Academy¡¯s medical quarters? Kateshi should be ashamed.¡±


    The medical student with the book looked up, startled by the interruption. He quickly jumped to his feet and scurried across the room to the doorway, just out of sight where he spoke to the newcomer.


    ¡°Ah, excuse me, sir, you¡¯re not supposed to in here. Do you need directions to the ballroom?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m here to see those patients over there.¡±


    ¡°Visiting hours are over, like a long time ago. It¡¯s the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°Get lost, kid.¡±


    Kizu heard the familiar pop of someone jumping. Then the man¡¯s footsteps sounded as he strolled forward. It took Kizu a moment to realize what had happened. The man had sent the student away with an external jump, likely routing him up to the academy¡¯s beacon. That meant the man exercised a great deal of control over spatial spellcraft.


    Suddenly, Kizu was on high alert. He swung his legs off his bed and moved over to Anata¡¯s side. She slept, completely unaware of the man approaching them. Mort stiffened, turning his attention away from the lightshow outside.


    The man rounded the corner. He wore a dirty uniform and an uneven beard on his face. Fleas speckled his body. It took Kizu a minute to recall who he was. It had been nearly half a year since he last saw the man.


    ¡°You¡¯re an Elite,¡± Kizu said, he shielded Anata with his body.


    The man grunted. Then he walked past them and over to Aoi¡¯s bed. After a quick examination, he placed a hand on her scalp. Kizu heard some slight popping, as the Elite rearranged the fractures in her skull, fitting them back into place.


    ¡°You did a good thing,¡± he said once he finished with the healing. ¡°Inari needed to be put down. Glad the asshole¡¯s finally dead.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Basil said, sitting up. ¡°Who are you exactly?¡±


    ¡°Taroe.¡±


    ¡°Did the headmaster send you here?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Yes. And he told me the basics of what happened. But I want the details.¡±


    ¡°How do we know that you¡¯re trustworthy?¡± Basil accused. ¡°Anyone could claim to be sent by the headmaster.¡±


    ¡°Because I haven¡¯t killed the Blood Harbinger or the Ooze Harbinger despite one of them mouthing off to me.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Start from where we last spoke.¡±


    There was a moment of silence.


    ¡°That was nearly half a year ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of how time works.¡±


    Kizu gave a barebones retelling of the events of the last few months. He avoided personal topics like his relationship with Emilia or unimportant things like his day to day class schedule. He also omitted a few other things like using Anata¡¯s blood to advance his spellcraft and breaking the seal for the Kitsune. But for the most part, he remained truthful.


    ¡°I want to see this book and necklace,¡± Taroe interrupted when Kizu mentioned the enchanted items. ¡°Those are invaluable tools.¡±


    ¡°Wait until he gets to the bell,¡± Basil muttered.


    Taroe glanced at the shapeshifter but made no further comment, allowing Kizu to continue. When he finished, Taroe knelt down and ripped open his pant leg, revealing the new reptilian leg attached to Kizu.


    ¡°I just gave him those pants!¡± Basil cried out in anguish.


    ¡°Hm. For a necromancer, not bad workmanship.¡± Taroe tapped the leg and Kizu felt an uncomfortable shiver go through him as the Elite ran a finger down the scales.


    ¡°Is there anything I should be worried about?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. This isn¡¯t a natural creature¡¯s leg. Likely a juvenile monster. I recommend you keep an eye on your magic. It¡¯s very possible for you to gain new affinities. Or lose old ones.¡±


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    ¡°But¡­it¡¯s not going to fall off? It¡¯s here to stay now?¡± It sounded like such a stupid question. But Kizu desperately wanted to keep the leg attached to him. It was so freeing to finally walk like a normal person again with no pain.


    ¡°I will run a few experiments. But your body hasn¡¯t rejected it yet. That¡¯s a good sign. And your soul is stable as far as I can tell. I expected far worse from Aoi. She¡¯s improved substantially.¡±


    ¡°You know about Aoi?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Yes. I helped arrest her mentor. I¡¯ve kept an eye on her ever since I caught her sneaking away to go chat with her family¡¯s prisoner.¡± He glanced over at the princess and scratched his unkempt beard. ¡°Your headmaster will be contacting her parents about the necromancy used. However, I expect it will go better for her than she assumes.¡±


    ¡°Her family won¡¯t be happy,¡± Basil stated.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be happy she¡¯s not dead by Inari¡¯s hand. That¡¯s the official story. An assassination attempt.¡±


    Taroe then started performing tests on Kizu¡¯s leg, some physical, like flicking it with various degrees of enhanced strength to test its resilience and reflexes, and others magical. He focused a lot of his examinations on the stretch of skin along Kizu¡¯s thigh where reptilian flesh connected to human. It turned out to be the most tender section. At one point, the man jabbed a finger through the edge of the graft, causing Kizu¡¯s eyes to water in pain as the man dug around under his skin. When he pulled back his hand, his finger had started to sizzle and melt, showing bone.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± he muttered, healing his wound. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything like this before. The closest is the flesh of unusual Tainted. But this takes it to another degree altogether. Without the Ooze Harbinger¡¯s flesh to act as a middle ground adhesive, adjusting the change in blood, I doubt you would have been successful. More likely, the entire leg would have had to be amputated up to the hip.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean for me?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°It means you¡¯ve got a leg again. Lucky you.¡±


    ¡°Could I copy it?¡± Basil asked. The shapeshifter looked intrigued by the prospect of adding to his collection of possible body parts.


    ¡°I doubt it. It doesn¡¯t belong to a true humanoid. From the accounts I¡¯ve heard, you can only take the forms of humanoids.¡±


    Basil grumbled. But it left Kizu with the question of where did this leg come from? Was it just some experiment grown in a lab? Or had it been removed from something? Unfortunately, Taroe had no answers for him.


    Through more experimentation, Kizu discovered that any blood withdrawn from near the leg turned acidic. Luckily, it remained centered in that part of his body, returning to near normalcy when it circulated out of the leg. Taroe removed Kizu¡¯s antimagic bracelet and had him test a few basic spells. Since spells were normally cast through a person¡¯s heart, the leg¡¯s blood appeared to not change anything. But more subtle differences in affinities would be difficult to notice.


    Besides the leg¡¯s blood, the leg contained far more strength than his natural one. He had learned as much when he smashed it down on Inari¡¯s lackey¡¯s back during their fight. The force had cracked the man¡¯s spine. It also had a far greater grip strength, reminding Kizu of one of Mort¡¯s feet, able to grasp onto things with little effort.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± Taroe said after some measurements. ¡°Your legs are still almost even in length. You might have a bit of difficulty balancing but it should be manageable. Barely even a limp.¡±


    Kizu knew all too well about limping. It might be an unnatural abomination, but he felt extremely satisfied by the new replacement.


    ¡°Now that your examination is finished, let¡¯s take a look at the Blood Harbinger.¡±


    Anata shrank back as he turned on her. She¡¯d woken up during Taroe¡¯s tests on Kizu and she had watched it all with wide eyes. Kizu didn¡¯t blame her, everything about the man screamed unsafe. From his gravelly voice to his unkempt appearance.


    ¡°From this point on, I am your father,¡± Taroe said to her.


    ¡°What?¡± Kizu said, stupefied.


    ¡°Gizrim has been spreading the seeds of this rumor for months now. I have eight different bastards; nobody will think much of me having one more.¡±


    Kizu stared.


    The Elite guffawed at his reaction. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not actually her father. But I¡¯m taking on that title for the foreseeable future. She doesn¡¯t need to call me anything other than Taroe, most of my kids do anyway.¡±


    ¡°Anata doesn¡¯t speak.¡±


    ¡°You just said she did earlier tonight?¡±


    ¡°That was different¡­¡± Kizu wasn¡¯t sure how to explain it.


    Thankfully, Basil spoke up.


    ¡°Anata is the daughter of a Blood Lord. Like how I inherited a bit of the magic properties of my fathers, she inherited some from Otochi. It only makes sense she could glamour like a Blood Lord. I was wondering why she didn¡¯t display any real similarities to his powers. The Kitsune I met in Tross was able to transform seamlessly.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Taroe narrowed his eyes and tugged on his beard. A few fleas abandoned ship and took refuge in the bedding. ¡°Is this why you don¡¯t speak?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°If when she speaks, she immediately glamours anyone around, it makes sense her father trained her to keep her mouth shut.¡±


    Anata looked away, not answering as she buried herself under her blanket.


    ¡°Running away from answers doesn¡¯t solve them,¡± Taroe scoffed.


    ¡°She¡¯s a child,¡± Kizu said defensively.


    ¡°Children got to learn. Apocalyptic children even more so.¡±


    Once Aoi woke up, she chased Taroe from the room, throwing anything she could get her hands on while hissing like a cat. He appeared unperturbed by the thrown objects, but left the room, formally dismissing himself with a bow for the princess.


    She did not hold a high opinion of him.


    ¡°He¡¯s nothing more than a disheveled rat. He¡¯ll sell you out to advance his reputation in an instant.¡±


    Kizu and Basil shared a look.


    ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re talking about the same person?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°He seemed pretty reasonable, all things considered.¡±


    ¡°Ha. Reasonable. As if. He hates necromancy. I tried to get him to call off the execution.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Basil said. ¡°He mentioned that.¡±


    ¡°He mentioned ratting me out to my parents? He¡¯s the reason they so anally keep track of my going-ons. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to study necromancy with their constant interference? It¡¯s next to impossible! I have to scrounge up every bit of resources I have and then keep it all completely hidden, or else it will get tossed out with tomorrow¡¯s trash! And it¡¯s all because of him.¡±


    ¡°At least he patched you up,¡± Basil pointed out. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re back to normal.¡±


    Aoi touched her head, then she paled, obviously remembering.


    ¡°My cousin-¡±


    ¡°Dead,¡± Kizu said. ¡°The monster under Owl¡¯s Respite tore him apart. The headmaster said he¡¯s going to make it look like an assassination attempt on you gone wrong.¡±


    ¡°Not much of a stretch of the truth,¡± Aoi said darkly. ¡°He murdered my cousin. And she wasn¡¯t his first victim. We¡¯re lucky.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Kizu continued slowly. ¡°This means that your friend, Taroe, now knows about our ship.¡±


    Aoi¡¯s eyes widened to saucers. She leaped out of bed, throwing her sheets across the room.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    She dashed from the room, slamming the door closed behind her and leaving the rest of them bemused.

 Chapter III.II (3.2) - Geas

    Chapter III.II (3.2) - Geas


    Inari¡¯s two lackeys that Kizu and the others had managed to take out had their memories wiped by Roba. In his years living in the Hon Basin, Kizu had heard the crone mention memory altering hexes and even knew of a couple recipes for brews that could erase or muddle memories, but he¡¯d never seen the results before.


    Taroe, now in charge of the academy¡¯s medical wing, watched over them all. He remained silent for the most part, not bothering to speak save for when he needed to perform check-ups on them. If anything, he acted more like a prison warden looming over them than a doctor.


    The two lackeys knelt before Aoi¡¯s bed, vehemently apologizing for their betrayal of the Royal Family and their apparent part in the assassination attempt. They wore the antimagic bracelet and collar that once adorned Kizu¡¯s wrist and Basil¡¯s neck.


    The sight of them chilled Kizu. This was far from a complete mind control or complete memory alterations, rather just a tweaking of their motivations, a blotting out of events onboard Owl¡¯s Respite, and slight change in the words they were told by Inari. And he knew messing with the memory of people suppressed by antimagic was a far simpler task than altering a normal mage¡¯s mind, but it still terrified him to know that Roba could twist memories so viciously.


    Aoi, on the other hand, was undisturbed by the mutilation of their minds. She spared them no pity as they babbled apologies at her. After the faculty discovered her laboratory aboard Owl¡¯s Respite, they had commandeered the ship and banned her from accessing it until they could contact her family. While it wasn¡¯t the worst possible result, it left Aoi in a horribly foul mood. One that she was completely willing to unleash on the two people in front of her.


    ¡°You should be hanged,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d then bring back your zombified corpses and remove your head with an ax. And repeat the process until completing all the possible official execution processes. Which number 391 in Hon. Then I should bottle up your souls in a jar and feed them to a more powerful spirit. Or perhaps drop the bottle in the bottom of the deepest sea where the darkness and pressure can inflict pain on you for eternity.¡±


    ¡°But¡­you¡¯re not going to do that?¡± one of them pressed. She was the one who had used explosions in their fight. She was tall and built with muscle. Her crooked nose implied more than one scuffle in her past. But despite her appearance, the woman looked utterly cowed by Aoi.


    ¡°No,¡± Aoi said, looking distastefully at the woman. ¡°You¡¯re going into the custody of the Elites and spending some time in Keimusho Prison. And by some, I mean an indefinite amount.¡±


    The woman glanced at her companion, who continued to stare at the antimagic bracelet locked around his wrists with a look of utter defeat on his face. Neither of them looked excited about the trajectory of the rest of their lives.


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s some other option? Some sort of favor we can do for you in recompense?¡±


    ¡°A favor?¡± Aoi scoffed. ¡°You tried to kill me. Not interested.¡±


    ¡°What¡­what about a geas?¡± she suggested, panic in her voice. ¡°You¡¯re a necromancer. You can do that¡­right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be willing to go through with a geas?¡± Aoi said, she leaned forward, suddenly keenly interested.


    ¡°No!¡± the man said at the same time the woman said, ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a geas?¡± Kizu asked Aoi.


    ¡°Soul magic. Basically branding a soul permanently. It¡¯s used by some necromancers on their underlings or apprentices. Not incredibly common because as a side-effect it can cause long-term harm on their future growth as soul mages. And for it to work properly, it needs to be voluntary. Otherwise the process is too flawed.¡±


    Across the room, Taroe raised an eyebrow at the description. This was obviously not something commonly known among most mages. But he didn¡¯t interrupt their conversation.


    ¡°But what does it actually do?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°Is it just a brand?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It gives the mage control over the thrall. You can manipulate everything from actions to emotions.¡±


    ¡°That sounds horrible.¡±


    Aoi shrugged. ¡°If it¡¯s not formed completely voluntarily, then a strong enough will can break free.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly voluntary,¡± Kizu pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s either this or prison.¡±


    That gave Aoi pause. ¡°You¡¯re right. But I think it¡¯s close enough. She¡¯s the one that suggested it after all. But I¡¯ll go through my notes and see what I can find about it.¡± She sighed. ¡°I wish I had access to the Grim Library.¡±


    ¡°Then that option is available?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not off the table,¡± Aoi confirmed. ¡°But first I need more information about yourself. Who exactly are you?¡±


    She licked her lips and again looked to her companion before starting.


    ¡°My name is Ueno Tiya. I¡¯m 29 years old and was born in a decent sized town east of the Hon Basin, down by the coast. After my ninth birthday my father, the mayor of our town, sent me to the capital to study numerology, language, and politics. Originally, I intended to succeed him as mayor, but we also studied the basics of spellcraft. After studying for a year, the military took notice of my affinity with elemental spells and drafted me.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Basil cut in. Kizu had nearly forgotten about the shapechanger¡¯s existence in the room. He¡¯d been quietly relaxing on a bed nearby. ¡°You got drafted at the age of ten? That seems a bit farfetched.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Aoi answered. ¡°It¡¯s normal in Hon if someone young is spotted with an unusual amount of talent. It¡¯s best to cultivate it from an early age. But finding someone like that is in itself uncommon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal with the witch covens as well,¡± Kizu pointed out. ¡°Most apprentices start younger than ten.¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Aoi said, redirecting them. ¡°Continue, Ueno.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± she hesitated and looked at Kizu, eyes lingering on his hair. Clearly thrown by his comment on witch covens. But then she continued on. ¡°My father wasn¡¯t very happy about the change, but the Hon government gave him funds and sent a new young mayoral candidate to substitute my loss. After that, I spent several years with the military until the slime invasion.¡±


    Basil shifted uncomfortably. The captives had their memories altered to not fully remember the encounter, but they had discovered Basil¡¯s role as the Ooze Harbinger on the ship. Something he obviously wasn¡¯t keen on them recalling.


    ¡°It was horrible. Almost eleven years ago now, but I still see my friends when I close my eyes. The flesh melted off their bones, clinging to life while I was useless to stop the ever progressing line of death. Nothing else comes close to that horror. I only survived because Inari and Kateshi found me.¡± She paused. ¡°What exactly happened to Kateshi? Inari roped her into his plan, but I don¡¯t remember where she went.¡±


    ¡°She died trying to kill me,¡± Aoi said dryly.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like¡­actually, yes. I vaguely recall that. I think I wasn¡¯t fully conscious.¡±


    ¡°Basically, if I understand correctly. You were rescued by Inari and went into his service immediately after. Ever since then, you¡¯ve been his dog, doing his bidding?¡±


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    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Is this all accurate?¡± Aoi asked, turning to Taroe, who stood stoically off to the side.


    ¡°As far as I am aware.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now tell me what you''re capable of magically.¡±


    ¡°I am a fire elementalist,¡± Ueno said. ¡°Explosions and lava are what I¡¯m known for.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense if you caught the eye of the military,¡± Aoi commented. ¡°How are you at the other branches of spellcraft?¡±


    ¡°Not great,¡± Ueno admitted. ¡°Most people don¡¯t receive as well rounded of an education as the students here at Shinzou Academy. I know quite a few earth elemental spells. I acted as a scout in our group, detecting landbound threats. And I can manipulate and mold earth extremely well, as I almost always use preexisting earth in my lava spells, but, unlike fire, I don¡¯t usually create it.¡±


    ¡°Back up,¡± Kiz interjected. ¡°Lava spells? Like, as in, molten rock? You can fling that stuff around?¡± Kizu recalled seeing the molten rivers in the World Dungeon beneath the academy. It was volatile and dangerous. The thought of someone using something like that in an attack was terrifying. He was glad she¡¯d only used explosions while they fought on Owl¡¯s Respite.


    ¡°Yes. I can perform minor spells in other branches of magic, but nothing remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Can you jump?¡± Aoi asked.


    ¡°No. I relied on my companions for that. However, I have the tattoo wards to keep myself safe from enemy spatial mages.¡±


    Aoi grumbled, obviously wanting a personal transportation method.


    ¡°What did Inari specialize in?¡± Kizu asked.


    That gave Ueno pause. She looked over to Aoi for permission.


    ¡°He¡¯s a dead traitor,¡± Aoi said flippantly. ¡°And I request the information on my authority as Princess of the Hon Empire.¡±


    ¡°He was an alumnus of Shinzou Academy. You could look up his records to know what he was capable of on graduation. But, while working with him these last ten years, he specialized in wind elemental spells, illusions, and hexes. But he was fully capable of a wide range of spells from all the branches.¡±


    That matched up with what Kizu had seen of him.


    ¡°Do you know any hexes? Did he teach you anything.¡±


    ¡°I would advise against that,¡± Taroe cut-in. ¡°Hexes are a dangerous spellcraft closely related to soul magic. Two sides of the same coin. They attack the body, while necromancy attacks the soul. If you value your reputation, I would stay away.¡±


    ¡°Inari used them though,¡± Aoi countered. ¡°He was a prince.¡±


    ¡°He was a warlord. He used fear to consolidate his power.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any hexes,¡± Ueno said, making the discussion moot.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Aoi said. ¡°Taroe, you can take these two back to wherever you¡¯re holding them. I¡¯ll make my decision on Ueno later after I do some more research. The other one can be sent to Keimusho.¡±


    After Taroe escorted them away, Basil stretched and stood up.


    ¡°Well, I need to go pack. Taroe cleared me with a clean bill of health. I¡¯m heading off to the dorm. Feel free to shout if you need anything.¡±


    That left Kizu with Anata and Aoi. Anata had been hiding under her blanket the entire interrogation, not wanting to be seen by the prisoners. An altogether good idea with such a fresh memory altering spell on them. Aoi began shuffling through her grimoire, obviously looking for information on the geas spell.


    ¡°Is Keimusho really that bad?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty horrid,¡± Aoi said, not looking up from her book. ¡°Lots of suffering due to information extraction. I¡¯ve only been once though. You should ask Ione about it.¡±


    ¡°Ione? Why? Has she been there?¡±


    He pictured Ione as a hardened criminal, and grinned at the thought. He could at least imagine her enjoying solitary confinement. But only if they supplied her with a pillow.


    ¡°Her parents own the prison,¡± Aoi said. ¡°Did you not know? The Kajima family is a long line of prison wardens. They¡¯re quite famous for working with some of the worst Hon has to offer.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Ione had never mentioned it before. Somehow, Kizu struggled even more with the idea of Ione being a prison warden than he had with her being a prisoner. Though¡­he could fit the image of Sene into place pretty easily. ¡°I thought Hon executed anyone with a sufficiently horrible crime.¡±


    Aoi¡¯s face darkened, obviously recalling her mentor.


    ¡°No. They only execute people deemed useless or with dangerous information, like secrets of necromancy. If they have information the Empire believes is valuable, they¡¯ll keep a prisoner alive for decades. Though, most of the people who enter Keimusho never see sunlight again.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Aoi said, snapping her grimoire shut. ¡°Enough about that. I need to get out of here. It¡¯s stuffy and I can¡¯t think properly. You care to join me on a walk?¡±


    Kizu looked over at Anata.


    ¡°Will you be okay here with Mort watching over you?¡±


    Anata shook her head vigorously. Then she slipped out of her bed and slid on a pair of slippers.


    Kizu acknowledged to himself that this was better. A sleeping Mort wouldn¡¯t be much protection if something snuck in.


    ¡°Alright, then it¡¯s the three of us.¡±


    Aoi talked as they walked, going over geas spell details before eventually devolving into rambling about other necromantic theory. Kizu didn¡¯t understand over half of what she said, but didn¡¯t question her. She clearly just needed to sort through her thoughts out loud.


    She led them to an unfamiliar wing of the academy. More traditional landscape paintings hung on the corridor¡¯s walls, unenchanted but gorgeous. Kizu wanted to stop and appreciate them, but Aoi continued moving on, muttering about something called a fext and trapping them inside stained glass.


    Anata stuck her head in a room with a door slightly ajar and gasped. Kizu quickly looked inside and was grateful to find it vacant. Though he also sucked in a breath at the sight. The room was filled with color. Everything from the tiled floors, to the support pillars, to the couches was covered in coats of multicolored paint. Blues, greens, pinks, oranges. It looked like an explosion of color had detonated inside. The only clean surfaces in the room were perfectly blank canvases set up on stands throughout the room. The white of the canvases practically glowed next to the overwhelmingly vibrant furniture.


    But they didn¡¯t have much time to stare. He and Anata had to jog to catch back up with Aoi, who was now debating about different types of decomposers that grew on fresh undead.


    Finally, a pair of heavy double doors sprang open as they approached, revealing a courtyard with a pond. A small gazebo was erected in the center of the pond, its base a few centimeters submerged with deeper water surrounding it. Aoi stepped out onto the pond, but before her foot dipped into the water, steppingstones pierced the water, catching her foot and sending ripples across the placid surface.


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan for spring break?¡± Aoi asked, walking forward with complete faith the next step would appear underfoot.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one,¡± Kizu admitted. ¡°My parents don¡¯t want Anata on their property. We¡¯ll probably just stay here.¡±


    He watched as Anata followed after Aoi, lunging between each step to match Aoi¡¯s stride and use her steppingstones before they submerged again.


    ¡°An entire month alone?¡± Aoi turned and faced him, now standing on the gazebo floor. ¡°Shinzou Academy will be dead. A complete ghost town.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to study. Not to mention the repairs on Owl¡¯s Respite.¡±


    ¡°How about you come with me and Basil? There¡¯s an actual ghost town I want to explore not far from my home.¡±


    ¡°No thanks.¡±


    Anata, who had just taken a leap from the final steppingstone to the gazebo, splashed water on her impact. Then she triumphantly grinned back at Kizu.


    Aoi frowned then changed tactics. Her eyes flicked from Kizu, to his niece.


    ¡°Hey Anata, you remember that festival a few months back? The one with the lanterns and games. You went to it, right?¡±


    Anata nodded her head, looking up at Aoi.


    ¡°What if I told you there¡¯s going to be an even bigger festival? A thousand times bigger. And this one with pink trees, magic floats, beautiful dresses, and a million different carnival games. Would you be interested?¡±


    This time Anata nodded more vigorously.


    Aoi¡¯s face twisted into a sinister smile.


    ¡°How¡¯s that, Kizu? Are you going to shatter the heart of your poor niece or will you come join us? My family will host you. I just need a minor favor in return.¡±


    Kizu glared over the pond back at her.


    Aoi¡¯s smile widened and she clapped her hands together. ¡°Alright then, it¡¯s settled! I¡¯ll contact my family and let them know you¡¯ll be staying.¡±

 Chapter III.III (3.3) - Damages

    Chapter III.III (3.3) - Damages


    Kizu reviewed his current standings one last time before spring break.


    Combat- 411, Astronomy- 201, Divination- 92, History- 787, Politics- 791, Rejuvenation and Restoration- 799, Conjuring- 799, Brewing- 1, Numerology- 799, Music- 599 (piano), Enchanting- 177, Illusion- 81, Elemental- 300.


    Added up, the number reached 5,837. The headmaster had promised a few months earlier to divulge information about his sister if he reached the total 1,000. Unfortunately, he was a far cry away from that goal.


    Now committed to visiting Aoi over the break, he promised himself that he would actively listen and ask questions about politics. He needed some sort of leg up in that class if he wanted any chance of improving that ranking. Visiting Tross for the school excursion had improved the score a tiny bit. Capitalizing on that strategy was a necessity. And he reluctantly admitted to himself that he needed to pay better attention in Krimpit¡¯s lectures next semester.


    He put his academy scrying orb away in his pack on top of his clothes. Roba had allowed him to fetch his and Anata¡¯s things from the ship.


    Owl¡¯s Respite wasn¡¯t in the best condition. Two separate craters in the deck broke through the ceiling. One over the cargo hold, and the other above the crew¡¯s quarters where Kizu packed his bag. Despite Roba and the headmaster¡¯s requisition of the ship, the skeletons still sat at their usual table. Several of their bones were now either scorched black or missing altogether, but they continued playing their card game, as if nothing had happened. A brownish red smear on the floorboards led from the empty bookshelf up to his hammock. Blood. His blood. Getting that stain out of the wood would be tough. He might need to replace the wood altogether. Thankfully, the battle up on the deck hadn¡¯t damaged any of his or Anata¡¯s possessions. Just the structure of the ship.


    Exiting the crew¡¯s quarters, Kizu crossed the deck to the captain¡¯s cabin. During their fight, Sojan and Inari had been blasting each other with high powered spells up in the air above Owl¡¯s Respite. This had the unfortunate consequence of knocking down the already broken main sail¡¯s mast. To reach the captain¡¯s cabin, Kizu had to vault over where the mast lay, dangling somewhat precariously over the edge of the gunwales.


    At first glance, Aoi¡¯s laboratory looked untouched. He noticed the broken vat that once contained his new leg. He flexed his toes, feeling the claws pierce through his boot¡¯s sole and grip into the woodwork. Looking down at the foot, Kizu sighed. Unless he gained better control of his new limb, he was going to be spending a fortune on cobblers.


    Earlier in the day, Aoi had begged him to inspect the area for damages and to check for any missing equipment. So Kizu examined the other objects strewn around the make-shift laboratory. Several other smaller limbs and one giant leg floated in various vats and a small pile of enchanted tools lay in a basket besides her operating table. Like the crew quarters¡¯ floor, it was also stained with his dried blood. He noticed dully that a scalpel on the table hadn¡¯t been cleaned and there were bits of his new leg¡¯s thigh which had been sliced off to even it out for him. No longer sustained by the liquid in the vat, it had shriveled up and reeked like rotting fish.


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    But the largest necromantic object was along the captain¡¯s cabin¡¯s back wall. Inside a vat the height of him, a gnome¡¯s body floated. It had been Aoi¡¯s most recent experiment, cloning a clone. It wasn¡¯t fully formed, but instead of looking juvenile, the twisted body looked halfway between a fetus and an adult¡¯s body. Kizu knew a juvenile gnome, and Jak definitely did not look like that.


    Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t be able to carry that out with him. Instead, he went over and gathered up some of Aoi¡¯s notes. Nothing had been taken from the room, but the princess hadn¡¯t done a great job of organizing all the papers taken from the necromancer¡¯s laboratory. She would have to make do with random pages of scattered notes that she had left pinned up on the walls. Most had been from the necromancer who previously owned the ship, but he recognized the handwriting of a couple sheets as belonging to Aoi.


    With a small pile of notes tucked into his pack along with a couple of her enchanted tools, Kizu exited the captain¡¯s cabin.


    Standing on the deck, he looked down into the lake below. There was no sign of the monstrous jellyfish creature or Inari, Kateshi, or Sojan¡¯s gnome body. He hoped to retrieve the enchanted dagger. The jellyfish shouldn¡¯t have been able to kill Sojan, but then again, he really didn¡¯t fully understand the dagger¡¯s capabilities. He had half expected it to seize control of the magical creature after being consumed by it.


    If Sojan was now in control of the monster, he showed no sign of it. Kizu decided it was a problem for later. At his current skill level, he didn¡¯t dare risk descending into the depths of the lake. He would brainstorm some retrieval ideas over spring break. And maybe by then he would have a better idea of how Anata convinced the monster to devour the mages. She had refused to speak about glamours or her abilities since the incident. Well, she¡¯d always refused to speak, but now she was obstinately avoiding the subject.


    Hopefully the dagger would be fine for a month.


    Best case scenario, he returned with a better air bubble spell and discovered Sojan undisturbed on the rocky lakebed. He grimaced. In his life, he rarely ever encountered best case scenarios. But that was a problem for the future.


    The more he considered Aoi¡¯s offer to house him and Anata over the break, the more it made sense to him. Especially after seeing the condition of Owl¡¯s Respite. This break might even offer him opportunities to make some money to buy materials for repairs as well as give him a buffer to advance his spellcraft. Maybe he could take on some odd jobs in the city for extra coin. Something to consider.


    Taroe had mentioned to him that all Elites needed to attend the festival as part of their duties unless they were away on other official business. So, Kizu would have him around to rely on while there as well. He didn¡¯t know how much he trusted the Elite, but he already knew Anata¡¯s secret and was a friend to the headmaster.


    With his own parents not wanting to associate with Anata, his other options seemed to be either stay at the academy and hope the headmaster would let Anata stay in the dorms until he finished his repairs on the ship or ask another student like Ione to stay with them. He supposed they hypothetically could camp in the forest for a week or two, but with how active the monsters had been recently and not understanding Anata¡¯s power, that was barely an option even worth considering. No. Going with Aoi seemed like the best step forward.


    All things considered, the option really boiled down to whichever Anata was going to enjoy the most. No matter where he went, he planned to spend the entire month studying and practicing spells. With the academy¡¯s library open for limited hours during the break, he probably could get just as much studying done at Aoi¡¯s home. Her family undoubtably owned a personal library he could access.


    The gamble was this favor Aoi mentioned needing from him. But with her family breathing down her neck about necromancy, Kizu doubted it could be anything too protracted and obvious. Plus, he did owe her for that impromptu surgery she¡¯d performed on his leg.


    His mind made up, the only question remaining was which book from the library to check out.

 Chapter III.IV (3.4) - Spring Break Begins

    Chapter III.IV (3.4) - Spring Break Begins


    Kizu ended up checking out an advanced theory book on spatial magical displacements from the Living Library. It was technically the last book he¡¯d be able to check out from that library now that his spatial final project was complete. He had to keep it inside a special book carrier or risk it popping out of reality. The ward enchantments embroidered into the bag¡¯s fabric acted as a uniquely designed beacon to draw the book back into it whenever it attempted to leave their current plane of existence.


    ¡°Here, I designed this for Anata last night,¡± Basil said, passing him a strip of cloth.


    Kizu lifted and examined it for a moment. An eyepatch with elaborate black needlework.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with her eye,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°Her heterochromia will attract undue attention. This will keep people from asking questions. Paired with her being mute, most people will leave her alone. I¡¯m going to stick to this body for the next few weeks to avoid attention as well.¡±


    Kizu looked over to Anata. They stood in the foyer in front of the transportation rooms. Other students shuffled around but nobody spared him and Anata a second glance. Many of them had seen her before on the excursion.


    ¡°Do you want to wear this?¡± Kizu asked, kneeling down next to his niece.


    She took it and looked from him to Basil to Aoi, who was happily chatting with her roommate off to the side. Then she nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Kizu asked again. ¡°Only wear it if you want to. There¡¯s nothing wrong with your eye and no need to hide it.¡±


    She nodded again and Kizu helped her slide it over her head to cover her red eye and scar. Tucked under her bangs, the black patch fit snugly, looking fashionable while still remaining unobtrusive. The removal of her scarlet eye made her look meeker and more fragile.


    ¡°Very chic!¡± Basil praised her, grinning. ¡°I¡¯m extremely glad you two are joining. There is nothing worse than meeting parents alone.¡±


    ¡°Sophia is joining us as well,¡± Aoi said, interrupting them. ¡°Her parents are overseeing a campaign in Ilosin-Don. So I offered to let her stay at my place for the break.¡±


    Sophia was a short Tainted girl with brown scales contouring her cheekbones. When Kizu had last seen her, he¡¯d accidentally woken her up while sneaking out of her room. Thankfully, his camouflage had worked well enough to keep her from remembering the occasion.


    ¡°What are they doing in Ilosin-Don?¡± Basil asked, eyeing Sophia.


    ¡°Reclaiming some land from the oozes,¡± the Tainted girl replied in a nasally tone. ¡°They¡¯re hoping to set up a coastal outpost for Edgeland.¡±


    ¡°Sophia¡¯s parents are commanders of Edgeland¡¯s Vanguard Unit,¡± Aoi explained. ¡°They¡¯re some of the best warriors in the nation, trained to lead and destroy monsters from the World Dungeon. With how frequently denizens crawl up across the continent, they¡¯re invaluable.¡±


    ¡°Trained to kill monsters?¡± Basil said, a fake smile on his face. ¡°That¡¯s nice. Very useful.¡±


    Sophia scowled at him, as if unable to determine whether or not he was mocking her.


    ¡°Thank you again for the invitation, Aoi,¡± Kizu said, trying to break the rising tension. ¡°It helps us out a lot. Especially due to our, um, temporary eviction.¡± He glanced over to Sophia, not knowing how much to tell her.


    ¡°Yes. I heard about that,¡± Aoi said. ¡°Really unfortunate. That¡¯s totally the reason I invited you to come visit for spring break.¡±


    ¡°Am I missing something?¡± Sophia asked.


    Before anyone could answer her, they were ushered into the transportation room connected to and powered by the World Dungeon. The room was significantly less occupied than the one Kizu had arrived at Shinzou Academy in. Most of the occupants had changed out of their academy uniforms and wore traditional kimonos and yukatas.


    ¡°Kyonaka is a smaller city than Daitoshi,¡± Aoi said, after he commented on how few other students were traveling with them. ¡°Mostly just nobility and politicians. And a lot of them prefer to send their children to Yamagako Academy. So there aren¡¯t too many of us traveling.¡±


    ¡°Yamagako Academy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s on a mountain not far from Kyonaka. Decent education but very insular. They have a lot of the old Hon values. Which isn¡¯t great if you need to interact heavily with other nations. Some of my cousins have attended there. Only one right now.¡±


    They split up, Aoi and Sophie taking two chairs off to the side while Kizu sat on a couch, Anata between him and Basil. Mort hopped down from his head over to Anata¡¯s shoulder and began messing with her new eyepatch.


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    ¡°She already hates me,¡± Basil reflected, looking over at the girls.


    ¡°Sophia?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think she recognizes my name from Aoi¡¯s first¡­ah, experience with me. Like, you know, from years ago when she thought I died. This is such a pain. I¡¯m already committed to this appearance for the entire month, so I can¡¯t use my normal technique of changing who I am and refreshing the first impression.¡±


    ¡°How terrible,¡± Kizu said dryly.


    ¡°I know. How do you normal people do it? Any strategies for escaping responsibility?¡±


    ¡°Maybe become a hermit? It worked for the crone. I¡¯ve noticed that the less people you¡¯re around, the less responsibility you accrue.¡±


    Basil grumbled.


    ¡°On the subject of responsibility, you should know I still haven¡¯t totally forgiven you for bailing on our final in Enchanting C.¡±


    ¡°I helped save your life!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t exonerate you from being flaky.¡±


    Basil continued to complain for a few more minutes until the room¡¯s door closed and they started traversing through the World Dungeon.


    Kizu scanned the room, looking for more familiar faces bound for Kyonaka. He spotted several other classmates, but not anyone he had traded more than a dozen words with in the past few months. In general, students from Hon tended to be a great deal less friendly than his peers from Tross and Edgeland. But he noticed they broke away from that stereotype when interacting with Aoi. Sophia acted like a guard dog, growling and scaring people off as they kept trying to bother the princess.


    ¡°Sometimes I forget that Aoi is royalty,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Her hobbies aren¡¯t very princess adjacent.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like someone completely unfamiliar with royalty,¡± Basil responded flippantly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve had a couple different members of the Hon royal line go to the academy in the last couple years. Aoi¡¯s the only one presently attending, but let me tell you, royalty are weird. Aoi¡¯s almost completely normal, just has a kind of macabre pastime. For example, her cousin, Taru was obsessed with bees. He would classify everyone into three groups based on their caste system- worker, drone, and queen. And, instead of remembering names, he would refer to everyone by their station. He calls Aoi, Queen 4, if I recall right.


    ¡°Her uncle, Zenchi, visited as a guest lecturer and he speaks almost exclusively in bad haikus. He¡¯s the first warlord and perhaps the most powerful person in the nation, but he spends all his time reading poetry.


    ¡°And then there¡¯s Aoi¡¯s older brother, Shiroi. He likes to wear plaid.¡±


    ¡°Anything else I should know about her family before we get there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll just be her siblings and parents at the house and, based on what I saw at Shiroi¡¯s graduation a few years ago, all of the others know how to dress themselves adequately. But her sister and baby brother are still young, so that¡¯s a fashion wild card.¡±


    ¡°I meant more in relation to things like the bee caste system. Other strange quirks to look out for.¡±


    ¡°Hm. She mentioned her mother likes to eat chopped fruit mixed in with her rice. Nothing else comes to mind about her intermediate family. But don¡¯t expect any of them to be normal.¡± He paused, as if considering something. ¡°Also, this might go without saying, but avoid the Inari branch of the family. The only decent soul on that side of the Royal Family was snuffed out by Kusatta Inari a few years back. We probably won¡¯t encounter them at Aoi¡¯s place, but better to warn you now. The one our age is a sociopath by all accounts.¡±


    Kizu nodded. He was starting to think maybe staying behind at the academy would have been a better use of his spring break. But he squashed the regret. He was already committed to this path. And it was only for a month.


    Oblivious to his internal doubts, Anata played with Mort beside him. She attempted to snatch him in her hands only for him to dodge and wiggle out repeatedly. He could feel Mort¡¯s happiness through their bond. His familiar had taken up the mantle of her protector whenever he¡¯d been absent, and the two of them had formed a strange friendship. Mort had now spent more time with Anata than any human other than himself. It reminded him of his years in the Hon Basin.


    ¡°How old is Aoi¡¯s sister?¡± Kizu asked. It would be nice if he find Anata some human friends to play with.


    ¡°Nine or ten. We¡¯ll have graduated by the time she¡¯s old enough to attend the academy.¡± Another pause. ¡°Or, at least, I will have graduated. I¡¯m not sure with your grades¡­.¡±


    ¡°My grades will be fine. I¡¯ll remind you again who had to carry you through that final project.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, your brother, Finn.¡±


    Kizu shot him an incredulious look.


    Basil grinned and raised his hands palms forwards in an act of surrender.


    A wooden golem approached them and offered them drinks. Unlike the James golems that worked across campus, this one was a naked puppet the size of a gnome with mouth agape and its marble eyes unfocused. It had been shuffling around the room, mutely shoving drinks at people.


    Following Basil¡¯s lead, Kizu took one of the purple drinks. He sipped it, checking to make certain it wasn¡¯t alcoholic, then passed it to Anata who immediately started guzzling it down. The juice dripped down her chin and spilled on her shirt collar. Kizu swore at himself silently. He should have seen this coming. He frantically looked around the room for the bathroom¡¯s entrance to change out Anata¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Slow down,¡± Basil said, immediately noticing the problem. ¡°I know a spell for this.¡±


    He set a hand on Anata¡¯s shoulder and waited for her to finish the drink. Then he pinched his thumb and pointer finger together and slowly withtracted the drink from her clothing. It reminded Kizu of a medic removing a long splinter buried in flesh. The liquid now removed and floating in a small orb over Basil¡¯s hand, it left Anata¡¯s shirt completely stain-free. Basil smiled smugly, clearly pleased with his work.


    Before Basil found somewhere to dispose of the juice, Mort leaped from Anata¡¯s lap and pierced through the bubble of liquid, splattering it all over Basil¡¯s front.


    Basil cursed at the monkey and quickly recreated his spell for his own clothes while Mort licked the juice off his palm, grinning up at the changeling.


    When they arrived at Kyonaka, Aoi and Sophia rejoined them as they exited the room. Basil¡¯s continued threats to turn Mort into a pair of socks did not appear to help endear him to Sophia.

 Chapter III.V (3.5) - Kyonaka City

    Chapter III.V (3.5) - Kyonaka City


    Taroe greeted them outside the building and escorted them up to Aoi¡¯s family¡¯s home. After Kizu voiced his surprise, Aoi mentioned to Kizu that the Elites usually sent someone to accompany her whenever she traveled through the city. But the more Kizu saw of Kyonaka, the more he struggled to understand why.


    Not a spec of dirt was to be found in the city streets. None of the traditional buildings stood taller than three stories and most had a manicured flower garden out front. The sakura trees that lined the street were beginning to bud, but he spotted no fallen leaves or sticks.


    Almost every woman they saw wore a colorful kimono, even the children, a fact that Anata gleefully pointed out to him. The only true noise they passed by came from the gentle twang of string instruments being played in inns and restaurants. People spoke softly to one another, never raising their voices. Instead of the loud noises of humans that dominated the streets in Daitoshi, Kizu heard birds singing overhead and the babbling sound of a creek that ran adjacent to their path. Some people bowed in respect to Aoi and Taroe as they passed, but mostly people just quietly continued on with their daily tasks.


    He thought this might be the safest place he¡¯d ever been in his entire life.


    But instead of relaxing him, it made Kizu uneasy. He kept glancing up at the roofs and into the clean alleyways they passed, expecting to spot something more sinister. Not even a stray cat. After walking for about half an hour, he realized he never spotted a constable or guard. The entire city appeared to run smoothly without any need of surveillance.


    ¡°It only looks that way,¡± Taroe said, when Kizu voiced his observation. ¡°There¡¯s a complex network of divinations strung throughout the city. It relies on several unique artifacts obtained in dungeon delves, but through it constables and Elites can monitor public spaces without being physically present.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re always watching?¡± Basil asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Aoi cut in. ¡°There are a couple diviners set up and only certain actions or keywords trigger their attention. Words like necromancy.¡± She made a hand gesture at the air and scowled at nothing. ¡°That¡¯s right, Yuke, I¡¯m talking about you! Get off my back and go swallow a jar of kori tapeworm larvae. At least if they ate your frontal lobe and lobotomized you, you might be able to actually gain some empathy. I know actual corpses with more of a soul.¡±


    Kizu glanced over to Taroe, but the Elite didn¡¯t step in while Aoi continued to insult the unseen watcher. But he noticed Kizu¡¯s look.


    ¡°Yuke likely saw it was the princess, noticed me standing next to her, and unfocused on us,¡± Taroe said. ¡°I doubt he heard a single other word that she spoke.¡±


    Aoi continued her tirade as they walked on.


    As they crossed a bridge, Kizu noticed steam rising from the stream below. Not hot enough to boil the water, but enough to be visible in the cool spring air.


    On the other side of the bridge, buildings were replaced by a bamboo forest. They passed by a worker patrolling through the forest and raking up leaves and loading them into a small cart. She bowed deeply to them as they passed. Kizu¡¯s stomach twisted with discomfort at the openly subservient gesture.


    ¡°Am I supposed to bow to your family?¡± Kizu asked Aoi. In Hon, there was an entire philosophical structure behind bowing that Kizu very vaguely recalled from his childhood.


    ¡°Probably. Technically, you should bow to me every time you speak. It¡¯s an arrestable offense to acknowledge me without proper respect.¡±


    Kizu let a silence stretch, waiting for Taroe to confirm or correct the statement. It took a long moment, but Kizu eventually got what he wanted from the Elite.


    ¡°A law that hasn¡¯t been enforced for a hundred years. Emperor Kotei Sasaki IX ended the Emperor¡¯s absolute authority when he established Hon¡¯s parliament.¡±


    ¡°We still have more than enough power,¡± Aoi cut in. ¡°If I wanted to, I could still put pressure on the law and have you arrested. I won¡¯t, because I¡¯m a benevolent friend. But you¡¯re deeply in my debt.¡±


    Kizu rolled his eyes.


    ¡°You should bow,¡± Sophia said. ¡°Aoi¡¯s being dramatic, but it¡¯s the proper etiquette. And if you see the Emperor, kneel and keep your face glued to the floor.¡±


    Kizu looked to Anata, making certain she was listening to the instructions. She met his eyes and nodded.


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t see him,¡± Aoi said dismissively. ¡°I mean, other than at the festival. He¡¯s a paranoid recluse. I think he¡¯s terrified of anything outside his palace¡¯s walls.¡±


    ¡°Do not speak ill of Emperor Kotei Honzo.¡± Taroe¡¯s eyes focused on her and his tone was cold.


    Aoi waved him off, but didn¡¯t press the topic. Instead, Sophia redirected the princess¡¯ attention, asking her questions about the bamboo forest¡¯s history. Kizu listened with more interest than perhaps Aoi¡¯s bored tone implied the topic warranted as she explained how the plant originated in southeastern Hon and had been imported back when the nation had been split into dozens of warring kingdoms. That part didn¡¯t interest him as much as the elemental spells used to grow the plants. At this altitude, the bamboo would normally never take root properly, but the Royal Family had elementalists routinely restore the nutrients to the soil every few months, creating a magically fertilized garden that was designed to counter the cooler weather patterns.


    Kizu hypothesized about how he might be able to use a similar method aboard Owl¡¯s Respite. He intended to create a garden and brewing lab in the hull. Of course, that would have to wait until after he started the ship¡¯s repairs. But he quickly took out a notebook from his pack and started sketching down ideas before he could lose his train of thought.


    Taroe eyed him as he wrote, but said nothing, simply scratching at his beard and evicting dozens of fleas. Kizu made a face as the insects sprang from the Elite over to Anata. Kizu opened his mouth, but the complaint died in his throat as he saw Mort snatch up the bug and crunch it between his teeth. Kizu refocused on the garden design, listening to Aoi speak and watching his footing out of the corner of his eye.


    When he finally finished his notes, a massive palace loomed over them. Several guards at the palace gate greeted Aoi warmly and began to demand that everyone give up their packs for a thorough examination, until Taroe overrode their orders.


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    When returning back to his parent¡¯s home after his rescue from the Hon Basin, Kizu had thought their mansion opulent and unnecessarily spacious. The palace put that in a completely different perspective.


    The interior was completely spotless. It blended Hon¡¯s traditional style with that of the World Dungeon entrance ruins. White marble staircases traced either end of the front entry leading up to a balcony. Doors spotted the walls, with the most grand being a double door beneath the balcony.


    The doors above them burst open and a young man leaped from the balcony. His plaid cloak billowed out, enchantments slowing his fall slightly. But not so slow as to give Aoi time to dodge. He collapsed into the surprised princess, laughing and hugging her close as they tumbled onto the ground.


    ¡°Welcome home, sister!¡±


    ¡°Get off, Shiroi!¡± Aoi said, attempting to pry her brother away. After a minute of him holding her, arms pinned to her sides, she turned her glare away from him and looked to the others for help. Kizu quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to get involved. As did the rest of them, save for Anata and Mort, who both looked like they wanted to join in.


    Several wooden mannequins approached from doors to either side of them. Their appearance distracted Aoi¡¯s brother enough for his sister to weasel out of his grasp. She stood, smoothed out her academy uniform, and glared down at the prince as the mannequins surrounded the party.


    ¡°Glad to have you all here,¡± the prince said, standing and extending his arms out in welcome. ¡°Sorry if I surprised you. My name is Shiroi. Any friends of Aoi¡¯s are friends of mine. Now, our father set everything up for you. These golems will act as your own private servants for your stay here. But if you need anything, always feel welcome to ask me as well.¡±


    Unlike the seemingly mass produced James golems or the inhuman servants that had handed out drinks on the trip over to the city, these mannequins were each entirely unique to one another. Even the materials seemed to differ. A porcelain doll with the appearance of a child approached Anata and offered to escort her to her room, while a gentleman stone statue approached Kizu. Despite being rock solid, his mustache and eyes still seemed alive as he spoke.


    ¡°Please, Master Kaga, your rooms have been arranged. Please follow me.¡±


    Anata clung to Kizu¡¯s arm, staring wide-eyed at the doll in front of her.


    ¡°I apologize if I unnerve you,¡± it said in a child¡¯s soft voice. ¡°I was designed to put children at ease, if that¡¯s not the case, I can surely find a replacement.¡±


    Taroe frowned and scratched his beard again as his eyes flickered from Kizu to Anata.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. My daughter is very attached to her assigned protector.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Elite Taroe.¡± The stone statue bowed to him. ¡°We will prepare a second futon for her in his chambers so he can watch over her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that will work,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks, Ishi.¡±


    ¡°Word of your new appointment just reached the general public this morning,¡± the statue, Ishi, said. ¡°If I might be so bold, I wish to congratulate you. You will be missed.¡±


    Taroe grunted and walked off.


    Only a moment later, the rest of them left with their golem escorts. Sophia followed after an origami woman. Aoi trailed after her, her older brother having draped an arm over her shoulder and asking her about her semester.


    Basil¡¯s golem, a scarecrow, walked alongside Ishi and the porcelain doll that led Kizu and Anata through the castle. The golems pointed at different rooms as they passed, informing them of important places like bathrooms. They also gave them a brief history of the palace. Kizu listened as they told them about how the palace was built on top of the ruins of an ancient civilization. The exact dates had been lost to time, but it was hypothesized the palace¡¯s foundation was at least two thousand years old. Unlike the Emperor¡¯s Palace which had been built only a few hundred years ago after the formation of the Hon Empire. This palace was thought to be one of the oldest buildings in Hon.


    The scarecrow golem escorted Basil into a room across the hallway from Kizu and Anata¡¯s. They said their goodbyes and walked in. Kizu took in his room, with its tatami flooring and a massive plush futon and a smaller one off to the side. Two futons. They adjusted the room to meet their needs incredibly fast. Kizu marveled at what must be an elaborate divination enchantment engraved in each of the golems to allow them to instantly communicate with one another. He could only imagine the complexity of such an enchantment built into an already complicated enchanted being. And he saw no other way that there would already be a second futon here after departing the entry hall only minutes earlier¡­unless the golems just brought them to a different room with multiple futons spread across the tatami. Actually, that seemed far more likely.


    He shook his head and set down his things on the big futon while Anata collapsed down onto her own. She sighed in relief as she sank into the soft blankets.


    Kizu watched his niece, she looked exhausted. It was easy to forget, since she never complained, but Anata still didn¡¯t have the muscle mass of a normal child. Despite months of nutritional food from the academy¡¯s cafeteria, she was still malnourished. He felt an irrational spike of anger at her father. Her entire life was so unfair and undeserved. Abused, kidnapped, attempted assassinations.


    ¡°Is there anything else we can assist you with?¡± Ishi asked. He ignored Mort as the monkey climbed up his side and used his head as a springboard to reach the chandeleur above the futon.


    ¡°Dinner won¡¯t be for several more hours,¡± the porcelain doll added. ¡°Perhaps I can interest you in a light snack?¡±


    Anata perked up and looked at the golem with a piercing gaze.


    ¡°Yes, that sounds great,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Speaking of dinner, who will be there tonight? And is there any sort of dress code?¡±


    ¡°Very attentive of you, Master Kizu,¡± Ishi praised. ¡°The entirety of Kotei Aoi¡¯s intermediate family will be in attendance. Along with her grandmother. By all accounts, they¡¯re looking forward to meeting you.


    ¡°As for dress code, you¡¯ll find a score of outfits suited for the occasion in your closets. They¡¯ve been organized based on the formality of the event. I would recommend choosing from the section that begins two thirds to the right. That is the more formal wear. The most formal being the furthest to the right.¡±


    With that, the golems dismissed themselves.


    Kizu made his way over to the closet, curious about their selection. Two racks of clothing were there, one stylized for Anata and the other for himself. He picked up a random black yukata and threw it on over his academy jacket. He started in surprise as the clothing shifted and fit itself to him. Using his spellsense, he quickly realized all of the outfits were enchanted to fit perfectly to his body. Out of curiosity, he tried putting on one of the child-sized gloves hanging on Anata¡¯s rack. It stretched itself but still couldn¡¯t adjust itself to cover the entirety of his palm. So the enchantments had limitations. Still, he found it incredibly neat.


    ¡°You have any idea what you want to wear tonight?¡± Kizu asked Anata while he shuffled through his own options.


    Anata crossed the tatami over to him and her eyes widened at the variety of options before her.


    She quickly locked in on a kimono that was mostly black with a diagonal strip of vibrant color crossing from hip to shoulder.


    Kizu decided to go with something to match her. He kept the black yukata, though he removed his academy uniform before putting it back on. However, he was quickly stumped by the cloth belt. He tied it in a basic knot around his waist. But then he scowled at his mirror-self. The belt looked off.


    It didn¡¯t help that when he tried tying it a second time, Mort stole the cloth belt and started dragging it around the room, much to Anata¡¯s delight. When Kizu finally reclaimed the cloth, he was relieved to find it without any bite punctures.


    When the porcelain golem returned with their food, it quickly assisted both himself and Anata with the proper knots and explained the traditional importance of tying an obi belt properly. Kizu untied his own and retied it a few times to memorize the method. But he didn¡¯t even bother trying to learn Anata¡¯s complex obi. It balanced out her kimono¡¯s color scheme extremely well and looked gorgeous, but it would take more than a few minutes to learn that bow-like knot.


    After a few hours of snacking, resting, and reading, he and Anata were escorted down to the palace¡¯s dining room.


    As they entered, a dozen different people turned towards him. The occupants kneeled on cushions facing the low long table. Then they all stood as one and bowed deeply in his direction.


    ¡°Finally!¡± the man at the head of the table declared, spreading his arms out palms open. ¡°The guest of honor!¡±

 Chapter III.VI (3.6) - Guest of Honor

    Chapter III.VI (3.6) - Guest of Honor


    Kizu looked over his shoulder, thinking perhaps someone had snuck up behind him. But no, it was only him and Anata.


    The man at the head of the table was dressed in a silk kimono with elaborate swirling designs stitched into the fabric. His broad shoulders gave him a rectangular figure and Kizu could see muscles beneath the cloth. Still, his facial features were reflective of Shiroi, and, to a lesser degree, Aoi. Clearly a relative of the family.


    ¡°Please, take a seat,¡± he ushered Kizu in with a booming voice. He gestured at two empty spaces at the table next to Taroe.


    The Elite still wore his uniform and looked as disheveled as usual. He stood apart from the rest of the finely dressed nobility all around him, but if anyone found that unusual, they didn¡¯t comment on it.


    Kizu kneeled on the cushion and looked down the table at Basil and Aoi. He wished they were closer. Instead, he was sandwiched between Taroe and Anata with Sophia directly across the table from him. None of which were great conversationalists.


    After the first round of drinks were served, he discovered why he¡¯d been referred to as the ¡®guest of honor.¡¯


    ¡°Without you,¡± the man said. ¡°I would be missing a daughter. Kusatta was a rat of a man who plagued everything he touched. Your service not only saved an innocent life from his glutenous ambition, but also left the world a far better place than before. Good riddance to his death!¡± He raised his glass high and the rest of the rest of the room followed suit. To Kizu¡¯s surprise, even Taroe, Aoi, and Basil drank to his supposed accomplishment. It wasn¡¯t deserved. Aoi was only ever in danger because he¡¯d decided to keep Anata on Owl¡¯s Respite. And Anata had been the one to really rid the world of Inari Kusatta. She stabbed him with Sojan and commanded the monster to devour him.


    Also, there was something sickening about having people celebrate the fact he¡¯d helped kill a person. Even someone vile like Inari. But he accepted the praise with a queasy smile and drank. Then the introductions began.


    The man at the head of the table was obviously Aoi¡¯s father, Kotei Iroi. He had a salt and pepper beard on his chin while his cheeks were shaved smooth with his graying hair clasped in a bun. Earnest gratitude exuded from him as he beamed at Kizu.


    Kotei Kuroi was the great grandmother of Aoi, and easily the oldest person in the room. Her hands shook as she raised her glass to him and it took her almost a minute to properly toast and drink. When she introduced herself, her voice was slow and tired, but she thanked him with a smile.


    Aoi¡¯s siblings all introduced themselves quickly. Including Shiroi, who was quietly interrogating Basil off to the side, Aoi had three older brothers, a younger sister, and a little brother. The sister eyed Anata as she introduced herself as Kiiroi. The little brother just sniffled and rubbed his runny nose on his kimono¡¯ sleeve. His father introduced him as Aka.


    Both Basil and Sophia also introduced themselves, though addressing the family rather than Kizu. Basil wore a full men¡¯s kimono. While it was a dark shade far more subtle than Kizu knew the changeling preferred, it was still striking. Sophia also wore a kimono, though hers was a swirl of browns and maroons to match her hair and scales.


    ¡°As thanks for your service,¡± Iroi said once introductions were complete. ¡°I have a gift for you.¡±


    Kizu opened his mouth to protest, but a side-eye glare from Taroe stopped the words.


    ¡°The Kaga family is well known to us, and know that our favor shines on them now brighter than ever. We¡¯ve recently helped them arrange a few different favorable trade negotiations from Hon noble families. It should increase your family¡¯s business significantly, not to mention raise their notoriety to even loftier heights. But I also wanted to give you something a bit more personal than a familial boon.¡±


    At a wave of his hand, the dining room door reopened, revealing a person completely concealed in a long black cloak who started walking towards the table in jerky, uneven steps, as if a puppet propelled by strings.


    ¡°Allow me to introduce you to¡­Wakino Yukiko.¡±


    He said the name as if Kizu should recognize it. Taroe¡¯s posture, on the other hand, stiffened. He obviously hadn¡¯t been informed about this new person¡¯s attendance.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to be acquainted,¡± a woman¡¯s gravelly voice said from below the hood. ¡°Prince Iroi told me you wished to study the art of spatial manipulation.¡±


    ¡°Exactly so!¡± Aoi¡¯s father said. ¡°I did a bit of research about your interests, and imagine my surprise when I discovered your wish to specialize in spatial spellcraft. Since I happen to be friends with the most accomplished spatial mage in the world, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to introduce you.¡±


    ¡°There is much we still do not know about the far reaches of the world, so that praise is exorbitant. But yes, I have agreed to give you direct lessons.¡±


    She lowered her hood and revealed her face. Or, at least, parts of her face. Large chunks of her head were simply absent, swathes of black void filling the spaces where her left eye, her right ear, and part of her cheekbone should be.


    Her single eye bore into him and his heart quickened. Not only because of her horrific missing body parts, but also at the prospect of a new teacher. This had been completely unexpected, but extremely welcome. Learning a heavily restricted branch of magic from someone praised by a prince of Hon. That was¡­exhilarating! He wondered just how far he might be able to advance in the coming month.


    She took the empty cushion next to Sophia. And, while the spot was directly across from Taroe, her eye never so much as flickered in his direction, as if writing off his presence entirely.


    ¡°Now then,¡± Kotei Iroi said. ¡°With all the introductions out of the way, let us feast! To Aoi¡¯s continued health and Kaga Kizu¡¯s heroics!¡±


    An entire tuna instantly appeared on one of the empty platters directly in front of Kizu. Other foods popped into existence alongside it and his bowl filled itself with white rice.


    Kizu started to reach for a pitcher of green tea to pour for himself and Anata, but he froze as a detached hand revealed itself from under Wakino¡¯s cloak and floated near him. Dexterously armed with a pair of chopsticks, it returned to her with a pink rice ball wrapped in a leaf.


    ¡°The academy was cagey about the details of your abilities,¡± she said to him as the hand dropped the food on her plate and went back out to fetch more. ¡°The administrator I spoke to was moderately infuriating. So tell me exactly your proficiencies and where you wish to see growth.¡±


    ¡°I can do rapid short range jumps. Around 200 before I get near exhaustion. I¡¯m still limited to areas that I can see. I can also resist beacons. And I have created a gate with an enchantment.¡±


    She frowned and said nothing. The lull in their conversation stretched for a minute, though thankfully others nearby filled it with their own dialogues.


    ¡°I guess the areas I want to improve would be pocket dimensions?¡± Kizu said, awkwardly continuing on. ¡°I find the theory of them extremely interesting. My mentor at Shinzou Academy will be teaching me long range jumps soon, so I¡¯d rather learn something different from you.¡±


    Again silence. Beside him, Anata gobbled up her bowl of rice, using her hands rather than her chopsticks. Normally, Kizu would have tried to correct her manners, but he struggled to look away from Wakino with her gaze scrutinizing him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± she finally said, her frown deepening. ¡°Gate theory and short jumps?¡±


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    ¡°Yes¡­.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the basics of spatial barriers? How to stretch or condense space? You can¡¯t even command basic telekinesis?¡±


    Kizu bit his lip. He hadn¡¯t even considered those as aspects of spatial magic. Reluctantly, he shook his head.


    Wakino hmped and finally looked away from him. She started eating her food. The dismembered hand fed her.


    ¡°They said this was your specialty. In truth, you¡¯re just an infant playing with the toys of an adult.¡± She bit into a slice of tuna, chewed, and swallowed. ¡°I will create a regime based on this information. However, you will not be touching pocket dimensions.¡±


    Kizu smothered his disappointment. He silently reassured himself he would likely find use for whatever she taught him. She knew better than him what he needed to learn. But¡­well, he did really want to learn pocket dimensions. He would just need to be patient.


    Her attention shifted from Kizu, over to Anata. She said nothing to Kizu¡¯s niece, instead just staring her down, analyzing her while Anata munched on fried burdock root.


    Aoi¡¯s little sister walked across the dining room and wedged herself between Kizu and Anata. The ten-year-old princess wore her hair in a braid like Aoi, though far more elaborate, with weaves interlaced with ribbon in a complex pattern.


    ¡°You¡¯re Taroe¡¯s bastard?¡± she asked, standing and looking down at Anata. ¡°I¡¯m Princess Kiiroi, daughter of Prince Kotei Iroi and 24th in line for the succession of the Emperor.¡±


    Anata met her eyes while she continued to chew on the root.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your eye?¡± The princess pointed at Anata¡¯s eyepatch. ¡°Did something poke it out?¡±


    Naturally, Anata remained mute, though she did cock her head.


    ¡°I had a one-eyed puppy when I was a kid. She was really really sweet. But then she accidentally fell into a well because she couldn¡¯t see where she was going. I jumped in to help save her, but I was too late. My parents were so angry at me. Do you ever worry that you¡¯ll fall in a well?¡±


    ¡°Anata doesn¡¯t speak,¡± Kizu said.


    Finally, the girl moved her attention over to him.


    ¡°Why not? She eats food fine, so she has a tongue.¡±


    Kizu glanced past the girl and Anata over to Taroe, hoping the Elite might help him come up with an explanation. If the Elite noticed, he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try asking her,¡± Kizu said dryly. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll have better luck than everyone else.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t talk like a normal person from Hon,¡± Kiiroi said. ¡°Your accent is weird, and you¡¯re supposed to use more respectful language. Plus, why do you have green hair? Isn¡¯t that like a cult thing in Tross? Father just said your family is a Hon trading company. Did you go to Tross and join the cult? My cousin calls that ¡®going native.¡¯¡±


    ¡°He was raised in the Hon Basin,¡± Taroe said. ¡°It was a lawless area loosely controlled by a witch coven and we theorize that his kidnapper performed experiments on him, one of which resulted in an altered hair pigment.¡±


    ¡°Witches!¡± Kiiroi exclaimed loudly, causing several others nearby to pause their conversations to look over at her. If she noticed their attention she didn¡¯t care. Or rather, she pretended to not care. ¡°But you¡¯re a boy. Everyone knows witches hate boys. You are a boy, right?¡±


    Her exclamations drew attention from others nearby. One of Aoi¡¯s brothers gave him a sympathetic nod before pulling the people around him back into their previous conversation, distracting them from his sister.


    ¡°Yes. I am a boy. It was an unusual situation. The crone never bothered to explain why. And it¡¯s a misconception that witches hate boys. They just believe them to be lesser conduits of magic. They¡¯ll often still do dealings with men who live in the Hon Basin.¡±


    ¡°What kind of men live in the Hon Basin?¡± Kiiroi asked, actually sounding genuinely interested, rather than goading.


    ¡°Necromancers, thieves, exiles, and occasionally archaeologists. And villagers, I suppose. But they largely avoid the rest.¡±


    ¡°The Basin is shielded by a divination fog that makes tracking outlaws difficult,¡± Taroe said. ¡°It¡¯s a one-way barrier that lets them spy on us and track our movements while we¡¯re unable to do the same for them. A similar natural phenomenon conceals events in several unique places across the globe, though the Hon Basin is the largest known outside of the World Dungeon.¡±


    Kizu opened his mouth to ask Taroe a question that had been on his mind frequently over the last few months, but Kiiroi cut him off.


    ¡°We should just burn the whole forest down. That would solve the problem, right?¡±


    ¡°That is a proposed solution that has been considered.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Kiiroi asked, hands on her hips.


    ¡°And the parliament vetoed the proposal, before it could even be brought to Honzo¡¯s desk,¡± a new voice said from behind them. Kizu looked over his shoulder and saw Shiroi. ¡°Stop bothering our guests, Kiiroi. I let you come over here on the understanding that you would just be introducing yourself, not quizzing them about local politics.¡±


    Kiiroi protested and complained, but her brother was unrelenting. Eventually, she gave up and returned to her original seat, glaring angrily back at Shiroi.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°Kiiroi likes stirring up drama. I think she gets bored of always being cooped up in the palace.¡±


    Kizu waved away the words. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    ¡°She was excited to see someone else close to her age, so I thought it would be a good idea to let her introduce herself. I¡¯m assuming your daughter will attend Shinzou Academy, Taroe? It will be good for both of them to have connections when they arrive.¡±


    Taroe grunted. ¡°Haven¡¯t put much thought in it. Years from that. Probably, I suppose. Last one went to Yamagako. Wasn¡¯t super happy with the result.¡±


    Suddenly Wakino barked a short, humorless laugh. ¡°Yes. it¡¯s the academy¡¯s fault he ran off. Not anyone else¡¯s.¡±


    Taroe froze. For the first time since meeting him, the Elite looked genuinely distressed.


    ¡°Yu-Yukiko,¡± he stuttered. His usual gruff demeanor shifted into clear discomfort. ¡°I apologize. I wasn¡¯t thinking before I spoke. Of course there were things I could have done better. I just meant, it¡¯s an important time for a youth and it¡¯s not something to decide on a whim. There¡¯s much to consider.¡±


    ¡°How often did you visit our son while he was there?¡±


    Kizu¡¯s eyes widened. He did not want to be caught in the middle of this conversation. Shiroi must have thought something similar because he caught Kizu¡¯s eyes and gestured off to the side.


    ¡°Kizu! It just occurred to me that you haven¡¯t been given a proper tour of our household. How about a quick walk before dessert?¡±


    Kizu quickly grasped the offered lifeline and dragged Anata to her feet beside him. She made a few more grabs at more burdock root, but he managed to get her to the door while the prince hastily explained to his father where they were going.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that,¡± Shiroi said, bowing low. ¡°I came over to prevent drama, not incite it. It completely slipped my mind that Taroe and Wakino had a history.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kizu said. ¡°It might be better to not be ignorant. I¡¯d probably say something stupid otherwise. What did she mean when she said their son ¡®ran off¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain. I was still at Shinzou Academy myself back when it all went down. And I wasn¡¯t familiar with their son beyond a passing concept of his existence.¡±


    Kizu mulled that over then another thought occurred to him. ¡°Did you, by any chance, know my sister when you were at the academy? Kaga Anna.¡±


    His breath caught as Shiroi considered for a minute.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard the name before. It¡¯s possible we shared a class together. I want to say maybe Divination S. But I graduated five years ago. It¡¯s hard sometimes to recall people not directly in my social circles. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Kizu tried to hide his disappointment. Then something else occurred to him. He thought back, trying to dredge up the name of her ¡®ally¡¯ from the student directory. It had been months ago, back when he first arrived on campus. He was pretty confident it started with shi, but he stretched his memory trying to recall the other syllables.


    ¡°What about¡­Shimizo?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Roku? Him, I do know. We used to play together as children. My father and his used to work alongside one another back in their delving days. Roku actually recently took over his family¡¯s business in town. Did you want to meet him? I¡¯ve been meaning to stop by and congratulate him. I keep putting it off for other responsibilities, but if you¡¯re coming along, it would only be proper for me as your host to show you the way. What do you say?¡±


    Kizu couldn¡¯t believe his luck.


    ¡°Of course!¡±

 Chapter III.VII (3.7)- Ghost Town

    Chapter III.VII (3.7)- Ghost Town


    They planned to meet to visit Shimizo Roku later in the week. Shiroi insisted that Kizu first have a few days to relax and enjoy the palace¡¯s many comforts. And, while Kizu was eager to meet with a lead to his sister, he didn¡¯t argue too hard. The thought of just relaxing and not having classes first thing every morning was bliss. Especially once he collapsed on his incredibly soft feather futon. Mort was out exploring the palace¡¯s hallways with free reign, the staff being told not to bother the familiar.


    ¡°Kizu,¡± someone hissed. ¡°Wake up!¡±


    Blearily, Kizu rubbed his eyes and looked around his bedroom. Then a rapid tapping on his window snagged his attention.


    Aoi crouched outside on his windowsill. Clothed entirely in black with a black scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face. Kizu just stared at her.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± she loudly whispered through the glass. ¡°Grab Anata and let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? The ghost town! I told you. I need your help there.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Obviously. Why wait? Aren¡¯t you just itching to check it out?¡±


    He closed his eyes and sighed. He had agreed to this. At least this would get the commitment out of the way quickly. He walked over to the window and opened it, letting them talk more freely to one another.


    ¡°Why exactly do you even want me there? You know more about necromancy than I do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Want you there, that is. Not really. What I actually want is Anata to join me. But she¡¯s not likely to run off to a scary town in the middle of the night without you along.¡±


    ¡°What? I am not bringing Anata with us. That was not part of the deal. Why would you even want her there? You¡¯ve never even shown interest in her before.¡±


    ¡°I saw what she did to you while I operated on your leg. She held your soul in place. By all accounts, you should have died, but she had both enough soul perception and an ability to grasp it to be able to keep you from fading. With a perception like that, she¡¯ll be able to help me discover necromantic lairs I can only dream of locating alone.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Then suddenly Anata stood beside him. But not in her physical form, instead a transparent version of her flickered in and out of existence. Only her red eye remained consistently visible. It glowed scarlet, her eyepatch not included in her spiritual form.


    ¡°Is that an astral projection?¡± Aoi exclaimed, clearly excited.


    ¡°You can see her?¡± Kizu asked. Before now, he¡¯d thought he was the only one who Anata appeared to. He had assumed it was due to their blood relationship.


    ¡°Of course. I would be a terrible necromancer if I couldn¡¯t pick up on an unshielded soul. But this is perfect! In this form she can scout around for us and we don¡¯t even need to endanger her physical body! Problem solved. Great work Anata.¡±


    Anata beamed at the praise, though her face blurred a bit, making it momentarily smear it into a dangerous leer.


    Kizu narrowed his eyes at Aoi. She was attempting to butter up Anata to convince her to go with her, regardless of what Kizu said. And it would work, too. He needed to get a better handle on Anata¡¯s obedience. But he didn¡¯t see a way to do that here and now. Not without causing her to resent him. He needed to be tactful about this. Though an indecisive part of him worried that he was just too afraid of taking real responsibility or punishing her for disobedience.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he snapped. ¡°Let¡¯s go. But Anata, the moment I say retreat, you return to your body here. Do you understand?¡±


    The projected Anata bobbed her head enthusiastically.


    Aoi dropped out of the window and out of sight.


    Kizu looked down to see her two stories below, having landed in a large bush. Kizu sent a mental note to Mort to watch out for Anata¡¯s body before he jumped to Aoi¡¯s side. He was amused to see her exposed skin covered in scratches from the bushes.


    ¡°You¡¯re seriously going out in that?¡± Aoi asked.


    Kizu looked down at his silk pajamas and then shrugged. It was comfortable and he didn¡¯t plan on being seen by anyone.


    ¡°No Basil?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m letting him get his beauty sleep. The last thing I need is him dozing off in front of someone important. We all know from experience how that would turn out.¡±


    Years ago, the two of them had first dated until Basil did exactly that in front of her. The Ooze Harbinger took on a gelatinous blob form while sleeping. It took years before Basil finally got the courage to approach Aoi again and explain what happened.


    ¡°How far is this ghost town?¡±


    ¡°Not very. Maybe a two hour walk. It¡¯s an old hot springs tourist spot. Went out of commission about eighty years ago after an earthquake. There were talks about trying to reestablish it, but they decided it was too unstable and instead most of the remaining locals relocated to a different spot.¡±


    ¡°What direction?¡±


    Aoi pointed.


    Kizu put an arm around her shoulder and jumped. A two hour-long walk turned into about twenty minutes of short range jumps as Aoi continued to guide them closer. He had to resist Kyonaka¡¯s beacon, but it only dragged him off by a few meters less than a dozen times. Anata had no issues keeping up either. Unbound by her natural body, she blinked forward, keeping pace with ease.


    They stood at the foot of a mountain village north of the city. Steaming stream water flowed from inside the town. They stepped over a collapsed section of the gates. Kizu scanned the area with his spellsense, but nothing immediately stood out to him. Old dilapidated buildings lined the streets in varying levels of collapse. He poked his head in one and noticed it still fully furnished. There were rotting children¡¯s dolls scattered on the decomposing tatami floor. Tufts of grass sprouted from the black flooring.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here a few times,¡± Aoi said, examining the town. ¡°Children often dare each other to come up here. But after two went missing last year, my father put in more resources to keep people out.¡±


    ¡°Kids have gone missing?¡± Kizu didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    He looked over to where Anata¡¯s spirit bobbed in the street nearby. She was studying a burst pipe that was sending up a small arc of steaming water.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Perfectly safe. The kids likely just ran off the normal trail and got eaten by a bear or slumbering magical monster. Like I said, I¡¯ve traveled up here before with no problems. I¡¯m just hoping that Anata might be able to spot something I missed.¡±


    Kizu frowned but continued walking through the town, letting the moonlight illuminate his path.


    It was separated into two halves, divided by a small gorge with the stream of hot water. Bridges spanned the short gap, but they were all rotting and missing several of their planks. He continued to look in old shops and homes, but he didn¡¯t spot anything noteworthy in any of them. Most had been reclaimed by nature with trees growing in the windows and their decaying furniture now homes for small animals. At one point, he thought he spotted a magical creature, a small red and blue monster with horns, but it scampered into the shadows out of sight before he got a good look at it.


    A cemetery loomed over them at the far end of the town. Kizu could tell that, more than anywhere else, interested Aoi. He wished they would hurry up and get there so they could then leave the creepy town behind and return to their beds.


    A flash of green illuminated the town for a fraction of a moment, like mutated lightning. Kizu blinked rapidly and rubbed his eyes. Then he looked over to Aoi who stared, transfixed on the graveyard up ahead. Of course.


    ¡°This is a bad idea,¡± Kizu said.


    But, of course, his warning fell on deaf ears. Aoi made a beeline for the cemetery with Anata floating alongside her. Kizu cursed as he followed after the girls. He ducked into an old garden, now overgrown with weeds and wild radishes, and followed a long abandoned path up the side of the hill.


    Even the far outskirts of the cemetery was filled with graves. Hundreds of weathered wooden staves stuck out from the ground. They stood as tall as him, each with different names engraved into them, both in the Universal Script, as well as an ancient Hon alphabet. Those markers with failing enchantments had degraded to illegibility, but most letters remained crisp. A few of the wealthier people had small stone monuments erected for their families. Aoi crouched at one of the wooden staves, closely examining it and scribbling something in a notebook while Anata drifted around and peered into empty pits that lacked grave markers.


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    Kizu examined the area with his spellsense. Almost all of the graves had enchantments, though few remained actively functioning. They looked like just preservation glyphs. But with no one performing maintenance on them, several had simply faded after a few years. It was more surprising that so many remained despite being completely exposed to the elements. One even still had ever-burning incense lit on it, a wisps of smoke curling up from the enchanted stick.


    Nothing there looked able to flash brilliant green lights.


    Kizu found an overgrown bench and took a seat while Aoi scoured the grave sites for signs of necromancy. He started to nod off a bit, dreaming of returning to his futon, when he felt something under him move. Jerking to attention, Kizu looked down at the bench. Only, now that he looked more closely at it, it was pretty strange for a bench. He had assumed the back had fallen off over the years of disuse. But, under the dirt and plants, it actually looked more to be a rectangular wooden box. A bit like¡­a coffin. He felt something under him kick again and his eyes widened.


    Kizu jumped a stone¡¯s throw away. And then realized maybe he should have remained sitting on the coffin, because the moment he removed his weight from it, the top fell off.


    A zombie emerged. The left half of its body was rotted through, showing brown cracked bones with slivers of rotted flesh clinging to its skeleton. However, its right side remained as pristine as ever. Even the fabric of her kimono remained a vibrant shade of orange on her right side. An older woman stared at him with a milky white right eye and an empty right cavity. She stumbled toward him, tripping on her coffin.


    ¡°Aoi!¡± he called out. ¡°Get over here!¡±


    The zombie plodded in his direction slowly, but he kept his distance from it.


    Aoi dashed over, vaulting over some of the smaller stone monuments in her excitement at the sight of an undead. Her attention was split between staring down at her grimoire and examining the zombie as she ran.


    ¡°You certain you want to be that close?¡± Kizu asked.


    Unlike him, she showed no hesitance about approaching the zombie, barely out of arm¡¯s reach as she smiled ear to ear at it. She ignored him as she snatched up a stick to prod the zombie with as it lumbered forward at her. It looked pathetic as Aoi continued to jab it and withdraw out of reach repeatedly. It took a couple clumsy swings at the princess, but never managed to get remotely close.


    Anata floated up to Kizu and watched with him from his perch on top of a stone fence as Aoi started to read out loud from her grimoire. After she finished the chant though, the zombie remained unchanged. Aoi flipped through a few pages then tried again. And again.


    ¡°This is so interesting,¡± she said after her fifth failed spell. ¡°It¡¯s not like a normal zombie at all.¡±


    ¡°It looks like a normal zombie to me,¡± Kizu commented. ¡°A mindless one with barely any soul attached.¡±


    ¡°No. I think it might have more soul mixed into it actually. It keeps its independence like a sentient undead. It is extremely resistant to any control I try to exert over it.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean you aren¡¯t going to try dragging it off as a new pet?¡±


    ¡°Pet is a foul word. Dehumanizing.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°Mostly.¡± She ducked under a swing from the zombie and backed up a bit further. ¡°Like I said, they still have some soul. This one a lot more than most mindless undead. It looks like its soul is shattered really uniquely. I wonder how. It doesn¡¯t look like any natural occurrence I¡¯ve read about.¡±


    ¡°Is there a reason a necromancer might do that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are lots of reasons.¡±


    ¡°Example?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you wanted to make it really difficult for another necromancer to subdue them.¡±


    ¡°Remind me again why you want to meet other necromancers?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just one example.¡±


    ¡°And another?¡±


    But before Aoi could come up with anything else, three more zombies lumbered up to them through the darkness, descending from higher up on the hill. They looked like they were in even worse condition than their fellow.


    At first Aoi looked excited, but that faded as half a dozen more shambled up from behind graves. And then more. In less than half a minute, the zombies flooded their corner of the cemetery and surrounded Aoi. Four of them lunged at her all at once and two managed to rake their nails against her skin.


    Kizu jumped to her side, put an arm around her shoulder, and then transported them beyond the undead. But he was just a tiny bit off with his trajectory and stumbled as his foot buried itself in the ground. He yanked his grafted foot free of his boot and he and Aoi started their run back down into the ghost town.


    Anata floated above the undead but they paid her no mind. The zombies moaned as they chased the living duo. Soon they were dashing and jumping past the town¡¯s collapsed buildings.


    ¡°I think they want to kill us,¡± Aoi commented as they ducked through a shattered window.


    ¡°Oh really? I thought they wanted to give you a big hug.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not supposed to come out of the cemetery. At least, I thought not. That much I was able to see in the inscription.¡±


    After a moment of consideration, she rolled up her sleeve and raised an arm. She examined it closely in the moonlight as they dashed through an alleyway.


    Kizu jumped them on top of one of the abandoned buildings. Their legs broke through the old thatched roof, but his monster foot gripped onto one of the supporting beams inside and he steadied Aoi as well so they only sank to their knees. The zombies surrounded the building.


    ¡°I think they¡¯ve left some sort of soul mark on me,¡± Aoi said, showing him her arm.


    Three red lines ran across it below the elbow. From when the zombies scratched her. It hadn¡¯t even been enough to break the skin. He saw nothing from it when he examined it with enhanced spellsense, but if it directly involved souls, there was no guarantee it would appear. And that meant, even if he completely outran the undead, they¡¯d continue following Aoi until either she died or they died¡­again.


    ¡°If we continue down the way we came, we¡¯ll lead them straight into the city,¡± Kizu said. ¡°The city¡¯s guards can take care of them, right?¡±


    ¡°I suppose the constables and Elites will be alerted when we enter the city¡¯s perimeter.¡± Aoi scrunched up her face. ¡°I hate relying on that idiotic divination system.¡±


    ¡°Would you rather retreat straight back to your palace? You have guards there too, right?¡±


    ¡°No way! Do you know how much trouble I¡¯ll be in if my uncle finds out I was involved in this? Plus, they¡¯d all think we¡¯re under some sort of invasion. It would be so bad for necromancy¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a better solution?¡±


    Anata popped up next to him, looking excited as she gestured over to a collapsed inn on the other side of the gorge. From afar, it looked like any other broken building. His spellsense didn¡¯t show anything special about it, so he dismissed it. He doubted hiding in an abandoned building would help their situation much. But Anata was persistent as she continued to jap a finger in its direction.


    A glance down below them showed that probably somewhere close to a hundred zombies had congregated at the foot of their current building. They¡¯d begun to pile on top of one another, trying to reach them on the roof.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± Kizu said to Aoi. He set a hand on her shoulder and they jumped to the dilapidated inn¡¯s front door.


    The front door barely still hung on its hinges. Large chunks of the wood had rotted away, revealing a collapsed interior. He quickly slapped a hand on the building, hoping to maybe notice something abnormal about it while he leaned forward. He frowned. It was only barely noticeable, but his hand pierced through the building¡¯s wall maybe two millimeters deep. Then he reached for the door. It was weirdly solid. His hand didn¡¯t penetrate through the broken wooden boards.


    He looked over at the hoard of zombies stumbling over the old bridges in an attempt to reach them. Several times he heard the crack of snapping wood and the splash of zombies falling into the gorge below the bridges. But far more successfully traversed over into their side of the town.


    Kizu bit his lip, returning his focus to the building and trying his best to ignore the incoming undead.


    The inn appeared entirely mundane. Both his eyes and his spellsense saw nothing unusual save for that strange inconsistency.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aoi demanded as he continued to stare at the building. ¡°Are we going in there or to another rooftop? Daydreaming is not a luxury we can afford at the moment. Or have you forgotten about the undead trying to tear us to pieces?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t quite match up when I press my palm against it,¡± Kizu explained.


    Instead of testing the practice physically, Aoi created an antimagic shield. Kizu noted that the bulk of her shield glittered slightly like diamonds, but the edges were framed with tiny translucent bones.


    The shield tensed as it made contact with the wall. The dilapidated building flickered, just for a split second, revealing a normal inn with its windows lit up with warm light, before returning to the dark, decrepit outward appearance. The false door was nothing more than another wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s an illusion,¡± Kizu said, staring at it in disbelief.


    ¡°Obviously! Now let''s get inside!¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I detect it with my spellsense?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s interlaced with divination spells.¡± She made her way in the direction the real front door had momentarily been revealed to be. ¡°All the best illusions are.¡±


    His eyes widened. Suddenly he understood why the crone¡¯s hut had been so well hidden. He had assumed it was just his illusions concealing it, but if she also interlaced divinations it made a lot more sense.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! And if the entire building is enchanted to appear that way permanently, that¡¯s three different disciplines of magic being used on a master¡¯s scale. Enchantments, divination, and illusions.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that impressive,¡± Aoi said. She fumbled while feeling up the side of the wall, trying to find the invisible door¡¯s grove. ¡°I know several people who can do that.¡±


    ¡°You also know some of the most powerful mages in the nation.¡±


    Aoi frowned, but conceded to his point as the zombies finally reached them. Kizu reached into his storage ring and grasped what he recognized by touch to be an earth acceleration potion. He¡¯d keyed each vial to feel distinctly different to help him identify them for situations exactly like this. He smashed it into the ground in the alley in front of them. A massive boulder erupted from the ground where the potion shattered, cutting off the undead and buying a bit more time. He heard them as they started to ram themselves into it, smashing themselves into the obstacle with sickening crunches. He watched in horror as the first of the zombies summited the boulder, using its fellows as a macabre staircase. For a moment, he reached into his ring again and fingered one of his fire bomb potions. The same type he used on the bloodspawn. But if he threw one now, he risked setting the entire village ablaze.


    The first zombie fell to the ground mere meters away from Kizu. He lifted up the fire potion as the zombie dragged itself toward him, unhinged jaw hanging agape by a few strands of flesh. Another one fell beside its companion. Then a third.


    Finally, Aoi found the door and slid it open. She stepped forward and vanished.


    Kizu shoved the potion back into his ring and dove at the wall where Aoi had disappeared, desperately hoping she hadn¡¯t closed the invisible door behind herself. He felt his monster leg¡¯s heel ram into the skull of the nearest zombie crawling towards him. He pushed off it, shattering the undead¡¯s cranium and propelling himself forward.


    Despite knowing it was an illusion, Kizu flinched as he slammed into the illusionary wall.


    He crashed onto the ground and he heard Aoi slam the door behind him.


    Throughout the inn common room, dozens of people turned to look at him.


    Dozens of undead people.

 Chapter III.VIII (3.8) - Saigo Negai

    Chapter III.VIII (3.8) - Saigo Negai


    Quickly composing himself and moving into a fighting stance taught by Arclight, he brought his fists up and lit them on fire. They blazed to life with only the slightest prompting, the strength of the heat startling him. They had never been so powerful before. Was it something to do with the haunted inn? A thought for another time.


    He blocked the inn¡¯s entrance, to keep Aoi and Anata behind him. But if any of the dead people in front of them cared, they showed no sign of being intimidated. Then again, most of them were ghosts. And what need did a ghost have to fear fire? Regardless, he kept his fists up and examined the undead in front of him.


    Ghosts continued chatting quietly amongst themselves, though a few curiously eyed the newcomers. At a table on the other side of the room, two zombies kept bobbing their heads as if on the verge of sleep. One undead was wrapped up in brown linen bandages, with only slits for his eyes and mouth. He looked to be on a date with a woman with half her skin melted off her skeleton, her normal half appearing completely preserved. She was the only one who showed any real fear at the sight of his flaming fists.


    ¡°Snuff out that spell,¡± a ghost said from behind a counter. She scolded him like he was a school child who¡¯d gotten out the wrong writing utensils.


    ¡°Who are you,¡± Kizu asked, not dropping his spell.


    Aoi stepped in front of Kizu and brushed herself off. Then she gave the room of undead her friendliest smile.


    ¡°Hello! My name is Aoi, I¡¯m a necromancer. I apologize on behalf of my pigheaded companion. He can be a bit suspicious.¡±


    ¡°A new necromancer,¡± the ghost behind the counter smiled warmly. ¡°That¡¯s lovely. Welcome to my inn, Saigo Negai.¡± She gestured at a sign above her counter which had the inn¡¯s name carved into it in gorgeous stylized lettering of the Universal Script. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen someone as young as yourself learning the art. Are those your thralls beating at my door?¡±


    ¡°Thought you said the term was limiting, what happened to being a soul mage?¡± Kizu muttered, finally extinguishing his spell. He was trusting Aoi here. Undead were her expertise.


    Aoi ignored him. ¡°Not my thralls. Just happened to get in a bit of scrape with one and they all started following after me. Complete misunderstanding¡± She lifted her arm and showed the ghost the red scratches from the zombie¡¯s nails.


    The ghostly innkeeper floated up to her and examined the wound. Then she waved a hand over it. It still looked the same to Kizu, but Aoi blinked in surprise.


    ¡°You snapped the connection,¡± Aoi said.


    ¡°I did. A small perk of my existence. I have a limited measure of control over souls.¡±


    Aoi cheered up even more. ¡°That¡¯s a really nice boon, especially if this inn is what I think. If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is a safe room for undead and necromancers? I¡¯ve read about them, but the ones I¡¯ve investigated were destroyed long ago. Did this one pop up recently?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re correct. My daughter recreated our family¡¯s inn after the disaster took out the town. It¡¯s one of two safe havens near Kyonaka. Many of us are locals. Others are travelers.¡± The ghost gestured over at a phantom with the left half of his body covered in a silvery blood. ¡°Then there are few like Throumbos who were tourists during the disaster.¡±


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Aoi asked, immediately interested in the bizarre looking ghost.


    ¡°He had a rare disease that didn¡¯t allow his blood to clot properly. People like him came from far and wide to heal in our baths. Instead, he died bathed in his blood after the incident.¡±


    Throumbos waved.


    Aoi continued to chat with the innkeeper about all the different deaths of the undead in the room. Kizu would have thought the topic a bit tactless, but her audience seemed to enjoy her many questions. Apparently, after the disaster the innkeeper¡¯s daughter managed to get on sight and resurrect the ghosts of a score of different villagers. She had been distraught and refused to allow any of the living near the village¡¯s ruins, silently sabotaging their efforts to reestablish the town. Eventually they gave up, and she rebuilt her mother¡¯s inn for the undead residents.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Aoi asked, obviously excited about the idea of another necromancer nearby. ¡°Did she advance into lichdom? Is she here?¡±


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    ¡°Warlord Kotoi Zenchi executed her four years ago.¡±


    Color drained from Aoi¡¯s face.


    ¡°Kiri?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°That was her name,¡± the ghost confirmed sadly. ¡°No mother should live to witness the death of her daughter.¡±


    Kizu did not mention the fact that the woman was not alive. He decided to give the two of them some space while Aoi reminisced with the mother about her mentor.


    Anata continued to fade in and out of sight with only her red eye remaining, the real ghosts held their forms permanently. She floated up to one of the ghosts who was drinking from a translucent mug. Kizu decided to keep her within earshot.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± the ghost asked sullenly. He stared at the bottom of his mug.


    Anata floated to the side, trying to see inside the phantasmal cup.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± the grumpy ghost snapped, pulling back his mug defensively.


    ¡°Relax,¡± Kizu said, cutting in. ¡°She just wants to know if you actually have liquid.¡±


    ¡°I do. I died right here in this spot, holding this here mug,¡± he said proudly. ¡°And I won¡¯t give it up for nothing. Nobody else died holding a mug of beer. Got it straight from Edgeland too, one of the first batches after the embargo ended.¡±


    ¡°Kizu, Kizu!¡± Aoi called out. ¡°Get over here!¡±


    Kizu sighed and motioned for Anata to follow after him.


    ¡°There¡¯s a necromancer in town! There¡¯s one here right now! He¡¯s up on that hill near where we just were. I knew going there was a great idea!¡±


    ¡°Is this supposed to be a good thing?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°It sounds to me like he tried to kill us with a hoard of zombies.¡±


    ¡°Necromancers are always friendly to other necromancers.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve only ever met one necromancer. And she was locked behind bars.¡±


    ¡°I read the grimoire of the gnome one too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve only ever met one necromancer,¡± Kizu repeated.


    ¡°Well, that count is about to double!¡±


    ¡°Do I need to remind you that visiting the cemetery nearly killed us? What about meeting him sounds safe?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know I was a necromancer. We all watch out for each other.¡±


    ¡°Is this a good idea?¡± Kizu directed his question at the innkeeper.


    She considered it and nodded. ¡°It might be better for you to stay and meet him here when he returns. Ken is a rather jumpy boy. Startling a necromancer in the night is often a recipe for disaster.¡±


    Kizu grunted. They¡¯d already figured that much out. He was not going back up to the cemetery to try his luck a second time.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that though,¡± Aoi complained. ¡°We need to be back at the palace by sunrise.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s planning to stay until the festival,¡± one of the other ghosts said helpfully. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities to meet him in the next week if you continue to stop by.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the baths filled for your next visit,¡± the innkeeper promised. ¡°Right now I only filled the men¡¯s bath for our current living guest.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Aoi said. ¡°We¡¯ll come back tomorrow night.¡±


    They stayed for a few more hours, chatting with the inn¡¯s patrons. Kizu talked to the bandaged man, and discovered his undead type was from the far, far west, beyond Edgeland. He called himself a mummy lord. His transition into undead involved a grotesque ritual at the end of his life with the intention of preserving the body. It was a powerful ritual that retained nearly the entirety of his soul without any need for necromantic maintenance, but came at the cost of his enchanted bandages. Every minute he spent outside his bandages, his body rotted at an accelerated rate, so he remained concealed in the cloth. About halfway into his conversation, Aoi butted in with a notepad and started drilling the undead with questions.


    Aoi obviously held out hope the necromancer might return before sunrise, but in the end they said their goodbyes and departed.


    When they exited Saigo Nagai they found the zombies had dispersed, so they didn¡¯t need to fight through the hoard a second time. Kizu let out a sigh of relief.


    While disappointed about not meeting the necromancer, Aoi was still smiling as she continued to scribble notes on a piece of parchment while they walked. She refused to let them jump along, since it would be too difficult for her to write, so instead they simply walked along the path exiting the town and leading back to Kyonaka.


    ¡°What did the mummy tell you before I came over?¡± Aoi asked while she wrote. ¡°I missed the explanation before the description of the metal tools used to remove chunks of the brain and their preservation process in jars. For example, did he say anything specific about the frontal lobe? Brains are so complex. I need to make certain I record everything exactly correct. And those jars are vital too. They seem to act a bit like a lich¡¯s phylactery, but to a lesser extent, storing memories and emotions instead of tying to the soul itself. I¡¯ve never even considered the idea before today. Nobody here in the east has even mentioned a process like that. Not as far as any of my readings have hinted at, at least.¡±


    By the time they reached the palace, the sun had begun to rise in the horizon. Kizu jumped back up to his room and collapsed back on his bed.

 Chapter III.IX (3.9) - Barrier

    Chapter III.IX (3.9) - Barrier


    ¡°Today we will focus on the most basic aspect of spatial spellwork,¡± Wakino said. ¡°The fact your teacher taught you the basics of jumping and the gate spell before working on the foundational spells of the craft speaks a great deal about her. Today, you will learn the barrier spell.¡±


    Wakino barely moved the entire time she taught. The hood of her cloak revealed nothing more than darkness, completely concealing her. But then she began to demonstrate the use of barriers. They appeared in front of her, walls of force. It took Kizu a minute to realize what they looked like.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the antimagic barriers!¡± He declared.


    ¡°Oh? So you do have some experience with them?


    Kizu quickly explained his knowledge of antimagic barriers. He dredged up every memory of Arclight¡¯s explanation and then demonstrated his own. The slightly green vines and leaves stretched out in a transparent canopy in front of him.


    ¡°Only the nonphysical barriers. While still disappointing, it is better than what I was led to believe you possessed. With this knowledge as a foundation, you should be able to tap into spatial spellcraft and create a physical barrier. Watch.¡±


    Wakino then demonstrated, showing her own antimagic shield, then shifting it into a material barrier. Then she waved a hand for Kizu to do likewise.


    It felt unnatural, like swallowing his own tongue or forcing his eyes in different directions, but eventually Kizu managed to follow her example. He spent hours grueling under her tutelage as she inspected his work and pointed out clear weaknesses and flaws in his barriers.


    He was grateful Anata had refilled his blood supply that morning. Not only would he have likely collapsed from blood-loss, but also simply from sheer fatigue. Anata¡¯s help let him remain alert while only on a couple hours of sleep.


    As soon as he managed to materialize a physical barrier on command, Wakino launched him into different drills. He was commanded to reconstruct it into different shapes and then to split it into pieces. Like with antimagic shields, the smaller barriers were more condensed in strength, while the ones spread wide shattered under little pressure. Wakino had him begin applying the force himself as well, pressing his body weight against the barriers and even stepping on horizontal ones. Eventually, after a few hours of grueling practice, he managed to create disks wide enough for his feet that could support his weight for more than a few seconds.


    ¡°Not terrible,¡± Wakino finally said as she smashed through his newest shield with a blast of force. ¡°Still with several tender points and half-decent mage would be able to pick apart, but passable for a starting point.¡±


    Through his trial and error, Kizu had realized why these barriers weren¡¯t taught by Shinzou Academy. While useful, they weren¡¯t as reliable a shield as an elemental version. A wall of stone or ice would protect far better with less skill required. But that wasn¡¯t to say Wakino¡¯s barrier spell wasn¡¯t without considerable merits. For one thing, it could be constructed as a one-way window, allowing the mage to inspect the enemy and plan unseen. And it could also be placed midair, giving a fighter a platform in which to move by, untethered to the ground.


    But while useful, he still had to admit the process was far too taxing on his blood reserves. If he hadn¡¯t been training extensively with spatial magic and antimagic barriers before today, he wouldn¡¯t have lasted more than half an hour into training.


    ¡°Catch.¡± Wakino¡¯s dismembered hand tossed him a blood fruit.


    While not even a sliver as effective at restoring his blood reserves as a drop of Anata¡¯s blood, he still bit into it. Kizu had eaten the fruit a hundred times before at the academy. Though this one was slightly sweeter.


    ¡°Not many can keep up with my regime,¡± Wakino said. ¡°At the very least, it seems that Taroe chose this child¡¯s guardian well.¡±


    That was almost a compliment. But he wanted to avoid the topic of both Taroe and Anata around this woman. She was far too observant. He didn¡¯t want her picking up on anything too peculiar with Anata¡¯s existence. So he nodded and took another bite of the fruit.


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    ¡°When you fought against Inari¡¯s assassin¡¯s, did you encounter any difficulties?¡±


    Kizu swallowed. ¡°Of course I did. They were powerful mages that specialized in killing.¡±


    Wakino nodded. ¡°Yes. Of course. I meant specifically in regard to your spatial spells.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t work against them.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why?¡±


    ¡°Their tattoos. They¡¯re body enchantments that prevent people from jumping into them.¡±


    ¡°Good. I will teach you a trick that you can use to better assault people like that. It¡¯s simple, but not many know how to use it properly.¡±


    Kizu leaned forward, fascinated. He wiped juice off his chin with the sleeve of his yukata.


    ¡°People like Inari¡¯s lackey¡¯s don¡¯t have a firm enough grasp on spatial spellcraft to jump or truly protect themselves from spatial mages. Instead, they rely on jewelry or tattoos to protect them from attacks, as you saw. However, their enchantment isn¡¯t a catch-all. What happens when someone like Inari needs to transport them?¡±


    Kizu blinked. He considered the question. If it was just a piece of enchanted jewelry, it could easily be removed. But with a permanent tattoo¡­. He supposed there could be caveats in the enchantment to allow specific people to move them around, but that seemed a bit too convoluted for a strong enchantment.


    ¡°They transport the person in their entirety,¡± Kizu finally concluded. ¡°The tattoos protect against someone jumping into them. But not against the movement of the person as a whole.¡±


    For a brief moment, Kizu saw the flash of teeth under Wakino¡¯s dark hood.


    ¡°When you jump, you are displacing a section of reality and swapping it with another. This is often forgotten, as you normally switch places with nothing more than air. But if you swap places with someone else, you can fundamentally maneuver them into your old space. Or take them with you. You could even send them away with a jump while remaining yourself, though I believe that technique is still beyond your skill level. Spatial spellcraft is tactically perhaps the most valuable branch of magic ever conceived.¡±


    Kizu considered. It would have been an invaluable technique in the fight aboard Owl¡¯s Respite.


    ¡°But it won¡¯t work against someone like you,¡± he guessed. ¡°Because you naturally resist foreign spatial spells as a spatial mage.¡±


    ¡°Correct. I believe even with your basic control over the craft is enough to have built up a natural resistance. While hypothetically it¡¯s possible to bypass the resistance with enough sheer offensive power, the difficulty multiplies by magnitudes the stronger the mage. Even I would struggle to override a mage with even a bit more skill than yourself. No, it¡¯s better to remove yourself, reorganize the battlefield to your advantage, then use other spells. However, force blasts like those I used against your barrier would only be slightly less effective against a spatial mage.¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re both external forces colliding, rather than something hitting the mage internally?¡± Kizu guessed.


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Could you teach me how to cast them?¡±


    Another attack in his arsenal would be invaluable. Especially something that could hit things at range. As it was, his offensive spells were almost exclusively restricted to close combat. He could toss a small ball of fire, but it didn¡¯t hold any true threat unless the enemy was made of hay. And he could shoot a stone forward with a blast of elemental magic, but that was something someone skilled with a sling could accomplish far better than himself. An actual crushing force attack would be far more impressive.


    ¡°Another day. First you will need to master barriers. Then perhaps telekinesis. Foundations are invaluable. A lesson your previous teacher appears to have entirely neglected.


    ¡°I did pressure her into focusing on jumping,¡± Kizu admitted. He felt a slight need to defend Roba. While grumpy and easily irritable, the old woman hadn¡¯t actually been a bad instructor.


    If Wakino acknowledged the comment, the response was hidden beneath the darkness of her cloak.


    ¡°You did well today,¡± she repeated instead. ¡°You should be proud of yourself. Not many can remain standing after five hours of training. I will give you tomorrow to recover, then we can meet again the next day. Do not overexert yourself by casting further spells. Follow my training regime. By the time this vacation ends, I expect you to understand the basics of what it means to be a true spatial mage.¡±

 Chapter III.X (3.10)- Hot Spring

    Chapter III.X (3.10)- Hot Spring


    That night Kizu awoke to Aoi shaking his shoulder. He groaned and swatted her away.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t get up, we¡¯ll leave without you,¡± Aoi threatened. ¡°Tonight¡¯s the night we meet that mysterious necromancer!¡±


    That was likely supposed to be incisive in Aoi¡¯s twisted logic, but it just made him want to sink further into the plush futon.


    ¡°Aoi mentioned there would be a hotsprings as well,¡± Basil added.


    Kizu opened his eyes. Sure enough, it seemed Aoi had convinced Basil into joining their night time outing. Hopefully that wouldn¡¯t result in additional trouble down the line.


    But it was Anata¡¯s wide-eyed excitement that finally got him out of his futon. She seemed really keen on the idea of traveling to a hot spring.


    And so did Mort. The owl monkey launched himself onto Kizu¡¯s face and yanked on his earring until Kizu got up.


    The previous night¡¯s experience did not encourage him to allow Anata to tag along. In person or in spirit. But if he didn¡¯t let her join, he¡¯d have to deal with a sulking child for the next week. Or worse, she might try to sneak out while his back was turned. That could be disastrous. Better to get up and protect her himself.


    Even with Anata¡¯s restoration of his blood, Kizu felt exhausted from his long day of training with Wakino. He still needed some sleep. So instead of jumping, the party traveled to the mountain hot spring village by foot.


    As they walked along the overgrown path, Basil chatted with everyone.


    ¡°What did you all do today?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Trained,¡± Kizu replied.


    ¡°Studied,¡± Aoi said. Even as they walked, she continued to read through the sheets of notes Kizu had recovered from her laboratory. She looked like a student cramming for finals. Kizu had the impression that, despite her enthusiasm, she was extremely anxious about meeting another necromancer.


    Anata looked over to Kizu, obviously hoping he would answer for her.


    ¡°And Anata spent the day hiding from Aoi¡¯s sister,¡± Kizu said.


    Anata glared at him.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s what I saw when I checked in through Mort throughout the day. You were in the library, and whenever Kiiroi entered the room, you hid under the table or dashed around a shelf out of sight.¡±


    That was obviously not the answer Anata wanted him to share, and she continued to pout. More likely, she wanted to talk about the books she¡¯d been reading. But he was still grumpy about being woken up and not in the mood to try dissecting fragmented memories from Mort to piece together enough of a mental picture to pull out book titles.


    ¡°If you want to explain in further detail, you¡¯ll have to speak up yourself.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for hiding from Kiiroi.¡± Aoi said. ¡°Girl¡¯s a menace. When Mother let my hobby slip, my sister made it her personal mission to find every ancient scripture from religious scrolls and quote every detail mentioning the sins of necromancy to me.¡±


    ¡°Well I went down into the city,¡± Basil cut in. ¡°There¡¯s a lovely tailor who designs your family¡¯s kimonos. His work is excellent. I have half a mind to terminate my education at Shinzou Academy and take up an apprenticeship under him. He¡¯s glorious. And, as it turns out, Kizu your family actually has just recently taken up a trading contract with him. That is what Prince Iroi was mentioning last night at dinner. How did your family take the news?¡±


    Kizu sighed. ¡°I have no idea, I barely talk to them. If I was on better terms, Anata and I would be with them in Daitoshi, not here.¡±


    Basil continued to fill the empty night with chatter as he moved onto the topic of hot springs. He reviewed hot spring etiquette with Anata. The shapeshifter had brought them all towels and was explaining which size was used at what times, when they finally reached the edge of the abandoned village. Thankfully, absent of zombies. But Kizu remained alert as they passed through the streets over to the inn.


    The same undead from the night previous lounged about the inn¡¯s common room. A few of them even greeted the party as they entered. Basil introduced himself, removing his hat and bowing low.


    Both he and Mort were welcomed warmly as the undead returned the introductions.


    ¡°The necromancer is out again,¡± the innkeeper said. ¡°But I expect he¡¯ll return soon. I see you brought towels. Why don¡¯t you go and enjoy a bath in the meantime?¡±


    After descending the stairs, their party split, the girls passing under a red curtain while Kizu, Mort, and Basil passed through a blue curtain into the men¡¯s baths. After stripping, they used buckets of cool water to rinse off their bodies and clean themselves. Kizu had to catch Mort by the tail and dunk him in the bucket to get him even remotely cleaned off. The owl monkey did not enjoy the experience. Afterwards, Kizu rewashed his hand to clean it of blood from bite wounds.


    There was one bath indoors with a door leading to another outside. The indoor area was steamy, a warm haze obscuring their vision.


    ¡°Your leg fits together with your body seamlessly,¡± Basil commented, staring at Kizu¡¯s bare lower body.


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    Kizu fidgetted, uncomfortable under the changeling¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a leg,¡± he said lamely. He then used said leg to test the water temperature. It felt wonderful. But as he dipped his normal leg in the pool, he yelped and jumped a meter backwards in surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s obviously not just a leg,¡± Basil said, watching Kizu with interest. ¡°It looks more like a Tainted leg. But one far more scaled than anyone I¡¯ve seen. And I¡¯ve seen a lot of naked legs. I don¡¯t think I could even replicate yours. It took me years just to get the basics of Tainted facial scales down. They¡¯re nearly as foreign bodies as Kemon. I need to use actual body enhancement spells for anything like that. And I can¡¯t maintain those for long.¡±


    Basil lifted a wooden block stopper that was damming the faucet and let cool water mingle with the scalding hot bath. It still took a few minutes before the pool dipped down to a reasonable temperature, but when Kizu stepped in again, he felt himself melting into the large wooden bath. Tension in his shoulders he hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been carrying soothed.


    Even Mort relaxed in the bath, simply enjoying being wrapped in the wonderful warmth. A silence stretched with all three of them enjoying the blissful sensation. Kizu closed his eyes and let the comfortable water ease tension from his muscles. Perhaps traveling for over an hour in the middle of the night had been worth it.


    ¡°We need one of these at the academy,¡± Basil said. ¡°The showers offered have nothing on this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s the beach,¡± Kizu pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s cold water. The best part of the beach is relaxing on the warm sand and not being wet. This is far better.¡±


    Kizu couldn¡¯t argue with that.


    Eventually, they decided to leave the muggy indoors behind and exit the building out into the outdoor bath. Completely exposed to the night air, Kizu shivered and quickly crossed over to the steaming rocky pool. Slipping into the water, he let out another breath of ecstasy. With the fresh chilly air, the juxtaposition of warmth created perfection.


    High bamboo walls surrounded the outdoor bath, cutting off his view. Still, the moon and stars shone down on him. He stared up at the constellations, mapping them out and recalling the stories associated with each of them.


    After a few minutes, he heard Aoi¡¯s muffled voice on the other side of the wall to their right. She was explaining to Anata how the hot spring water helped support the city of Kyonaka. Apparently, it was even used inside the World Dungeon, beneath Kyonaka. There were underwater rivers that weaved through the dungeon. The Royal Family had learned how to weaponize the hot water, creating a system to flood areas of the World Dungeon whenever monsters threatened the layers closer to the surface.


    Mort clambered out of the bath and shook himself off. Kizu didn¡¯t think much of it until the monkey started toward the wall separating the two baths.


    ¡°Mort!¡± he hissed, scrambling out of the bath after the monkey. He just barely managed to catch the monkey¡¯s tale before he¡¯d climbed out of reach. He yanked him back into his arms and held the squirming monkey. His cheeks flushed. That had been close. Aoi knew about how firm his soul bond was with Mort. And that they could see through one another¡¯s eyes. If the princess spotted Mort on top of the wall, it would not have ended well for him.


    ¡°Boo,¡± Basil called out as Kizu dipped back into the water with Mort in hand.


    Before the changeling made any further comments, the door opened, revealing a pale Hon man with deep bags under his eyes and black hair that draped down to his shoulders. His skeletal figure lacked almost any muscle at all, his bones threatened to pierce through his pale skin.


    Etched into his skin were scars. The healed wounds each looked to be unique designs, sometimes swirls and other times jagged patterns. They covered the right side of his body, his thigh an extremely complex design of tight cuts that resembled a crochet stitch. The left side of his body only had a single scar etched over his heart. It was a word written in Primordial. Kizu recognized it, it meant ¡®again¡¯ or ¡®duplicate.¡¯ While most of the wounds were long healed, that one was still red and swollen.


    Despite his malnourished appearance, the necromancer was definitely alive. He looked disappointed to see them. He scratched at the scab over his heart. The only deviation from the bored look on his face was when his eyes lingered for a second on Kizu¡¯s monster leg.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the man said. ¡°I thought the necromancer was a woman.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re her friends,¡± Kizu said, still wrangling Mort.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Without another word, the necromancer slipped into the bath with them. He tilted his head back, placed his small towel over his eyes and began to meditate.


    After about another half an hour of soaking up the hot spring water in silence, Kizu decided it was time to leave. He stood, Mort perched on his shoulder and went inside to rinse himself off once again.


    ¡°Bit of a creep,¡± Basil said, joining him a minute later.


    ¡°He¡¯s a necromancer,¡± Kizu pointed out. ¡°They¡¯re not known to be social butterflies. The company they keep usually doesn¡¯t engage in riveting conversations.¡±


    After redressing, they returned to the inn¡¯s main room. The innkeeper had set out actual snacks on a table in preparation for them. Pickled vegetables and a small pile of thumb-sized plums. She also served them both a fresh glass of milk. Kizu was surprised to see the ghost could move things despite her incorporeal nature. It looked like she could choose to solidify for short periods of time. He wondered if that was a form of soul manipulation and whether or not Anata could learn to do that while she projected her astral self.


    He and Basil sipped their cool drinks and chatted about Hon. Kizu told him about the Hon Basin¡¯s weather patterns and Basil talked about last year¡¯s school excursion which had been to some ancient ruins not too far away from Kyonaka. The class had spent a week in the city, going out to different historical locations every day.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad you decided to come now?¡± Aoi said, kneeling on the cushion next to Kizu. Both her and Anata looked completely clean and content. ¡°Worth waking up, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu reluctantly admitted.


    Of course, the moment the word left his mouth, the entire inn shook.


    ¡°KOTEI!¡±


    Kizu spun his head around. The necromancer stood at the stairs with his hands clenched in fists. Now dressed in a loose black cloak that concealed most of his scars. His eyes were fixed on Aoi. Then he blinked and they transformed into black flames that blazed. He shook with rage as he raised a hand. The palm had a spiral of scars that pulsed a sickly green. Any remaining resemblance to the haggard man from the baths vanished.


    The inn¡¯s undead patrons scrambled out of the room, fleeing as the necromancer accumulated energy, sucking it out from nearby souls.


    ¡°DIE!¡±

 Chapter III.XI (3.11) - The Necromancer

    Chapter III.XI - The Necromancer


    Kizu grabbed Anata¡¯s collar and dived to the side. At the same time, Basil flipped the table up to protect himself and Aoi.


    Kizu felt the blast of negative energy streak past his left. It slammed into the upturned table, which blackened with decay. Kizu dragged Anata away, vaulting over the counter and hiding behind it with the ghostly innkeeper.


    ¡°You dare!¡± the necromancer shouted at the table. ¡°You-you hypocritical brat! I¡¯ll tear you to pieces!¡±


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± Aoi called back.


    The necromancer burst out in uneven laughter, as if splicing the cackling with silent hiccups.


    Their enemy¡¯s attention was completely focused on Aoi, he had barely even glanced at Kizu and Anata as they ran earlier. He could use that.


    Kizu¡¯s first priority was to keep Anata out of danger. With her over here and out of the way, he could work a solution to help Basil and Aoi. With the amount of patterns he¡¯d seen etched into the necromancer¡¯s skin, Kizu severely doubted he could end the fight with a single jump. Thankfully, he¡¯d been training other uses for his spatial specialty.


    At a mental command, Mort scampered up a wooden support beam and into the rafters above. The monkey maneuvered himself to be directly above the raving necromancer. Then Kizu channeled through the monkey, creating a force barrier and pressing it directly down beneath his familiar.


    If the necromancer had seen the attack coming, he could have easily side stepped it or even dispelled it. But, while not completely transparent, the barrier was clear enough to easily overlook if hyper-fixated on something else. It smashed down on the necromancer¡¯s head, causing him to crumple to the floor where he remained, unmoving.


    Mort sprang down from above and reclaimed his perch on Kizu¡¯s shoulder. Kizu wanted to question the undead patrons in the inn about the now unconscious necromancer, but there was no time. Kizu had no intention of killing him and as it was he could reawaken at any time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Kizu called to the others. He grabbed Anata¡¯s hand and ran for the exit. Basil and Aoi were right on his heels.


    As he stepped through the inn¡¯s doorway, he looked over his shoulder at the wreckage. Two ghosts floated frozen in place, flickering from the damage dealt to their souls and the mummy he had spoken to the previous night was passed out on the floor next to a knocked over chair. The mummy wasn¡¯t moving.


    Kizu hesitated. Then he shoved Anata¡¯s hand over to Basil and pushed them along with Aoi out the door. Mort hopped over to Aoi¡¯s head, understanding his intention.


    ¡°Get back to the palace, I¡¯ll catch up with jumps. Run fast. Keep Anata safe.¡± Without waiting for a response, he slammed the door in his friends¡¯ faces.


    As he skidded to a stop next to the mummy, he reached into his dimensional holding ring, feeling around for a specific vial¡¯s textured pattern.


    Ripping through the mummy¡¯s face bandages, he opened the undead man¡¯s mouth and tilted his head back. Then he poured the glowing blue liquid down blackened throat.


    The mummy coughed and moaned. Good. He was alive. Or¡­back to being undead at least.


    ¡°What is that?¡± the innkeeper asked, floating up to him.


    ¡°I created it to help fuse pieces of the soul back together. It¡¯s all I have on hand for soul damage.¡±


    It was designed with Professor Knoff¡¯s broken soul in mind, not for undead. Aoi called herself ¡®soul mage¡¯ so Kizu assumed an enemy necromancer would attack a person¡¯s soul. And the mummy seemed better off now than before, so the gamble paid itself off. Probably not exactly what the mummy needed, but good enough.


    ¡°Where¡¯d she go?¡± the necromancer growled through gritted teeth. He stood on shaky feet as one of his pale hands gripped at his black hair.


    At first, Kizu thought he was addressing him, but the necromancer looked straight through him as he glared about the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ve covered you in an illusion,¡± the innkeeper said quietly. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to see you. I¡¯ve layered in several divination spells, even stronger than the one protecting my inn. Not even your soul will appear to him.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to take him out?¡± Kizu reached back into his ring and felt for a sleep potion. He should have led with that earlier, but his mind had still been focused on spatial spells.


    ¡°No. Can you help the others?¡±


    The ghost¡¯s semi-transparent eyes were focused on her fellow spirits, not even giving the necromancer a second glance.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather your friends alive than your enemies dead?¡± she asked, noticing his confusion. ¡°Those other spirits are my dear friends. Can you help them?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll try. But I don¡¯t know how to apply a potion to an incorporeal creature.¡±


    ¡°Show me the potions,¡± the innkeeper said.


    He took out two more vials and she swiped a hand over them. A chilly tingle traveled up his forearm at the touch. He felt something inside him stir at the touch. Kizu recognized the parasitic fragment from the aurora. But it simply acknowledged the ghostly prod and returned to its dormancy.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to touch souls with your arm and those vials for the next five minutes,¡± the innkeeper explained. ¡°Any longer than that, and I¡¯d risk permanently damaging your soul.¡±


    Kizu nodded and skirted around the edges of the inn¡¯s dining area. He didn¡¯t dare jump, for risk of losing the innkeeper¡¯s illusion on him.


    The necromancer was throwing a tantrum, kicking seating cushions and tossing tables across the room, as if thinking Aoi might be hiding under one of them. Kizu ducked as a clay jug of water went soaring over his head. It smashed into the wall, shattered into wet pieces.


    It took him a minute to successfully pry open the first ghost¡¯s mouth. The spirit was only moderately tangible, even with his spirit-attuned arm. If he didn¡¯t move deliberately with a willfully clear purpose, he still passed through the undead.


    After Kizu finally drained the vial into it, the ghost began to violently gurgle.


    The necromancer heard the noise and looked in their direction. Kizu bit his lip and pressed his back against the wall, hoping the illusion over him held.


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sorry, Ryuga. Didn¡¯t mean to get you caught up in this. You feeling okay?¡± the necromancer asked. His entire demeanor had shifted again, back to the placid, almost bored tone from back when he met Kizu in the bath. When Ryuga, the ghost Kizu stood beside, didn¡¯t answer, the necromancer sighed and walked towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll fix up any damages when I return. I need to head back to the cemetery for a little while. Need to keep at my experiment.¡±


    The inn¡¯s door closed and Kizu let out a long held breath. Then he immediately communicated to Mort what had just happened and pushed the sensation of urgency at him. They needed to get back to the palace as quickly as possible.


    But before Kizu could join them, he approached the second ghost. It was the one covered in silvery blood from a head wound. After restoring it the same way as he had with Ryuga, Kizu tentatively stepped back from the undead.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the innkeeper said.


    ¡°What was that all about? He snapped and lashed out at Aoi!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s usually quite mellow. It¡¯s rare he has episodes like this. If you look closely, there¡¯s unusual scarring on his soul. I believe a sliver of his master¡¯s soul pierced him on her death.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, your daughter was his master?¡± Kizu guessed dryly.


    ¡°Yes. And mother. The process of her execution shattered her soul. A technique used to keep necromancers from resurrection. But a while broken, it still sought out familiarity. Blood relations draw one another. With myself and her father long dead, her son was the only true target. Unfortunately, it was a more¡­bitter¡­piece of her. But Ken really isn¡¯t usually like this. A new spell project has made him a little more moody. Normally he¡¯s really quite a sweet boy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°You and your friends are welcome back here anytime,¡± the innkeeper said.


    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but Anata and I will pass. We already have one unstable necromancer in our lives. I think that¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    Kizu decided to wait and put some more space between himself and the necromancer before heading out. The last thing he wanted was to stumble into him in the night.


    The mummy was the first to recover from his soul damage. He bowed and thanked Kizu profusely for his assistance.


    ¡°Your heroism and kindness will be rewarded. Seek out my descendants in the far west for a boon. The Ali Clan is in your debt.¡±


    The ghosts were less grateful, barely even recognizing that they had been in danger. They simply drifted off back to their rooms with little more than a nod to Kizu.


    With his familiar bond showing that the others were nearing the palace, Kizu decided to take his leave of the inn and start his journey back.


    As he exited the abandoned town, he looked up toward the graveyard on the hill. He noticed wisps of putrid green light breaking through the darkness. He frowned up at it. The color reminded him of the aurora. At least the sight of it likely meant the necromancer had returned to the cemetery, rather than pursue his friends. That would save Kizu some time. Originally, he had planned to take a longer route through the city before circling back to the palace. Now he just jogged directly there, periodically executing a short range jump to speed himself along.


    It felt amazing to be able to properly run again. After months being confined by a cane and a bum leg, he fully appreciated the freedom his new limb offered him. The leg was far more powerful than the one he lost, even before it broke. Solely balancing himself on it, he could clear ten meters in a single bound. And, using it as a guideline, Kizu was slowly figuring out how to use enhancement spells on his other leg to keep up with it. It was still far from perfect and he constantly ended up clumsily stumbling from the lopsided power, but he was able to run faster than any normal person could possibly manage.


    Mort met up with him on his way back. The monkey had seen Anata off to bed before turning around and heading back to meet with Kizu. It took some coaxing on the monkey¡¯s part, but Mort convinced him to take a detour and go explore the bamboo forest at night with him. Normally, he likely would have resisted more, but he still felt adrenaline pumping through him, his earlier weariness completely absent. And there wasn¡¯t too much of a risk in visiting the forest, the necromancer was back at the cemetery and the bamboo forest was in a completely different direction.


    The forest was perfect for Mort. The monkey bounded from tree to tree, quickly disappearing into the darkness. Kizu removed his boot and practiced gripping onto the bamboo trees with the claws. He managed to hold up his entire weight with just the one foot. Of course, he practiced climbing with his other limbs too. Climbing bamboo was tricky though, the edges could cut through skin if he gripped it in the wrong place and he had to distribute his weight between more than one tree if he wanted to get any height. But it was a fun challenge. Before leaving, he stashed some bamboo sprouts in his storage ring, hoping to someday get some planted as part of his future garden project. All this was a nice distraction from the fact a necromancer tried to kill him earlier. Without that, the night would have been great. A wonderful bath in a hot spring, chatting with Basil, and now some exercise with Mort. He wondered if maybe he was getting desensitized to people trying to kill him.


    He jumped up into his bedroom window and found Anata in her futon, sleeping soundly. Flopping back in his own bed, he closed his eyes and dozed off.

 Chapter III.XII (3.12) - The Ice Mage

    Chapter III.XII (3.12) - The Ice Mage


    Shiroi wore plaid. In a city full of traditional Hon clothing, he stuck out like a kitten in a litter of wolves.


    Nobody commented on the clothes though. Every citizen in the city knew him as their prince and they fell to their knees, heads bowed, as he walked past them. It was a completely different experience from walking through the city alongside Aoi. People knew Shiroi and clearly respected him.


    Kizu went largely unnoticed in the prince¡¯s shadow. Which suited him fine. It was interesting seeing all the different people in Kyonaka. In comparison to what he¡¯d seen in Daitoshi, the people here were far better off financially and they clearly spent the money. Most of the kimonos he saw were enchanted like the yukata he wore. Though some took their enchantments to far greater lengths. He noticed more than one person being carried by their clothing, allowing them to float down the streets while the user was preoccupied, reading a book or rocking a fussy baby. And there was a separate walkway over to the side for speedier foot traffic that relied on magical enhancements or enchantments. People sprinted by at speeds that left ripples of wind in their wake. And he spotted a couple gliding across the sky overhead suspended solely by gusts of wind. That last sight reminded him a lot of Inari¡¯s fight with Sojan. He looked away and back down the road.


    He¡¯d walked through the city streets a couple times now. After their escape from the necromancer a few days ago, he¡¯d been proactively scouting the city whenever Anata wanted to go shopping or explore the local sites. With the cherry blossoms beginning to blossom, vendors were beginning to arrive from all over Hon to start setting up for the festival.


    Yesterday, Kizu and Anata had gone to a monument of a battle not far from the abandoned village. The stone statue stood in the center of the hotspring creek, but he¡¯d spotted no sign of the necromancer. So long as they stayed within the city¡¯s boundaries, Kizu believed they were in the clear. Even Aoi wasn¡¯t brazen enough to try her luck returning to the village.


    ¡°Roku¡¯s a bit of a hermit,¡± Shiroi warned as they walked. ¡°He¡¯s one of the best elemental mages I know, but he didn¡¯t get that way as a result of extroverted behavior. He spends most of the day in his family¡¯s dojo, training different techniques.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned he recently took over his family¡¯s business. What does he do?¡±


    ¡°They work with delving teams, analyzing artifacts and acting as a middle man to sell them worldwide. Their main shop is here, but they have one in Tross and two others in Edgeland. As well as a few small outposts near many of the main delving locations.¡±


    ¡°Why a dojo then?¡±


    ¡°The Shimizo family strongly holds to the belief that every member of their family must be powerful enough to delve into the World Dungeon on a moment¡¯s notice. The dungeon is constantly shifting, so if news about a particularly interesting artifact surfaces, there¡¯s not always time to prepare a delving team.¡±


    ¡°Have you been into the World Dungeon?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s required for every member of Hon nobility to delve as a rite of passage into adulthood. I¡¯ve been a few times since, but nothing beats that first expedition.¡±


    Shiro rolled up his plaid shirt past his elbow, showing Kizu jagged scars across his bicep.


    ¡°Got bit by a rock creature. It was a totally exhilarating experience. We located one of the old collapsed cities the dungeon had internalized. They tend to be an absolute goldmine for artifacts, so my father decided it would be a perfect occasion for my first delve. But when we reached it we saw the city had boulders scattered throughout it. All sorts of sizes. They seemed to have smashed through everything, like they rained down from the cavern ceiling above. We were careful, and avoided at least a dozen different traps set throughout the streets. Then I spotted this strange belltower that resonated with my spellsense. The entrances into the building were all collapsed, so I figured I¡¯d scale the rubble leaning against the tower and then leap through one of the upper windows. But when I started to climb one of the boulders, a mouth appeared, chomping down on my arm. Nearly lost it. Thankfully my father smashed the monster into gravel. And Professor Kateshi immediately stitched up my arm.¡± He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s sad she decided to help Inari. It makes sense, given her history working with him. But I liked her.¡±


    Kizu was spared having to come up with a response to that as they approached Mizu Dojo.


    Shiroi slid the door open, exposing the two of them to a frigid chill. Ice lined the walls. A single young man knelt in the center of the room. His white hair matched the small layer of snow padding under his knees.


    ¡°Hey, Roku.¡± Shiroi raised his hand and walked over. ¡°Sorry to interrupt the meditation training. Wanted to swing by and congratulate you on the promotion!¡±


    The man opened an eye, revealing an iris the shade of ice. He examined the prince first before his eye flickered over to Kizu.


    ¡°Shiroi,¡± he said. ¡°My door¡¯s always open. You know that.¡± But his tone was dry, lacking the welcome that his words implied.


    ¡°You sure? I¡¯m not being too much of a bother, am I?¡±


    ¡°No. I appreciate you coming by. Would you like to spar?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Shiroi considered the question. ¡°Not unless you want to remove both legs as a handicap.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit dramatic. You¡¯re quite skilled in your own right.¡± Then he addressed Kizu. ¡°And you? Are you a new ward of Shiroi¡¯s? How do you feel about sparring?¡±


    ¡°A friend of Aoi¡¯s,¡± Shiroi said. ¡°He asked for an introduction to you. His name is Kaga Kizu.¡±


    Kizu bowed. ¡°I wanted to ask you about my sister.¡±


    Roku paused.


    ¡°Ah. Anna¡¯s brother. So you weren¡¯t dead? That means the Blood Lord lied. That¡¯s interesting.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s heart stopped. He knew about Otochi.


    ¡°Blood Lord?¡± Shiroi asked, intrigued.


    ¡°I encountered one with Anna a few months before her expulsion.¡± Then he made a face. ¡°But I¡¯m not supposed to discuss that. My mistake. Please forget I mentioned it.¡±


    Shiroi laughed. ¡°Seriously? You met a Blood Lord? And now you¡¯re sworn to secrecy about it? By whose orders? Surely I can overrule them, right?¡±


    Roku considered the questions. ¡°By the headmaster. I¡¯m not certain whether or not you outrank his authority. Do I owe more allegiance to the head of the academy that taught me, or to someone far further down in authority within the nation I reside?¡±


    ¡°Of course I outrank the headmaster.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t while you attended Shinzou Academy though. You obeyed him absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Well, now I¡¯m here in Hon. He¡¯d have to obey me here.¡±


    ¡°But this promise was made there, not here.¡±


    ¡°What can you say?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°About Anna? Do you know where she is?¡±


    ¡°I liked Anna.¡± Then he looked past the two of them as if staring back in time. Kizu thought he saw a bit of color lighten his pale cheeks. ¡°She was a good friend. Loyal. Powerful. Ambitious. Good qualities to have. Though she did clash a bit with authority occasionally. We met in our first year and often worked on projects together. She also liked to spar. While she lacked my level of brute strength with elemental spells, her divination skills were so good that she could predict my movements. In a straight fight like here in my dojo she wouldn¡¯t be able to outmaneuver me, but she liked to employ a more dynamic fighting style that used unique settings to her advantage. It was fun. She always had more tricks up her sleeve. Every spar was distinctly unique.¡±


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    ¡°And what happened after her expulsion?¡± Kizu prodded.


    Roku frowned. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say without breaking my promise¡­I will say she returned to the World Dungeon after. She tried to convince me to join her. I¡­refused.¡±


    That matched and confirmed the timeline Kizu knew. She¡¯d left the World Dungeon, been disowned and expelled after his parents discovered her pregnancy, and returned to give birth to Anata. But why had she abandoned Anata there? And where did she go after?


    ¡°And you never heard from her again?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°I received a letter from her at graduation. But the headmaster asked me not to discuss its contents or reveal the address it came from.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Shiroi asked.


    ¡°Because it involved the Calamities.¡±


    ¡°The Calamities!¡±


    ¡°Their existence isn¡¯t a secret, right? Your father mentioned them to me last time I spoke to him.¡±


    ¡°My father knows about existing Calamities?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t? It was a casual conversation, so I assumed you knew about them. I don¡¯t believe I broke any oaths mentioning their existence to you, but I¡¯d rather redirect this conversation before I stumble again.¡±


    From that point on, Roku simply shook his head at every question asked.


    ¡°What if I beat you in a spar?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°Will you answer my questions then?¡±


    That caught Roku¡¯s attention. His silver eyes gleamed at the offer. ¡°One question. First blood. Shiroi qualifies as a dual overseer by Hon law.¡±


    ¡°Hold up,¡± Shiroi cut in. ¡°You at least need some sort of handicap.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Roku said. He took out a strip of white cloth from his sleeve and wrapped it around his head. He tightened it in place with a harsh knot. ¡°This is an enchanted device meant to replicate a relic discovered on my third ever delve. The relic sucked away all forms of light, completely obscuring everything within a kilometer radius of it. This is designed to act the same way, completely obscuring my vision. I will not be able to use my eyes while wearing it. I¡¯ve also made it dampen my hearing, though it''s a far lesser enchantment.¡±


    ¡°Barely a handicap,¡± Shiroi grumbled.


    ¡°Do you accept?¡± Roku asked Kizu.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu agreed.


    No response.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Kizu repeated.


    ¡°Good, please feel free to use any available weapons.¡± He gestured a rack of metal swords off to the side.


    Kizu picked one up. He swung it in place. It was nothing like the swords used by the skeletons on Owl¡¯s Respite. These were Hon swords, their blades curved slightly and with only one sharpened edge. Swords were far out of fashion and Kizu had very little experience with them. But it should be easy enough. It was basically an oversized knife. He just needed to slice at Roku with the sharp side. Like chopping a root for brewing. A root that could move and cast dangerous magic¡­which was something he actually had experience with.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready,¡± Kizu said, facing Roku.


    No response.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡±


    Roku nodded. He held no blade. ¡°Shiroi, please announce the start of the duel.¡±


    Shiroi sighed and began reciting a memorized instruction on the rules of dueling. Kizu had heard it before from Arclight whenever she started one of the combat contests between students. Briefly, his mind flickered back to his fight with Ulric. Once again he was facing down a far more skilled opponent. Fear bubbled up in him alongside normal nerves. But this wasn¡¯t the same thing at all. Roku held no animosity or vendetta against him, and Shiroi wasn¡¯t going to interfere like Inari had. Except¡­how much did he actually know about Roku¡¯s history with Anna? Could he have some grudge he¡¯d been hanging onto these years? Kizu squashed the sensation the best he could before he spiraled. He steadied himself and focused on his strategy.


    Shiroi finished, slicing an arm through the air to signify the start of the fight.


    Before Shiroi¡¯s arm had even retracted back, Roku¡¯s own hand shot out. Ice sprouted from his palm and erupted, forming a wicked blade of ice.


    Kizu jumped behind the elemental mage, planning a quick slice from an unpredictable angle to end the spar as fast as possible.


    But Roku pivoted on his heel and bet the blade with one his own. Ice met steel. He wielded the blade with so much speed and force that the metal sword flew out of Kizu¡¯s hand. Kizu jumped as Roku cut in an arc down at him. He narrowly reacted with enough speed to avoid the blade of ice.


    Roku had said Kizu was welcome to any of the weapons offered, so instead of retrieving the fallen sword, Kizu retreated back to the weapon rack and snatched up a new one.


    Roku didn¡¯t move from where he stood in the center of the dojo. But he raised his blade of ice. At the motion, half a dozen spears of ice formed in the air around him, floating adjacent to his sword. He flicked his wrist, pointing his blade at where Kizu stood and the spears whirled to match the direction of the sword before zipping towards Kizu.


    Again, Kizu narrowly jumped away. Then he formed several illusions, roughly his same size, and had them also appear and disappear as he jumped again and again through the dojo. The illusions weren¡¯t designed to look like anything more than a jumble of colors, but that shouldn¡¯t matter. It should be able to throw off Roku¡¯s spellsense and confuse him.


    He¡¯d tried the same trick on Arclight in her last lesson. It had worked at first, until the professor changed strategies to seek out the sound he made while jumping. After establishing his illusions were noiseless, she¡¯d located him by ear.


    But this time Kizu wasn¡¯t going to make that same mistake. He jumped to the side of Roku and formed a barrier of force to soundlessly catch his feet. Simultaneously, Kizu smashed a second, smaller barrier down into the floor where one of his illusions appeared, on the other side of the ice mage, making its noise roughly resemble that of a footstep. A trick he¡¯d been practicing in his last lesson with Wakino. The timing wasn¡¯t completely perfect, but it should be enough.


    Except it wasn¡¯t. Once again, Roku met the sword again with his own. He completely ignored Kizu¡¯s bait.


    This time, instead of the parry disarming him, Roku held it in place for a second. Then the ice from his blade spread down the metal of Kizu¡¯s. The growth was so rapid that Kizu didn¡¯t even have time to register the move before the ice encased his forearm.


    Roku smiled.


    Kizu jumped.


    He landed on a wavering platform of force. His mind spun, trying to figure out how Roku saw through his deception. It hadn¡¯t been perfect timing, but it should have been enough to give Roku at least a moment of pause. The man completely ignored his illusions, as if he didn¡¯t see them. Did he really have so much mastery that he could immediately identify a spell? Then it occurred to Kizu. Maybe the elemental mage couldn¡¯t see them. He was blindfolded, after all. Kizu had assumed he was tracking him with his spellsense and enhanced hearing, but that was just because that¡¯s what Arclight used.


    The ice that had been used to grapple Kizu¡¯s arm melted, the metal sword clattering to the ground at Roku¡¯s feet. Once again, only the original ice sword was in Roku¡¯s hand. But, instead of the excess water splashing on the dojo floor, Roku refroze it into five more ice shards. Not even turning around, Roku raised his empty hand and the shards shot them in Kizu¡¯s direction. This time, Kizu didn¡¯t jump, instead he released the barrier holding him and dropped to the dojo¡¯s floor. Two of the shards shattered into the wall, but the other three bent their trajectory, following him. Kizu lifted his hands and formed antimagic barriers in front of him. He made them compact, sized only large enough to block the shards directly. All three of them met his barriers. Only one fully dispelled, the other two puncturing his barrier. But not before the antimagic dulled their points. It felt more like getting hit by a rock than a spear. While it still hurt, he was bruised, not bleeding. And it gave Kizu an idea.


    Even the shards of ice that had shattered above him had begun to change their angle of attack before they smashed into the wall, they just had too much momentum already built up to make that sharp of a turn. But the three that slammed into his antimagic had done so without a quiver of uncertainty.


    Kizu formed a small barrier of force. He didn¡¯t know how to cast the force blast that Wakino often used, but he knew enough to build up some momentum with the barrier while he sent it at Roku.


    It knocked into Roku, shoving him off his feet. He landed on the ground with a thump and Kizu instantly jumped there, sword chopping down at the fallen mage.


    Roku encased his arms in ice, then smacked the blade away. The power of the blow nearly disarmed Kizu again, but he held the hilt tight this time.


    But only for another second, then he released the metal blade and let a barrier of force push the metal sword in Roku¡¯s direction while he jumped away to the other side of the dojo.


    Kizu had made no sign of an attack, not even facing Roku before he jumped away. But his force barrier shifted the sword¡¯s course through the air, changing the trajectory. It spun, knocked to the side, unseen by the blindfolded elementalist. Then the sword embedded itself in Roku¡¯s leg.


    Blood stained the metal¡¯s edge.

 Chapter III.XIII (3.13) - Roku鈥檚 Answer

    Chapter III.XIII (3.13) - Roku¡¯s Answer


    Roku laughed. His icy demeanor melted as he tore the cloth off from over his eyes and gripped the hilt of the sword jutting from his calf. The metal blade unsheathed from his leg with a squelch. He transformed his ice sword into a globe of water, then ran it across the metal, wiping away the red stain. He dumped the water into a bucket on the edge of the dojo.


    ¡°Let me see your leg,¡± Shiroi said, approaching from the corner where he¡¯d been watching the duel.


    Roku waved him off. Then knelt and set his hand on the wound. It clotted and scabbed over.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t slice through anything important,¡± Roku said. ¡°A scab will be enough healing. It¡¯s better if I keep the pain as a reminder.¡±


    ¡°A reminder?¡±


    ¡°Not to underestimate the Kagas. I was using this as a training exercise and got cocky.¡±


    ¡°You were using soul perception to track me,¡± Kizu said. ¡°There¡¯s no way you only used your spellsense.¡±


    ¡°Ha. Do I look like a necromancer? No. But you are correct that I made a conscious decision not to use my spellsense. I¡¯m an elementalist. I tracked you through your blood.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?¡± That had never even occurred to Kizu.


    In answer, Roku lifted a palm and formed another bubble of water.


    ¡°This is water in its purest form, created through magic. It would take a relic from the World Dungeon to filter normal fresh water down to this level of purity.¡±


    Roku lifted his other hand, drawing up the bloody water he¡¯d placed in a bucket.


    ¡°And this is dirty water. I can still manipulate it with spells, just as I can with water from the ocean or a river. However, the less pure the water, the more difficult to control. While the creation of water costs more in blood than using water from a puddle, the manipulation of the pure water created is far easier.¡±


    As a demonstration, Roku transformed each of the globes into miniature ice sculptures of swordsmen. The pure ice sculpture was incredibly detailed, depicting a swordsman posed to strike, concentration written across his face and wielding a slender blade with a dragon¡¯s maw crafted as its hilt. The bloody ice formed into a nondescript man with a lumpy bald head who looked to be holding a stick.


    ¡°Someone specializing in both water and earth, could work with the earth particles inside dirty water. They¡¯re referred to as mud mages. However, I decided not to split my focus. I use a bit of wind shaping spells to propel my spears with greater speed, but I am mostly dedicated to the art of water. Specifically in relation to ice.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know all this already?¡± Shiroi asked. ¡°This is pretty low level elemental spell theory.¡±


    ¡°I was in the Elemental F class,¡± Kizu said sheepishly.


    ¡°You¡¯re dumping elemental?¡± Roku said with a frown. ¡°Unwise.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a dump class. I just had no experience with the branch of magic.¡± Kizu didn¡¯t really want to go into details about why he had so many holes in his knowledge, so instead he barreled on with more questions. ¡°Does this mean you could control a person using their blood? Could you tear it out of their body?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a more morbid guess than most people make,¡± Roku said. ¡°But it¡¯s a question your sister also asked. No. Again, I¡¯m not a necromancer. Blood is directly related to a person¡¯s soul. You¡¯d need both a master of soul magic and an elementalist with a specialization in water to hope to gain any control over a person¡¯s blood while still in their body. What I did was control heavily watered down blood that was both external and belonging to me.¡±


    Well, at least Kizu didn¡¯t probably need to worry about someone taking control of him like that. He supposed, if it was easily feasible, the crone or one of her friends would have tested it on him as a child.


    ¡°What¡¯s your question?¡± Roku asked.


    ¡°About elemental magic?¡±


    ¡°No. Your prize. What do you want to know about Anna. One question. However, I am ignorant in many things, so if you ask a question with an unknown answer, I won¡¯t count it against you.¡±


    ¡°Is she alive and safe?¡± Kizu blurted.


    ¡°Probably and probably not. I don¡¯t know. Try again.¡±


    Probably alive. Probably not safe. Okay. But there were a lot better questions he could ask. Kizu bit his lip and considered what to ask. There were holes in Roku¡¯s knowledge but he knew about Otochi.


    ¡°Where is Anna?¡±


    ¡°Again, I don¡¯t know.¡± Then he considered. ¡°But I do know where she went.¡±


    That was a bait. Kizu considered it.


    ¡°Okay. I already know she spoke to my family and returned to the World Dungeon. Where did she go after?¡±


    ¡°West.¡± He smiled slightly, and for a moment, Kizu thought that was all he was going to reveal. ¡°She accepted a secret job from the headmaster and traveled to his homeland. West of Edgeland, beyond the deserts. I don¡¯t know any more details than that. In the one letter she sent me, she didn¡¯t say anything more about the place.¡± Then he considered. ¡°Actually, she did complain about a magical creature possessing the sands. I believe it was technically billions of grain-sized creatures in a hivemind who looked like sand. I suppose that technically falls under my knowledge of her location.¡±


    That was an actual lead. Kizu smiled. It was far away, and he wasn¡¯t likely able to find a way over there soon, but he could at least research the creature mentioned. He happened to know someone extremely well-versed in magical creature knowledge.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°I enjoyed sparring with you. It was nostalgic.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯d be careful,¡± Shiroi warned. ¡°There are a few known nations beyond Edgeland, and almost none of them are friendly towards our government. The desert is a vast, extremely dangerous, and lawless land. I wouldn¡¯t go wandering off in that direction without more information.¡±


    That matched what the headmaster had said about where his sister was. He¡¯d said he wouldn¡¯t reveal Anna¡¯s location because going there would result in Kizu¡¯s death.


    ¡°I won¡¯t rush off to the ends of the world right now,¡± Kizu reassured him. ¡°If I had a more exact location, maybe, but as is I need to be careful before I leave on any extended expedition.¡± Plus, he needed to keep Anata safe. He couldn¡¯t drag her off into danger on a whim.


    ¡°Good.¡± Shiroi nodded his approval. ¡°Treat this like a delve into the World Dungeon. Do research, approach it all rationally with a level head and dozens of back up plans to fall back on. And never go alone. Build a team.¡±


    ¡°What kind of team do you recommend?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll want at least a couple strong fighters, with different strengths to cover for other weaknesses. Close range, long range, enhancement, elemental. You¡¯ll also want a navigator. A diviner who can scout and detect danger would be invaluable. Especially if the diviner can double as an illusionist and conceal your trail. In my delving unit we had a mage like that who both looked ahead and covered our backs. It¡¯s probably ideal if you can get a local guide to fill a role like that. Unlike the World Dungeon, you¡¯ll be able to use diplomacy to get you out of many scrapes. You¡¯ll also want transportation. A summoner who can conjure multiple beasts of burden.¡±


    That was a lot to figure out. Kizu debated how much he could manage to do alone. He needed to get Ione to help train him in summoning. She had said the process to conjure nonmagical creatures was pretty simple. He should be able to at least figure out a horse or giant lizard by the end of the next semester.


    ¡°Do you want to go look at some delving supplies?¡± Shiroi asked. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t leave on a journey like this for a long time, but it¡¯s good to familiarize yourself with survival gear used by delvers. Roku can show you his family¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d need to close the dojo,¡± Roku complained.


    ¡°Do you have any students coming today?¡± Shiroi asked.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not a problem!¡±


    Roku grumbled but escorted them out and across the street into a store. He unlocked the front door with a wave of his hand.


    Everything was neatly organized into categories and separated by utility. The most common items were lined up in the front of the shop.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not doing a delve, your needs will be slightly different,¡± Shiroi said. ¡°For example, you¡¯re less likely to need to rappel crevasses but you¡¯re more likely to need protection from the sun, which is pretty niche in the World Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Why would you ever need sun protection in a dungeon?¡± Kizu asked, confused.


    ¡°There are rare occurrences where the dungeon acts like a mirror,¡± Roku said. ¡°It amplifies the sun rays and can create unique hostile environments. And a few different creatures also use abilities that result in similar effects as extreme sun exposure.¡±


    ¡°Both the environments and those monsters are extremely rare with only a few recorded instances,¡± Shiroi continued. ¡°So Roku¡¯s shop has them in the back. But there¡¯s tons of stuff. Feel free to ask either of us any questions while you browse.¡±


    Kizu crouched over at a crate of potions. They looked to be the same sort of potions he¡¯d used when he¡¯d gone into the World Dungeon looking for Anna and found Anata. He¡¯d stolen them from the academy. Each vial was supposed to fill a stomach with a day¡¯s worth of food. Though he noted these had flavors written on the side. Strawberry, Dough, Pine. On the other side, he noticed the price. 15,000 yennies. For one vial.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have this sort of money,¡± Kizu said, carefully placing the strawberry flavored vial back in the holder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Shiroi said. ¡°Just window shop and familiarize yourself with the kind of gear you¡¯ll need.¡±


    Kizu explored the shelves, looking at different enchanted items.


    There was a fair amount of clothes, designed to do a wide variety of things. Like a vest that reduced the user¡¯s weight and a pair of boots designed for hyper buoyancy water walking.


    Then there were the gadget items. Like a long strip of cloth designed to extend out in the direction pointed and wrap around the first thing it made contact with. And wooden bracers that could become any number of objects crafted from wood. From a pole to a shield to a shed.


    And then there was the explosive section. It was all sealed behind thick, enchanted glass. But the amount of bombs in there could blast Shinzou Academy to the moon. Most didn¡¯t even resemble explosives, instead looking more like metal cans and odd goos. A few were even purposefully designed to resemble mundane objects. He spotted a cart wheel that was primed to explode on its thousandth time around.


    But the area that Kizu found himself drawn to was of course the potions. It looked a lot less flashy than the other equipment, but each potion was labeled with a detailed description. Most were combat or survival focused, but he found a couple strange ones like a potion that deaged the drinker ten years.


    ¡°It¡¯s for older delvers,¡± Roku explained. ¡°It helps them push beyond the limitations of their body.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s popular with some members of the nobility outside delving as well,¡± Shiroi said. ¡°There¡¯s a woman in the Inari family who drinks three a day, every day, to keep herself 30 years younger. It¡¯s not an actual form of immortality though. Your body can still fail on you.¡±


    ¡°And if I drank it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not designed for your age group. It would likely not be as potent. You¡¯d likely end up as somewhere around a ten year old, not a five year old. It¡¯s not like an infant drinking it would just wink out of existence.¡±


    ¡°I would not recommend drinking it,¡± Roku added. ¡°There are less than savory side effects. Shiroi¡¯s cousin risks overdosing if she¡¯s drinking three a day. And I suspect her nights are filled with internal pains.¡±


    Kizu turned his attention to a potion that shifted the user into a gaseous form. That seemed incredibly dangerous but he suspected it involved ingredients that might help with the soul unifying potion he was working on for Professor Knoff.


    ¡°Who¡¯s your supplier?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°For potions?¡± Roku considered. ¡°It depends on the potion. We receive supplies from all over the world. We have a network in place with several trading families. We only sell high quality products, so many potion breweries seek us out as a stamp of approval on their potions.¡±


    ¡°Are there any here in town?¡±


    ¡°A few. I believe there¡¯s a specialized brewer that works with illusionists for glass and light manipulation. We sell a few different varieties of invisibility potions made by him. But don¡¯t expect him to work with you. Brewers of his caliber are extremely secretive and protective of their recipes.¡±


    As noon approached, Roku¡¯s staff came into the shop and began to officially open it for the day. Kizu was admiring a pair of gloves similar to the ones he¡¯d designed for his Enchanting C midterm, though these were meant to specifically keep tools magnetized to hands, when more customers began entering the building.


    Someone gasped and Kizu looked up to see a vaguely familiar face. A girl roughly his age wearing a dark green cloak was staring at him. Her hood was up but he still spotted hair as white as snow and wide eyes. Kizu couldn¡¯t place her, but assumed she must be a classmate visiting for the festival. A couple of his classmates from Tross had more unique hair colors.


    He lifted a hand in greeting, but she ducked out of sight. Which was fine. He was finishing up and needed to head back to the palace. Aoi was planning to show Anata her family hot spring under the palace soon and he¡¯d promised to tag along.


    He thanked Roku for everything. Even if the ice mage was still concealing information about Anna, he¡¯d bent and broken the rules enough that Kizu was incredibly grateful.


    ¡°If you find Anna,¡± Roku said as they parted. ¡°Send word to me. She was¡­my friend.¡±


    Kizu agreed and returned to the palace with Shiroi.

 Chapter III.XIV (3.14) - A Quiet Vacation Full of Studying

    Chapter III.XIV (3.14) - A Quiet Vacation Full of Studying


    The palace¡¯s underground hot spring did not disappoint. Water bubbled up from beneath the earth, resulting in a putrid stink, contained within the room by several enchantment wards. The ground was colored a sickly orange and white chunks of minerals clung to the edges of the water. But the bath was wonderful. Warmth swelled through Kizu as he sat cross-legged on the side, feeling a bit like a chunk of vegetable in a stew.


    They also had separate rooms designed as saunas and smaller, private baths. None of the bathes were quite as nice as the one in the abandoned village¡¯s inn, likely because it lacked the outdoor section and felt a bit too stuffy to really relax. But they were still so incredibly relaxing. Kizu desperately wanted to transport one of these over to Owl¡¯s Respite. He had no idea if it was feasible, but he promised himself he would try.


    ¡°They used to have a rooftop bath, but a great uncle of mine got assassinated by an illusionist and wind elementalist duo. They¡¯ve since converted the space into a garden.¡±


    Aoi chatted with them as they all lay sprawled out in a carpeted room outside the baths. A warding scheme along the room¡¯s trim kept it at a cool temperature. There were several mats for people to use for post-bath stretching routines, but their party ignored those, instead relaxing and sipping bottles of chilled milk.


    ¡°Really? What kind of plants?¡±


    ¡°Flowers. My mother designed the current layout. The Emperor¡¯s betrothed often comes by and helps her. She¡¯s a talented earth elementalist, which is pretty useful.¡±


    ¡°When¡¯s the wedding?¡± Basil asked.


    ¡°Mid-summer. It¡¯s customary to have the Emperor¡¯s wedding at the peak of summer, on the brightest day of the year.¡±


    ¡°How old is the Emperor?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Late thirties. He had a wife before this but she died in childbirth years ago. Took the child with her. He refused to remarry for nearly five years. Big romantic.¡±


    ¡°I know you were raised under a mossy jungle rock,¡± Basil said. ¡°But you really should try to keep up better with local politics. Emperor Honzo has been the Hon Empire¡¯s most eligible bachelor for years now.¡±


    ¡°I thought that was you,¡± Kizu said dryly.


    ¡°I¡¯m more than an eligible bachelor.¡± Basil smirked. He doubled over, then recovered with a new beautiful face and a bust that threatened to tear his previously loose shirt.


    ¡°Are you?¡± Aoi raised an eyebrow.


    Basil blinked. Then threw an arm around Aoi and pulled her in close, grinning. ¡°Was. Past tense. I¡¯m spoken for now and no longer eligible, much to every citizen in Hon¡¯s great distress. But no gnashing and begging will tear me away. I¡¯m devoted entirely.¡±


    Basil reverted his body back before they returned upstairs. Kizu decided to head to the palace¡¯s library. Shiroi had suggested a book title about the politics of different western countries.


    Anata joined him. She loved the library even more than he did. Now that he knew she liked books so much, he planned to bring her to the academy library when they returned next semester. She could study while he was in his classes.


    Sophia sat in the center of the library, reading a thick tome with a solid black leather cover. She glanced up at him and Anata as they entered, but, upon seeing them, returned to her book without a word of greeting.


    Kizu wondered why she hadn¡¯t joined them at the baths. Not coming to the necromancer inn made sense. Aoi wouldn¡¯t be likely to drag her friend out into the middle of a dangerous abandoned village. She reserved that treatment for him. But the palace¡¯s bath seemed completely safe and fine for her. After a moment of deliberation, he decided not to ask.


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    He located the recommended book and Anata picked out one for herself then they made themselves comfortable on one of the couches in the back of the room.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Kizu to realize how outdated this book was. It mentioned Hon Emperors long dead and half of the towns it made reference to in Hon for comparison had disappeared from modern maps. But that didn¡¯t stop it from being an interesting read.


    The people living closest to the civilized world were nomads in the deserts west of Edgeland. They acted as traders who connected Edgeland with the western world. Unfortunately, they were few in number. And while Hon, Tross, Ilson-don, and Edgeland all sent merchants across the desert to negotiate for themselves directly, none had been met with any success. Most never returned, and the few that did told tales about a land deep in the desert with savage cannibals. A land with unbalanced magic.


    But the headmaster had been from the west. And he was completely civilized. The story he had told Kizu from his homeland seemed pretty standard. Kizu got the impression that this book might not just be a bit outdated, but a bit strangely biased. The way the author referenced Edgeland and Tross made them sound like lesser nations, even referring to their citizens as ¡®dirty¡¯ at one point.


    Still, it held quite a bit of information about the trading patterns and snippets quoting the nomads about some of the nations. They often mentioned ¡®Death¡¯ and referred to it like a godly entity, more than a natural phenomenon. And he also found one strange passage mentioning a magical creature known as a Jinn that supposedly single handedly destroyed an envoy of over four hundred people.


    Kizu made a mental note to ask the headmaster more questions about the west the next time they met. If he presented the subject right, he might be able to make it sound like natural curiosity rather than information gathering about his sister¡¯s location.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    Kizu looked up to see Kiiroi standing in front of him. The princess stood, hands on hips with her little brother behind her, sniffling. But it wasn¡¯t him she was addressing. Instead, she looked at Anata. She stood on her tip toes and was peering over at the book in his niece¡¯s hands. Anata looked at him, silently pleading for his help.


    ¡°She¡¯s reading a story about an enchanter who discovered a way to turn everything into gold.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that crash the economy? Gold regulation is necessary to maintain a balance. It¡¯s one of my father¡¯s duties. An ambassador from Tross gifted him a gold watch to symbolize his great work.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so. I haven¡¯t read the book. Maybe that¡¯s what happens. Good stories usually need conflict.¡±


    Kiiroi settled into the couch, pressed up next to Anata and read the book over her shoulder. While Anata put in effort to continue reading, she was clearly uncomfortable with the princess¡¯s proximity.


    Her brother continued to sniff, breaking the silence, but he wandered off towards some picture books. Kiiroi remained. She liked to make snarky comments about different parts of Anata¡¯s book. After the third ¡®that¡¯s not how gold works. It¡¯s supposed to be an alloy.¡¯ Kizu stood and closed his book.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit hungry. Anata, how about we go and get a snack?¡±


    Anata stood immediately and nodded her head.


    ¡°The chef makes me cream puffs whenever I ask. They¡¯re a dessert from Edgeland that almost nobody else in Hon knows how to make. I¡¯ll show you. They¡¯re my favorite.¡±


    Kizu sighed. As they walked out, he noticed Sophia still sat in the same chair, not acknowledging them. The stuffed nosed prince had walked up to her and she was reading with him from his chosen picture book, helping him with difficult characters of the Universal Script.


    ¡°I got my father to get me this chef after the last one sneezed in my food. He was so gross and had a fat boil growing on his elbow. I think he should have been completely fired, but my father moved him to a different position instead so I still have to see him and his boil sometimes. But the new chef is very nice. She¡¯s so much better at cooking. And she¡¯s pretty too. Much better.¡±


    Kizu listened to the girl¡¯s ramblings, very grateful that she wasn¡¯t his niece. Though, if she had been, he likely would have given her over to his mother to send off to the far reaches of Hon with that tongueless caretaker. Actually, he probably wouldn¡¯t have even gotten that far. He might have gone mad and strangled her while trapped in the dilation chamber.


    Thankfully, the kitchens weren¡¯t far. And he had to grudgingly admit, the cream puffs were tasty.


    While he ate, he checked in on Mort through their bond. The monkey had woken up while they¡¯d been down in the bath and headed out the window. He was currently leaping about in the bamboo forest, hunting bugs.


    As he closed his eyes and watched through Mort¡¯s eyes, something caught his attention.


    A red fox was watching him. And it wore a white scarf tied around its neck.


    Kizu instructed Mort to focus on the animal and the monkey grudgingly obeyed. As Mort turned to look down at the fox, it smiled at him. Behind it, lurked a surly white fox with a red scarf.


    Kizu sighed and looked at Kiiroi and Anata.


    He suspected his quiet vacation full of studying and training had just taken a harsh turn for the worse.

 Chapter III.XV (3.15) - Bamboo Kitsune

    Chapter III.XV (3.15) - Bamboo Kitsune


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here too!¡± Mae said, hopping foot to foot in her human form.


    Anata beamed at her.


    Kizu had decided to seize control of the situation as quickly as possible and bring Anata to the bamboo forest before Mae decided to do something rash like try breaking into the palace to find Anata.


    Ditching Kiiroi had been tricky. The girl stuck to Anata like sap. She never said anything particularly nice to Anata, but she also clung to her and gave unfiltered opinions about everything around her. Thankfully, after a bit of wandering, Kizu had bumped into Shiroi and managed to dump his little sister on him.


    Mort had remained in the forest, watching the Kitsune children and directed Kizu to them. A young girl and a fox, both of which looked very out of place among all the bamboo.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t come here alone, right?¡±


    Kon, still in his arctic fox form, growled at Kizu. Kizu translated the noise as him protesting the idea that Mae was alone.


    ¡°A child can¡¯t reliably watch over another child.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re barely not a child,¡± Mae pointed out. ¡°You¡¯re only a few years older than us.¡±


    Kizu rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Anyway, my mother is down in the city right now. She asked us to wait in the forest until she finished setting up our accommodations.¡±


    ¡°Why did you come here? Were you looking for Anata?¡±


    ¡°No. We came for the cherry blossoms!¡± Mae replied excitedly, then she turned back to Anata and pointed at the bamboo. ¡°Have you seen these trees? They go straight up like a pole! And they have these unreal notch segments. There¡¯s nothing like them in the tundra.¡±


    Anata nodded along enthusiastically. The two girls then went out, looking for the straightest bamboo tree.


    Kon and Kizu followed them, both of them eyeing one another.


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t like,¡± Kon snarled.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m well aware you don¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°No. Yes.¡± Kon bit at the air, looking frustrated. ¡°Smell. Bad.¡±


    ¡°I smell bad?¡± Kizu asked, confused. He¡¯d taken a bath in the hotspring. Maybe he smelled a little like sulfur, but it shouldn¡¯t be anything too strong.


    ¡°Like you. But not.¡± Kon looked away, towards the city. ¡°Someone new.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone who smells like me but smells new and bad?¡±


    Kon nodded his canine head succinctly and said no more, as if satisfied to have gotten the message across so clearly.


    Kizu had no idea what the Kitsune was getting at, but he decided not to poke him anymore. Kon was significantly less personable than his bubbly sister.


    They continued to wander the bamboo forest. Mae stumbled frequently, obviously clunky in her humanoid form. But Anata wasn¡¯t much better either. At one point, Anata accidentally stepped on Mae¡¯s tail and they both ended up in a heap, giggling.


    ¡°You¡¯re able to keep in that form for a lot longer now,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I thought before you mentioned only being able to maintain it for a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing! Mother said I wouldn¡¯t be able to come to Hon unless I could blend in for at least an hour at a time. She¡¯s been coaching me on how to hold it better. Now I can almost go for an entire two hours before reverting!¡±


    ¡°And Kon?¡±


    The Kitsune snarled at him.


    ¡°He can hold form for about a minute and a half. But Mother said as long as he stuck close to me, it would be fine. I¡¯m supposed to say some lie about him being a pet.¡±


    If Kon minded, he showed no sign of it. Despite his faults, Kon was utterly loyal to his sister. Kizu couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit envious when considering his own brother.


    ¡°Tomorrow is the start of the festival, do you think Anata can join us? I really want to see the floats. And Mother said the cherry blossoms are starting to bloom in town. I haven¡¯t seen them yet, but I¡¯m so excited. It¡¯s supposed to be all pinks, reds, and whites throughout the town for the entire next few weeks!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to Kumiho about it first. I think I¡¯m being roped into something by the Emperor¡¯s family, but Anata might be able to join you. And yes, the white blossoms have started to bloom. Not many of the red or pink trees yet.¡±


    ¡°The Emperor¡¯s family?¡± Mae¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. ¡°You get to be with real princes and princesses! Can I meet them too?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re princess,¡± Kon growled.


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    ¡°I¡¯m like a monster princess, that¡¯s totally different. These are like in the fairy tales!¡±


    ¡°You might be over-romanticizing them,¡± Kizu said. ¡°They¡¯re just people.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Mae shook her head. ¡°They¡¯re not just people, right Anata?¡±


    Mae looked over to Anata expectantly. Anata frowned, then she tilted her head, stuck her tongue out, and walked a few paces with her arms outstretched.


    ¡°There¡¯s a zombie princess!¡±


    Kizu sighed. ¡°She¡¯s a necromancer. Not a zombie.¡±


    That, of course, only excited Mae even more. The girl was in love with the idea of Aoi and wouldn¡¯t stop asking him questions about her until they reached the location where the two small Kitsune were meant to rendezvous with Kumiho. It was a boulder with a small shrine at its base and knee high statue. Someone had knit the little statue a red cap, giving the gray sculpture a splash of color.


    Kizu sat on the boulder to wait while Anata and Mae chased Mort around. He couldn¡¯t quite hold back a smile when the monkey leaped onto Kon¡¯s back then sprang off his head, causing the arctic fox to join in the chase.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu,¡± Kumiho said, approaching in her fox form. ¡°A pleasant surprise.¡±


    Despite being structurally the same as any other fox, unlike her children, the Kitsune¡¯s fully grown size dwarfed wolves.


    ¡°Kumiho. Nice to see you again,¡± Kizu greeted. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t super stoked by the idea of them being here, but he saw no reason to stir up trouble by being rude.


    ¡°I am always glad to see my cousin and her guardian.¡± She arched her back then transformed into a beautiful woman wearing a kimono with orange flowers that matched her daughter¡¯s.


    ¡°Basil is up at the palace as well,¡± Kizu told her.


    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re familiar with the Ooze Harbinger? What brings him here?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dating one of Hon¡¯s Princesses.¡±


    Kumiho chuckled. ¡°Of course he is. He mentioned an alluring woman when we met during his school trip. I should have suspected that she would be a princess. My cousin doesn¡¯t seem the type to settle for much less than the best.¡±


    Kumiho took a seat beside him on the boulder. The Kitsune Harbinger watched her children playing with Mort and Anata.


    ¡°There are magical creatures in this forest,¡± she said. ¡°Anata draws them innately as part of her inheritance from Otochi. They disguise themselves as bamboo branches. They¡¯re harmless, but they do talk, so watch your words while you¡¯re here.¡±


    Kizu glanced up at the bamboo, scanning for any sign of a creature above him. He didn¡¯t spot anything with his eyes or his spellsense.


    ¡°They¡¯re not here now. They scattered upon seeing me approach, otherwise I would not have spoken so openly. But I want you to be warned.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°The Kitsune are messengers. It was once our duty to connect the two worlds of humanity and monster. We have an ingrained perception to detect magical creatures, even while they hide from other senses.¡±


    She paused and eyed Kizu.


    ¡°Speaking of,¡± she continued. ¡°There is something different about you since we last met. It¡¯s subtle, but you feel a tad bit less human and more like a magical creature.¡±


    ¡°What are you implying?¡± Kizu asked. His mind immediately went to Anata¡¯s blood. He held back a fear that using it to rejuvenate his blood supplies was slowly changing him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Did you perhaps use a lotion with monster ingredients? Something reptilian?¡±


    ¡°Reptilian?¡± Then it clicked. ¡°Oh!¡±


    Kizu rolled up his pant leg and showed her his newly grafted leg. The scales glittered green as he rolled his ankle.


    ¡°You replaced your leg?¡± Kumiho¡¯s brow furrowed and she stared at the limb. ¡°Interesting. I wouldn¡¯t have thought that possible. You must have had a powerful soul mage on hand to stabilize yourself for the surgery.¡±


    ¡°Both a necromancer and Basil helped. But they said Anata did most of the heavy lifting. She was able to keep my soul in place and replant me in the body.¡±


    ¡°Your soul exited your body?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    Kumiho¡¯s attention flickered back to her daughter and Anata. The girls had begun gathering up fallen bamboo leaves into a pile


    ¡°So you died. And she managed to keep you from passing long enough to reinsert you. That¡¯s a powerful ability. And not one innate to Blood Lords.¡±


    ¡°My sister was a diviner,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Kumiho considered the explanation. ¡°I suppose if your souls resonated as a result of your blood being related, it wouldn¡¯t be beyond possibility that she might be able to hold yours in place for a few minutes. Especially if your familiar was nearby to use as a bridge. Still, it would take incredible skill.¡± She stared at Anata.


    ¡°Why did you come here?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Oh. Mae is very invested in the festival starting tomorrow. I told her stories of my time as a girl experiencing the Kyonaka Cherry Blossom Festival as a girl and she¡¯s been obsessed with it since. It¡¯s only a happy coincidence we bumped into family here.¡±


    Kizu nodded. Mae had spoken ad nauseam about the flower blossoms when he met her in the World Dungeon beneath Tross.


    ¡°However,¡± Kumiho continued. ¡°I don¡¯t remember there being so many tourists when I visited as a girl. The entire city is swarmed with people from across the nation. I had to fight to get a room in an inn. And even still, it¡¯s the three of us on one futon in a cramped room.¡±


    ¡°I noticed more people arriving over the last two days. You should have come last week if you wanted something more.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re staying at the palace?¡± Kumiho asked.


    ¡°Unfortunately. Which means more eyes on me and Anata.¡± He paused. ¡°Actually, tomorrow could you do me a favor?¡±


    Kumiho arched an eyebrow, inviting the request.


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be with the Royal Family tomorrow, riding on their float. I¡¯d rather not bring Anata along. The less attention she receives, the better.¡±


    ¡°And so you want to know if I would watch over the girl,¡± Kumiho finished. She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a perfectly fine idea. I¡¯ll watch over the girls tomorrow. Bring her to the Fallen Petal tomorrow at noon and I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s entertained. Mae will be ecstatic.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Mort with her and join up after the parade finishes. It should only take a couple hours.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Also, I¡¯ll see what I can do about teaching her to better reign in her ability to attract monsters.¡± She paused. ¡°Kaga Kizu. Be careful tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why? Will there be some sort of trouble at the festival?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of. But from what I¡¯ve seen and heard, you¡¯re the favorite prey of trouble.¡±


    That was true enough.

 Chapter III.XVI (3.16) - Parade

    Chapter XVI (16) - Parade


    Kizu was escorted alongside Aoi to a different, even larger palace on the other side of the city. Aoi and her family all wore golden kimonos while Kizu wore a silver one, apparently that represented an honored servant of the Hon Empire. Normal household servants wore brassy kimonos and scurried around the expansive waiting room, handing out drinks and small treats to those in gold.


    Basil and Sophia stood beside him, likewise, wearing silver robes. Though apparently Aoi had to fight with her father to get them the kimonos while Kizu¡¯s was handed over immediately. Basil didn¡¯t seem to mind, instead infatuated with the silk used, but Sophia resented that fact. She glared at Kizu, as if believing he would steal both her friend and her silver kimono from her back if she let him. Which, Kizu realized, wasn¡¯t completely out of nowhere. Aoi likely had far less time for her friends after meeting him and discovering Owl¡¯s Respite. In a very real way, he was stealing Aoi from her. He resolved to be nice to Sophia, despite her unpleasantness. His brother had given him plenty of practice with people who had sour personalities.


    ¡°You¡¯re Kaga Kizu,¡± a tall woman in a golden robe stated. Wrinkles contoured her face showing her age, but she stood with a straight back and looked down at him with a slight sneer on her lips. ¡°You don¡¯t look like much.¡±


    ¡°I am. And I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°And yet, you foiled my son¡¯s alleged ¡®assassination¡¯ attempt.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s eyes widened. The woman¡¯s resemblance to Inari was obvious, now that he looked for it. Her dark parted hair, her cold blue eyes. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. For a moment, he panicked, thinking that she¡¯d stolen the breath from his lungs with a spell, but then snapped his mouth closed and took a deep breath. He still had air.


    ¡°Gensui, leave him alone,¡± Aoi said, butting into the conversation.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Inari Gensui turned her attention to Aoi. She eyed the younger princess with distaste. ¡°Kotei Aoi. The girl supposedly so special that my son felt threatened enough to kill. What about you did he see?¡± Then she fully embraced her sneer. ¡°It¡¯s not as if I can ask him. Not even a body. How¡­convenient.¡±


    ¡°Speaking to the dead is illegal,¡± Aoi said stiffly.


    ¡°Hello all!¡± a feminine voice boomed from all around them, cutting off Inari¡¯s next comment. ¡°As we all know, this year is a special parade. We¡¯re publicly announcing the new Hon Empress. Yev Lin will be accompanying us all. Please give her a warm welcome.¡±


    There was polite applause all around them from different nobility and the Hon Parliament members. The servants also tried to clap, but many had their hands full with trays and glasses.


    Without another word, Inari Gensui separated from them and met with a cluster of other women roughly her same age and station.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be the last time you see our new Empress, so please give her space. As is custom, she will be taking the final float, behind the Royal Family¡¯s Inari branch.¡± The voice began to review the different positions of each of the other floats. The others around him chatted quietly and drank. Kizu began to panic as the list went on. He had no idea where to go. Had he missed his name in the first few floats? Up with the parliament hardly seemed correct. But where else was he supposed to go?


    ¡°You three are all with me,¡± Aoi said to him, Basil, and Sophia. ¡°We¡¯re going to be in the third royal float, just two behind the Emperor. You just need to sit there and look regal.¡± Then she sighed, and pulled out a golden flute from her sleeve. ¡°Meanwhile, I¡¯ll be playing this.¡±


    ¡°Taking requests?¡± Basil asked.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Sophia snapped at him. ¡°There¡¯s a very important melody she needs to perform. At the front line of the royals, she¡¯s given the honor of leading their music. Don¡¯t you ever pay attention to anything other than-¡±


    ¡°Relax, Sophia,¡± Aoi said, smiling at her friend.


    Sophia¡¯s mouth pursed into a thin line as she glared at Basil.


    ¡°He¡¯d better not embarrass you,¡± she muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll tear him apart.¡±


    ¡°I will sit, wave, and be a good boy,¡± Basil promised. ¡°It¡¯s Kizu you¡¯ve got to watch out for. Trouble sticks to him like a perfume.¡±


    Sophia narrowed her eyes at Kizu.


    ¡°I wish people would stop saying that,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I don¡¯t plan to do anything. Same as Basil. Just going to sit and enjoy the ride. If it was up to me, I¡¯d be reading a book in the library right now.¡±


    Once the announcement finished, the royals began setting down their glasses and sauntering off in different directions, depending on their position in the procession.


    ¡°This way,¡± Aoi said, pointing to a door off to the side. ¡°The Royal Family goes last, so we can get a good view of the parade for half an hour before we leave.¡±


    She led them away from everyone else and up a spiral staircase to an outdoor balcony looking over the city. A few chairs surrounded a small circular table.


    Basil and Aoi immediately sat down and began chatting. But Kizu leaned on the balcony, staring above the city streets and up at the setting sun. Soon the stars would be out. He closed his eyes and connected with Mort.


    The monkey was perched on Anata¡¯s shoulder. They had found a place to sit underneath a blooming cherry blossom tree. Someone had placed a white blossom in Anata¡¯s hair and Kizu felt Mort resisting the urge to snatch it up and eat it.


    Anata and Mae each ate a bowl of fried noodles. And both girls had forgone using chopsticks in favor of shoveling the noodles into their mouths with their fingers. He watched as Mae wiped her fingers on her obi sash¡¯s massive bow. Kizu was surprised Kumiho allowed that, but then he noticed her off to the side, chatting and laughing with some locals.


    He focused, listening to their conversation. They were talking about her fox tail. She was explaining how she was half Kemon and half Hon. Not quite true, as the Kemon were a different race from the Kitsune, the latter being classified as a monster. But it was close enough that nobody balked at the explanation.


    Someone mentioned the parade starting soon and Mae excitedly mentioned Kizu by name to Anata. Kizu frowned. He didn¡¯t really want them spreading around his name to random strangers. Especially when the girl was gossiping about his supposed ¡®secret princess girlfriend.¡¯ But no adults paid any attention to her. Only Anata nodded along enthusiastically. And then the conversation blessedly moved on to a slingshot game at a festival they wanted to visit after the parade.


    ¡°Our mistake,¡± someone said behind Kizu.


    He blinked, his senses returning to the balcony.


    Two men stood behind him. One wore golden kimonos which marked him as nobility. He held an open book that looked tiny in his large hand. The other man wore a brilliant white kimono that reflected light so well that focusing on it for too long made Kizu¡¯s eyes water. Unlike the golden clad man, he was eyeing each of the balcony occupants carefully.


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    Kizu glanced over to his companions and realized all three were bowing low. He scrambled to copy their posture.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, cousin,¡± the man in white finally said.


    ¡°Thank you, Emperor Honzo,¡± Aoi said with deference. ¡°We will depart.¡±


    ¡°You and your companions had the foresight to arrive before me. You may stay. It¡¯s those who follow after me that I take issue with.¡±


    ¡°Carrions lurk close. They descend with no caution. They return empty.¡± The man with the book didn¡¯t look up as he spoke.


    ¡°Thank you for the words of wisdom, uncle,¡± Aoi said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°You chose your position well,¡± the Emperor said, moving to stand beside Kizu. ¡°As a boy, I used to spend hours looking out at the city from this spot. I dreamed of truly making the city better.¡±


    ¡°Emperor Honzo. You have altered the city. Steadily onwards.¡±


    After the second strange message, Kizu finally realized who the man must be. The first warlord. Prince Zenchi.


    ¡°Why do you speak in haikus?¡± Kizu asked, curious.


    The man frowned and looked up from his book to look down at Kizu. Suddenly, Kizu regretted grabbing his attention.


    ¡°I spoke no haiku. I said nothing of seasons. Spring was unmentioned.¡±


    ¡°Haikus technically require a focus on a season. Usually spring,¡± Aoi explained. ¡°My good uncle is very particular about that. Otherwise it¡¯s just a poem.¡±


    Warlord Zenchi opened his mouth to reply, but Emperor Honzo cut him off with a gesture down at the streets below.


    ¡°The march begins.¡±


    A building with a massive bell floated forward. Kizu recognized Wakino¡¯s hooded figure standing in the front. Now that he knew what to look for, Kizu¡¯s spellsense could recognize that she lifted the shrine with a platform of pure force. Behind her, a man dressed in a bronze kimono dragged back a wooden beam suspended on ropes, then released it. The bell gonged as the beam struck its side, the impact reverberating up to Kizu¡¯s bones. He shuddered slightly.


    Then, a few seconds later, it sounded again. It repeated itself as the bell¡¯s building slowly passed through the streets.


    Next, came the members of parliament. Like the man who rang the bell, they each wore a bronze kimono, though each was also accented with a secondary color, likely representing their position within the parliament. Unlike the brassy kimonos worn by the servants, these kimonos glowed with enchantments like the clothes the nobility wore. There were twelve floats, one for each member of the Hon Parliament. The floats were carried on the backs of servants. Kizu was only barely able to make out through his spellsense that the robes of these servants were also enchanted. But he suspected them to have a more utility based enchantment than the nobility and the parliament. Likely something to help them support the massive amount of weight on their shoulders.


    Between each parliament float, a group of musicians played. Most, like the string instruments and drummers, required a float of their own, but a few, such as the flutists, were able to walk forward in rows. They all played in time with the massive bell strikes, still heard at the head of the procession. Around each of the musician groups, a different troupe of dancers swirled and performed. The blend of their kimonos created a mesmerizing display.


    Kizu stared down at the performance, completely enthralled. He let the music wash over him and lost track of time as he watched each of the different troupes.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°Cousin, escort your companions down to their positions.¡±


    Aoi bowed to Emperor Honzo, then motioned for the rest of them to follow.


    Kizu trailed after his friend across the palace.


    Aoi¡¯s float was incredibly lavish and far taller than most of the others, with a painted image of a heron against a backdrop of a mountain valley and topped off by a golden slanted roof to protect them from rain. Unlike the earlier floats, this one had enchanted wheels. Aoi gestured for them to climb up a ladder on the side.


    ¡°Remember,¡± she said as she took a standing position at the head of the float. ¡°Just wave and enjoy the sights. Please try not to stand out too much.¡±


    That last part was definitely directed at Basil. But if the changeling noticed, he didn¡¯t show it as he continued to examine the remaining floats from his new vantage point. Kizu followed his gaze and saw the Empress¡¯s float, still unoccupied, at the far back of the line. Then he looked back and found Sophia scowling at Basil.


    They were aboard the third float in the noble procession. Ahead of them, the Emperor boarded the first float with Zenchi and the float between them carried some of Aoi¡¯s cousins Kizu hadn¡¯t yet met.


    ¡°Why are we so close to the front?¡± Kizu asked.


    Aoi pulled her flute from her kimono sleeve. ¡°Because they need to space out the royal musicians.¡±


    Shiroi passed by and waved at them. He wore a glowing golden kimono, but Kizu noticed that a subtle square pattern had been sewed into the fabric.


    ¡°Good luck, sister!¡±


    Aoi blushed and averted her eyes.


    Then Shiroi boarded the first float alongside Zenchi and the Emperor.


    ¡°Why is he up there?¡± Basil asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s a candidate for the new warlord position,¡± Sophia snapped at him. ¡°Try paying attention to more than the next pretty girl that walks by.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll probably get it too,¡± Aoi added. ¡°Honzo likes him and Zenchi approves of his skill. And those are the only two real hurdles to the position. That¡¯s why Kusatta¡¯s mother is so bent out of shape right now. Her son was brought into the position because of the raw and unforgiving power he displayed against the oozes. Now that we¡¯re in a time of peace, the Emperor cares more for appearances than strength.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely a better face than Inari,¡± Basil commented. ¡°Though that¡¯s a low bar. That man was horrifying in every facet of his being.¡±


    Throughout his time visiting, Kizu had been working on internalizing and remembering information like that. The headmaster had been clear about the fact he needed to increase all of his current standings before he would be willing to give him information about his sister¡¯s location. That included history and politics. He would have to be a fool not to pay attention to the most powerful political players when they were standing right in front of him. Especially since the alternative was learning from Krimpit¡¯s lectures.


    Musicians swarmed around the bottom of Aoi¡¯s float, each brandishing a flute and wearing a gorgeous kimono of shades of blue. Most looked to be around the same age as Aoi, but Kizu didn¡¯t recognize any from Shinzou Academy. Several of them were playing scales and practicing in their moments before they began.


    Ahead of them, the Emperor¡¯s float started moving. Only a minute later, their float¡¯s wheels began to turn. It was as if each of the floats was being drawn by an invisible rope tied to the float in front of it. Kizu was grateful that, unlike the parliament, magic carried them instead of people. He felt weird enough about being so far above Aoi¡¯s supporting flutists who walked alongside their float. People literally carrying him on their shoulders would have been extremely uncomfortable.


    As they passed through the palace gate and into the town¡¯s streets, Kizu heard the distant gong of the bell, keeping a rhythmic tempo for Aoi¡¯s musicians. Aoi stood at the bow of the float, back straight and facing forward as she began to play.


    Her skill rivaled what Kizu had heard Harvey playing back in his first few weeks on campus. It might even surpass it. Kizu didn¡¯t know if that spoke highly of Harvey¡¯s skill or Aoi¡¯s. Probably both. Aoi weaved magic into her music as well. It was subtle, but Kizu recognized it as something to draw attention.


    And it definitely worked. Kizu examined the crowd and all eyes were on Aoi as they slowly crept through the streets.


    The spectators this close to the palace would be rich merchants and people of influence only a step or two below those in the parade. It¡¯s the sort of place that his parents would stand. They were all neatly dressed and professional as they watched their float. Based on Mort¡¯s current position, it would take at least an hour before they reached the parts of town where he would spot Anata and the others.


    He closed his eyes and focused on connecting to Mort again.


    Wakino¡¯s floating shrine with the man sounding the bell had just reached them. Mae was bouncing from foot to foot while pointing at the bell. Meanwhile, her brother in his fox form at her feet was bristling from the loud ringing.


    Anata gazed at the beginning of the procession with her mouth agape, absolutely stricken by the sight. Kizu felt a warm sensation of pride at the joy radiating off of her. He finally felt like he was bettering Anata¡¯s life. Like he was making the correct decisions instead of all the wrong ones. She currently watched a beautiful cultural spectacle alongside her friend.


    The float under his feet wobbled. A note from Aoi sounded off-key.


    Kizu¡¯s attention snapped back. Basil was craning his neck over the edge to look down at the wheels. At first, Kizu thought that it was maybe an enchantment failing or even something more mundane like the wheel running over a rut in the road.


    Then the Emperor¡¯s float erupted in a ball of flames.

 Chapter III.XVII (3.17) - Ghoul Infection

    Chapter III.XVII (3.17) - Ghoul Infection


    The explosion¡¯s shockwave knocked Kizu backwards. His grafted leg reflexively flexed, tearing through his shoe¡¯s sole to grip the wood of the float. That alone kept him from toppling over.


    Sophia screamed as she flipped over the float¡¯s side down to the street below. Basil instinctually shifted his body to keep balance without issue then he lunged forward and caught Aoi¡¯s kimono as she pinwheeled.


    The fire from the exploded float shaded the streets in reds and oranges at first, but then it darkened. Kizu gripped the edge of the float and steadied himself. He watched in horror as the flames shifted color, cooling until they flickered black and gray. Ashen smog emitted from the magical flames. Instead of floating skyward, it clung to the ground and soon coated the entirety of the street, engulfing people.


    Pedestrians struggled against the smoke, clutching at their throats. They dropped to the ground within seconds of the smog¡¯s embrace. It continued to spread, rolling forward faster than people could run.


    It layered, higher and higher, creeping closer as it ascended up the float¡¯s side. Kizu dashed to his friends¡¯ sides and grabbed their arms.


    ¡°We need to go!¡± Kizu shouted over the screams. He quickly scanned the area, looking for a safe place to jump to. The buildings were barely higher than the float they rode, but if he jumped from roof to roof he should be able to outpace the smog.


    Aoi yanked her hand from Kizu¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Sophia!¡± Aoi shouted down at the street below. ¡°Don¡¯t breathe it in! Your soul-¡±


    But whatever she was going to say was drowned out by a howl two floats ahead of them.


    Kizu watched in horror as three figures exited the gray flames. The Emperor. Zenchi. And Shiroi.


    At first, Kizu was relieved to see them unharmed. But it only took a second to realize that just because they stood, didn¡¯t mean they were unscathed. Their skin barely clung to their bones. Instead of the blackened charred damage of normal flames, their skin looked decayed. As if it was rapidly rotting off their bodies.


    Aoi¡¯s eyes widened in horror.


    ¡°Shiroi,¡± she whispered. Her brother¡¯s condition temporarily wiped her mind of her friend¡¯s plight.


    The smog crawled over the float¡¯s edge and covered Kizu¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Fear not,¡± a familiar soft voice said to Kizu. ¡°Your soul is under my protection.¡± It offered no more words of support or explanation, instead fading back to the back of Kizu¡¯s soul. Kizu shivered. He didn¡¯t love the fact some other entity was latched onto his soul, always watching him. But he couldn¡¯t complain at the moment.


    Thankfully, both Basil and Aoi appeared unaffected by the smog. Kizu suspected it was a result of Aoi¡¯s soul defenses being higher than a normal person and Basil not having a human soul to begin with.


    The three of them were uniquely placed in a situation where they alone could help the people around them. Could he really run?


    His mind flickered over to Mort. If Basil was safe due to being a Harbinger, Anata and the Kitsune should likewise be safe, but he was still relieved to see them running in a stampede of terrified people. Mae and Kumiho were still in their human forms, which meant they were still putting in effort to fit in with the humans around them and weren¡¯t fully aware of the danger. That was fine though. They were still far away.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. He took in a deep breath of fresh air before it got swallowed by the smog. ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡±


    Then he jumped down to the ground below.


    He wanted to help the Emperor and Shiroi, but without knowing what exactly had happened to them, he decided to first grab some less affected members of the parade. Getting other civilians to safety would let Aoi examine the smog¡¯s effects.


    The moment he turned, one of the flutists launched herself at him, the gorgeous purple kimono contrasting with the sickly green skin stretched across her face. Already her bottom lip had slopped off, revealing an underbite, black gums, and the bone of her jaw. She attempted to stab him with her flute.


    Kizu ducked under the blow, but it was followed up by her lunging at him and biting into his forearm. He felt the teeth pressing down, scraping against his bone. His eyes watered with the pain. Without thinking, he threw up a barrier of force to shove her back. Unwilling to release him, she ripped her head back, taking a chunk of his flesh.


    Kizu gripped his wounded arm, shaking, but quickly boxed himself in with walls of force. Two more flutists lunged at him, but were deflected by his shield. He reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a healing potion. Downing it, he felt a warm sensation across his arm numbing the pain. He¡¯d learned long ago to spike healing potions with ingredients to help with the pain while it healed. The trade off would be a worse scar, but he didn¡¯t care at the moment. He flexed the wounded arm, and let out a shaky breath.


    Then he spotted Sophia on the ground nearby. She wasn¡¯t quite as bad off as the flutists. Instead of ramaging like the others, she shook on the ground as if her body was attempting desperately to fight off the curse. Maybe as a result of her being a mage or maybe because she was Tainted. He dropped his force barriers and jumped to her side. Then rapidly jumped with her back up on top of the float.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Basil asked as Kizu dumped the Tainted girl at his feet.


    ¡°Soul damage,¡± Aoi said, dropping to her side. ¡°I¡¯ve read about this. It¡¯s a ghoul infestation. They¡¯re like zombies, but created from the living instead of the dead. They spread like a disease on contact. Especially from their saliva. Are you okay?¡±


    Kizu nodded. The oval bite wound on his arm already had a thin pink layer of skin.


    ¡°I have soul protection.¡±


    Thankfully, unlike those actively attempting to kill him down below, Sophia was now catatonic. Her body had stopped shaking once out of the smog. But her skin was gray and her brassy scales now white.


    ¡°Kizu, my brother too,¡± Aoi pleaded. ¡°Get him to safety. I can¡¯t¡­just please.¡±


    He looked over his shoulder. Backlit by the burning float, the Emperor¡¯s entourage was very visibly tearing apart others affected by the smog. Though Kizu wasn¡¯t certain if they were doing it in self-defense, or out of pure instinct. The other ghouls were fodder compared to those three beasts.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Basil volunteered. ¡°I¡¯ve got your back. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You try to restrain the Emperor, I¡¯ll go for Shiroi.¡±


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    Then he set a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder and jumped down next to the burning float.


    The nearby ghouls turned to them. Kizu and Basil¡¯s sudden presence distracted them. They had been spectating as the royal ghouls tore limbs off of others of their kind. A man whimpered on the ground, clearly not completely taken in by the smog''s effects. The Emperor stepped on him, smashing his chest in.


    Kizu drew another potion from his ring. He wished he still had the stasis potion he¡¯d used on Kateshi, it would have been perfect in this scenario. Instead, he had to fall back on a potion Allik had taught him.


    Basil stepped up, cutting off the Emperor¡¯s line of sight to Kizu. The shapeshifter changed forms, enhancing his body and increasing his muscle mass. When the Emperor rushed him, Basil raised an arm to stop him. The ghoul¡¯s teeth found purchase and tore Basil¡¯s hand in half. But Basil stepped back, grimacing but not overly concerned.


    And Kizu had his own goals, he faced down Shiori.


    Several of the other ghouls stared in their direction. Now that the Emperor wasn¡¯t tearing off their fellows¡¯ limbs, they were eyeing Kizu and Basil with a hunger in their milky white eyes. Kizu needed them to stay out of the way. After a moment of consideration, he waved his hand and created a score of normal looking humanoid illusions. He couldn¡¯t dedicate enough time to heavily detail them or create movement beyond just having them cower on the street floor, but that was enough of a distraction to keep the ghouls from his mission. Thankfully, Zenchi was nowhere to be found at the moment. The warlord had rampaged off in a different direction. Kizu focused on the prince.


    He might not have the elemental control of a master elementalist mage like Roku, but Kizu still had other tricks to produce similar results. Fingering the vial in hand, Kizu waited for his chance.


    Shiroi lunged forward. Despite his now monstrous appearance, the prince still retained a measure of intelligence, it seemed to expect Kizu to attempt to strike at it with the potion. Unfortunately for it, Kizu planned a less direct approach.


    The ghoul threw himself forward and raised a hand to catch Kizu¡¯s arm while it aimed to disembowel him with its teeth. Instead, its face met Kizu¡¯s raised foot. With the boosted strength of Kizu¡¯s new leg, he kicked back, slamming the ghoul with so much power that it burst into the side of the second float. Shattered wood scattered across the street.


    Before the ghoul had time to find its bearings, Kizu jumped to its side and hurled his potion at its prone form. The vial shattered, instantly spreading a thick layer of ice across the prince¡¯s chest and locking it in place. It howled and tried to break free, but Kizu predicted its attempt and suspected it might actually have enough power to do so. He had already drawn out another two potions from his ring and smashed them down, reinforcing the icy prison.


    But Kizu had been too focused on the single ghoul. One of the spectator-turned-ghouls managed to get in close. Kizu stepped back just in time to avoid it digging its teeth into his chest, but it still wrapped itself around his leg, hugging it close like a child as it gnawed on him. It had grabbed onto his grafted leg though, which proved far more resilient than normal human skin. When Kizu punched the monster with enhanced strength, it stumbled back but left behind its teeth embedded in the scales of his leg. Thankfully, the painkiller from the healing potion made the wound only itch in irritation.


    Now he needed to figure out how to safely transport the ghoul prince. He had sleep potions but doubted these monsters could be knocked unconscious, not with their bodies being puppeteered by a corrupted soul. He debated trying to use one of his soul fusing potions he¡¯d developed for Professor Knoff, but the likelihood of them accelerating the illness even further was too high to risk.


    Basil was still engaged with the Emperor. He had sacrificed his entire arm, allowing the ghoul to consume it. Then the changeling expanded the oozy flesh from within the Emperor¡¯s body. Basil transformed his dislodged body into a spiral of metal wire that pierced through the Emperor¡¯s chest and wrapped around its torso. The ghoul still had a single arm free though and was attempting to grab at Basil who was dexterously dodging.


    Deciding the ice would hold for the time being, Kizu jumped to Basil¡¯s side, then jumped both of them back on top of the float.


    Aoi started, immediately raising a glowing hand at them as they suddenly appeared, but dropped it after seeing who they were.


    ¡°We have them both subdued,¡± Kizu said quickly.


    Aoi dropped her eyes back to her friend sprawled out on the floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can reverse it,¡± Aoi admitted. ¡°The smog cracked through Sophia¡¯s soul and intertwined itself. It¡¯s like it shattered the soul then used itself to glue it all back together. If I remove any of it, it will fall apart. It¡¯s designed for humans though, so it isn¡¯t turning her into a monster.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! How am I supposed to know anything about this?¡±


    ¡°The smog is fading,¡± Basil said, helpfully. ¡°Maybe the best thing to do is get the victims out of it. We should get the Emperor and Shiroi to safety before the other ghouls tear them apart while they¡¯re prone.¡±


    Kizu nodded. That was a clear objective. He quickly started thinking about different methods to transport them. He couldn¡¯t jump with Shiroi and keep him encased in ice at the same time. He didn¡¯t have enough knowledge of force platforms to carry him out either.


    One of the ghouls managed to crawl up the side of the float and reached out toward Aoi.


    Before Kizu or Basil could step in, she slammed a palm into its forehead and it dropped, lifeless.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°I told you. I can remove the adhesive, but then the soul falls apart.¡±


    Kizu made the conscious decision not to focus on the casual destruction of a life. He had plenty of practice not thinking about those sorts of things from growing up with the crone. It still startled him to see if from Aoi though.


    Unless she considered them already dead. Kizu¡¯s eyes widened at that understanding. Aoi understood the souls of people far better than he did. But she was in denial about her brother and friend.


    Judging on how quickly the person had dropped at Aoi¡¯s touch, the fusing soul potion Kizu had wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to take effect before the person died.


    Still, there was a chance maybe a stronger soul mage might be able to fix this. Aoi wasn¡¯t all-knowing on the subject. He looked out at the streets, searching for any sort of back-up. If anyone was coming, they¡¯d surely come to the Emperor¡¯s float first. But nobody approached from any of the side streets. He had a straight line of sight down one, leading to the river.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± he said. ¡°Basil, how strong can you make yourself?¡±


    ¡°I can form muscles and enhance them with spells far more efficiently than normal people, but nothing too monstrous. And I lost a lot of mass restraining the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°When I say push, put everything you¡¯ve got into it, understand?¡±


    He took a deep breath. He was already starting to feel a bit lightheaded from the barriers and enhancements from earlier. This would be tough to pull off. Still, it was the only plan that came to mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Kizu jumped down, dropped Basil by the second float, then rapidly jumped over to the Emperor. The ghoul grabbed at Kizu, digging his fingers into Kizu¡¯s arm with enhanced strength. But that was fine. Kizu jumped a third time, bringing the Emperor to Shiroi¡¯s side, then slammed another two ice potions into them, freezing them both to the side of the float. The ice froze him in place as well, but that didn¡¯t matter. In fact, the contact might make the next spell even a little easier.


    Then he closed his eyes and focused. He pictured the entirety of the float in his mind¡¯s eye. He channeled.


    He took the entire massive float with him in a single jump. He didn¡¯t bring it far, just pivoting it 90 degrees to now face down the side street leading to the river.


    ¡°PUSH!¡± Kizu yelled as he flopped over, letting the ice support his weight as the float shifted and his vision blurred.


    Then they were moving. The wooden wheels of the float wobbled as they picked up speed down the hill. But they held in place. Buildings blurred past Kizu. Until finally, the float launched over the ravine and smashed down into the river below.


    Kizu dimly acknowledged the fresh air as the broken wreckage of the float bobbed in the river, slowly drifting with the current. The ghouls snarled beside him, but they were trapped with him on the makeshift raft. Safely separated from all the other ghouls.


    He looked back up from where he¡¯d come from. They¡¯d smashed through several ghouls on the way down the hill. Their bodies were scattered across the streets. Some still moving, but most motionless. It was up to Basil now to get Aoi to safety. He hoped the changeling could manage without Kizu¡¯s spatial spells to jump him around.


    Fighting unconsciousness, Kizu sought out his bond to Mort. The monkey was safe. The Kitsune had retreated with Mort and Anata to the bamboo forest. Back to the boulder they¡¯d met at before. Kizu could feel the monkey split between staying by Anata¡¯s side and rushing down to help Kizu. Kizu sent a wave of calm through the bond, reassuring the familiar of his safety. Then he let his head droop and let the black of unconsciousness take hold.

 Chapter III.XVIII (3.18) - Blood Transfusion

    Chapter III.XVIII (3.18) - Blood Transfusion


    When Kizu woke up, he first thought he was back in Shinzou Academy¡¯s medical wing. But then the differences became apparent. Most obviously, was the fact his bed was alone in the room. And that this medical room had no windows.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Taroe said beside him. ¡°Any unusual cravings or urges?¡±


    ¡°No. Where¡¯s Anata?¡± Kizu immediately asked. He tried to sit up, but his body felt so lethargic. He barely had the strength to lift an arm.


    ¡°That¡¯s your first question?¡± Taroe scratched at his beard. ¡°I¡¯m not certain. But I didn¡¯t count her in any of the bodies found. She¡¯s probably fine. Unlike Emperor Honzo.¡±


    Kizu reached out for his bond with Mort. Mort sent back a feeling of relief that Kizu was safe mixed with irritation at being woken up. He had been napping on Anata¡¯s shoulder.


    A quick glance around the room revealed that Anata was with Mae at an inn in town. The Kitsune girl argued with an unknown boy roughly their age about rules to a game set up on the table in front of them. He kept looking at Anata for support as he countered Mae¡¯s arguments, but Kizu¡¯s niece remained mute. Instead, she quietly lifted up each of the different game pieces to examine them.


    Kon was curled up by the hearth, watching the boy. While Kizu didn¡¯t spot Kumiho anywhere nearby, Anata was clearly safe for the time being.


    Only then did he process Taroe¡¯s statement about the Emperor.


    ¡°What do you mean? I got him to safety, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You got him to the river. Where his head submerged and drowned. The puncture of a metal cord through his left lung did not help.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°He was already dead, so nobody will be calling you an assassin.¡± Then he paused. ¡°Well, most people won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°The smog?¡±


    ¡°Killed him. He was a feral undead. As was almost everyone else it came in contact with. Only you and your pals got by fine. The smog faded not long after your stunt and us Elites were able to step in and handle the ghouls. Thankfully, they¡¯re significantly weaker than a true zombie. They can die from more mundane means. Like drowning. Their danger is in their swarming numbers and infectious nature. But we stemmed the outbreak before they infected more of the population.¡±


    ¡°Good. Aoi and Basil are safe.¡± Kizu let his head flop back onto his pillow and he stared up at the ceiling. ¡°What about Shiroi and Sophia?¡±


    ¡°Shiroi is contained in the dungeons. We¡¯re uncertain how to move forward with the ghoul. I¡¯m advocating for its death, but some members of parliament are disagreeing.


    ¡°Your friend Sophia is better off. She¡¯s struggling with urges, but her soul remains mostly her own. Some of the best rejuvenation mages in Hon are examining her, looking for a cure. They¡¯re hoping that her resilience might be able to be replicated and a cure created for those already affected.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t think there is one?¡±


    ¡°Tainted are a small step away from humanity. Their anatomy is extremely similar in some regards. They have a¡­unique sort of durability. For example, they can regrow severed body parts. It would be impossible to replicate their nature. And more so as the Hon Empire heavily frowns on necromantic experimentation. Our most experienced experts on soul magic only graze the topic while studying other fields. We employ no true necromancers.¡±


    A chair at the back of the room creaked as an old woman stood. She slowly hobbled her way over, supporting herself with a cane. Kizu eyed it with narrowed eyes and loathing. It reminded him of those months relying on his own cane and leg brace.


    Taroe paused the conversation as she approached. He respectfully bowed deeply to the old woman.


    Now closer up, Kizu got a better look at her. Sunspots dotted her face and her white hair hung down in patches. She looked two steps from the grave. It took him a minute before he recognized her as Aoi¡¯s grandmother.


    ¡°What comes next?¡± she asked in a rasping breath. ¡°What will you do?¡±


    Kizu looked over at Taroe, but the Elite still had his head bowed to the woman.


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    ¡°I¡¯m not certain. I just want to study and prepare for Shinzou Academy¡¯s next semester. I don¡¯t have any plans beyond that.¡±


    ¡°Nothing? Hm. My granddaughter¡¯s hero has no further ambitions?¡± She stared into his eyes. ¡°I want you to come with me tomorrow.¡±


    That made Taroe raise his head. While the Elite¡¯s face remained stony, Kizu noticed his eyebrows furrow slightly.


    ¡°Where?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Yamagako Academy. I need to fetch something from there. You and my granddaughter will join me in the errand.¡±


    ¡°Princess Kuroi,¡± Taroe said. ¡°With respect, are you certain this is wise? The Royal Family keeps secrets for a reason.¡±


    ¡°I doubt they will be secret after tomorrow.¡± The old woman smiled sadly. ¡°No. Keeping him a secret would be absolutely impossible. It¡¯s time. Early, but time.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s at Yamagako Academy?¡± Kizu asked, lost.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡± She laid a withered hand on his shoulder. ¡°For now, just rest. I¡¯ll make sure you have plenty of books to study.¡±


    But he wouldn¡¯t be able to cast magic, Kizu realized. Not until he managed to get back in contact with Anata. With his blood so low, even the most basic spells would risk sending him back into unconsciousness. But¡­then again, he felt fine. Energized.


    ¡°We gave you a blood transfusion,¡± Taroe said, as if reading his mind. ¡°You will have enough strength for an outing tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°A blood transfusion.¡± Kizu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­.¡±


    ¡°Any spells you cast over the next week will be watered down. It will be a little while before you can cast at your full capability. As your heart pumps the new blood, it will slowly be altered to match your affinities. But we decided it was worth your disadvantage if it meant getting answers from you sooner. Speaking of which, how about you start with your side of the story?¡±


    Kizu fought back his immediate irritation. They didn¡¯t know that Anata could refill his blood supplies instantly. From their point of view, this was the best course of action. It was either wait several days for his blood to return to stable enough amounts to cast spells, or instantly get him back on his feet and make it so he cast lackluster magic for a week diluted blood.


    Instead of complaining, Kizu recited the events leading up to the attack. He started at the balcony, watching the parade¡¯s start alongside the Emperor, then ended with the float rolling down hill into the river below.


    ¡°That matches up with what your friends said,¡± Taroe said. ¡°And also with the wounds I healed scattered across your body. I was curious how you managed to get teeth caught in your leg.¡±


    ¡°Who attacked us?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°That explosion wasn¡¯t natural. You must have some leads?¡±


    Taroe leaned back in his chair. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Kizu considered. There was one extremely obvious answer.


    ¡°A necromancer. Someone with a grudge against the Royal Family.¡±


    ¡°That is our leading theory. Personally, I believe the Emperor was only lucky collateral for our perpetrator.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My son has not been found,¡± Princess Kuroi said.


    Kizu processed that statement. Her son¡­at first he thought she meant Aoi¡¯s father, but then it hit him. Warlord Zenchi was missing. Now that Kizu thought back, the prince had disappeared during the attack. He definitely recalled seeing him with the Shiroi and the Emperor as they stepped out of the burning float, but not after that moment. He¡¯d just considered himself fortunate and hadn¡¯t thought anything else of the missing warlord.


    ¡°He happens to have a particular pension for putting necromancers in their place.¡±


    ¡°Their place being in the ground,¡± Taroe clarified.


    ¡°How many necromancers has he killed?¡± Kizu asked.


    Taroe considered the question. ¡°Perhaps one or two a year. He¡¯s no hunter. But instead he tracks down the most problematic and powerful. Which doesn¡¯t narrow down our suspects, I am afraid. Necromancers tend to be a tight bunch. Killing one of that caliber could set off a hundred more.¡±


    ¡°I¡­think I might have met one a few days ago,¡± Kizu admitted. ¡°Up in the abandoned hot springs town near the city.¡±


    Kizu decided to avoid saying anything about the inn. He didn¡¯t want to jeopardize the undead staying there. Instead, he told a true story with a lot of missing information. He and Aoi went up into the town hoping to find undead. They encountered and fought some dangerous zombies. He saw green lights flashing up in the cemetery. And then he somehow convinced Aoi to turn back and not confront the necromancer. Only to have the necromancers discover them, start screaming Aoi¡¯s family name, and try murdering them. By the end of the story, Kizu was proud of how nicely he managed to avoid the messier topics.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Taroe said. He scratched at his beard and a flea hopped onto Kizu¡¯ bed. ¡°I¡¯ll send a team to investigate the cemetery. I doubt the necromancer stuck around, but we might be able to find something. That was a decent lead. And one Princess Aoi never mentioned.¡±


    Kuroi remained silent, probably lost in thought as she considered her granddaughter.


    ¡°There is another missing piece to the assassin,¡± Taroe continued. ¡°There¡¯s evidence to support that the necromancer wasn¡¯t alone. It may not be necessary, but I want you to be ready for another field trip later this week.¡±


    Kizu looked from one adult to the other. The old woman was already dragging him up into the mountains tomorrow to visit an academy. All he wanted was to stay behind and focus on training.


    ¡°Where to?¡±


    ¡°Keimusho Prison. An inmate there will only speak to you.¡±

 Chapter III.XIX (3.19) - Family Secret

    Chapter III.XIX (3.19) - Family Secret


    Kizu feared for Princess Kotei Kuroi¡¯s life. Not because of any sort of secondary assassination attempt, but rather because she appeared to be on her last legs as she rode on an enchanted flying carpet. The crisp mountain air bit into their skin. Spring hadn¡¯t quite made it up to their altitude. The old woman shook as she guided the carpet forward.


    Kizu wondered just how horrible it would be if the elderly princess died right in front of him while they traveled. Thankfully, both Aoi, Taroe, and two other Elites joined them on this expedition. He probably wouldn¡¯t get blamed for her death. Probably.


    Aoi remained silent for the majority of the trip. She acknowledged Kizu with a nod when they first met and then proceeded to stare out into the scenery as they traveled. More than once, Kizu opened his mouth to try to say something, but he second-guessed himself every time and backed down. Her brother was caught in a fate arguably worse than death, and Aoi knew that better than anyone else. Shiroi¡¯s soul was scarred in a way that had no known method of being healed. Nothing Kizu could think to say would make the situation better. Instead he simply joined her in staring out at the world below.


    While Kuroi rode the carpet with him and Aoi, the Elites each used a different means of transportation.


    One of them used an artifact from the World Dungeon in the form of a belt that could tie an invisible cord from the buckle to any object. It essentially made the wearer entirely weightless. So he dangled below the carpet, watching for danger.


    Another Elite rode on elemental weaves of air, not unlike what Kizu had seen both Inari and Sene use. He constantly zipped forward, scouting ahead to seek out any danger, his black cape rippling behind him.


    Finally, Taroe rode on a familiar broomstick. Kizu had last seen it gathering dust in the crone¡¯s doorway closet. He had never even realized it was enchanted, let alone with something as powerful as flight. In fact, he couldn¡¯t even ever remember a time where he touched the thing, never wanting to be seen with it and put to chores. Kizu glared at the broom. It was just like the crone to put something that would allow his escape right next to the door. She¡¯d probably found it hilarious. And likely one of the reasons she¡¯d never taught him how to enhance his spellsense. It would have ruined her joke.


    He tried not to feel bitter about the broomstick, instead he focused on the gorgeous snowcapped mountains all around them. Normally, they would have just jumped up to the academy, but because of some sort of defect in Kuroi, they instead had to find another means to access the school. And this was apparently the fastest method. The normal student body used portals scattered across Hon to come and go from their school, but Kuroi insisted those weren¡¯t possible for her either. There were ground transportation methods that would take a few hours longer, but the old woman had vetoed them as well.


    They landed in a valley of pine trees. The crunch of snow greeted them as they set their feet back on solid ground.


    A massive red gate marked the entrance into the school grounds. It had strips of enchanted paper with stylized calligraphy of the Universal Script pinned to the wooden arch. Ahead of them, a traditionally styled Hon building loomed. It was even larger than Aoi¡¯s family¡¯s palace.


    ¡°That was miserable,¡± Aoi complained after some prodding from her grandmother. Her voice was rough with disuse and tears. ¡°I still don¡¯t even understand why we¡¯re up here freezing to death.¡±


    ¡°Come along, Granddaughter,¡± the old woman said, smiling kindly. She started forward toward the academy entrance.


    The other Elites followed after her, unquestioningly. Kizu looked over to Aoi and gave her a smile he hoped was encouraging. Better to get this over with as quickly as possible.


    Kizu thought Shinzou Academy students stiff and unwelcoming as a whole. But compared to Yamagako, they were all sunshine and smiles. The academy uniform was a black kimono with their years stitched into their sleeves. None of the students met his eyes as they walked through, but he could feel their glares on the back of his head as they passed. Kizu heard one student grinding his teeth as they passed him by, as if barely containing his rage.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Aoi muttered. ¡°They don¡¯t like me much. Shiroi went to Shinzou Academy, so I was supposed to attend here, but I refused. It was sort of a minor scandal at the time.¡±


    Kizu nodded, feeling very lucky his parents hadn¡¯t shipped him off here. Their reasoning was pretty obvious in that they wanted him to create contacts with international students to help with their trading company. But he still felt a wave of gratitude towards them, whether deserved or not.


    While the students made way for them, they only stepped to the side. That changed though when a new student approached. All of his peers fled into nearby classrooms or downside hallways as he walked up to the old woman. He had a slight smirk on his lips, as if he knew some joke no one else was privy to.


    ¡°Welcome, Aunt.¡±


    ¡°Nasake. It¡¯s lovely to see you. I was disappointed you chose to stay studying instead of attending the parade, but in hindsight I¡¯m glad.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t do to die like my cousins. Or my uncle for that matter.¡±


    Kizu quickly ran through what he knew of the Hon Royal Family members. Nobody in the Kotei family was this age. Maybe the Danji family? That would make Zenchi his uncle as well.


    Then the boy turned his gaze from his grandmother over to Kizu. Kizu met those cold, lifeless eyes and he knew. This was another member of the Inari family. And his uncle must be¡­Inari Kusatta. Kizu¡¯s eyes flickered over to Aoi who was standing straight back and refusing to look at her cousin.


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    ¡°Will you join us, Nasake?¡± Princess Kuroi¡¯s wrinkles deepened as she smiled warmly at the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Aunt. Research to be done. Yamagako isn¡¯t as lenient as some other academies.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Do you have the time to escort us to your headmaster?¡±


    Nasake nodded and their party resumed walking through the halls, now led by Aoi¡¯s cousin. Eventually they met an elderly man with a long white beard, a frown, and alert eyes. He dismissed Nasake immediately and then turned all of his attention to the other royals and Elites. He never once even spared a glance for Kizu.


    ¡°Princess Kuroi,¡± the stoney faced man greeted. ¡°It¡¯s not the solstice, to what do we owe this honor?¡±


    The old woman tapped a finger on a wrinkly cheek, considering the question and the man for a long minute.


    ¡°I wished to let you know I was on the academy¡¯s property. I will be visiting the usual location. This may well be my final visit to your academy. Thank you dearly for your hospitality all of these years.¡±


    ¡°Will you be turning your mantle over to a new generation?¡± He looked at Aoi who stiffened further under the old man¡¯s scrutiny.


    ¡°Respectfully,¡± the old woman said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe this concerns you.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± the man spluttered, surprise breaking his disposition. He looked closer at them, narrowed eyes lingering on Aoi and then finally noticing Kizu.


    ¡°I wish you a fine day.¡± Princess Kuroi resumed her slow hobble down the hallway.


    The Elites bowed their heads to the headmaster as they departed, but said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll record your abnormal arrival in the archives,¡± the man called after them.


    Kizu wasn¡¯t sure if that was meant to be a formality or a threat, but nobody in his group appeared the least bit disturbed by the news. They all continued on their way, following Kuroi through the labyrinth of hallways.


    He got a peak into some of the classroom as they walked. All were windowless tatami rooms, duplicated near perfectly across the academy. The occupied classes had students kneeling with backs straight while a professor stood up front, lecturing them. Krimpit would preen at how attentive and respectful all these students were.


    ¡°Down this way,¡± Kuroi said. She pulled a key from her kimono and spent a minute getting it into a door¡¯s keyhole with her shaky hands. It clicked and Kizu watched with his spellsense as the enchantments around the doorframe faded. She slid it open, revealing a dark passageway.


    She passed through the threshold, with the rest of them following after her. Kizu¡¯s shoulders brushed both walls as they walked. They followed Kuroi in a line, one by one. Kizu spotted several other enchantment glyphs as they walked, but they deactivated as Kuroi passed through them. The elderly princess was completely unconcerned. Until they reached the steps leading down. She actively struggled with the stairs. Taroe had to physically lift her from behind by the armpits to help her while still keeping her at the head of their party.


    It took nearly half an hour down that cramped passageway before they reached the bottom of the steps and entered into a circular stone room.


    A young man sat on a bench, backlit by a giant sac that hung suspended from the ceiling by strands of white material. It looked like the egg of a giant insect. A silvery liquid inside the sac glowed. Kizu feared they¡¯d need to fight a giant spider. Or worse, hundreds of dog sized spiders. He mentally steeled himself and ran through his spells.


    The man on the bench was reading a massive book, entirely nonchalant. Despite the low lighting, Kizu managed to get a glimpse of the title before he set it to the side. The Zenith of Man, a Recounting of Mankind¡¯s Achievements.


    ¡°Princess Kuroi,¡± the man said. His voice sounded hollow, completely devoid of emotion. ¡°What do I owe this honor?¡±


    ¡°Honzo died yesterday. You understand what that means, right Wan?¡±


    Wan cocked his head. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. You are certain?¡±


    ¡°I am certain that my nephew¡¯s rotting corpse is being prepared for burial as we speak, yes.¡±


    ¡°Rotting? That shouldn¡¯t start for another day or two. Perhaps you are being a tad hyperbolic?¡±


    ¡°Undeath accelerates the effects,¡± Taroe explained. His gruff voice was little more than a growl.


    ¡°A necromancer assassin then. Very unfortunate.¡± The man exhaled. ¡°He will not be happy about being woken early. But I suppose there is no other solution. It is time. Please stand to the side.¡±


    Wan stood. His face was smooth and unconcerned. Kizu thought he might be a couple years older than himself. But, unlike the others walking through the academy, he didn¡¯t wear the uniform of either a professor or a student. Instead, he wore just a simple brown shirt and pants.


    ¡°He will be excited to see you,¡± Wan said to Kuroi. ¡°Perhaps it is better this way. Someone other than myself with a connection to him.¡±


    The man placed a hand on the silver sac behind him and Kizu watched as egg sac split under his hand. Instead of liquid bursting out, like Kizu expected, Wan¡¯s arm¡¯s pierced into it down to his elbows. The silvery liquid bulged and oozed out, swelling up to Wan¡¯s armpits but it didn¡¯t spill. Wan around for a minute, before retracting something from within. Or rather, someone.


    There was a sickening squelch as the man¡¯s body exited the egg sac.


    Wan laid the person down on the bench. Not a drop of the silvery liquid still clung to either Wan or the other man. They were completely dry.


    He wore a brilliant white kimono, not unlike the one the Emperor wore on the day of the festival. Also like the Emperor, some of his hair had been tied back into a bun while the rest draped down over his shoulders. Unlike the emperor, his hair was far messier and his face less scrunched. They were clearly related, Kizu thought they might even be brothers at the resemblance. The man in front of him was at least two decades younger than the Emperor had been. In fact, he looked almost Kizu¡¯s same age. At first glance, he appeared to be sleeping. But his chest didn¡¯t rise and he showed no signs of life.


    Then Kizu recognized exactly what the liquid must be. His eyes snapped from the sac, back to the man before them.


    It was a stasis potion. The same one Knoff had taught them in class a few weeks back. Though this version appeared to have had some modifications to make it more gelatinous than the version Kizu had brewed. But the effects should still be the same. It kept the user completely preserved from time. When it wore off, it would be like no time at all passed by the man¡¯s perception.


    Kizu opened his mouth to ask Wan questions, but his words died in his mouth as the stasis user reawakened.


    ¡°Woah!¡± The man sat up and stretched. Then he grinned and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. ¡°One hundred years already? You sure look the same as always, Wanchan. Thanks for keeping an eye on me.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, only eighty-two years, two weeks, and three days have passed,¡± the guardian said. ¡°There have been some complications. Congratulations. You are now Emperor Kotei Sasaki X.

 Chapter III.XX (3.20) - Emperor Sasaki X

    Chapter III.XX (3.20) - Emperor Sasaki X


    Everyone stared at the white robed man.


    ¡°Nope.¡± He gave a single shake of his head. ¡°No. Not happening. Not what we agreed on. No way. Wan, you¡¯re doing a bit, aren¡¯t you? Did someone teach you humor while I was asleep?¡±


    ¡°My name is Kuroi,¡± the elderly princess stepped forward.


    Sasaki¡¯s eyes widened even further. He looked her up and down, mouth agape.


    ¡°Like, little Makoto¡¯s friend Kuroi?¡±


    ¡°His wife.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Time really did pass me by. How is he?¡±


    ¡°He died a decade ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, I guess that¡¯s what I planned for. It¡¯s supposed to be just me and Wanchan. A new adventure. A fresh start.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Wan said. ¡°Emperor Tamotsu was not quite as effective at procreation as your father assumed. He had one child, who also had two children. One of which died in infancy and the other sired only one child. Who is now dead. Leading us back to you.¡±


    ¡°Damn.¡± Sasaki said again. He rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Not how things were supposed to play out.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it will be some consultation to know your other siblings had many children. Makoto had nine grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren. And that¡¯s to say nothing of your younger sister¡¯s lineage.¡±


    ¡°Small comfort. Doesn¡¯t help me get out of this¡­unless, you think I could fake my death? Like, maybe the stasis vat actually killed me thirty years ago?¡± The new Emperor waited but only silence followed. ¡°Fine¡­. It was just a suggestion.


    ¡°How old are you now?¡± he asked Kuroi. ¡°The math isn¡¯t going right in my brain.¡±


    ¡° Ninety four as of three weeks ago,¡± she answered with a smile.


    ¡°Okay, yeah. Twelve when I left. Eighty-two years gone. That all adds up. So what about the rest of you? What are you all doing here?¡±


    ¡°I am Taroe. An Elite of the Hon Empire.¡± He began to introduce the other Elites as well but then the Emperor cut him off.


    ¡°Hold up, what¡¯s an Elite?¡±


    ¡°They''re a specialized unit that your brother created while in power. The Emperor¡¯s private guards. They often work in groups as task forces throughout the Empire to accomplish goals given to them by the Emperor.¡±


    ¡°Okay. And the rest of you? You two look a little young to be in a task force. But¡­I mean both are cute. Did you bring them in an attempt to throw me into the courting scene as early as possible?¡± He grinned again. ¡°I guess that¡¯s one perk of being Emperor. Everyone will want a piece of me, right? Don¡¯t have to compete with chiseled-jawed Tamotsu anymore.¡±


    ¡°The girl is your great niece,¡± Kuroi said. ¡°And the boy a companion of hers. They witnessed the death of Emperor Honzo.¡±


    ¡°Um, whoops.¡¯ Sasaki looked away sheepishly. ¡°Sorry about that. Not into nieces. Promise.¡±


    ¡°I thought you may want to ask them questions.¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Interesting. I assumed you wanted him to meet others his age,¡± Wan said.


    ¡°That too. The world has changed a lot since I was a girl.¡±


    ¡°Well, welcome my new friends.¡± The new Emperor stumbled forward and wrapped both Kizu and Aoi in a big hug. ¡°Thanks for showing up!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­thanks.¡± Aoi pushed the Emperor aside. ¡°My name is Kotei Aoi. And this is Kaga Kizu.¡±


    ¡°Kaga? New noble family?¡±


    ¡°My parents are silk traders,¡± Kizu explained. He hoped the Emperor didn¡¯t have any more questions about his family, because he barely knew more than that himself.


    ¡°Hm. Times sure have changed. Traders get to hangout with the Royal Family youth now. My father once burst a vein when he found me sneaking out to meet up with a girl.¡±


    ¡°She was a peach farmer,¡± Wan clarified. ¡°I believe you would have encountered a great deal less ire in that particular situation if you¡¯d been meeting with a silk trader.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all the same. People are people.¡± Then his smile faltered. ¡°I wanted to meet more people like her. That was why I agreed to this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, life often does not always seem to go as planned.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Tell me about it, Wanchan.¡± The new Emperor sighed dramatically. ¡°So, I suppose I should probably avenge my dead nephew. What exactly got to him?¡±


    Taroe stepped up and explained all of the assassination¡¯s details. He mostly just rephrased what Kizu had told him in a more official report, but Kizu was grateful to not have to go through all that again. Occasionally, Sasaki would stop him to ask a question from either Aoi or Kizu, but mostly he just listened attentively, mostly mellowing down into a more serious attitude.


    ¡°So,¡± he said after the story finished. ¡°Basically, someone didn¡¯t like my family because they¡¯re all anti-necromancers. They felt disadvantaged by society and took out their anger in a big way.¡± He considered then clapped his hands. ¡°Okay! First royal decree!¡±


    The Elites snapped to attention but Wan looked at him with a tired expression.


    ¡°Sasaki, while you do in fact have enough witnesses for a royal decree, I suggest waiting a few days.¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve got it figured out. I¡¯m going to legalize necromancy.¡±


    There was a moment of silence as Sasaki smiled proudly at each of them. The Elites looked broken. And a manic smile cracked Aoi¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sasaki¡­¡± Wan started.


    ¡°I want my own Royal Necromancer too. If my nephew had one of those, he wouldn¡¯t have died from the soul attack, right?¡±


    ¡°While that is hypothetically correct-¡±


    ¡°And if all necromancers were legally registered, we¡¯d never have had trouble finding the assassin.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s one way to hypothetically avoid repeats of our current predicament in the future.¡±


    ¡°Sire,¡± one of the Elites said. ¡°I¡­um¡­is this¡­uh.¡±


    ¡°Oh relax. I¡¯ll implement it slowly. And make sure that all necromancers are properly taught a special moral education class. You still have academies, right?¡±


    Someone confirmed the existence of schools and Emperor Sasaki nodded succinctly, as if that proved his point.


    ¡°I¡¯m not certain how the churches will feel about this,¡± Wan said. ¡°They¡¯re said to be very anti-necromancy.¡±


    Sasaki wrinkled his nose. ¡°Churches are still around. Drat. I had hoped they¡¯d go out of fashion by the time I woke up.¡±


    ¡°Churches have been ¡®in fashion¡¯ for nearly four millennia. Since the dawn of the human age and their record keeping.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. So about time they finished up already. Nearly as old as you.¡±


    ¡°Not quite.¡±


    Kizu blinked. Was the stoic friend of the Emperor making a¡­joke? But then again, he was still here after eighty years apart and looked to be in his early twenties at most. He wanted to ask, but the Emperor barreled forward in the conversation.


    ¡°That will be a problem. But I¡¯ll figure it out. Do you know of any good necromancers I can talk to about all this?¡±


    ¡°Me!¡± Aoi burst forward. ¡°I love your idea. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    The Elites all looked at Aoi in horror.


    ¡°You know necromancy? Perfect! We¡¯re already getting the ball rolling. And you¡¯re in the family too, which should make things even smoother. It¡¯s Aoi, right?¡±


    ¡°Sasaki,¡± Kuroi said with a smile. ¡°You certainly haven¡¯t changed. You¡¯re exactly what I remember.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, that was sort of the whole point of dumping me in a stasis vat in the dungeon of my school, right?¡± Sasaki looked around the room. ¡°Speaking of. Are we at Yamagako right now? Place still up and running?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are.¡±


    ¡°Good, I can tell the headmaster on the way out to start prepping things to add a necromancy class. I wish I could say that to Headmaster Tsumara. Don¡¯t suppose he¡¯s still around, Wanchan?¡±


    ¡°He died sixty years ago.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Too bad.¡± Then the Emperor grinned again, a sparkle in his eyes. ¡°Maybe one of the new students can resurrect his bones so I can tell him about the new classes I¡¯m implementing!¡±

 Chapter III.XXI (3.21) - Keimusho Prison

    Chapter III.XXI (3.21) - Keimusho Prison


    Emperor Sasaki¡¯s return to the Hon Empire shocked pretty much everyone except for a few highest members of nobility. Apparently, Sasaki¡¯s existence had been a widespread secret in the upper echelons of society while remaining completely unknown to all others. Even Yamagako¡¯s headmaster was stupefied when they walked out of the academy¡¯s basement with Wan and Sasaki. There had been a mystery about who exactly was the first heir to the throne, but most people theorized it was a bastard son of Honzo¡¯s father, who¡¯d been shushed away and raised in a faraway farm with a specialized education. A relic from the past returning from nearly a century ago had not crossed many people¡¯s minds. Even the most diligent scholars who tracked the linage marked Sasaki as ¡®assumed dead¡¯ due to his long spread inactivity. Textbooks taught that he¡¯d gone into the Hon Basin with a faithful companion and never returned.


    The Hon Parliament in particular seemed not enthused about being left out of the big secret. They very publicly called for blood tests, proving that Sasaki was who he said. Which he then readily supplied.


    ¡°They¡¯re all such a pain,¡± Sasaki complained. A day after his arrival, he¡¯d made a point to introduce himself to everyone in each of the noble branches, and stumbled on Basil while at Aoi¡¯s family¡¯s home. He¡¯d become inseparable from the shapechanger and they often dragged Kizu along with them to the Emperor¡¯s private study. Kizu had no idea why Sasaki wanted him along. He was hardly a good source of information for anything involving modern politics.


    They mostly spent time rambling about all different political problems. Basil acted as a sounding board to the Emperor while Kizu just hung off to the side, regular bored. As far as anyone else outside the room knew, these were supposed to be important meetings to help the Emperor track down his nephew¡¯s killer.


    Basil nodded sympathetically. ¡°They¡¯re notoriously difficult to work with. Everyone says the Hon Parliament is the most inventively stifling group on the planet. You should just take over and create a true dictatorship. Like a real emperor.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I wish it was that easy. My great great something grandfather set it up. I think it was after his daughter got abducted by hags and they strong-armed him into forfeiting rights over to the people. Supposedly there¡¯s a curse on my bloodline about it. And I am not touching a bloodline curse.¡±


    That got Kizu¡¯s attention, he glanced over from where he stood off to the side of the study, messing with an enchanted metal cube he¡¯d found on a shelf. That sounded eerily similar to a story he heard from the crone.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Basil asked. ¡°Different from how our professor told it in history class. Something like the Emperor being struck by a moment of genius and complete understanding. He wrote up the draft in the dead of night after awakening from a dream.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the official story. But in truth it was a nightmare designed by the witches,¡± the Emperor said. ¡°From what my grandfather told me, his grandfather never wanted to talk about the exact details.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Kizu muttered. He returned to fiddling with the metal cube. If he understood the puzzle correctly, it should open up and reveal something inside. He figured it was designed to be some sort of training mechanism for the spellsense enhancement spell. But he couldn¡¯t quite make out the code that it required.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Emperor Sasaki turned his attention to Kizu. ¡°That reminds me. I bumped into your Elite pal at a meeting earlier today. He asked that I remind you to meet with him tomorrow morning. Something about an information gathering session?¡±


    Kizu grimaced and replaced the cube on the shelf.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to Keimusho Prison. He wants me to visit someone there.¡±


    ¡°Friends with a witch there, from what I understand.¡± He gave a mischievous wink. ¡°You know what they say about witches.¡­¡±


    Basil barked a laugh.


    ¡°Not a friend.¡± Kizu rubbed his eyes. ¡°But he says I¡¯m the only one she¡¯ll talk to. On the destroyed float they found traces of magic similar to some potions seen used by the Hon Basin witch covens. It¡¯s a lead they want explored.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how he felt about this yet. A worry gnawed at his ribs and he had trouble sleeping last night. But part of him was¡­excited. He didn¡¯t understand it. Tomorrow, he would see the crone again.


    Nobody else was allowed to join him. Not Aoi. Not Basil. Definitely not Anata. Even Mort had to remain behind. Maybe the Emperor could join, but as interested in the witches as Sasaki seemed at the moment, he was mostly busy playing catch up on current events. And not so current events. His mind constantly flickered between topics, like an easily distracted puppy. The crone¡¯s interrogation likely wouldn¡¯t even cross the new Emperor¡¯s mind tomorrow.


    Basil redirected the conversation into one about the fashions of Hon nobility over the last three decades and the Emperor laughed along at the ridiculousness of different described outfits. He found the chicken feather bride dress fad particularly amusing. That one came imported from Edgeland, and died after only a couple years. He asked for so many details on the subject that Kizu was a bit worried that he might make some decree requiring the dresses in some capacity. He winced at the thought of Anata catching wind of the horrible things. She¡¯d definitely want to wear one.


    His niece was still with Mae and Kumiho down in the inn. Kizu had snuck out to visit them twice in the last few days, but decided that with all the extra scrutiny on him from the Emperor¡¯s assassination, it was best if Anata stayed out of the nobility¡¯s line of sight. A decision that Kumiho agreed with when he discussed it with her. And, for once, Anata actually did as he said and didn¡¯t follow him. But he thought that likely had more to do with Mae¡¯s friendship than some new-found obedience. Or it might have to do with her happily avoiding Kiiroi. The girl actively hunted him down to pester him about Anata. Her curiosity about his niece was boundless. And Aoi didn¡¯t offer herself as any sort of buffer to her sister. She was now firmly entrenched in necromantic studies, trying to find a way to convert her brother and friend¡¯s souls back to their normal states. With Emperor Sasaki¡¯s blessing, she dedicated every minute of her time to researching any forbidden tomes that she¡¯d managed to salvage up from the royal libraries.


    No. It was just Kizu and Taroe who met the next day. Kizu sat on a bench in a garden out front of Aoi¡¯s family¡¯s mansion. He absently watched a row of ducks swimming in circles in the pond. The little ducklings struggled to keep up with their mama. He wondered if ducks could eat rice. Maybe he¡¯d try sneaking some down to the pond tomorrow.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯re on time.¡± Taroe scratched his beard and looked around. He seemed to be watching for someone else not yet present.


    Technically, Kizu was early. By about half an hour. But he didn¡¯t point out this fact. Instead, the silence stretched. Taroe also eyed the ducks. Only his look held suspicion and distrust. As if suspecting them to be assassins in disguise.


    ¡°You¡¯ve still been studying with Wakino, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Good. What has she taught you?¡±


    Kizu didn¡¯t know where this was going, but he decided to humor the Elite. He explained the exercises Wakino put him through everyday. With his diluted blood, it was a pain to keep up with her now. His barriers struggled to maintain firm form and even his short jumps were a bit off. But the lessons still rapidly improved his skills and opened his mind to new applications of spells.


    ¡°Hm,¡± was all the Elite said. No apology about magically crippling his blood for the near future.


    After a few more minutes of duck watching, another man appeared. He wore an Elite uniform, similar to Taroe¡¯s. But his stature was more hunched over and the uniform looked oversized on him. He had red hair with freckles, though his face lacked the scales to mark his heritage as a Tainted. And, by his side was a very large, very fluffy dog. It stood to Kizu¡¯s shoulder, with a white belly, dark gray back, and a slightly curled tail.


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    ¡°Good, Rubin, you¡¯re here,¡± Taroe said.


    The man nodded.


    ¡°Take us to the prison.¡±


    The man nodded again. Then he gently laid a hand on his dog and motioned for them to copy him.


    ¡°Hold onto Sharik¡¯s fur,¡± he instructed them. Only, the man never opened his mouth. Instead, his voice came from the dog¡¯s open maw.


    It took Kizu a moment to process. The man used his familiar as a mouthpiece. He had never even realized that was possible. They must be far beyond the bond between Kizu and Mort. After realizing he was gawking, Kizu grabbed a hold of the dog. A bit too roughly, if the sudden glare from Rubin was anything to go by.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kizu said, slackening his grip. ¡°It¡¯s not often I get to see other familiars. It caught me off guard.¡±


    ¡°Remain vigilant while in Keimusho,¡± Rubin said through Sharik.


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    And then they jumped. A moment later, they stood in front of a very grim iron entryway. Behind it, loomed a large, blocky building of stone decorated only with gray pillars of concrete out front. The ground was completely cobblestone without a blade of grass in sight. It had no windows and showed no signs of life. The only visible entry was a metal door directly down the path in front of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you showed up,¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°I nearly fell asleep waiting.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s face split into a grin as Ione walked out from behind the stone pillar. She looked as she always did with her sloppy posture and careless smile. There was a glint in her eye as she caught Kizu¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Kajima Sene?¡± Taroe asked. ¡°Did your parents send you as an escort?¡±


    ¡°Ione,¡± she corrected him.


    To Kizu, it was obvious just by the way she held herself. But Taroe frowned and furrowed his brow, obviously confused.


    ¡°Kizu¡¯s a pal of mine from the academy. Figured it would be rude to not show him around my parents¡¯ business after he came all this way. Sene¡¯s at home down the street. I think she¡¯s either studying numerology spell formulas or the vast variety of uses of manure in truth potions. Really riveting topics.¡±


    ¡°Great to see you,¡± Kizu said. ¡°You¡¯re allowed to enter the prison?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the highest clearance you can ask for. But I¡¯ll have to veto any jailbreaks you¡¯ve got planned. You might not mind getting disowned, but I¡¯m not in the mood today.¡±


    ¡°No one will be escaping today,¡± Taroe said darkly.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I just said.¡± Ione rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you around.¡±


    Ione guided them through the entryway. Prison guards stood watch, carefully watching them as they approached, but they said nothing as the party entered into the prison.


    As they passed through the metal doorway, Kizu felt a wave of antimagic wash over him. His earring burned slightly, but it cooled after a few seconds. After a quick glance over at the enchantments etched into the archway, Kizu was able to recognize a few of the glyphs as complex detectors designed to filter out or break specific enchantments. Or, perhaps it was designed to not break a few specific enchantments. That would likely be easier to control. Regardless, he was able to keep his translation earring in.


    His enchanted ring on his hand burned however. He grasped at it and yanked it off, passing the metal band from hand to hand. It glowed orange as the heat continued to increase in intensity.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Taroe asked. He didn¡¯t wait for an explanation. He plucked it out of Kizu¡¯s hand and inspected it, completely unbothered by the burning sensation. ¡°Hm. An expanded storage dimension. Not Wakino¡¯s make, but decent enough quality. Excellent for smuggling contraband in and out. You¡¯ll need to leave this behind.¡±


    Ione sighed and snatched a tray from on top of a counter. Taroe dumped Kizu¡¯s ring in and they handed the tray off to another guard off to the side.


    Ione¡¯s parents must have loved cubes because the inside of the prison appeared as blocky as the exterior. Everything was made of sharp right angles and harsh corners. The prison wardens stood on elevated blocks, floating over the high hallways and watching them with bored faces as Ione led them on.


    A door caught Kizu¡¯s eye. It kept teleporting around the hallway, as if tracking them as they walked. But it moved erratically, in no clear pattern. More than once it appeared on the floor in front of them, before popping away right before they stepped on it. Kizu tracked it and examined it with his spellsense as they walked, trying to break down the spatial enchantments used to keep it so active.


    ¡°You know that two-headed bear I sometimes summon?¡± Ione asked as they walked. ¡°We have a real one down below if you go through that door over there. It¡¯s actually quite tame and nearly sentient. But it knows its duty. If someone tries to get out, it launches itself through the door over there and crushes them.¡±


    ¡°You should not reveal your family¡¯s secrets to outsider¡¯s,¡± Taroe warned Ione.


    ¡°That¡¯s like the most obvious trap in this hallway with like fifty others. You¡¯re supposed to tell people about some of the traps. It proactively stops breakouts before they happen. Nobody wants a massive two headed bear falling on them from the ceiling.¡±


    Taroe grunted.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Ione continued. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get my parents to employ more magical creatures. But they¡¯re both so annoying about it. They always complain about the constant drain in resources and unpredictable nature of monsters. As if they don¡¯t already need to hire an enchanter to patrol through the hallways every few weeks to check on those traps. Even the nonmagical mechanical traps require maintenance. And what scares someone more - a pit of icy spikes or a pit full of giant venomous scorpions?¡±


    ¡°A trap room like one that fills with water, drowning the victims?¡± Kizu asked dryly. ¡°I recall someone not handling the stress well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Ione huffed. ¡°I mean, you weren¡¯t all that scared. That just happened to target a particular weakness of mine. And besides, it also had undead piranhas trying to eat us. Even if it is necromancy, I still count it as a magical creature adjacent.¡±


    Kizu wondered if Ione¡¯s family would start using necromancy to help defend the prison if Sasaki¡¯s new decree actually went through and legalized the practice. Based on what he¡¯d seen of the skeletons on Owl¡¯s Respite, it sounded like a better financial decision than the magical creatures Ione suggested.


    Ione continued to chat about the monsters as they walked. She was surprisingly cheery as she talked. Which contrasted with the bleak walls and grim guards silently watching them.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ione said as they reached a stone cube protruding from the floor. ¡°This is the block where the witch is being kept. I¡¯ve never been down there since she arrived. In fact, I never knew she was here until last week.¡±


    She touched the corner of the cube with two fingers then rapidly drew a pattern across its surface. The cube fell in on itself, revealing a chute in the floor.


    Taroe took a step forward and dropped down the chute without a second thought. Kizu looked over at Ione and the other Elite.


    ¡°We will stand guard,¡± Rubin said through Sharik. ¡°It would be a tight fit.¡±


    Kizu leaned forward, looking down into the darkness below. The hole revealed nothing below.


    ¡°Whoops.¡±


    Kizu felt two hands shove him forward and then he was falling head first. He panicked and tried to grab ahold of the chute¡¯s walls to slow his fall or at least turn himself so his feet were under himself, but the chute was slick with an oily substance. He looked up just in time to see Ione grinning down at him from above before she leaped into the chute after him.


    The fall ended abruptly. Kizu¡¯s face speared into a gelatinous substance, before it dissolved and gently pressed him forward. He lay on the floor. A moment later, Ione landed directly behind him. She took his hand and helped him back up to his feet.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, actually looking a bit abashed. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d fall head first. You need to be less top heavy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± He was not about to forget this. Already his mind spun with ideas for vengeance. But they faded as he took in his surroundings.


    They stood in a well lit white hallway. Images of people were imprinted on different large rectangular blocks set in the wall. Each depicted a different prisoner. Even without the obvious setting, Kizu would know these people were criminals simply by their appearances. They weren¡¯t just static images, but they instead showed the person in the act of a heinous crime.


    Kizu watched in horror as a thin man missing a nose dismantled a still alive gnome and attempted to reassemble him with prosthetics. He looked away but his eyes fell on a large woman walking down a street, blasting civilians into gunk with a wand.


    Then he saw her. The image of the crone sat on a log eating a hunk of charred meat. She silently hummed to herself as she bit into it. It was unassuming if you didn¡¯t understand who the flesh belonged to. The leg of a fellow human. But her crime didn¡¯t bother him quite as much as the others he¡¯d seen. No. It was just the image of her. He felt a mesh of emotions bubble up in him as he watched her. Resentment, nervousness, insecurity, hatred. And also a bead of excitement. A part of him didn¡¯t believe she was actually right through that wall. It felt impossible.


    Taroe examined him closely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± he said. ¡°But no matter the interrogation method, the crone won¡¯t speak to anyone other than you. Do your best to keep your wits about you. Focus on extracting information about the assassination. Don¡¯t let her dance around topics. Watch for misleading responses. She¡¯s a trickster who¡¯s survived by deception and ruthlessness.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Kizu said. And he did. He knew the crone better than anyone else. But he wondered how much that really added up. Despite the decade living with her, she still remained an enigma in many ways. He had a few of his own questions for her.


    Kizu closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s ask our questions.¡±

 Chapter III.XXII (3.22) - The Crone

    Chapter III.XXII (3.22) - The Crone


    The stone disassembled itself and created an opening in the wall. Taroe entered first. Kizu looked over at Ione.


    She set a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got this. I¡¯m here as backup if you need it.¡±


    He entered.


    The crone¡¯s prison was a white stone cube. The cube¡¯s floor had absorbed her legs before they entered, pinning her in place. She looked unchanged since Kizu last saw her. Though she now wore a white prisoner¡¯s outfit and a large metal collar, her hunched back and sickly green hair remained the same. Her yellow eyes twinkled slightly at the sight of Kizu and a nasty smile formed on her face, showing off her blackened teeth.


    ¡°Kizu,¡± the crone said, as if testing the name. She licked her bloody chapped lips and widened her smile.


    ¡°Crone,¡± Kizu replied.


    ¡°Not blood nor wine naught marred my honest hands.


    Yet villains are neighbors beneath the ground.


    I thought you¡¯d journey seeking out the sands.


    Instead on my cell your feeble fist pounds.¡±


    Kizu closed his eyes. He hated it when she rhymed. It was always a precursor to danger.


    Nobody bothered commenting on her insistence that her hands were clean. Even a toddler could instinctively know that was a lie.


    ¡°How nice of you to join me in my new home. Can I get you a drink?¡± The lack of a rhyme or cadence made Kizu relax. Then she bit into her shoulder and ripped at her skin with her teeth. She brought her face back, taking a chunk of her skin with her. Blood flowed down her exposed shoulder, staining the white clothing. She chewed the flesh, picking out chunks caught in her teeth with her tongue.


    ¡°An intimidation tactic?¡± Taroe said, unimpressed.


    The crone swallowed and let her smile slip as she examined Kizu.


    ¡°Nothing? Not interested? Hm. How off were my projections? I thought certainly¡­¡± she started muttering to herself, too quiet and jumbled to make out.


    ¡°What do you know about a plot to kill the Emperor?¡± Kizu asked, he kept his voice flat, but he knew she smelled his fear. The crone always knew.


    The crone ignored the question.


    ¡°There¡¯s something tagging along on your soul. Unexpected. Mort still exists there as well. That¡¯s good. Perhaps I misunderstood something. Where did that chunk of your soul go? Perhaps someone ate it? I know a few suspects. But¡­no, it¡¯s not like their bite marks. Interesting.¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°That missing piece must be key. You should find that thing. It¡¯s important if you want to protect your niece.¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°My niece?¡± Kizu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You know about Anata.¡±


    ¡°Idiot boy. Of course I know about the girl. I orchestrated her creation.¡±


    ¡°You know Otochi?¡±


    ¡°An easily manipulated fool. Just like the rest of you. You all pretend to know what¡¯s happening. Like blind tortoises with your legs amputated. Half a mind to put you all out of your misery. If only that wasn¡¯t such a dull end to the tale.¡±


    ¡°Refocus,¡± Taroe said to Kizu. ¡°The assassination.¡±


    ¡°Right. Who killed the Emperor?¡±


    ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s going from an attempt to a successful assassination?¡± The crone cackled. ¡°Giving me information. You¡¯re not cut out for interrogations, boy.¡±


    Kizu bristled. He felt Ione place a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him.


    ¡°Who killed him?¡± Kizu repeated, calmly.


    ¡°Answers you wish to pry from pretty lips,


    Of dangers and enemies abound.


    What you have witnessed is only the tip,


    I warn of my lessers¡¯ brood¡¯s foolish frown.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Then there¡¯s a group of them,¡± Taroe said. ¡°A terrorist organization acting out of the Hon Basin.¡±


    The crone ignored the Elite.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Kizu asked the crone. It had been a question bothering him for months. ¡°You saw them coming, didn¡¯t you? Why allow yourself to be captured?¡±


    She ran her tongue across her lips, spat blood. Then she slowly nodded.


    ¡°Not a complete fool. Enough? Maybe. This is a peaceful, safe place to watch the end of an era.¡±


    That last response was actually comprehensible without the fog of her usual speech. Kizu launched on the opportunity, hoping to capitalize on the chance.


    ¡°What do you know about the Harbingers?¡±


    ¡°Many a lizard stir, look to the west,


    Those creatures endure, I wish you to see.


    Insist on a wish to destroy Hon¡¯s new pest,


    Call on my friend and his little zombie.¡±


    He wanted to bang his head into a wall in frustration.


    ¡°Crone, please just speak plainly for once.¡±


    ¡°Did you come here just to badger me with questions, boy? Hm. Bothersome. I know more than any mortal. How¡¯s this for a nice simple answer? Leave Hon. The Harbingers will bring the inevitable doom of the world.¡±


    ¡°Lies,¡± the voice in Kizu spoke up. It spat the word with venom in Kizu¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Ha! I knew that would lure you out,¡± the crone said, delighted. ¡°What exactly are you? One of the old heroes? I never expected you old wretches to show your faces. Don¡¯t you prefer to sit back and pretend to help humanity? Your game ended many millennia ago. Go back to forging oil lamps and leave my pawn.¡±


    ¡°Is she speaking to you, Kizu?¡± Ione asked.


    Kizu just shook his head. He didn¡¯t know how the crone could hear the entity attached to his soul, but he wasn¡¯t surprised either. Thankfully with the amount of nonsense the crone spewed, that last bit might be overlooked.


    ¡°I want more details,¡± Taroe said. ¡°All we have is a tentative name and description of someone connected to the organization. Who exactly struck at the Emperor? I want their exact identities. Are there more attacks planned? What abilities do they have?¡±


    ¡°Tedious questions,¡± the crone responded. ¡°You expect me to do all your work for you? Do your job and figure it out. You government agents are all the same, no matter the century or nation. The boy shouldn¡¯t be here now, but if he must, just make him do all the work. You¡¯re all either too lazy or too stupid to gather information on your own. But do that and begone. There is an infinity of more interesting things I could be doing with my time rather than speaking to you.¡±


    ¡°We could kill you,¡± Taroe said without emotion. ¡°The greatest consequence for me killing you right now would be paperwork.¡±


    The crone cackled. ¡°I suppose you have a solution for the death infestation in the west?¡±


    Taroe¡¯s eyes flickered to Kizu.


    ¡°Oh? Does my protege not know what came of his sister? Good. Keep him in the dark. I approve.¡±


    ¡°Death infestation?¡± Kizu asked, his mouth dry. ¡°My sister?¡±


    The crone bore her yellow teeth at him and leaned in as close as her chains allowed her, as if about to tell him a secret. He smelled her familiar foul breath as she opened her mouth.


    ¡°Now we part ways, foolish boy watch your niece


    Else Otochi will take her, piece by piece.¡±


    Taroe attempted to keep the interrogation going, but the crone spat in his face and cackled madly. She answered no more questions.

 Chapter III.XXIII (3.23) - Crones Aftermath

    Chapter III.XXIII (3.23) - Crone''s Aftermath


    ¡°That was interesting,¡± Ione said. ¡°Lots of rhyming and talking in circles. Surprised you turned out so¡­sane.¡±


    They sat a table in Ione¡¯s home. Servants poured them tea before bowing out. She didn¡¯t bother touching her drink, instead she watched as Kizu. Taroe had departed to a different room to speak to Ione¡¯s parents, the prison¡¯s wardens.


    His hands shook slightly as he brought the teacup to his lips. He didn¡¯t even understand why he felt so off. His meeting with the crone went down about how he expected it to. She had even answered some of his questions, something she rarely indulged him in. But what she¡¯d said about his sister and Anata rattled him. He tried to break down the cryptic rhymes, but his mind just ran in circles. Then there was the image of her face, smiling at him with her mouth covered in blood and her flesh still stuck in her teeth. It haunted him in every shadow and every blink.


    His breathing was off tempo. He desperately tried to get a hold of himself.


    ¡°Hey, want to go harass Sene?¡± Ione asked suddenly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she studying?¡± As he focused on his friend, he felt an invisible weight release. He regained control of himself.


    ¡°She was before, but now her schedule has her practicing her speech for the Emperor¡¯s coronation ceremony. All the major towns in Hon are sending representatives.¡±


    ¡°And she was chosen?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re the most influential family in the area. She wasn¡¯t about to let someone else represent her home. Especially not me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the speech about? Platitudes?¡±


    ¡°Probably. Let¡¯s go check.¡±


    Ione stood and helped him to his feet. Their home was surprisingly small. At least in comparison with Kizu¡¯s parents¡¯ mansion and Aoi¡¯s palace. Ione¡¯s family preferred a more discreetly nice home, without engaging in a ton of lavish decorations. Paintings hung on the walls and they had a couple servants, but nothing more than that. The house only stood two stories high, with both Ione and Sene¡¯s rooms on the second floor.


    ¡°Hold up,¡± Ione said, ducking into her bedroom. ¡°Sene always locks her room. We got to go out my window and cross over.¡±


    ¡°We could knock?¡± Kizu suggested as he followed her.


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    Instead of books, Ione¡¯s room had a bookshelf full of hermit crab shells. Kizu examined them all. They came in a hundred different sizes, some subtly different, while others had jarring defects. It was an interesting collection. One at the bottom was nearly the size of his head.


    As Ione struggled with her window¡¯s lock, Kizu wandered over to her work desk. It was covered in paper cards, each one describing different monsters. They had stats on them, detailing their average blood cost, strengths, and speeds in a metric. Each also contained its own factoid as well.


    Kizu picked one up.


    Grotesque


    Abilities - Flight (max speeds of 20 kilometers per hour), Flame Durability (no maximum temperature known), Fire Consumption.


    -These creatures are found lurking near forest fires. Most cryptozoologists believe that the heat draws them up from hidden entrances in the World Dungeon, although nobody has actually seen them in the dungeon during a delve. However, others believe that they are teleported to the flames from some other unknown location. All attempts to draw them in with manmade fires have proven fruitless, regardless of size.


    ¡°Is this the little creature you used back during our first trip into the World Dungeon?¡± Kizu asked.


    Ione turned away from her half-opened window and snatched the card from him. She set it back down among the other cards on the desk.


    ¡°Yes. That''s the one. I thought about writing a bestiary, but I like this version better for now. Got the idea from the boring flash cards Sene like to use for studying.¡± She tapped the cards. ¡°Though I wish I could draw. I want to get a better image of each of the monsters on the cards.¡±


    ¡°I can help,¡± Kizu offered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your drawings. No thanks. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s another illusionist of your caliber alive who¡¯s as bad at art as you.¡±


    ¡°Illusions are completely different,¡± Kizu argued. ¡°They come straight from my mind. You translate them into reality.¡±


    ¡°Artists say the same thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Kizu grumbled. ¡°If you want an artist, you should ask Aoi.¡±


    ¡°Not a bad idea. You¡¯re staying at her place, right? Maybe I¡¯ll pop by when I get dragged off to the capital for this coronation.¡± She sighed, as if exhausted by just the mere thought of traveling.


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    Desperate to fill the growing silence, Kizu blurted out the first thing that came to mind. ¡°I spotted a bamboo monster the other day in the forest.¡±


    That perked her up. ¡°Really?¡± She forgot about trying to pry the window open as she quickly assaulted him with questions about the little camouflaged monsters. As he spoke, she grabbed a blank card and started to scribble notes. He just repeated what Kumiho had said about them, he really didn¡¯t know anymore and she got exasperated when he couldn¡¯t create an illusionary copy of one.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t actually see the things. I told you, they disguise themselves as bamboo branches. A friend pointed them out to me. It just looked like any other patch of bamboo to me.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. You said you spotted one. I¡¯ll just have to research them myself then. Any other awesome creatures you¡¯ve seen recently that you forgot to tell me about?¡±


    Kizu thought back. There had been the yetis that kidnapped Anata. And the Kitsune. And then of course the dire polar bear he¡¯d killed. Not to mention that sea serpent he¡¯d seen what felt like forever ago in the underwater ruins off the shore of Shinzoushima. And the Awakened snake in the Hayashi Forest. And the swarm of insects that had attacked him while picnicking.


    ¡°Nope. Nothing comes to mind.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Okay, how about this then.¡±


    He reached into his storage ring and pulled out the dead insect queen he¡¯d smashed with a rock. It floated in a preservative bottle he¡¯d stolen from Aoi¡¯s stash on Owl¡¯s Respite.


    Ione perked up at the sight of it. She used an arm to clear a spot on her desk before gently taking the bottle and setting it down. Then she just stared at it for a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯s a queen. But I don¡¯t know its species,¡± she said finally.


    ¡°Professor Knoff called it a chimera. He believes it can be used in a potion to fuse souls together. It was the queen in a hive of insects that attacked me and Anata.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Ione tapped the bottle with a fingertip. The queen continued to float there, dead and undisturbed.


    ¡°Can I have it?¡± Ione asked.


    ¡°What? No. I want to do some brewing experiments with it.¡±


    ¡°Just for the rest of spring break,¡± she begged. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to do for the next few weeks. And if you use it in an experiment, you¡¯ll destroy the poor thing before I can study it.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you attending the coronation?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything interesting to do over the next few weeks,¡± she amended. ¡°I¡¯m just planning to nap and avoid my sister.¡±


    ¡°Your sister that you were just going out of your way to annoy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different. You¡¯d be the one annoying her. I¡¯d just get to watch. That¡¯s entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Kizu relented. ¡°You can keep the queen until the new semester. It¡¯s starting to sound like I¡¯m going to be too busy in the Hon Basin to have time for any decent brewing experiments anyway.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re actually going back there? I figured the Elite with you would be taking over the investigation from here.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know the people I do. And he wouldn¡¯t be able to get them to trust him enough to talk.¡±


    Ione looked down at the big, preserved insect and chewed on her lip, obviously lost in thought for a minute.


    ¡°What are the chances you encounter more unique magical creatures?¡± she finally asked.


    ¡°Um. Probably pretty high. The Hon Basin has plenty of unique species.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Ione flopped face-down on her futon. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll join.¡±


    ¡°What? That wasn¡¯t an invitation, Ione.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let my parents know that the Elites want me to help with the investigation,¡± she said, voice muffled by her poofy comforter. ¡°They¡¯ll probably be happy I¡¯m doing something ¡®productive.¡¯¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I just said.¡±


    She flipped over on her bed to look up at him.


    ¡°It basically is.¡±


    Kizu crossed his arms and waited for the explanation.


    ¡°You said that the Elites wouldn¡¯t be able to join you without looking suspicious. I¡¯m not an Elite, nobody is going to be suspicious of me.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you need to join.¡±


    ¡°Kizu, we¡¯re not going to go over this again. You¡¯re not going to run off into another super dangerous place alone. I think I¡¯ve more than proven why I¡¯m worth having around. I¡¯ve got your back, just stop trying to slip out of my grasp.¡±


    That¡­made sense. Ione was a prodigy in her own right. He didn¡¯t know if Basil or Aoi planned to join, but he suspected that as far as raw power went, Ione might outdo both of them.


    ¡°What¡¯s your combat rank?¡± Kizu asked, realizing he¡¯d never checked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Like ten I think.¡±


    ¡°Ten?¡±


    ¡°Hey, it could be like twenty or thirty now. I don¡¯t participate very often anymore. I used the contests as stress tests for my summons during my first year at the academy, but I stopped once they started trying to pair me against my sister.¡± She looked back at the window. ¡°Speaking of Sene¡­.¡±


    ¡°How about we just leave her alone?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You can join,¡± Kizu folded. ¡°What do you know about monsters that live in the Hon Basin? Any questions about them?¡±


    That perked her up. She barraged him with inquiries, starting with nocturnal animals. And she kept that up for at least an hour until Taroe finally arrived to drag him back to the capital. This time, with Ione in tow.

 Chapter III.XXIV (3.24) - Ice Blade

    Chapter III.XXIV (3.24) - Ice Blade


    Due to Ione¡¯s parents¡¯ status, she was welcomed in the capital without a second glance. In fact, she was far more welcome than Kizu. After the Emperor¡¯s death, members of the nobility avoided him like a stench clung to him.


    ¡°People want to get on my mother¡¯s good side,¡± she explained after one of Aoi¡¯s older cousins bowed and kissed Ione¡¯s hand. ¡°She works alongside the parliament to pass new laws. Plus, people don¡¯t know the difference between me and Sene, so they always treat me like her just in case.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty obvious difference,¡± Kizu commented.


    ¡°Thank you! I know, right? But these guys have rocks for brains and can¡¯t see anything other than a person¡¯s face.¡±


    They descended down a spiral staircase onto a lower floor of Aoi¡¯s family¡¯s palace. It diverged from the stairs leading to the baths. Kizu had only been down here once before, a couple days ago. But it was where Aoi spent the majority of her time now. It was a western style dungeon cell built below the extremely traditional Hon palace. Kizu suspected it might be built from the ruins like the other World Dungeon entrances, but he wanted to remain blissfully unaware of dungeon access for as long as possible so he never asked.


    A layer of slimy moisture coated the stone walls and the air tasted of wet mildew. They passed through an archway that led into an open room where Aoi was crouched on the floor, papers strewn about all around her. Pain-riddled moans rattled out from a metal door behind the princess.


    Kizu recognized the paper she read from as a page from the grimoire found in the necromancer cloning laboratory. She kept looking between it and a Gnomish dictionary while muttering to herself, obviously attempting to translate something. Kizu and Ione remained patient as she focused on the paper for a minute longer before finding a stopping point and looking up at them.


    ¡°Ione? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know. Just casually saving the day, as per usual. Kizu wanted to run off into the Hon Basin alone and get himself killed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that¡¯s a habit of his.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not fair. When did I do that with you?¡±


    Aoi arched an eyebrow. Then she lifted the page she¡¯d been studying, showing it off as evidence.


    ¡°And when I found this? I had to practically beg you to let me join when you went down into mines.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hyperbolic.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention how we met. You were being chased around on Owl¡¯s Respite by a group of skeletons.¡±


    ¡°He tried going into the World Dungeon without me,¡± Ione said. ¡°Twice.¡±


    ¡°I told you that you could come with me this time,¡± Kizu said, exasperated. ¡°It¡¯s just a brief trip into the jungle to go visit some old contacts of the crone. Maybe uncover a bit of information for the Elite¡¯s investigation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you should probably go make sure he doesn¡¯t get killed,¡± Aoi agreed. ¡°I¡¯d go myself, but I need to make sure nobody sneaks down here and tries to assassinate my brother.¡±


    ¡°Is that a serious risk?¡± Ione asked.


    Aoi stood and walked over to the metal door. She pressed a palm against it and it went translucent, showing a decrypt Shoroi inside. The prince had lost his humanity. His hair had fallen out in clumps and large red circles of burned skin dotted his face and other stretches of bare skin seen under his ripped plaid kimono. Torn flesh at his lips created a permanent sneer. His sunken eyes darted around while he twitched on the floor, body jerking in stiff movements. Occasionally, he opened his mouth and let out moans of pain. Kizu noticed several of his teeth on the ground nearby, in a clump of black blood. He wondered if they¡¯d fallen out, or if the ghoul had torn them out.


    Aoi closed the viewing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a real risk,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been down here since yesterday when my other brother came down here and tried to snuff him out with a noxious gas elemental spell. Thankfully he was immune.


    ¡°Several of my family members want to put him out of his misery, while the majority of the parliament want to snuff him out as a statement against the new emperor¡¯s attempt to legalize necromancy. Nevermind the fact that I think I might be on the verge of a breakthrough. Sophia met with me a few hours ago. She still has to fight urges, but her soul is nearly completely repaired. I took some blood from her and am trying to see if maybe there¡¯s a link I can use to undo the damage to Shiroi. There must be something.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­sleeping down here?¡± Kizu gestured at a pile of rags in the corner next to some dirty plates.


    ¡°Not a great spot,¡± Ione commented, looking around the room. ¡°Drafty. Chilly. Moist.¡±


    ¡°An Elite promised to bring me down a cot tonight.¡± Aoi sat back down in the middle of her papers. ¡°I wish I could trust them more. I want to go with you and see the witch covens and necromancers.¡±


    That gave Kizu an idea.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s not ingrained into the enchantments of our scrying orbs, but I could probably cast a two sided scry so we could communicate.¡±


    ¡°Could you really?¡± Aoi perked up. ¡°I¡¯ve got Kyuu in my bag over there.¡±


    ¡°Seems a bit ironic that scrying is not part of the package,¡± Ione said.


    Kizu ignored Ione and fetched a leather satchel in the room¡¯s corner. He removed the orb and examined it. A crack marred the otherwise nice, glassy, black ball. Then he took out his own from his bag and compared them. He¡¯d seen the crone connect scrying devices in the past. He was fairly confident he knew enough about the divination spell she used to get this to work.


    He sat down. He tried and failed to cast the divination spell a few times before he thought he got it to work.


    He tossed Aoi her orb and then walked a dozen paces away. Then he activated the spell. Nothing.


    ¡°Aoi, try channeling into your orb at the same time as me.¡±


    This time, his orb shifted colors, showing him a slightly smudged version of Aoi¡¯s face looking down at him.


    ¡°Okay, so it¡¯s not ideal, but if we activate it at the same time, we can talk to one another. I have to be the initiator though, since the basin is shielded against incoming scrys.¡±


    ¡°So a schedule. What time should we set aside to contact each other?¡± Aoi asked, meeting his eyes and speaking through the glassy orb despite them only a stone¡¯s throw apart from one another.


    ¡°Let¡¯s plan for nine at night,¡± Kizu agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll be in weird places sometimes, so don¡¯t expect it to work every night. But this should give us some sort of communication method with you.¡±


    ¡°My punctuality will not be a concern.¡± A smile touched the edges of lips. ¡°Do try to get in contact with some necromancers for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea.¡± Then he turned to Ione. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve shown you where Aoi is, I need to go down into town and take care of a few errands before we leave tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to run off alone the moment we lose sight of you?¡± Ione asked.


    Kizu rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond to that, and exited the palace¡¯s dungeon.


    ¡ª


    Kizu wanted to bring Mort with him into the Hon Basin. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to the monkey to leave him behind while he returned to their home. But that left the question of Anata.


    He entered the inn where Kumiho was staying. He¡¯d stopped by a few times over the last few days. It was a nice traditional inn, not that different from the haunted one up in the hot springs town. Though it lacked that clientele. This one instead was packed with tourists, mostly from across Hon. They wore traditional kimonos and all chatted while smoking from pipes.


    Kumiho and her children stood out in the crowd. Their red hair and fox ears completely set them apart from the others. Next to them, Anata looked almost normal. If no one looked too closely. The monkey on her shoulder and eyepatch probably made her stick out a smidge more than an average person.


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    He sat down at a table with them. The girls were playing a game on a small board with tiles and black and white polished stones. It looked like the idea was to place as many stones as possible down while keeping to the required pattern. Anata was thoroughly trouncing Mae, almost the entire board being covered in white stones with only a few random black spots.


    Mae never looked up from the board at him. Her face was set and she chewed on her lip as she focused every shred of brainpower on the game in front of her. Anata perked up though. Kumiho, who sat on the other side of the table, beside Mae, gave him a strained smile. Kon, as per usual, greeted him with his customary growl from his spot down at Mae¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯ve returned,¡± Kumiho greeted him. ¡°Now you can take away this horrible mammal rodent hybrid.¡±


    Kizu had to sooth Mort through their bond to stop the monkey from leaping over onto the Kitsune¡¯s face. But that irritation with her bled back at him


    ¡°He¡¯s a monkey,¡± Kizu said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°He¡¯s a familiar,¡± Kumiho said, narrowing her eyes at the monkey. ¡°Which is something I don¡¯t like near my son and daughter.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem with familiars?¡±


    ¡°That is a topic not lightly discussed.¡± Kumiho¡¯s eyes flickered around at the other people in the room. ¡°They¡¯re extremely dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Well, good news for you. I¡¯m planning to take him with me. We¡¯re going on an expedition into the Hon Basin.¡±


    ¡°Trying to talk to the witch covens?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu said bluntly.


    ¡°You¡¯re aware they¡¯re not likely to speak to you?¡±


    ¡°I was raised by one of the witches in the Hon Basin. They know who I am.¡±


    The Kitsune¡¯s eyebrows raised and she looked him up and down, as if searching for something she¡¯d never seen there before.


    ¡°Interesting. And Anata?¡±


    Anata looked at him with her one uncovered eye wide, listening closely.


    ¡°Well. What do you think I should do? I won¡¯t be leaving Mort behind, so it will be harder for me to keep track of her. But I could probably set up a divination enchantment somewhere. I just finished doing something similar with the princess up at the palace. Would you be willing to watch over her?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you choose. We will never abandon family in need. And we are planning to stay for a few more weeks. The coronation ceremony will be a unique event and w already extended our reservation here to witness it.¡±


    Then Kizu met Anata¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked her. ¡°Do you want to stay here with your cousin?¡±


    Anata immediately pointed at his chest. He closed his eyes and weighed the risks involved. Anata acted rashly when left alone. But was that more dangerous than entering the Hon Basin with her? He and Mort knew the area and the natural risks. The greatest unknown was the witch coven members. He didn¡¯t know how they would react to meeting the half-Blood Lord girl. If they found out, it wasn¡¯t an impossibility that they¡¯d try to eat her. Or worse.


    There was also her blood which he had to take into consideration. When he went more than a couple days, he became irritable. Those effects had lessened after he¡¯d had his blood diluted by the blood transfusion. But the itch was there in the back of his mind. And he couldn¡¯t deny its usefulness. Especially with his spells not performing at their maximum potential for the next week.


    In the end, he decided it would be better to let her join. It was selfish, but the deciding factor was honestly that he simply wanted her along. He had missed spending time with her over the last few days.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want,¡± he folded to her.


    She beamed at him. Mae finally looked up from the gameboard.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re leaving? Can I come too?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kumiho said succinctly.


    ¡°What? Why? I¡¯ve been practicing my transformations like you told me.¡±


    ¡°A transformation won¡¯t keep you safe where they¡¯re going,¡± Kumiho said. ¡°My mother told me about the witches of the Hon Basin. The Hon covens were the most brutal in the world. They used to be more widespread across the country, but I suspect they cannibalized their numbers down to whatever¡¯s in the basin now.¡±


    That was actually more accurate to the history the crone had told him than what Krimpt had said on the first day of classes. Literally. The witches often ate apprentices they found subpar or displeased them.


    Mae pouted and tried insisting, but Kumiho stood firm on the subject. Kizu couldn¡¯t help but envy the control she exerted over her daughter. She wasn¡¯t a dictator like the crone, but Mae still listened when she put her foot down on a decision.


    Eventually the conversation turned back to the game of stones as Kumiho deftly reflected her daughter¡¯s attention to her losing plight and began reviewing different strategies she could have employed against Anata.


    Kizu decided to leave and do a bit of shopping. He didn¡¯t have a ton of money, but Taroe had promised to give him all the basic supplies for the journey. And thankfully he¡¯d found decent outfits for both himself and Anata in his closet.


    What Kizu really wanted were new enchanted gadgets. And, lucky for him, he knew where to look. Roku¡¯s shop was open and several nobles were perusing the shelves. The young mage sat behind the counter, staring blankly out at nothing.


    ¡°Roku,¡± Kizu greeted him, approaching the front counter. Kizu repeated the greeting three more times before the ice mage finally broke out of his trance and heard him.


    ¡°Kaga Kizu. Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°I want to buy a few things, but I need advice more than anything else,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to track down the assassin. I have a lead and the Elites are sending me out to the Hon Basin. They¡¯re sending me with the basics, but what other sort of supplies would you recommend I take? I¡¯m on a bit of a tight personal budget.¡±


    ¡°You have lead?¡± Roku repeated. His eyes flickered around the shop. ¡°You said it¡¯s taking you to the Hon Basin though? The witch covens?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu said. ¡°But I can¡¯t say much more than that without getting into trouble with the Elites. They¡¯re trying to keep things under wraps.¡±


    It was one thing to tell Ione everything about the situation¡¯s details. That had been the right decision. He knew her and she would be traveling alongside him, it was only fair for her to know the danger. But he¡¯d only interacted with Roku for a few hours before. He liked the ice mage, but he still didn¡¯t truly know Roku.


    ¡°You need to be careful,¡± Roku said. ¡°Are your clothes enchanted to keep enchanted insects away? There are some that carry extremely dangerous strains of disease. I would make that your first priority.¡±


    Kizu was familiar with the bugs he talked about. He¡¯d not only used them in many potions, but also been force fed brews by the crone soon after his arrival in the basin that would keep him permanently toxic to the most dangerous of those insects. They would need to be utterly suicidal to even touch his skin. But it was an interesting point for Anata and Ione. He wondered if he could recreate those brews. But enchanted clothing like Roku suggested would probably be easier. He needed to check on what enchantments their gear had in place already.


    ¡°There are also a lot of pit traps. There¡¯s a common magical creature that looks like an oversized mole crossed with a spider that likes to create elaborate tunnel systems to trap prey in underground labyrinths. I¡¯d recommend both a means in which to climb out of said traps as well as a divination spell to keep your bearings.¡±


    ¡°I know about goroles,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I can use force platforms to climb out. Will my school scrying orbs be able to keep track of my location? Can it map out the areas I¡¯ve been?¡±


    Roku nodded slowly. ¡°Yes. It won¡¯t automatically know the area like at the academy, but it should allow you to retrace your steps accurately. But only if you have it activated.¡±


    ¡°I know most of the common dangers of the Hon Basin. I¡¯m more asking if you know of specific gear you¡¯d recommend.¡±


    ¡°Normally, your scrying orb will allow you to send messages to other students and Shinzou Academy faculty. It¡¯s a valuable tool. But it¡¯s not as useful in a place like the Hon Basin or the World Dungeon. It¡¯s not designed for it. You might still manage to send out messages, but it will be sporadically useful. Communication failure is the number one cause of death to delvers.¡±


    There was a pause in the conversation. Kizu didn¡¯t know if he was supposed to have said something, but Roku stared over Kizu¡¯s shoulder, once again lost in thought. Then he snapped back.


    ¡°I have something for you,¡± he said suddenly. He pulled a ring off his hand and thrust it at Kizu¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just take that,¡± Kizu said, startled.


    ¡°You¡¯re working to track down Shiroi¡¯s killer? Then this is yours. I don¡¯t need it anyways. I only keep it around for sentimental reasons.¡±


    The ring was cold to the touch. It took Kizu a second to realize it was made from ice.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sword. You¡¯ve seen the ones I like to use. It¡¯s similar, though it requires no spell to activate. Just flick your wrist quickly and it will appear. It was my first artifact I uncovered in the World Dungeon. My father brought me down when I was a child, far sooner than he should have, and we discovered it in an ice cavern.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it back when I return,¡± Kizu promised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Then he paused again, this time looking a bit embarrassed. ¡°I actually intended to give it to your sister.¡±


    That¡­was a revelation Kizu did not know how to process. He wondered if the ice mage knew about Anata. Kizu made a note to himself not to bring his niece by the shop anytime soon.


    Kizu slid the ring on and took a step back. Then he flicked his wrist. Nothing happened.


    ¡°You need to do it faster and fully roll your hand around,¡± Roku instructed. Then he demonstrated, creating his own blade of ice through a spell.


    Kizu mimicked the motion and this time a blade of ice longer than his arm grew out from the ring. Several of the store¡¯s other patrons turned their attention towards them. But he ignored them as he examined the blade. He tilted it and the brilliant crystal blue ice reflected in the light. Just looking at it he expected it to be heavier than it really was. Its hilt comfortably rested in his palm, though it was still connected to the ring.


    ¡°Tap the ring twice with your other hand to disconnect it from the blade. There are times when having the sword stuck to your hand via the ring might be valuable, but others when it can be a detriment in a battle.¡±


    Kizu tapped the ring and felt the sword break from the ring.


    ¡°How do I dismiss it?¡±


    Roku tilted his head slightly to the side. ¡°You just did.¡±


    Kizu looked back at the massive sword in his hand then resisted a sigh. It looked like he¡¯d be littering ice swords across every battlefield in future fights.

 Chapter III.XXV (3.25) - The Hon Basin

    Chapter III.XXV (3.25) - The Hon Basin


    The next morning Kizu stood in one of the courtyards reviewing his supplies alongside Ione and Anata while Taroe watched over them. He had brought everything he owned. That included his bell artifact and the Atlas of the World Dungeon. As much as he trusted Aoi, he did not trust her family. Her little sister alone was a dangerous enough snoop to warrant caution. Not to mention the Inari branch of the Royal Family, who had been visiting Aoi¡¯s home with more and more frequency each day.


    The Elite vocally did not approve of his decision to bring Anata with them into the Hon Basin, but wasn¡¯t going to stop her from joining. Ione, on the other hand, Taroe had nodded to respectfully when she explained her part. He clearly thought highly of her family.


    Mort eyed the Elite with suspicion from Anata¡¯s shoulder. Kizu got the impression his familiar had never truly forgiven the man for their first encounter which had resulted in the monkey being blinded and shaking in the dirt.


    ¡°Hold up!¡± someone called out, racing out to the courtyard with a sack over his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think you could leave without me.¡±


    The man was unfamiliar to Kizu, Hon heritage with a ponytail and a scar across his cheek. But by now he¡¯d developed enough of a sense of Basil to detect him in most skins.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you stay behind and watch over Anna?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s better that I go with you. As it is, I feel like I¡¯m distracting her from her work whenever I visit with her. I¡¯ll be more helpful to her by going with you.¡±


    ¡°Last time you joined us on a trip you mysteriously disappeared for several days,¡± Ione pointed out. ¡°Is that going to repeat?¡±


    ¡°I hope not.¡± Basil flashed her a smile with teeth. ¡°I have a princess to impress and a necromancer to capture.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Taroe said. ¡°Is everyone here? I will need to cast multiple jumps if you have any more companions arriving.¡±


    ¡°No, that should be everyone,¡± Kizu said.


    Taroe nodded slowly, then clasped Kizu and Ione¡¯s shoulders. Kizu held Anata¡¯s hand while Basil held onto Ione.


    Then, the woozy sensation of a jump nearly knocked them off their feet.


    Kizu¡¯s boots landed in the exact same spot he¡¯d last been when he departed the Hon Basin. They stood outside the crone¡¯s hut, the ground now overgrown in foliage. Kizu stared at it. The building was lopsided, built from uneven bricks with two separate chimneys poking out in different angles. The windows gleamed, enchanted to only be clear from the interior. The building looked entirely unchanged from all those months ago. A shiver went down his spine. It was as if everything he¡¯d gone through was unreal, like a dream. Now he was back.


    His complex emotions wrestled with Mort¡¯s, whose absolute joy overpowered them. In the end, Kizu just smiled as Mort leaped into the trees, disappearing into his old home.


    ¡°I should be safe from outside observers here,¡± Taroe said. ¡°We modified some of the enchantments after taking control of this area. Not even the Crone¡¯s other coven members have the ability to pierce the privacy wards with their scrying. We can come and go as we please.¡±


    ¡°I might need to change some of those enchantments,¡± Kizu said, examining the area. ¡°I think here is a good safe place for us to work out of. The crone¡¯s connections are familiar with this spot and I should be able to get a few to come to me to start.¡± Then he looked at Taroe dead in the eye. ¡°But I¡¯ll also need your word that I won¡¯t have Elites jumping in here suddenly to arrest the people I bring by.¡±


    Taroe scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. Not only would that create suspicion and burn bridges, freely given information is always better than forced. A truth potion reveals truth, but not the nuances that create that truth. Many have suffered death by a twisted truth or an unasked question.¡±


    ¡°What will you do in the meantime?¡± Basil asked.


    ¡°I will be monitoring you. We have our own scrying spells set up in the hut¡¯s main room along with the grounds. And, since this area has other outside divination oppressed, I will pop in occasionally when you¡¯re not with a guest.¡±


    Kizu nodded. That made sense.


    ¡°Is there any other tampering with the crone¡¯s wards that we should know about? Anything that might give away the fact that it¡¯s being surveyed by the Hon Elites?¡±


    ¡°The alterations our warders performed were extremely minimal. We hoped to perhaps catch anyone else with access to the hut, but no one has arrived.¡±


    ¡°The crone always revoked special permission access every time a guest left. Nobody else can get in. Not without breaking the wards and enchantments.¡± Kizu had told the Elites as much back after he was rescued and interrogated.


    ¡°Do you believe the crone divulged all of her secrets to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kizu admitted. Still, he was pretty confident about that truth. The crone despised surprise visitors. She liked the control of allowing specific people into her domain at specific times. And he had been in charge of maintaining several of the illusions that concealed the hut.


    ¡°Any other questions before I depart?¡±


    ¡°What do we eat?¡± Ione asked.


    ¡°Whatever you brought and whatever you can find.¡±


    ¡°How long will we be here?¡± Basil asked.


    ¡°Until the coronation.¡±


    Taroe scratched his beard and frowned at them. Then he looked over to the hut, shaded by the canopy above that shielded them from the sun.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to do this myself. I strongly considered taking a de-aging potion and joining you here. I especially don¡¯t like allowing my¡­daughter to be here with you. The witch covens have vindictive and nasty people.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you?¡± Ione asked. ¡°Seems like it would be easier for everyone if you stuck around.¡±


    ¡°Because many of the witches will notice signs of potion use,¡± Kizu said. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to deceive them that way.¡±


    ¡°Correct. And other strategies I¡¯ve considered have been vetoed by my superiors. So I will observe and wait for my time.¡± He frowned as he eyed each of them individually. ¡°You kids be careful here. Understand?¡±


    They agreed and he jumped back to the capital. They were left behind with the muggy humidity clinging to their skin. The nearby brook babbled pleasantly behind the foliage.


    ¡°Well,¡± Basil said. ¡°What are you waiting for, Kizu? Give us the grand tour!¡±


    Anata nodded her head eagerly. And they all stomped forward through the overgrown grass to the hut.


    Kizu pushed on the front door, it creaked open and showed them an almost entirely unchanged cluttered area. Hundreds of preserved ingredients dangled from the ceiling, just low enough to make him stoop as he entered the hut. That hadn¡¯t been necessary when he left.


    ¡°Be careful touching things. Most of it is safe, but that doesn¡¯t mean all of it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ione asked, holding a withered four-winged bat. ¡°It¡¯s cool to the touch.¡±


    ¡°Unsafe.¡±


    That did not deter her as she lifted it up to the window light to inspect it better. The jostling broke the hex holding it and the creature flew into her face and toppled her over.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s in my hair! It¡¯s in my hair! Ow, ow, ow!¡±


    ¡°Hold still,¡± Basil said, reaching down and grabbing her hair.


    His arm lost its form and turned to clear goo, coating the side of her head where the four-winged bat was stuck. A few seconds later, he withdrew his arm, expelling Ione¡¯s hair while capturing the bat inside his oozing limb.


    ¡°What do I do with it?¡± Basil asked.


    ¡°Just put it outside,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I think there are a few spares anyway.¡±


    Basil stuck his arm out the window and released the withered bat. They all watched as it flew off, flapping madly into the jungle.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t touch anything else,¡± Kizu said.


    Ione flopped back on the wooden floor. She started muttering to herself and Kizu caught a couple words about wings and temperature. He assumed she was trying to better understand the bat monster. It would probably take her a minute.


    He stepped over her sprawled out arm and showed the others the room.


    ¡°Over here you can see the cauldrons. There are a few for different purposes. The one currently up we used for stew. My room is over to the left next to the fireplace and the crone always slept in the loft above. There¡¯s a ladder over behind that barrel of miscellaneous skeleton bones.¡±


    Instead of heading off for the loft, like Kizu suspected, Basil went over to the barrel and began to rummage through it.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Looking at the different bone structures. Like, look at this one.¡± He pulled out a skull missing half its teeth. ¡°This is from an elderly gnome. You can tell by how the skull curves right here and how brittle it is. A human child would have a far more dense bone.¡±


    ¡°But¡­why?¡±


    ¡°I figure Aoi will want them. It might be a good gift to help her out of her funk.¡±


    Kizu shook his head and walked over to the cupboard that held all of the crone¡¯s pots and pans. He took out the crone¡¯s wooden bowl and felt along the etched markings. A leaf, an insect, a mouse, an owl, an ocelot, a human, and then back to the leaf. He breathed out a sigh of relief. Already Kizu noticed several of the crone¡¯s cursed babbles missing, probably taken by the Elites after raiding the hut.


    Unfortunately, the one area that had been completely cleared out was the crone¡¯s potion cabinet. Not a single vial had been left behind. Kizu scowled. That was a treasure trove of resources, gone. Maybe he could try talking Taroe into giving him some of the contraband. But he doubted it.


    He closed the cabinet and noticed Anata¡¯s feet poking out of a small door beside the fireplace. His old room. It was actually two cupboards with the wall separating them knocked down. It was designed to hold stacks of wood to feed the fire. As a kid, it had been fine, but it had grown tight and a bit more cozy in recent years. But it was still his space. It felt weird seeing someone else down there in it. The crone never touched his space. The only other person who¡¯d been down there was Shika, and that was at least five years ago.


    He looked forward to seeing Shika again. The zombie girl might be an immature menace sometimes, but he missed her. And the crone had instructed that he try to contact her father first. It was his primary lead.


    He dipped the bowl in a bucket of stale water beside the fireplace then sat down at a table off to the side, clearing away a jar of pickled radishes and replacing it with the scrying conduit. The bowl should be able to connect with hundreds of different locations. He channeled into the water, trying to sort out and connect to the right place. He winced as different images flashed and pierced his mind¡¯s eye.


    On a few occasions he had performed the divination spell before, but never without the crone¡¯s direct supervision. The one time he¡¯d tried as a child to use the bowl to contact Anna, the crone had placed a hex on him that removed one of his eyes and placed it up in a nearby tree, splitting his vision. She hadn¡¯t removed the hex for over a week.


    Eventually he connected with the right mirror and the water rippled. It showed only the inside of a bag at first so he waited patiently.


    ¡°Why are you staring at a half-eaten apple and a chicken bone?¡± Ione said, peering over his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m connected with the necromancer the crone told me to contact. I think it should notify him and he¡¯ll take it out any minute now.¡±


    ¡°Hello!¡± Ione called into the bowl. ¡°Anyone there?¡±


    That, apparently, worked. The bag immediately jostled, the view of the apple replaced by a man with ruffled hair and cracked spectacles. Kizu noticed a few streaks of gray in his hair now that he didn¡¯t recall before.


    ¡°Kizu? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Hone. Sorry to contact you out of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s no problem.¡± His eyes flickered around, examining Kizu¡¯s surroundings and Ione to the side.


    ¡°The crone told me to get in touch,¡± Kizu said. ¡°This is my friend Ione.¡±


    ¡°Hm, pleasure, pleasure. What is this all about? Nobody knows exactly what happened to the crone, though there are certainly rumors¡­.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in hiding,¡± Kizu said. Not entirely untrue. The crone implied she put herself in the prison on purpose. ¡°I want to know about the Emperor¡¯s assassination. She said you would know more about it.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Hone frowned as he considered. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely comfortable with this conversation. Not to say I don¡¯t trust you Kizu, but you never know who might be listening.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come here. I can give you and Shika access to the hut.¡±


    The frown deepened and Hone looked over his shoulder, as if checking on someone. Likely Shika.


    ¡°How about you come to me?¡± Hone offered. ¡°You can finally visit my home. I recall you crying at my departure once because you wanted to travel with me but the crone absolutely refused.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s cheeks burned. He¡¯d barely cried. And he¡¯d been lucky the crone found it so amusing, she normally didn¡¯t put up with him throwing a fit.


    ¡°I was eight,¡± he muttered. ¡°I wanted to stay with Shika.¡±


    ¡°Well, now after all these years, you can come. Simply head to the northern end of the village and continue down the road until you hit an old farmhouse. I have no plans to leave soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll make our way there tomorrow morning.¡±


    Hone nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, tomorrow morning. Children grow quickly. I look forward to reacquainting myself with you again after so many months.¡±


    With that, the connection broke. Kizu frowned at it, not quite certain how Hone had broken the connection that Kizu had initiated. There was still so much he didn¡¯t understand about divination spells.


    ¡°Well, we have the rest of the day to ourselves,¡± he told his companions. ¡°How about I show you around the area nearby so you don¡¯t get yourselves in too much trouble?¡±


    Kizu had a secondary reason for inviting them on a tour of the grounds. He planned to start scavenging for brewing components and stashing him in his spatial storage ring. He was surrounded by the ingredients he was most familiar with and wanted to stock up as much as possible while he still could. And, while he planned to also raid the crone¡¯s remaining supplies, there were a lot of common things in the area she didn¡¯t bother stocking up on. After all, she always had him on hand to fetch them for her.


    Mort joined them again as they exited the hut. He hummed his content as he pounced on Anata¡¯s head, nearly knocking over the thin girl.


    Basil and Ione asked him questions about the area and Kizu happily filled them in, telling them stories about the different things they saw.


    ¡°It acts as the lightning rod for this region of the jungle,¡± he explained, telling them about a massive black tree. ¡°It got infected by an infestation of iron beetles a few years ago but a particularly bad storm hit and it was struck multiple times in rapid succession, killing the beetles and leaving their corpses speckled throughout the trunk¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°There must be a mineral vein nearby,¡± Ione commented, examining the ground. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have burrowed into the tree otherwise. Maybe one of its roots made contact?¡±


    ¡°You might be right. I extracted a few to help solidify a brew once and found they were surprisingly potent. It might make sense if there was a mineral deposit nearby.¡±


    While they theorized, Basil folded up a giant leaf into a green hat and perched it on Anata¡¯s head. He then started to try to do the same with some more leaves, turning them into an oversized tunic tied together with jungle grass.


    Kizu flicked his wrist to create his new ice blade and used it to help cut a chunk out of the dead tree. Mort hopped over and helped pry out some of the dead iron beetles from inside the hole. Then Kizu stashed both the wood and the beetles in his storage ring. The two rings complimented one another well.


    ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Basil said, looking over from the grass hat he¡¯d begun to weave.


    ¡°That¡¯s only because you weren¡¯t around last night,¡± Ione said. ¡°He came back from town with the thing and wouldn¡¯t stop swishing it around. Don¡¯t get too close, he cut a chunk out of a book shelf.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useful,¡± Kizu said defensively.


    ¡°Only so long as you don¡¯t cut off another one of your limbs with it. You really need some training with it. Why do you think I never summon weapons?¡±


    ¡°I figured you didn¡¯t want to go through with the effort of using them.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. Or the bother of learning how to use them.¡± Ione grabbed a stick and quickly sketched a summoning circle in the mud. A few seconds later a massive wicked blade, stained a deep red, protruded from mud. The hilt reached Kizu¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a bit left out,¡± Basil said. ¡°Watch this.¡±


    Basil lifted an arm and it went transparent down to the elbow before melding together and solidifying into an ivory blade.


    ¡°Is that painful?¡± Ione asked, flicking the bone blade.


    ¡°Only if I allow it to be. I can turn off pain in parts of my body. Otherwise, it would be excruciating.¡±


    Anata looked from Kizu¡¯s ice blade, to Ione¡¯s summoned sword, to Basil¡¯s bone.


    ¡°Here.¡± Kizu tapped the enchanted ring, breaking the ice sword from it, and passed it to Anata. Then he flicked his wrist and recreated another.


    ¡°You¡¯re a horrible guardian,¡± Ione commented.


    Kizu opened his mouth to protest but was cut off as Anata attempted to swing the blade, only for it to fly out of her hands. Basil barely managed to deflect the sword with his bone blade, narrowly avoiding it slicing him in half.


    ¡°Okay, you might have a point.¡±

 Chapter III.XXVI (3.26) - The Necromancers Farm

    Chapter III.XXVI (3.26) - The Necromancer''s Farm


    Despite living next to the village for a decade, Kizu had never been allowed to visit it in person. However, he still knew who each one of the villagers were from hours upon hours of spying on them from the crone¡¯s scrying spells. She¡¯d frequently put him in front of her bowl and tell him to keep an eye on someone while she went off to do something else. Often, he found it extremely dull. Like when watching a man split wood for hours at a time. But Kizu had never once complained about the task. It was the primary reason he was even moderately civilized and could interact with people like a normal human being. It also resulted in a completely lopsided knowledge of all the villagers. He knew their jobs, relationships, interests, and secrets. So much private information about every individual person. While they had no idea he even existed.


    He did his best to act normal as he introduced himself and his companions as they entered town.


    ¡°We¡¯re academy students,¡± Kizu said. ¡°We¡¯re currently looking into different brewing components that can be found in the Hon Basin. It¡¯s a project for our spring break.¡±


    ¡°Very nice,¡± Tatsumichi, the village¡¯s mayor, said. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet such distinguished members of society! You¡¯re welcome to stay as long as you need. But be careful, the jungle isn¡¯t kind to strangers.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re mages.¡±


    ¡°Even still. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you. I can assign my son to guide you if you¡¯d like. It will be no trouble at all.¡±


    The mayor¡¯s son was a bully who frequently beat kids smaller than him and actively stole from his father¡¯s savings. Not a real threat to anyone clearly stronger or scarier than him, but definitely not someone Kizu was keen to have join their party. The last thing he needed was him interacting with Anata.


    ¡°You¡¯re very kind to offer, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± The mayor sounded put out, but he thankfully didn¡¯t press the issue. ¡°Is there anything you need? Our general store might not have the variety you¡¯re used to up at the capital, but we have everything a person needs here.¡±


    ¡°We might stop by later,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Just passing through for now. Thank you again.¡±


    Other villagers turned their heads as they walked through the street. A few looked suspicious, but most just curious as they stopped their work momentarily or peered out from windows. A child waved at him, looking awestruck when Basil returned the wave.


    ¡°He was certainly welcoming,¡± Basil said cheerily.


    ¡°They¡¯re not used to people like us stopping by,¡± Kizu explained. ¡°Most of the time, the village¡¯s visitors are less savory folks. Witches, necromancers, exiles, thieves, tax-collectors. You know the type. And we don¡¯t match that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, your green hair is pretty witchy,¡± Ione said. ¡°And Anata doesn¡¯t exactly look like an average girl.¡±


    ¡°But our clothes aren¡¯t ones that belong to witches. We look wealthy and clean.¡± That, and Mort had elected to stay out of town. A familiar was a dead give-away for a witch.


    ¡°True.¡± Basil nodded. ¡°Anata¡¯s leaf hat will be the height of fashion when I introduce it to the general population.¡±


    Her eyepatch was really doing a lot of work in keeping her from notice. It was weird seeing a little girl with an eyepatch, but a lot less weird than a glowing scarlet eye.


    As they exited town, Kizu spotted a girl his age sunbathing in an open clearing. Her large chest was barely covered by a strip of cloth. Basil¡¯s eyes followed her as they walked past. The girl pretended to not notice them, but Kizu knew better.


    ¡°That¡¯s Mitsuko,¡± Kizu said once they were out of earshot. ¡°The daughter of the only innkeeper in town. She¡¯s also the town flirt. She likely heard about us and ran to that spot while we were talking to the mayor. Last I knew she was dating the mayor¡¯s son. I¡¯m not sure if they split or if she just wants to try to make him jealous.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s missing a rib,¡± Basil commented.


    Kizu glanced over at his friend. ¡°Yes, actually. The crone took it.¡±


    ¡°The crone took her rib?¡± Ione asked. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It may have been for a hex she placed on the family. Or maybe the crone saw some potential future in which she might be able to twist Mitsuko to her advantage. But it¡¯s also just as likely she did it for fun on a whim. I¡¯m not sure the details. The crone¡¯s been terrorizing these people for nearly a century.¡±


    ¡°Good thing my family has her locked up now.¡±


    Kizu glanced around the jungle frantically. No sign of people, but that didn¡¯t mean much out here.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say those sorts of things,¡± he hissed. ¡°You never know who might be scrying on this area or be transmuted into a tree.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Ione said. ¡°Chill. You¡¯re just bringing more attention to it with your response.¡±


    They reached the old farmhouse a few minutes later. Just as Hone had said, it looked completely abandoned. The jungle had reclaimed the land and begun corrupting the building itself. Vines tumbled from cracks in the building and trees split through the windows.


    ¡°Hone?¡± Kizu called out as they stepped into the doorway. ¡°Shika? Are you here?¡±


    He didn¡¯t love this. The last time he¡¯d gone exploring abandoned buildings he¡¯d ended up chased by a hoard of zombies. And here he was poking his head in yet another necromancer¡¯s hideout.


    Mort scouted the area around the building, looking through windows and patrolling the area. But, besides scaring off a few birds, he found nothing.


    ¡°What about the barn?¡± Ione suggested.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Hone said the farmhouse specifically.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we come back tomorrow?¡± Basil suggested. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind chatting more with the villagers. Do others also have random bones missing from their skeletal frames?¡±


    Kizu ignored him and stepped forward, out of the entryway and onto the tattered tatami. He noticed a square of the mat was a bit off kilter. He stepped down on it with his monster leg, gripped it with the claws, and ripped it up. The opening revealed a dark tunnel under the floor. Far deeper than a crawlspace.


    ¡°I can think of at least twenty different ways you could have accomplished that without desecrating your poor shoe¡¯s sole,¡± Basil said.


    ¡°They¡¯re already ruined. I constantly pierce through the soles accidentally.¡±


    Basil grumbled about wasted materials while Anata leaned over the hidden passage.


    ¡°Hone?¡± Kizu called down the tunnel. ¡°Are you down there?¡±


    ¡°Kizu?¡± a faint echo responded. It sounded like Hone.


    ¡°Is there a way down that doesn¡¯t involve falling into a tunnel of pitch-black darkness?¡± Ione asked.


    Kizu lit a grape sized fireball then dropped the spell down into the dark. It hit the stone floor below a moment before it flickered out.


    ¡°It¡¯s barely a drop,¡± Kizu said. He hopped down into the hole and let his eyes adjust. Then he helped Anata down before the others followed.


    Everyone except for Anata had to crouch to avoid knocking their heads on the tunnel¡¯s low ceiling. Thankfully, it was at least an escape from the heat and humidity of the jungle outside. Hone must have set up some cooling and airflow enchantments to keep himself comfortable.


    When the passage suddenly opened up into a hidden room, both Ione and Basil cursed and scrambled, readying themselves for a fight until Kizu lifted a placating hand to calm them down.


    Hone sat on a metal chair surrounded by zombies of varying levels of decay. They were all clothed, thankfully, but they stood around him in a complete daze, awaiting his orders. Body parts hung from chains on the walls and the shower stall off to the side was caked in dried blood with a bucket of brownish-red liquid on the ground.


    Zombies had always been Hone¡¯s specialty, Kizu supposed it made sense to find them with him. With a flick from Hone¡¯s hand, the undead jolted to attention and pulled up several metal chairs for Kizu and his companions.


    Hone himself was far more gaunt than the last time Kizu had seen him. The scrying spell had shown his streaks of gray, but not how frail he appeared now. It was no wonder he didn¡¯t want to crawl out of the basement to greet them. He smiled, but it looked painful, his skin contorting with the motion.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again,¡± Hone said. ¡°And to meet all your friends.¡±


    The other two introduced themselves to the necromancer as they all took seats.


    ¡°And this is Anata, my niece,¡± Kizu said. He saw no point in hiding his relation to Anata from Hone. And, unlike the others in their party, Anata didn¡¯t look the least bit disturbed by Hone¡¯s laboratory. In fact, Kizu had to pull her away from a side table where she was eyeing several thumbs which wiggled around like fat worms.


    ¡°Ah¡­pleasure all. I¡¯m sure you know, I¡¯m Hone. A necromancer of the Hon Basin.¡±


    ¡°We have a necromancer friend who really wants to meet you,¡± Basil said. ¡°But she¡¯s busy with a project right now.¡±


    Hone raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh really? What¡¯s her name?¡±


    ¡°Aoi. She¡¯s still just starting out as a necromancer. But she¡¯s basically a prodigy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate she could not join you. I always enjoy connecting new soul mages to the community. It¡¯s a difficult life pursuit. Community helps many to not break under the stress.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Shika at?¡± Kizu asked. He had examined the zombies several times each, but none looked remotely like his old friend. In fact, none of these zombies showed much intelligence at all. They acted more like the mindless thrall skeletons Aoi used on Owl¡¯s Respite than the semi resurrected people that Hone usually preferred to work with.


    ¡°She¡¯s out gathering some materials for me. She mentioned being excited to see you again.¡±


    Kizu sent a mental impression through his bond to Mort to tell the monkey to be on the lookout for the zombie girl. Mort loved the idea of leaping down on her and scaring her while she picked herbs. The monkey liked Shika a lot.


    ¡°Tea?¡± Hone asked. One of his zombies lumbered up with a tray of clay cups.


    Kizu declined but Ione and Basil accepted and sipped the drinks.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good!¡± Basil said. ¡°What¡¯s in this? Cinnamon?¡±


    ¡°Old family recipe. It uses some of the local flora.¡±


    Kizu knew a few different plants that might taste a bit like cinnamon. Only one commonly nearby without any adverse side effects. He knew a potion that used it to accelerate growth in specific species of trees. But that was it. He would never have thought to use it in tea. Clever. And a bit of a surprise since Hone usually avoided experimenting with brews.


    ¡°Now,¡± the necromancer said, leaning forward. ¡°What is it that brings you all the way out to visit me, Kizu? Does this have to do with the crone¡¯s disappearance?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not about her. I wanted to ask you about the assassination of the Emperor. People are saying a necromancer did it. When I asked the crone about it, she told me to contact you if I wanted any information.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Yes. That group. For the record, I do not approve of them. They¡¯ve come to my doorstep more than once, requesting my aid on their crusade against the Hon Empire.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They go by the most inane name.¡± Hone closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°The Death Party.¡±


    Ione spluttered in her tea. And Basil chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little on the nose for a group of necromancers,¡± Basil said.


    ¡°I am aware. But even had they a decent name, I would still refuse their group invitation. They¡¯re attempting to tear down the Empire and the status quo. Whereas I happen to enjoy my life in the current status quo. Most sensible necromancers learn to enjoy the quiet life. The government only bothers to hunt us when someone in our community is being especially obnoxious or threatening.¡±


    ¡°How many are in the group?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Hm.¡± Hone considered. ¡°Perhaps five or six other necromancers. And a couple of the witches too. All young. Around twenty years old or a bit under. But age is hardly an excuse for idiocy.¡±


    ¡°Anyone you know, Kizu?¡± Ione asked. ¡°I recall you mentioning that you were close with a bunch of the witch apprentices your age.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yeah. Maybe. Who knows?¡±


    That had been a bold-faced lie. The crone kept him away from most of the other apprentices, not wanting him getting too attached to someone who might be dinner for their master at any moment. In hindsight, it was actually almost thoughtful of her. But, more likely, the crone just didn¡¯t want him whining about a friend¡¯s death.


    ¡°You may know one of the witches,¡± Hone said, considering. ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of one of the crone¡¯s closest friends. Though, like her, she hasn¡¯t been seen in several months now.¡±


    Kizu frowned. The crone was laying low, seeming to be waiting for something to blow over. Was it possible her friends were doing the same thing? The Elites would have almost certainly have mentioned to him if they had more witches in custody, but that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t hiding at other places. There was a world of options.


    Kizu opened his mouth to ask about any other missing witches in the crone¡¯s coven, when an emotion from his familiar bond knocked him off his chair.


    Terror.

 Chapter III.XXVII (3.27) - Mind Mage

    Chapter III.XXVII (3.27) - Mind Mage


    Kizu bolted from the room, not explaining himself to his friends or Hone as he scrambled through the tunnel and hoisted himself up into the abandoned farmhouse.


    Mort was over in the barn behind the farmhouse. That much information Kizu still clearly gleaned through their bond. Everything else though was muddled by absolute fear. When he tried seeing through Mort¡¯s eyes, he only got the image of hay. Mort had buried his head and was shaking with fear under a haystack.


    Kizu shook with fear of his own mingling with Mort¡¯s rush of the singular emotion. He plowed his way through the overgrown field over to the barn, trampling the wild crops and weeds. Only once he reached the barn door did he stop and consider his situation.


    Kizu dissected what he felt from Mort in an attempt to better understand what the monkey had found. Mort was afraid, but Kizu felt no pain from the bond. It should be mingled into the emotion. In fact, the more he delved into the emotion, the more he realized there was just an undirected terror emanating from his familiar. A hex. Mort had been hexed by someone.


    Kizu¡¯s fear morphed into anger.


    Was this meant to be some sort of trap for him? If he had been thinking even a tiny bit clearer earlier, Kizu might have strongly considered using his bond as an anchor and jumping to Mort¡¯s side. Directly into the lap of whoever had hexed his familiar. Luckily, he had lost all his brain cells in his fear and just ran this direction instead.


    Kizu looked over the field, scanning it. And not just with his eyes. He used his spellsense as well. The house itself stuck out, an enchantment had been set on the building. Probably something to help Hone deter the villagers from entering it.


    Next, a decaying black kite caught his attention. It was battered but still hung in the air over the field, the shape of an eagle. There was something magical about its aura. Not an enchanted object, but something else. An¡­undead maybe? It felt sort of similar to a skeleton. Regardless of the fact he¡¯d stomped past it only seconds ago, he still ducked down behind a rotting crate. Better to be wary and out of sight.


    He wanted to look through Mort¡¯s eyes and examine the area, but the monkey still had his face in the ground, buried under a pile of rotting straw. But now that he was closer to his familiar, Kizu could at least better pinpoint Mort¡¯s location relative to himself. In the far corner of the hayloft.


    Even through the wood Kizu could sense a few different pinpricks of magic. Thankfully not too near Mort. But there was definitely magic inside of the barn. Not something to barrel towards unprepared.


    Kizu overlaid himself with an illusion. It camouflaged him with the barn¡¯s wood. And not a moment too soon. His friends exited the farmhouse¡¯s front door, obviously looking for him. From their angle, they would have seen him a mere couple seconds earlier. Anata clutched Ione¡¯s arm as she frantically searched for him. If they approached or tried to enter the barn first, any amount of surprise he¡¯d have on the hexer would be lost. He needed to eliminate the threat quickly and efficiently.


    He lightly tapped the wood, trying to estimate its width. Then he jumped inside the building. It was less than half a meter of movement, but it terrified him not knowing exactly what he was jumping into. He put a lot of concentration into the spell, worried about any beacons.


    In the moment he performed the spell he recalled the blood transfusion. His heart skipped a beat as his trajectory went off, only bringing him a third of the intended distance forward.


    Thankfully, he jumped into a rusted bucket and some overgrown grass. Nothing alive or that made noise. He carefully pulled his boot out from the ground and removed the bucket from around his ankle.


    Beams of light shone through the barn¡¯s roof, illuminating patches of the dilapidated floor. Mort was in the loft above. And sitting on the loft¡¯s edge was a girl roughly his age with white hair and a wide-brimmed, pointed black hat. She looked nonplussed as she stared down at the scrying ball in her lap, her legs dangling from the edge. She kicked them back and forth in a lazy rhythm.


    A white owl was perched on a rafter beam nearby, pruning its feathers. Not a naturally white bird like a snowy owl, Kizu noted. It was an albino barn owl with a heart shaped face and beady red eyes. Definitely the girl¡¯s familiar.


    It took Kizu a moment of examination before he recognized the girl. She¡¯d been at Roku¡¯s shop the other day. Looking at his explosives section¡­and the Emperor had been assassinated by a necromantic explosion days later. Suddenly it made a lot more sense why Roku was so nervous when Kizu mentioned helping with the assassination investigation. Even if he was innocent of any wrongdoing, having his shop tied to it in any way would be really bad for him.


    But the girl had looked familiar to Kizu even before then. He couldn¡¯t recall why though. Was she the apprentice of one of the witches in the crone¡¯s coven? Maybe¡­what was it that Hone had said? That he might know one of the members of the Death Party. It could be her that he referred to, but Kizu didn¡¯t have anything other than a vague recollection.


    That didn¡¯t matter though. He could ponder her identity later. Time to act.


    The necklace around his neck hid him from detection magic and others¡¯ spellsense. He trusted in it as he slowly shimmied along the edge of the barn¡¯s wall. The young witch remained absorbed by her scrying orb, but she wasn¡¯t the true threat in the room at the moment. Owls had uncanny senses. Not only did they have keen vision, but they also had phenomenal hearing. Kizu stashed his shoes in his storage ring and walked barefoot, mindful of every step.


    Thankfully, the barn itself made groans and creaks unprompted, which covered his own footfalls.


    Just as he almost slipped under the loft, a few meters from the ladder, the owl¡¯s head swiveled, eyes focused on Kizu.


    He froze in place. He stopped breathing. His camouflage wasn¡¯t perfectly matching up with the wooden boards behind him. An astute enough onlooker could find the inconsistencies in the grain or how the boards matched up. The owl continued to stare at him for several long seconds.


    ¡°Rou,¡± the witch said, not looking up from her orb. ¡°Go check on that group outside. I lost track of Kizu. See if you can spot him for me.¡±


    The bird¡¯s attention snapped away from him. It spread its wings and launched itself into the air. A moment later, it flew through one of the gaps in the ceiling and disappeared.


    Kizu remained motionless for a little longer, staring up at the witch from below. She knew his name. One of the Emperor¡¯s assassins knew him by name. Not good.


    His priority was rescuing Mort. But he also wanted to subdue this witch and ask her some questions.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± the girl lay back, falling out of view save for her dangling legs. ¡°So annoying.¡±


    Quietly, Kizu climbed up the ladder. As he pulled him up the fifth rung, he felt a crippling fear slam into him. He barely had the presence of mind to shield himself with a barrier of antimagic before he fell from the ladder. Even still his grip slipped and he had to fumble to keep himself up.


    That explained a few things. The witch constantly fed her blood into a fear hex cast in a radius around her like an aura. She likely didn¡¯t even realize Mort was near her. Then, after another moment of analysis, he realized it wasn¡¯t a hex at all. This was a mental spell. Hexes usually altered something about the person, changing them. This directly attacked his thoughts. Even novice mental mages were both incredibly rare and incredibly dangerous. And this didn¡¯t seem like a novice spell.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    At the top of the ladder he peered over the lip of the loft. The witch lay back, holding her orb in her hands above her head. Whatever she saw in the scrying orb, Kizu couldn¡¯t see it from his angle. Though he thought it was likely his companions.


    His enchanted necklace kept her from tracing him with any divination spells. She likely had been tracking him by instead targeting one of his friends with the spell. Once he ran off and left them behind, she lost sight of him.


    But he was at a loss at what to do next. He wanted to lose this witch as quickly as possible. He could gather up Mort and his friends then lay low in the crone¡¯s hut which was protected by divination spells. Or he could attack. She likely had anti-jumping measures on her so he couldn¡¯t risk a direct attack. He could likely appear next to her and slide his sword between her ribs faster than she could react. But that would mean killing the woman. She must be an integral member of the Death Party. That meant taking her out would weaken the group considerably. But being able to question her would reward him with priceless information. A non-lethal option might be preferable.


    Mort¡¯s terror still battered against his emotions, making Kizu restless. He looked down at the icy ring on his finger. He needed to end this quickly.


    Before he could make up his mind, the orb slipped from the witch¡¯s hands and slammed into her nose with a crack.


    ¡°Ow,¡± the witch muttered, sitting up suddenly and holding her bloody face.


    The moment it smacked into her face, her spell faltered and Kizu felt Mort¡¯s absolute terror wane slightly into confused fear.


    With his head somewhat more clear, Kizu sent Mort a strong impression of returning to him. He couldn¡¯t quite convey thoughts through their bond, but Mort understood him well enough. The monkey jumped to his shoulder.


    The pop of the jump caused the witch to turn towards the pile of hay where Mort had just been. Her scrying orb rolled over to the side. Kizu wasn¡¯t great at elemental spells and his blood still weakened him from the little strength he did have. But even still, he blasted the orb with as much wind as he could muster.


    It was just enough to change its rolling trajectory. Kizu watched it drop off the loft¡¯s ledge. And he jumped away, gone before it smashed into the ground.


    The next moment he was back in the overgrown field. His friends all looked bewildered as he ran up to them.


    ¡°We need to go,¡± Kizu said before they could say anything. ¡°Now. There¡¯s a mental mage. We need to get out of here before she finds us.¡±


    ¡°A mental mage?¡± Basil arched an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve never met one before.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to,¡± Ione said darkly. ¡°Even without magic, they like to play with your head. They¡¯re like Kizu¡¯s ex. Nasty and always plotting.¡±


    ¡°That was uncalled for,¡± Kizu muttered. ¡°You¡¯re not in any classes with her. What do you even know about Emilia?¡±


    ¡°Just what Aoi told me,¡± Ione said.


    Before she could continue, Kizu cut her off.


    ¡°It doesn''t matter right now. We need to move out quickly. I¡¯ll scry a message to Hone later explaining what happened. Unless we want our minds scrambled, we need to move.¡±


    Kizu boosted Anata onto his back and they took off, his friends right behind him.


    ¡°For the record,¡± Basil huffed as they ran. ¡°I agree with Ione¡¯s earlier statement.¡±


    ¡°What? About Emilia?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She is a bit snake-ish. She actually went through a phase where she tried digging up my past before the headmaster shut down her investigations.¡±


    ¡°You could have mentioned that before I started dating her.¡±


    Basil said something in his defense, but Kizu didn¡¯t hear him. This was not the time for that conversation. Instead, he stared intently up at the sky. And, sure enough, he saw a white blur overhead. The owl familiar not only flew unnaturally fast, but Kizu had to focus his attention and flare his spellsense to make out the blur at all, otherwise his eyes simply slipped over it.


    Mages could cast spells through their familiars. He suspected it had some sort of memory altering aura spell like the fear one he¡¯d experienced earlier. Something to keep it from being seen by the casual eye. An albino owl would be pretty conspicuous otherwise.


    He once again layered himself with an antimagic barrier, a task far more difficult to accomplish while running. But his command over spatial magic was decent enough that the barrier still went up, though it turned a bit shaky at times.


    Unfortunately, being able to see the owl and doing something about it were two entirely different things. He tried to create force barriers in its path to knock it out of the sky, but his barriers weren¡¯t invisible. They had a greenish tint and the vines and leaves of a canopy decorating them. And while he managed to get them up quickly, he couldn¡¯t do so fast enough to actually smack the bird from the air. Not from this distance. And once the owl dodged out of the way of three different barriers, it wised up and flew higher, circling them from above, far out of his range.


    Kizu dropped his antimagic barrier, the bird¡¯s distance was far enough that the aura spell no longer hit him. He saw the white owl just as well without it. Small consolation.


    He refocused on his friends. They had been talking to him but he¡¯d been too focused on his spells to hear them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose either you have means in which to take out that owl?¡± Kizu pointed up at the bird overhead. ¡°It¡¯s the mind mage¡¯s familiar.¡±


    Ione halted in place, causing the rest of them to slow to a stop and look back at her. She moved off the road and started scribbling in the dirt.


    ¡°If you¡¯d stop running for two seconds, I could get us all mounts,¡± Ione said as she worked. ¡°You¡¯re always so reactionary, Kizu.¡±


    A moment later, her summoning circle lit up and a large leathery bird emerged from it. Ione smiled at it and scratched its beak. It closed its multi-layered eyelids and preened under her touch. Then Ione broke away from it and pointed up at the white spec above them.


    The featherless bird cawed loudly and flapped its wings, sending up a cloud of dust across the road as it took flight.


    ¡°She¡¯s not magical,¡± Ione said as she admired her summon, ¡°but she should be able to chase off any other bird in the sky.¡±


    Then she got to work on summoning two of the giant lizards they¡¯d used down in the World Dungeon. They were subterranean creatures, not great at maneuvering in the jungle, but Ione assured them that they¡¯d move at a decent pace so long as they stayed on the dirt road.


    Kizu noticed Ione swayed slightly as she climbed aboard her mount. That was her limit for her summons. While the lizard mounts also weren¡¯t very magical, they were large.


    Ione and Basil rode one lizard while Kizu and Anata rode the other. Mort stuck to the jungle alongside the road, swinging and dashing between the trees, easily able to keep up with their mounts¡¯ speed.


    Kizu watched the skies as the two avians fought. They swooped and clashed in the air. While Ione¡¯s summon might not have the magic or dexterity of the familiar, it also could take damage without fear of death. And a hit to the owl was a hit to the mage. So it took only one close call for the familiar to retreat.


    As it disappeared from the skies overhead, Kizu let out a sigh of relief. They weren¡¯t completely safe. The mage had been watching them through her scrying orb. She likely had several locations in the village picked out to scry from. So he led them off the road and into the jungle. He knew the area well enough to guide them back to the safety of the crone¡¯s hut without the road.


    It was far slower going on the lizards in the jungle, but Kizu decided they were likely safer on the mounts. He and Mort could travel through far quicker on foot, but the others risked their lives if they moved in haste.


    Ione closed her eyes and appeared to doze off, but her summons remained active, following Kizu¡¯s directions. Kizu also spotted her leathery bird creature over them in the few areas where the canopy opened up to the sky. Smart. It remained far, so as to not give away their location, but close enough to deter the witch¡¯s familiar.


    The lizard skin flap that held him and Anata in place wasn¡¯t made for the heat and humidity of the jungle. His legs were drenched in sweat. Or, at least, his human leg was. His monster leg appeared completely comfortable. It felt the heat, but no discomfort from it. It clearly had some type of innate heat resistance. As the adrenaline faded, his mind wandered and he wondered if he could harvest the scales of his leg for potion experimentation.


    ¡°Well, that was an unpleasant chase,¡± Basil declared as they entered the crone¡¯s property. ¡°Aoi¡¯s going to be annoyed that she wasn¡¯t able to speak to Hone.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll have other opportunities,¡± Kizu said. He helped Anata down from the mount.


    But was it just a coincidence the witch happened to be at Hone¡¯s hideout? Had they given away his location when they walked there from town? Or had the witch already been spying on the necromancer? Part of him hoped for the latter, that way he at least wouldn¡¯t be guilty of leading the witch to Hone¡¯s door. But both options were bad. And then there was the third option. The worst possibility.


    That Hone had sent for her after hearing from Kizu yesterday.


    And yet another question remained.


    Where was Shika?

 Chapter III.XXVIII (3.28) - Yukiko and Lys

    Chapter III.XXVIII (3.28) - Yukiko and Lys


    Basil knew his girlfriend well. When Aoi contacted him through their scrying orbs later that night, she expressed great distress about missing the meeting with Hone. And then spent the next half an hour quizzing them all about every word Hone had said. After that, she moved onto descriptions of his laboratory. For every object Basil described to her, she would scribble down a sketch and show it to him, grilling him for corrections.


    Kizu left them to it, lending Basil his scrying orb while he climbed up into the loft. The crone¡¯s futon was unrolled on the ground, just as before. He noticed some of the piles of her clothing had been shifted around and a babble or two might be missing, but otherwise the loft remained the same as always. It smelled of the old woman. The scent of decay tinged with roses. Basil had commented on smell earlier. The crone used what Kizu now recognized as spatial magic to extend the loft¡¯s surface area, making the platform almost as large as the main room down below.


    But Kizu wasn¡¯t interested in any of that. He went to the window and climbed out. Out on the roof, he stared out at the dark jungle for several minutes. Then he turned to the telescope set up at the roof¡¯s center.


    There was a break in the canopy directly above the hut which allowed moonlight to stream down and illuminate the area. Not that the telescope needed the opening to see the sky. It was enchanted not to magnify an object like a normal telescope, but instead to give the user a point of view from whatever location it was pointed. While that resulted in basically the same thing as magnification, it allowed the crone to also point the telescope at the ground and see from the point of view from the other side of the planet. She mostly used the feature to track solar eclipses across the world.


    Kizu put his eye to the eyepiece, fiddled with the gear that controlled its distance, and looked up at the sky above.


    He tracked down all the different constellations and remembered the stories the crone had told him about each.


    Something tugged on his shirt.


    Kizu broke away from the telescope and saw Anata standing beside him. His first thought was that it was dangerous up here, she could fall. But he dismissed the thought with a smile. He¡¯d spent many nights up here far younger than her.


    He crouched down next to her so they were eye level.


    ¡°Everything okay? Do you want help with something?¡±


    She nodded and then pointed at him.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back inside and you can show me what you need.¡±


    She shook her head and then pointed at him again, her finger tapping his chest. Kizu blinked and processed her request.


    ¡°You just¡­want me?¡± Kizu asked.


    She nodded again, more vehemently.


    ¡°Okay, well I have the time.¡± He motioned for her to look into the telescope¡¯s eyepiece. ¡°Here, take a look through this.¡±


    After removing her eyepatch, she stood on her tiptoes, barely able to reach the eyepiece.


    Worried about her dropping the eyepatch, Kizu plucked it from her hand and pocketed it before launching into an explanation of what she was looking at.


    ¡°This constellation is of the great serpent Lys slayed by the witch Yukiko. Her constellation is nearby. You¡¯ll notice how the stars are in a circle. Do you want to know the story about why?¡±


    Anata broke away from the telescope and met his eyes. He recognized the longing in her eyes. She wordlessly willed him to continue.


    ¡°It started on a day like any other. Yukiko traveled through the forest when she encountered a small snake. Unbeknownst to her, the viper was an Awakened creature named Lys. He was a rare anomaly, a creature that came to its Awakening naturally soon after its birth. However, being new to the world, he carried little power or skill. When he saw Yukiko, he shot towards her and attempted to bite her. He longed to sink his fangs into her flesh. To kill and feed. She wasn¡¯t an especially powerful witch, but not so weak that a tiny serpent barely larger than her hand posed any threat to her.


    ¡°She blasted it down with a paralysis hex and forgot about the experience entirely.


    ¡°Years passed on, and while she continued to live her life, Lys, the serpent, stewed on his defeat. For many years it remained his most bitter defeat. He had known what Yukiko was when he saw her from the jungle underbrush. He had intended to kill her or die trying. But she lived and he lived.


    ¡°From the moment of his Awakening, he had hated life. Spite drove him and he¡¯d sworn to destroy every living creature he encountered. Birds, mice, even monkeys. They had all died easily. But Yukiko had spat in the conviction. But he grew and the defeat only fed his hatred for her and all witches. Then one day he saw another witch sitting on a tree stump sorting through her day¡¯s foraged spoils. She never saw him. He shot forward and this time latched onto the back of her neck. He dangled there like a second external spinal cord. His venom turned her to stone while it sucked out her blood. She fell over, a dead statue.


    ¡°The witch¡¯s blood tasted of ancient magic and Lys gorged himself on it. It satisfied his stomach but failed to quench his thirst. That moment expanded that urge to kill. It became a need.


    ¡°Lys began to kill other humans living in a village and fed on them but soon realized they lacked the magic of the witch. Instead of killing them all, he set himself up as their god. They brought him witches from far and wide to feed him. They saw him as their protector. After generations of harassment from the covens, they were finally able to kill witches without the covens descending on them and destroying the village. They celebrated and worshiped Lys.


    ¡°And with each kill, Lys grew. Awakened creatures grow at an unusual rate already. It¡¯s believed they grow to the size they subconsciously believe themselves to be. And with the witches¡¯ blood, Lys broke through the normal limits. He could circle the entirety of the village and acted as their wall. Even dragons couldn¡¯t match him in size.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°But then Yukiko heard about Lys and came to the village to see him. He had killed a dear friend of hers and she wanted to know her friend¡¯s killer.


    ¡°When Lys saw Yukiko, the entire village trembled with his rage. But when he went to bite down on Lys, his teeth met nothing. But she appeared a little further away and he slithered after her, completely blinded by his rage. He again bit down on nothing. This continued, Lys chasing and missing his prey over and over. Until finally he bit down on flesh.


    ¡°He drank in deep, tasting the blood of witches and replacing it with his venom. It took only a few seconds for its bloodlust to fade and for it to recognize the pain from its tail. The blood it tasted was a mixture from all his previous victims. But by the time Lys recognized the taste, Yukiko had cast a familiar hex on him. He found himself paralyzed.


    ¡°The spell only lasted a minute, but when it ended he was too petrified by his own venom to move. Lys died to his own bite, a rare fate for a viper.


    ¡°Her friend avenged and the threat destroyed, Yukiko walked away from the Awakened serpent, completely unaware of their shared history.


    ¡°And yet, Lys¡¯ legend remained. He still serves those villagers to this day, acting as their stony wall, protecting them from the threats. It¡¯s said that if you travel deep into the Hon Basin, you can find a strange town with a powerful stone wall. Those citizens within the town¡¯s walls still worship the legendary Lys. They believe that, someday, he will break free of his stoney sleep and strike out once again against Yukiko and her kin.¡±


    Kizu finished his story and smiled at Anata¡¯s enraptured stare. He hoped he still managed to tell the story right. It had been a long time since he last heard the crone tell it.


    Anata¡¯s scarlet eye glowed softly in the night. Insects chirped all around them, filling the silence between them.


    Then Anata turned back to the telescope and looked through it again. She stared up at the stars.


    They spent a few more hours up on the roof, Kizu telling Anata different constellations. He doubted she¡¯d remember even a small fraction of the different star patterns he showed her, but she listened intently.


    Before they went back inside, Anata pricked her finger with her knife and pressed a bead of blood against the skin on the back of Kizu¡¯s hand.


    He sucked in air through his teeth, the night blasted into focus and he had to close his eyes to keep himself from being utterly overwhelmed.


    It passed after a moment and Kizu let out a sigh. He hadn¡¯t absorbed any of Anata¡¯s blood since before his blood transfusion. And he hadn¡¯t had such a visceral response to the blood since back during his first few uses of it in the World Dungeon.


    He felt better than ever though. An unknown weight of anxiety eased from him and he felt more confident about their chances drawing out information from the Death Party.


    Taroe stood downstairs, speaking to Ione and Basil. The scrying orb had been set to the side, Basil¡¯s talk with Aoi finished long ago.


    ¡°Good,¡± Taroe said as he watched Kizu descend the ladder. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°You heard about everything from our talk to Aoi?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°I did. But kid, I want to talk about the scrying you did before that. I don¡¯t like your plans moving forward.¡±


    Before contacting Aoi, Kizu had used his scrying orb to get ahold of Hone. The necromancer had promised Kizu to put them in contact with the Death Party, despite warning them to do otherwise. So long as Kizu kept an antimagic barrier up, he should be able to resist the mind mage. And if he could choose where they met, Kizu could set up precautions in the area to keep them safe. It seemed the best possible way forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Kizu went over to some of the crone¡¯s pickle jars and offered one to Anata who plucked it out of the jar and stuck the entire vegetable in her mouth at once.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fine. If that mind mage amplifies her spells through her familiar, you could all be completely wiped.¡±


    Kizu looked at Taroe. The Elite looked irritated.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy. You¡¯ll be nothing more than a blank state.¡±


    That was terrifying.


    ¡°Not me,¡± Basil chipped in helpfully. ¡°Or Anata for that matter. Mind magic needs to be altered for different species. And since we¡¯re completely unique, I don¡¯t think that mage has much experience with anything like us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Taroe admitted reluctantly.


    ¡°So Ione sends us with a summon and stays behind here with Anata,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I go with Basil and layer myself with an antimagic barrier, and we talk. Any problems and I¡¯ll flee.¡±


    Ione raised a hand lazily. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in sitting around the hut all day. We¡¯ve already spent an entire day here in the basin and you chased me away from the only magical creature we found. Before I could properly study it. Remember, I¡¯m here to find cool new monsters. Helping you is a side thing.¡±


    ¡°Your priorities are wrong,¡± Taroe said to her. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t value your life, if you have your mind scrambled you will forget your summons. Conjuring requires more knowledge and studying than most other fields of magic.¡±


    ¡°What magical creature?¡± Kizu asked. He didn¡¯t recall them meeting any. In fact, he¡¯d specifically led them around a nest of vinewranglers on their return journey to keep Ione from fixating on them.


    ¡°The kite,¡± Basil said helpfully. ¡°Back at the farm. Ione thought it might have eaten you.¡±


    ¡°I mentioned it might be possible. I didn¡¯t get a good enough look at it. All I know is that it was an artificial monster species. I have no idea how it consumes its prey.¡±


    ¡°Monsters can be artificial?¡± Kizu asked.


    ¡°Through soul magic. Like the jellyfish under your ship. Not a lot of people mess with that branch anymore. Necromancy is the flashier path. Modern mages don¡¯t know how to do much more than a chimera.¡±


    ¡°Off topic,¡± Taroe stated.


    ¡°Right.¡± Kizu refocused. ¡°Ione, I¡¯ll show you a few spots with some magical creatures later if you stay behind. But I want someone I trust here to guard Anata.¡±


    Ione¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What sort of creatures?¡±


    ¡°I know of a moving tree nearby. And some sort of small acid breathing primate that Mort has a rivalry with.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I can have my own Mort?¡± Ione exclaimed. ¡°Okay, deal.¡±


    Kizu was grateful Mort was not present to hear that comment. He doubted his familiar would take kindly to being compared to the sansaru. But it appeased Ione enough for her to back down.


    ¡°Good,¡± Taroe said. ¡°I will stay here as well. If you need help, use this.¡±


    He handed Kizu a chip of wood.


    ¡°Bite it and I will jump to your location.¡±


    With the planning out of the way, the party of mages prepared their supplies, ate a meal, and retired.


    Despite a day of dangers looming before him, soon after sitting in a familiar chair in front of the fireplace, Kizu fell asleep.

 Chapter III.XXIX (3.29) - Necro鈥檚 Meeting

    Chapter III.XXIX (3.29) - Necro¡¯s Meeting


    The next morning Kizu contacted Hone again via the crone¡¯s scrying bowl. The necromancer had a message from the assassins. He relayed that the Death Party deeply apologized for frightening them and that their mind mage had simply been scouting out the area. They agreed to Kizu¡¯s request to meet them in an inn at the nearby village. They also promised to keep said mind mage out of the town¡¯s borders. Kizu wasn¡¯t an idiot enough to trust them at their word, but still appreciated them acknowledging the threat.


    Ione, it turned out, wasn¡¯t as difficult to leave behind as Kizu assumed. He expected her to renege on her promise last night, but she remained passed out facedown on the rug near the fireplace as he left. A presummoned dog-creature sat on the rug beside her, panting and wagging its two tails. It didn¡¯t look very threatening, but Kizu figured it to be their summon courtesy of Ione.


    Anata was another matter. Thankfully, he had Taroe there to watch her and keep her safe. The Elite had to cast a sleep spell on her to keep her from chasing after them as they exited.


    People bustled around the village. A few gave their two-tailed dog odd looks, but most had seen them pass through the other day. Kizu spotted many familiar faces. He noticed a few unusual groupings of people and part of him was curious about how the village dynamics had shifted over the last few months, but he didn¡¯t have time for that.


    ¡°Ha. Funny,¡± Basil said, pointing at the weathered sign outside the inn.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    The only inn in the village was called Base Inn. A pun which lost its humor after a score of years. Locals referred to it as Base, so as not to confuse one another when speaking.


    Kizu pushed aside the fabric covering the entryway and entered the building. Basil and Ione¡¯s summoned dog followed at his heels.


    As he traded his shoes for slippers, Kizu glanced up at the room¡¯s corner. The point where the crone had set up her scrying spell. His normal vantage point when viewing the room. While the dining room looked the same as it always did, after so many hundreds of hours, seeing it from this new angle was discombobulating. Now, the corner was Taroe¡¯s view as the Elite watched them from the hut.


    Basil tensed beside him and Kizu followed his friend¡¯s gaze to the table at the far end of the room. A gaunt man watched them from beneath the hood of his black cloak. He sat cross-legged on the floor, a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup was on the table in front of him but they both looked untouched.


    ¡°Hope for his sake that his outfit is enchanted,¡± Basil commented. ¡°That looks warm.¡±


    Kizu checked with his spellsense and frowned. He supposed the cloak must be enchanted with something, but it was unlike any cooling enchantment on his academy uniform. And it looked slightly muted. Whatever it was enchanted for, it looked far more dangerous than just a simple spell to help with temperatures.


    Kizu resisted touching his concealment necklace and instead reinforced the antimagic barrier around himself. It still wasn¡¯t as strong as his full strength, but it was stabler now after Anata gave her blood to him last night. Even still, he¡¯d told Basil to bite down on the enchanted wood chip if he thought Kizu acting out of character or erratic.


    ¡°Hello again,¡± the necromancer said as they sat down across from them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look surprised to see me,¡± Kizu said.


    Basil wore a new body from when they encountered the necromancer back in the abandoned inn¡¯s hotspring, but Kizu couldn¡¯t alter his body without a spell or potion. He¡¯d debated weaving an illusion over himself, but decided against it. The white haired witch had seen him yesterday. As well as in Roku¡¯s shop. The Death Party members had likely already pieced together that he¡¯d been the one in the ghost town.


    ¡°No.¡± The necromancer attempted a smile, his skin stretching over his skull to reveal teeth. ¡°I know who you are, Kaga Kizu. I know quite a bit about you.¡±


    Kizu remained silent.


    The waitress, a woman named Piaki, approached and asked if they wanted drinks. Basil ordered them green tea and a bowl of water for the dog.


    Piaki left. She wasn¡¯t young, now well into her thirties, but she was married to the innkeeper, a man twenty years her senior. She was his second wife, his first dead under mysterious circumstances. Well, mysterious for the village. They thought a horse had somehow kicked her in the back of the neck. Kizu knew that the innkeeper had killed her after an argument about a miscarage. He¡¯d watched the man crying over his dead wife a couple hours after he¡¯d pushed her down the stairs. After he dragged her outside to the stables, he¡¯d drunk enough to start puking. His daughter, Mitsuko, the girl from yesterday, had found the body the next day. Then he drank more. It had continued like that for a few weeks. The crone had found the entire situation to be peak comedy and forced Kizu into watching hours of the man drinking and moaning alone on the floorboards Kizu now sat on. Kizu had been eight years old.


    ¡°If you want necromancy legalized, you¡¯ve accomplished your goal,¡± Kizu said once Piaki left earshot. ¡°The new Emperor is starting the legalization process now.¡±


    The necromancer¡¯s forced smile turned to a snarl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from them.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Basil asked, curious.


    ¡°Do you know my group¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°The Death Party?¡±


    ¡°Good. That should tell you our motives.¡±


    Basil and Kizu shared a look, then returned their attention to the necromancer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Basil said, sounding diplomatic. He stuck out a hand over the table. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name. I¡¯m Basil.¡±


    ¡°I go by Necro.¡± The necromancer took Basil¡¯s hand. They shook and then Necro reached for Kizu.


    Kizu took the offered hand. It was clammy and he could feel the individual bones under Necro¡¯s skin. It felt unnatural.


    ¡°Bit on the nose for a name,¡± Basil commented. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about people suspecting you?¡±


    ¡°No. I refuse to hide. And someday the name Necro will be known across the globe. People will whisper it in reverence and respect.¡±


    ¡°Respect?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°Or fear?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re synonymous. Two sides of the same coin.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Kizu disagreed, but he wasn¡¯t here to argue about philosophy.


    He recalled what Necro¡¯s grandmother had called him. Ken. He supposed it was a pretty plain name in comparison to Necro.


    Piaki returned with their drinks and a bowl of boiled edamame beans. Like the food in front of him, Necro didn¡¯t touch the new drink. Kizu and Basil both thanked Pitia and sipped their drinks.


    ¡°How about some food?¡± she asked. ¡°Anything sound scrumptious?¡±


    ¡°What do you recommend?¡± Basil asked, flashing her his most charming smile.


    Piaki listed off different foods her husband could cook for them. He was in the back, hidden from sight, preparing food for them.


    ¡°I know my companion is a big fan of sweets,¡± Basil said. ¡°How about a few of those anko daifuku you mentioned? And did I hear you mention that you eat strips of that local mole monster? I¡¯ll try that.¡±


    ¡°Soup is fine,¡± Kizu said. ¡°Same as his.¡± Kizu gestured at Necro¡¯s food.


    ¡°Excellent choice!¡± Piaki beamed. ¡°We prepared the stock just this morning, it¡¯s fresh.¡±


    Kizu nodded and returned his attention to Necro.


    But the waitress wasn¡¯t finished speaking to them.


    ¡°What brings a couple of academy students all the way out here to our town?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯re certainly not interesting enough to deserve attention.¡±


    ¡°You sell yourself short,¡± Basil said, leaning forward and looking deep into her eyes. ¡°All the sights here are¡­breathtaking.¡±


    Piaki blushed.


    ¡°Everything I¡¯ve laid my eyes on in this town has been gorgeous.¡±


    This time Piaki laughed and slapped his shoulder.


    ¡°You flirt. Careful or I¡¯ll sick Mitsuko on you.¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°The girl we saw while leaving town yesterday,¡± Kizu said, wanting to speed up the conversation. ¡°The one sunbathing.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You know my step-daughter?¡± Piaki asked. ¡°She certainly moves fast. I¡¯m surprised I haven¡¯t already heard about you speaking to her. Last night she was being teased about being ignored.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­yes.¡± Kizu hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ve just¡­heard of her is all.¡±


    ¡°Sure, just heard of her.¡± Piaki winked before she walked off.


    Kizu sighed. At least the conversation was over. His fumble would cause a new wave of village gossip, but that didn¡¯t really matter.


    ¡°Why did you agree to meet with us?¡± Kizu asked Necro.


    ¡°To extend an offer of friendship. Join us.¡±


    Basil popped an edamame bean into his mouth and set the shell on a small pile off to the side.


    ¡°What do you want from us?¡± the changeling asked.


    ¡°You both have information, for one thing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know of any secret passages into the Emperor¡¯s palace, if that¡¯s what you want,¡± Kizu said. ¡°I admit we¡¯re friends with Aoi, but she¡¯s not sacrificing any secrets to us.¡±


    Necro¡¯s face soured Aoi¡¯s name. Kizu had figured it better to not lie about their relationship with the princess. Even a little digging would reveal that she invited them over to the palace for spring break.


    ¡°Yes. Kotei Aoi.¡± Necro sucked in air through his teeth and released it. ¡°That brings me to my offer. I will be willing to spare her. If you speak now.¡±


    ¡°What information do you want?¡± Kizu asked. ¡°We¡¯re not master mages. I doubt we can teach you much.¡±


    ¡°No. Nothing like that. I cannot say what I want from you, or I risk playing my hand. Not until you agree.¡±


    ¡°How do you know we have whatever this mysterious information is?¡± Basil asked. ¡°We could be entirely ignorant. I¡¯m really not all that smart, honestly.¡±


    ¡°You have it,¡± Necro said confidently. ¡°And besides, you¡¯re both capable fighters. I¡¯ve seen that much. Having you by my side will make my plans far simpler. Join me. Witches and necromancers are powerful in our own rights, but we lack certain experience with other branches of spellcraft. You could cover a few of our blindspots and weaknesses.¡±


    Kizu considered the offer. If it was just him, he would refuse outright. But Basil was resistant to mind magic and Taroe watched them from the scrying spot in the inn¡¯s corner. What if they used this opportunity to infiltrate?


    ¡°I have much more to offer as well. Power, wealth. But I doubt that means much to either of you, Necro said. ¡°More than anything else, I can offer you and your loved ones protection from the oncoming Calamity. My most valuable offer. I will allow you to talk it over in private. I will wait outside.¡±


    He stood and departed.


    ¡°Think it would be ill manners if I ate that?¡± Basil asked, eyeing Necro¡¯s bowls of cold food. ¡°I didn¡¯t get any breakfast this morning. Nothing in your hut looked edible.¡±


    Kizu shook his head in exasperation. There was plenty of great preserved food back in the hut, but before he could respond, their soup and sweets arrived.


    However, instead of Piaki, Mitsuko carried their dishes. Piaki had followed through on her threat to find the girl.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Basil said. He looked her up and down, his eyes lingering on her bare legs. Her skirt only reached mid-thigh, being modified and cut off. Kizu didn¡¯t know if Basil¡¯s eyes caught there because of the unusual clothing, because he wanted to memorize the thighs for himself later, or because they were simply gorgeous. Probably all three.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Mitsuko replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing someone right now, so unfortunately you¡¯re out of luck with me. But I will say I love your hair. It contours your face perfectly. What sort of products do you use? Something local?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± She ignored him, seemingly uninterested in making smalltalk with someone taken.


    The girl set down the food on their table then turned her attention to Kizu. A first. Kizu was used to always being overshadowed by Basil when out with the shapechanger.


    ¡°Your name¡¯s Kizu?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She sat down next to him, her leg pressed up against his. She rested an elbow on the table with her head in her palm, tilted to face him. She gazed into his eyes and a smile touched the corners of her lips. She had really nice lips. A soft pink that glistered slightly in the lantern light. Her front teeth had a tiny gap between them.


    This was incredibly forward, even for Mitsuko. Was she hoping to get something from him? This sort of attention would undoubtedly bring problems. The mayor¡¯s son was never keen on sharing Mitsuko. While Kizu far from feared the bully¡¯s retribution, he also thought that it sounded like a headache to deal with. He needed a way out of this.


    ¡°You''re a student?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you study?¡±


    ¡°Magic, mostly. Spells.¡±


    ¡°Can you teach me a spell?¡± She examined the antimagic barrier Kizu still kept up. It was nearly transparent, but if someone got close they could see the design of leaves and vines. She reached out and taped it with a finger and then quickly withdrew her hand and cradled the finger while she looked down at it with awe.


    Kizu blinked. ¡°Um. Maybe. I¡¯m not that talented, honestly. What do you want to learn?¡±


    She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the empty inn, as if embarrassed to voice her wish. Then she leaned in close to whisper.


    Her lips met his.


    His body seized up. Then he leaned into the kiss. She gripped the back of his head and ran her fingers through his hair and he found his arms wrapped around her waist, embracing her. He felt her tongue flicker against his lips. She¡¯d push into him, then pull away slightly, then push again. They kept at the rhythmic kiss for several minutes. Only breaking apart for brief moments to breathe. Kizu regretted every fraction of a second they weren¡¯t connected.


    Finally, Mitsuko broke away from him. She held him off at arm¡¯s reach, hands on his shoulders. A light danced in her eyes. She nodded her head in the direction of the stairs.


    Briefly, Kizu managed to tear his eyes off her and over to Basil. The shapeshifted grinned at him and gave him a thumbs up. Only then did Kizu process the fact he¡¯d been kissing the girl in front of an audience. But, before embarrassment could take him, Mitsuko took his hand and led him away.


    His heart pounded as they ascended the stairs. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. Excitement? Nerves? Fear? Wait, no, that last one didn¡¯t make sense. No reason to be afraid. He bit his lip and tasted something familiar. They tasted of Mitsuko¡¯s lips. But no. Something else. He recognized them. Ingredients. Hag¡¯s root. And the acidy taste of something else. Blood? No, not human blood. Succubus blood maybe. Two key ingredients in¡­a love potion.

 Chapter III.XXX (3.30) - Chiame

    Chapter III.XXX (3.30) - Chiame


    Kizu opened his eyes. Mitsuko held his hand, guiding him forward. She smiled back at him sweetly. His heart thumped rapidly as she batted her eyelashes at him. She had such pretty dark eyes.


    A love potion didn¡¯t make any sense. How would Mitsuko know how to brew a love potion? And succubus blood wasn¡¯t a common ingredient. The creatures lived in urban environments, praying mostly on drunks at night with illusions and pheromones. There wouldn¡¯t be any all the way out here. No, he must be mistaken.


    Unless a witch supplied her with a potion. But to use on him? What would be the point? If it was a love potion then the miniscule amount applied to coat her lips wouldn¡¯t last more than ten minutes.


    He took another step up the stairs, towed along by Mitsuko¡¯s hand. He stared down at the steps, worn wooden boards from years upon years of use.


    ¡°Your father murdered your mother,¡± he blurted out. He didn¡¯t let himself think. ¡°He shoved her down these stairs and her head caved in. Blood smeared on the edge of the steps. He spent hours upon hours scrubbing out the stains from the wood.¡±


    Mitsuko hesitated and looked back at him, a look of slight confusion on her face. He¡¯d ruined it. He¡¯d upset her. But¡­but he needed to confess everything now. She needed to know the truth. Only, he realized she had no reason to believe him. He sounded like a raving lunatic. She probably hated him now. His heart fell as despair reached for him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss such¡­distasteful things,¡± she said after a pause. ¡°Maybe another time. We have so much more to discover about one another.¡±


    That¡­wasn¡¯t how he expected Mitsuko to react. She¡¯d grieved over her mother¡¯s death for months after the fact. Spent countless hours at the grave and attempted to shut her father out of her life when he began seeing Piaki. He expected her to either rage at him thinking he lied or embrace him for delivering such a vile secret. But she simply continued leading him up the stairs once again. Had she changed so much in the last few months? Then again, he hadn¡¯t been paying her much attention over the last year. He had avoided watching her once she started dating the mayor¡¯s tyrannical son. It might have been more of a gradual shift in her character that he¡¯d just completely been oblivious too. Still, he felt incredible relief that he hadn¡¯t accidentally angered her.


    They entered a bedroom. Mitsuko pushed him down on the futon sprawled out on the floor then circled around the futon to a red bottle of wine and two glasses sitting on a low table. Kizu blinked and suddenly both glasses were full. The wine reminded him of Emilia and his stomach twisted in distaste.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­not thirsty,¡± he said sheepishly. He smiled up at her.


    She giggled and shook her head.


    ¡°But a cool glass sounds so nice right now. It¡¯s so hot in here.¡±


    Then, to emphasize her statement, she removed her top. She playfully tossed it at his face.


    He took it off his face and then forgot how to breathe.


    She was lean with blemishless skin. Her stomach was outlined ever so slightly by muscle. His eyes climbed, went too far, then quickly off to the side before she drew in his gaze again.


    She leaned towards him, handing him the drink. He took it. Her skin was mere centimeters away from him. It took every bit of willpower not to toss the drink to the side and embrace her on the spot. His eyes were glued to her soft skin. Her exposed stomach.


    Then he blinked. He double checked, counting again. That wasn¡¯t right.


    Mitsuko now had all her ribs.


    The crone had stolen one of Mitsuko¡¯s ribs. She kept it in her hut. In fact, Kizu had seen it just earlier that same day. It was dangling from a piece of twine next to a taxidermied three-winged chicken.


    That meant it wasn''t Mitsuko smiling down at him. Once that revelation clicked in place, he managed to shake some of the potion¡¯s effects off. The specific love potion he thought he¡¯d tasted earlier was dependent on the consumer being conscious of who the person was. If he knew this wasn¡¯t Mitsuko, then she lost her power over him.


    But¡­maybe it was her. Could she have grown her rib back overnight? But that didn¡¯t make sense with what he knew about medical spells. A rib removed like that would need to be transplanted and have her body reacclimate to it after years apart. Right? But what if she¡¯d taken a transfiguration potion to temporarily regain the rib in an attempt to be perfect for him. That was definitely possible. He could think of the right ingredients for such a potion. If she could get a hold of a love potion, then a potion like that wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find as well. And it would be really sweet of her to put so much effort in. Wait no, that line of thinking meant she did spike him with a love potion. That was bad. Except¡­why was it bad?


    ¡°Drink,¡± not-Mitsuko said. She sat on the futon beside him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Kizu stammered but struggled to string together a coherent sentence. He looked at the glass in his hand. It quivered as it slowly went up towards his mouth. Some of the liquid spilled over and splattered on the futon, staining it.


    ¡°Relax,¡± she said with a smile. She held both his hands, steadying the one with the glass and laying the other on her exposed stomach. Under her incredibly soft skin he could feel her ribs. The rib that was not supposed to be there.


    Just as the glass touched his lips, he flicked his other wrist.


    A blade of ice erupted from his hand, puncturing through not-Mitsuko¡¯s body and sticking out her back. Blood discolored the sword with streaks of scarlet. Blood streamed down the blade and onto the tatami, futon, and Kizu¡¯s clothes.


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    ¡°You stabbed me!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kizu said. He¡¯d stabbed her.


    She glared at him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to stab me like this. Ugh. Of course the crone raises the dumbest boy possible. Perhaps that was her goal all along with you. She clearly dissected out all the intelligent parts.¡±


    Kizu blinked at her. Mitsuko knew about the crone. Obviously, she¡¯d stolen her rib. But not about him. But this wasn¡¯t Mitsuko. Probably. Mitsuko would die if skewered through the gut. This version of her just looked irritated.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Kizu asked.


    She pulled herself back, the sword exiting her body with a squelch. The bloodied tip of the blade fell to the ground. Kizu lacked the strength to hold the sword¡¯s weight. She covered the bloody hole in her body and scowled.


    ¡°Chiame,¡± she said. She lifted her bloody hand and pointed it at him. ¡°It¡¯s a name to remember. Nowhere will be safe as I rain blood down on the land. It will be the name on the lips of the last person alive on this horrid continent.¡±


    She looked like she meant to say more, but Kizu didn¡¯t give her the chance. The potion¡¯s effects now broken, he slashed up at her with his sword.


    Chiame fell backwards, tripping on the nightstand and tipping over the wine bottle. It broke in half as it hit the floor.


    Kizu scrambled to the other side of the room. Only now did he realize he had dropped his antimagic barrier. When had that been? Probably after the kiss. He recreated it now, and just in time as the witch on the floor sent a hex at him. It dissipated against the antimagic, but he still felt the barrier strain.


    He glanced at the door. Chiama had locked it when they¡¯d entered. He¡¯d stupidly assumed at the time she¡¯d done it for privacy. Then his eyes traveled across the room to the window. It was behind Chiama. He could jump outside, but he didn¡¯t have an angle on the ground. He¡¯d have to use his best judgment. But¡­there were villagers below. The risk was low, but not nearly impossible that he¡¯d kill someone if he tried to jump blindly. The image of his foot suddenly replacing the majority of a pedestrian¡¯s head caused him to pause. He could also aim for the air above the road, but then risked falling on someone and breaking their neck. As well as risk his own safety. But no, that was likely his best option. He¡¯d just make sure to land on his monster leg. That should be able to hold his weight fine. He just hoped that he could perform a jump properly with the blood transfusion watering down his spell power.


    Chiame hissed, a shard of broken glass from the wine bottle embedded in her hand as she pressed off the ground to stand. If she¡¯d been infected by the love potion obviously laced in the wine, the witch showed no sign of it. She plucked the shard out and flicked the bloody glass at him. It passed through his antimagic barrier and bounced off his chest.


    Then her skin bubbled and changed. Her body expanded a couple centimeters while her hair shortened. Her eyes yellowed and her eyebrows shrunk to little more than thin lines.


    But most importantly, her stomach no longer had a hole through it. The skin wasn¡¯t as perfectly unblemished as Mitsuko¡¯s had been originally, but it lacked a sword-sized cavity. Even the blood had disappeared.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Kizu asked. A person under a transfiguration potion could return to their form with varying degrees of damage depending on a thousand different factors. But returning from a human form without a scratch?


    ¡°It¡¯s not a potion,¡± Chiame said. Her voice was a bit lower than Mitsuko¡¯s. The inflections now entirely different. Gone was the rural local accent.


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    Chiame smiled. She showed him two perfect rows of white teeth. ¡°A hex of course. You stabbed Mitsuko.¡±


    Kizu¡¯s eyes widened. That hex was¡­possible. More than possible. It explained her now perfect health. But, that meant Mitsuko¡­.


    His heart dropped and he wanted to fall with it to the ground and weep. He struggled to keep on his feet. He should run now. This was a trap. Just jump and get out of this inn. Why had he stupidly given Basil the emergency contact with Taroe? Where was the shapeshifter?


    ¡°She¡¯s still alive. The stab wound you gave her will have her bleeding out. Probably dead in the next couple minutes. But for now, still alive. Just come with me and I¡¯ll take you to her.¡±


    ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know medical spells.¡± It was the only excuse he could come up with. He fought the urge to rush to Mitsuko¡¯s side with rationality. He wanted to get on his knees and grovel at Chiame¡¯s feet.


    ¡°If you accompany me, I¡¯ll heal her.¡±


    Another minute. The love potion¡¯s effects should end in about another minute.


    But a minute was too long. Even without the potion¡¯s effects, he¡¯d want to save the girl. He¡¯d stabbed her. He¡¯d killed before. The goblin¡¯s beaten corpse flashed through his mind, then the flaming bloodspawn, and finally the image of Inari and Kateshi as they sank moments before the monster consumed them. But¡­Mitsuko was innocent. He would be the killer of a girl whose only crime was existing. She was vain and insecure, constantly obsessed with her appearance. But he recalled watching her steal a bottle of wine from her step-mother¡¯s stash only to go out of town to set up a picnic alone in that same field he¡¯d seen her in yesterday. She had wept while watching the sun lower in the horizon and then had spent several hours looking up at the stars. She spoke out into the night about her dreams of escaping the village. A secret she was too scared to admit to anyone in the village. A deep wanderlust hid under her surface vanity. She wanted to shop in the bustling cities in the Hon mountains and visit the vast sea. She dreamed of living through stories like those traveling minstrels sang of. Mythical islands in the sky and forgotten temples buried in the sands of the desert. Mitsuko had no idea he existed outside of the brief sight of him yesterday. But Kizu knew her. He knew more about her than perhaps anyone else in the world. And he didn¡¯t want her to die.


    He bowed his head and submitted.


    ¡°Take me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Drop the barrier. And don¡¯t resist the jump.¡±


    Every survival instinct at him screamed as he released his antimagic barrier. He suspected that, like she mentioned, if he tried he¡¯d be able to resist the jump just like he did with beacons. But he lowered his guard.


    Chiame walked up to him and clamped a hand on his shoulder. She was surprisingly warm-blooded for such a nasty person. Their yellow eyes locked. His the gold of an owl monkey and hers, the dull yellow of sickly puss.


    Then, she jumped.

 Chapter III.XXXI (3.31) - Necro鈥檚 Attack

    Chapter III.XXXI (3.31) - Necro¡¯s Attack


    Kizu appeared suddenly in an enclosed space. Chiame¡¯s hand still rested on his shoulder. He blinked and let his eyes adjust. His bond with Mort pointed his familiar far, far above him. That was bad.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the World Dungeon,¡± Kizu said.


    ¡°Astute. Yes, this is where we¡¯re keeping Mitsuko. Follow me.¡±


    She started down a dark stone hallway. The witch didn¡¯t bother to look back. She clearly knew he wouldn¡¯t lag behind. Not here.


    He followed her until they entered an archway into a sitting room. There were cloth couches in front of a warm fireplace and there was even carpet flooring. It looked homely, completely unlike anything else Kizu had seen in the World Dungeon before, but he wasn¡¯t surprised. He¡¯d read of entire abandoned cities existing down here.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Chiame gestured at the couch. ¡°I¡¯ll go get your victim.¡±


    He remained standing as she exited the room. He bit his lip. The love potion¡¯s effects were rapidly fading, but the anxiety remained.


    She returned, dragging Mitsuko¡¯s limp body behind her by a single arm. The girl¡¯s entire torso was drenched in blood that stained the carpet. The girl didn¡¯t resist, but Kizu heard her rapid intakes of breath and the wheezes of breath as she clung to life. Her arm flopped on the floor when Chiame released it. Mitsuko¡¯s eyes darted around in a panic. He thought she was trying to say something, but the words were completely lost by her wheezes as she slowly died.


    ¡°Ugh. Thankfully you¡¯re at least thin,¡± Chiame complained. She kicked the downed girl. ¡°Heavy enough though. Stop your moaning. You¡¯re not a zombie yet. Stop acting like one.¡±


    Kizu watched, transfixed in horror as Chiame knelt, jabbed her hand into Mitsuko¡¯s exposed wound, and started digging around. Mitsuko¡¯s eyes rolled back in pain, but was paralyzed by a hex. After a minute, Chiame yanked her hand out and muttered about wasting resources before pouring a healing potion over the gaping hole in Mitsuko¡¯s body.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s done. Don¡¯t go saying I don¡¯t keep my word.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be okay?¡± Kizu asked. He watched Mitsuko¡¯s body twitch but her chest continued to rise and fall. She went unconscious as the gash in her stomach solidified into a gnarly scar that stretched across the flesh under her ribs.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have your atlas or bell,¡± Chiame said, ignoring his question. ¡°Even if you know how to long distance jump, which I don¡¯t think you do, you won¡¯t be getting out of here. Sekai likes to change. Even more so this deep in his belly. Nearly impossible to predict how he will choose to move.¡±


    Unless you had an anchor like she obviously had. Something tying her to the surface. It would need to be incredibly powerful, most spatial mages were incapable of jumping in and out of the World Dungeon. With a long distance jump, he¡¯d still only have less than a ten percent chance of success while using Mort as an anchor. She must have something truly unique. Likely an artifact.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Kizu didn¡¯t know how she knew about the atlas or bell, but he didn¡¯t plan to reveal any information about them.


    She snorted. ¡°Necro is currently claiming them as we speak. No need to be coy about their existence. We know everything.¡±


    Kizu blinked. ¡°But¡­he said he¡¯d wait outside.¡±


    ¡°You met with a simulacrum. You didn¡¯t actually think he¡¯d risk walking into a trap? Idiot.¡±


    Kizu scrambled to connect to Mort through their bond. The owl monkey was at peace sleeping in his old spot beside Kizu¡¯s futon by the fireplace in the crone¡¯s hut. Kizu couldn¡¯t exactly explain his horrible situation to the familiar, but he did his best through images and feelings.


    Mort leaped into action. He dragged Kizu¡¯s bag away from the chair he¡¯d left it on and over to Taroe who stood, staring at a window. The window¡¯s reflection showed Basil sitting in the inn, eating his food. The Elite medic frowned at the divination scene, likely trying to figure out where Kizu was.


    Then the hut¡¯s wall blasted apart, shrapnel spraying across the interior. Mort narrowly dodged out of the way of a metal pan that had been hanging on the wall.


    Taroe whirled around, facing his opponents.


    Necro stood in the opening, smiling at Taroe. A massive multi-headed draconic creature stood behind him. It only took a moment for Kizu to recognize it as a hydra. Only the center of its three heads matched the dark green scales of its body. The colors clashed with two of its heads, the left and right heads were red and yellow respectively. The red head spat a glob of molton spit at the Elite.


    Taroe raised his arms and blasted a wave of water into its side, deftly managing to deflect the attack. But the hydra¡¯s molton glob still detonated as it slammed into the other side of the hut. Not as powerful as the first, but still enough to blow a new gash in the wall large enough to walk through.


    ¡°Run!¡± Taroe commanded the others. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off the beast in front of him. His shield of water hovered in front of him, the only thing separating him from the hydra and necromancer.


    Anata, as per usual, did not listen to adults. Instead, she rushed forward.


    ¡°Go away!¡± she shouted at the monster and necromancer.


    Nothing happened.


    Anata¡¯s eyes widened in horror.


    ¡°Go away! Leave us alone!¡±


    Necro laughed.


    ¡°Is this the Harbinger I¡¯ve heard so much about? Don¡¯t worry, you can show us more of your glamour after we leave. I have someone special to introduce you to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to take her,¡± Taroe growled. ¡°Not while I¡¯m alive.¡±


    But Ione hadn¡¯t been sitting back and watching.


    A two headed bear crashed down from the loft above Necro¡¯s head. The necromancer stumbled and fell backward in surprise, his smile slipping from his face as the bear crushed his leg. He cried out in pain. The hydra stepped in and slammed its middle head into the bear, knocking it off Necro while electricity crackled between the yellow head¡¯s teeth.


    The bear howled in outrage with one head while the other buried its jaws into the green hydra head¡¯s cheek. Then the yellow¡¯s teeth bit into the bear¡¯s side. Ione¡¯s summon stiffened as electricity coursed through it, but it didn¡¯t release the green¡¯s face. If anything, it bit down harder.


    Taroe deflected yet another fire blast from the red head, this time managing to send it through the previous hole and out of the building. But while the Elite had skill and technique with the water, it was clear he lacked the raw strength of a true elementalist.


    Necro saw this too. He smiled, his broken bone snapping back into shape with a shake of his leg. He stepped towards Anata.


    But Mort was faster. During the fight, the monkey had gotten ahold of the bell from Kizu¡¯s bag and now leaped onto Anata¡¯s back while holding the artifact with his back leg.


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    Kizu felt Mort channel through him, taking some of his blood as he jumped himself and Anata out of the building. Unfortunately, it lacked Kizu¡¯s normal blood¡¯s power. Instead of appearing in the jungle like intended, Mort only transported Anata to the grass outside.


    ¡°The bell!¡± Necro roared from inside. ¡°Forget the bear and stupid human! That monkey has the bell!¡±


    The hydra attempted to turn itself around but that gave Taroe and Ione¡¯s summon openings. Both assaulted the creature and pinned it down. The bear bore down on the hydra with its raw weight while Taroe managed to freeze the green snout to the floor.


    Necro ran after Mort and Anata. Two zombies lumbered up from the bushes nearby. Kizu felt his familiar preparing another jump. But he didn¡¯t need to.


    A multicolored bird twice the size of a condor swooped down and tore its talons into the necromancer¡¯s face, knocking him off his feet and sending him sprawling into the mud.


    Then Ione dropped down from the roof, a twin bird holding onto her shoulders and flapping to break her fall as she landed beside Mort and Anata.


    ¡°Mort, you go with her,¡± Ione said, transferring the large bird over to Anata¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up. I can track my summons.¡± Then she turned her back to them and faced off against the zombies.


    Mort¡¯s only response was to climb up onto Anata¡¯s head and cling to the girl as the bird beat its wings and took flight with them. It took only a few seconds before the hut completely disappeared behind them as they weaved through the jungle.


    Then Kizu snapped back to attention. What could he do? How had they managed to gain access to the crone¡¯s hut? They hadn¡¯t tracked them. Basil was still at the pub drinking and waiting for Kizu. The changeling should also be immune to mind reading. And besides, Basil would only barely have more of an idea of how to get through the crone¡¯s wards than anyone else in the village. It had to be a leak from the Elites. They were the only ones other than Kizu and the crone who knew how to access the hut.


    He took stock of his current tools. His spells would be unreliable for a few more days still. But he had both his rings, his ice sword one and his spatial storage ring. That ring gave him access to a lot of potion materials, but only a dozen or so prepared brews. He hadn¡¯t had enough time or resources to prepare potions these last couple weeks. Most of what he had was just leftovers from what he¡¯d made over the past few months while experimenting after Brewing S classes. He was only one person and so much of his recent time had been dedicated to improving his spellcraft, not focused on brewing. But he at least had a few potions ready. A couple for healing wounds and one for clearing congestion. Two of the freezing ice potions that Allik had taught him how to make. A bunch of hyper-adhesive potions he¡¯d brewed as a class project. A water-breathing potion. Three of his firebomb potions. Half a dozen soul uniting potions. And a couple medicinal experiments that hadn¡¯t panned out. Nothing incredibly useful for his current situation.


    Chimae stood, completely oblivious to what he had just witnessed.


    ¡°Come, your friend wants to speak to you.¡±


    She motioned for him to follow as she exited the comfortable sitting room.


    Kizu barely heard Chiame¡¯s words or processed her leaving the room. He remained where he was for half a minute, still trying to sort through his thoughts. Mort was safe. Anata was safe. Mort still had the bell, that was good. Necro knew of it and wanted it. Unfortunately, the atlas had been left behind. Mort simply didn¡¯t have the strength to carry its weight. And Taroe likely didn¡¯t know it was there. Hopefully, Taroe and Ione could chase off the hydra and the necromancer and that wouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    Unable to do anything else, Kizu stood and trailed after Chiame into a hallway.


    The witch dragged Mitsuko by one leg behind her. Kizu bent and lifted the girl and carried her. The love potion¡¯s effects were over now, but he¡¯d just recklessly tossed himself into extreme danger for this girl. He jeopardized his life to save her. He¡¯d rather she didn¡¯t get her skull cracked as she was dragged around.


    Kizu blinked in surprise as Chiame brought him into a new room. Sacks filled with hay lay strewn across the floor, probably meant for sleeping, but it was distinctly not designed as a bedroom. Instead, musical instruments lined the walls and a massive organ sat in the center of the room. Kizu spotted instruments from cultures all over the world, including many odd ones he didn¡¯t recognize.


    The second thing he noticed about the room was the young girl sitting on one of the sacks, she was blowing into a recorder which let out a harsh whistle. She looked up, her pasty skin and red eyes familiar. Every joint of her body was lined with deep black stitches that held her flesh into place.


    ¡°Shika?¡± Kizu asked, startled.


    ¡°Kizu!¡± She smiled at him. Kizu noticed she was missing several of her teeth and that her gums were starting to blacken with rot.


    ¡°Ah yes, a touchingly warm reunion,¡± Chiame said. ¡°You two can keep one another company until Necro returns.¡±


    She turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her. As it closed, Kizu felt his bond with Mort instantly sever. The loneliness slammed into him like a breaking wave.


    Then Kizu noticed the third strange aspect of the room. The glyphs etched into the trim lining the ceiling. Extremely familiar glyphs.


    He dropped Mitsuko on one of the sacks of hay and ran to the door. The door knob remained stuck in place, as if frozen in time. He slammed his fist into the door. But it didn¡¯t open.


    ¡°A time dilation chamber,¡± Kizu spat.


    It made sense. What better prison than somewhere cut off from the flow of time? Without Anata¡¯s divination skills, the room left him entirely in the dark.


    ¡°There¡¯s food in the corner. I think they thought I would go feral if I didn¡¯t eat.¡± Shika giggled. ¡°I did try to eat them. But not because I was hungry.¡±


    Kizu went to the corner and found a large basket full of bread and flasks of prepared soup. The basket had a preservation enchantment to keep the food from molding. At least he wouldn¡¯t go hungry for a few weeks.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Kizu asked the zombie girl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re here now though! We can play games!¡±


    Kizu frowned and considered.


    ¡°Blackmail,¡± he decided. ¡°They wanted your father to sell us out.¡±


    ¡°Maybe! I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s not here yet. He likes to cast spells on me before I get so smelly.¡±


    By ¡®smelly,¡¯ Kizu suspected she meant rotten. It was only slight, her blackened mouth and a milkyness to her eyes, but Hone was meticulous about keeping his zombified daughter in good health. Most people wouldn¡¯t usually be able to tell she was a zombie at all.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Time is such a mortal thing.¡±


    ¡°Shika, please focus. Do you have an estimate at all?¡±


    ¡°Well, they did a load of experiments on me when I first got here. A skinny guy named Necro liked to talk to me. But he was really weird. He had zombies too, but his were so goofy compared to Pa¡¯s. They barely ever listened to instructions. I think he wanted to try bossing me around. But that doesn¡¯t work. Even Pa doesn¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±


    ¡°He tried to seize control of you?¡± Kizu¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°And after he realized he couldn¡¯t, Necro tossed you in here?¡±


    ¡°Yep, pretty much.¡±


    Kizu began to pace around their room. It was larger than Anata¡¯s prison had been. At least three or four times the size. And with food, talkative company, and instruments at his disposal, he¡¯d at least have entertainment. But he had no idea how dilated the room was compared to Anata¡¯s. One hour outside was, what? Three here? Five? A day? Still. Chiame hadn¡¯t confiscated his things when she¡¯d dropped him off here. He hadn¡¯t brought much into town with him, but he at least had a notebook and enchanted quill in one of his side pockets. He took them out and started sketching.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shika asked, standing on her tiptoes to get a look at the paper he wrote on. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    ¡°Last time I got stuck in one of these I regretted not studying the glyphs used for temporal enchantments. This time I want to record them immediately. There¡¯s no telling when that door might open again, but it¡¯s better to do this now then get caught halfway through later.¡±


    ¡°They open the door all the time,¡± Shika said.


    Kizu paused his writing and looked over at his old friend. ¡°How often?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Tons.¡±


    Even more of a reason for him to prioritize recording the glyphs. But that was also good news. It meant he¡¯d have opportunities to escape sooner than later.


    ¡°Who exactly are the Death Party?¡± Kizu asked Shika as he sketched. ¡°Do you know their capabilities? Strengths? Weaknesses?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Well some are necromancers. But they¡¯re all pretty bad compared to Pa. Like, they can make a skeleton or zombie, but nothing impressive. And then there are some witches like your Ma.¡±


    ¡°The crone is not my mother.¡± Kizu sighed and shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this.¡±


    ¡°And I still think you¡¯re lying! She acts like a Ma.¡±


    ¡°She really, really doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Mitsuko groaned on the floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her very much,¡± Shika said, looking down at the pretty girl. ¡°They dropped her off here a little while ago, and then she transformed to look like one of the witches. And when she turned back, she started bleeding all over. Look.¡±


    Shika gestured at one of the sacks of hay in the corner of the room. It was coated in fresh blood. Kizu walked over to it and tapped it with a finger. Not enough time had passed to solidify it into a stain. Kizu wondered if he could use that as a base to help him measure how long time passed outside. How long had he been in the room with Chiame as she healed Mitsuko? Maybe ten or fifteen minutes? So the accelerated time couldn¡¯t be more than three or four times. Around the same as Anata¡¯s room. Perhaps that was the standard for rooms like this. It was also interesting because it meant that the hex¡¯s effects remained while Mitsuko was inside the room. But that wasn¡¯t too surprising seeing as Anata had been able to break free of her prison using powerful divination astral projection while sealed away. There were ways around the isolation effect.


    Mitsuko screamed as she awoke to Shika glaring down at her. Then she saw the wound in her stomach and she began to weep. Meanwhile Shika pointed and started giggling at her.


    Suddenly, Kizu got the suspicion this might be a far worse experience than his stay with Anata. At least then the company had been silent. Perhaps Necro would return soon and he¡¯d be freed from this.

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    Hello all! I''m extremely excited to let you all know that as of now, Blood Curse Academia has hit Kindle Unlimited and Audible! I''m so overwhelmingly happy! This has been my dream since I was a little kid. I was incredibly lucky to have Timeless Wind Publishing find me over a year ago, back when this story had barely more than a hundred followers. Despite my low numbers at the time, they reached out to work with me. It was incredible. This is the same publisher that put out Godclads, Menocht Loop, Ends of Magic, Keiran, Wish Upon the Stars, and so many more banger stories. And I got to join their ranks.


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 Chapter III.XXXII (3.32) - Time and Space

    Chapter III.XXXII (3.32) - Time and Space


    Necro did not return soon. Kizu hoped it was because he¡¯d been apprehended by Taroe and now awaited a trial in Kyonaka.


    He worried about Anata, Mort, and Ione often. The last he¡¯d seen, Anata had been escaping alongside his familiar while Ione covered for them. And he supposed that if Necro had successfully captured Anata, she¡¯d likely be locked up in the time dilation chamber with him by now. Unless¡­things went even more wrong and they died. But Mort was familiar with the dangers of the Hon Basin. They should be safe. They¡¯d be able to hide from any pursuers with ease. But that didn¡¯t stop Kizu from worrying.


    Kizu didn¡¯t have a great sense of time since Anata¡¯s blood had altered his already wonky sleep schedule. But, judging by how frequently Mitsuko slept, he suspected it had been four days for them so far, which meant maybe a little over a day outside the chamber.


    Shika spent a lot of her time annoying Kizu. She showed very little interest in Mitsuko unless she thought up a game that required a third player. Kizu, thankfully, was able to keep her entertained using his notebook. But while his quill was enchanted to supply a near bottomless amount of ink, the pages in his notebook lacked any such enchantment. So she ran out of paper. But not before he managed to make a few vital objects out of it.


    Mitsuko turned out to be the only thing saving his sanity at the moment. If locked in here alone with Shika, Kizu might have gone mad by now.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand this game,¡± Mitsuko complained for the thousandth time.


    Kizu ignored her and played a card. She understood it just fine. It was a complaint she always made when she tried being sneaky about a play.


    He bit his lip and cursed silently as she revealed her card. It trumped his own by a wide margin. She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes.


    Maybe now she said it because she was faking about being sneaky. Kizu couldn¡¯t be certain. The villager was a lot more cunning than she let on.


    They played the card game Aoi¡¯s skeletons liked on Owl¡¯s Respite. But, unlike the skeletons, they didn¡¯t cheat. Most of the time. That gave Kizu a chance at actually winning. Though Mitsuko probably had a few more wins under her belt. Unlike the skeletons who played completely emotionlessly, Mitsuko liked mind games. She completely shredded Shika whenever the zombie girl joined.


    When he wasn¡¯t playing cards or some other game devised by Shika, Kizu played on the piano in the back corner of the room. He couldn¡¯t practice magic without Anata here to replenish his blood supply, but at least he could maybe work at improving his music ranking. He spent hours upon hours practicing songs he¡¯d memorized until the girls in the room complained and started throwing things at him.


    Anata¡¯s blood was becoming a real issue. He found himself staring off at the walls, just picturing the visceral jolt of life a drop of her blood gave. He fantasized about it and when he slept, he often awoke in a cold sweat and looked around desperately for his niece. It also made him more snippy whenever his mind wandered to it. It was a problem. He knew that. He could only imagine what a state he¡¯d be in without having the recent blood transfusion. Maybe he would be dead without the resistance the procedure had temporarily leant him.


    And, more than just the want for blood, Kizu often fretted about his niece¡¯s condition. What exactly had Necro planned for his companions? He knew about the atlas and the bell. That painted a target on their backs so long as they kept the bell on them.


    ¡°Tell me about your enchanting class,¡± Mitsuko said. After learning that he was a student, she¡¯d questioned him about all of his classes at Shinzou Academy. It was the fifth time she¡¯d asked about enchanting, though that was only her third favorite topic to interrogate him about. After his elementalist class and his combat class. He¡¯d purposefully left out his special tutoring by Roba and Wakino, just in case there was some sort of enchantment in the room that let people on the outside listen in. Better to not reveal too much about his spatial capabilities.


    Mitsuko attempted the spells, but she was terrible at them. Not just in a beginner sort of way, she lacked any natural affinity for any of the spells he tried to show her. The greatest achievement she managed in the several days was a shaky illusion in her palm that was just a small blob of colors. Kizu had never met someone so naturally inept at magic. Except maybe Ione. But she still had an incredibly strong niche.


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    ¡°It¡¯s possible that your strengths lie in a different branch of magic,¡± Kizu said. ¡°You could still be a powerful specialist. I met a woman recently who could blow things up and fling globs of lava. But she also couldn¡¯t make an illusion any better than you.¡±


    Granted, he didn¡¯t know Ueno couldn¡¯t cast illusions. But the elementalist had stated she lacked any power with anything other than fire and earth spells.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything with rocks or fire either,¡± Mitsuko said grumpily.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of magic branches I don¡¯t know. And I¡¯ve never taught someone spellcraft before.¡±


    ¡°What other kinds are there?¡±


    ¡°Well, medical spells and conjuring are two massive branches that I start classes on next semester. And then there¡¯s obscure stuff like hexes, temporal magic, soul magic, and mind magic. And there¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t know as well. For example, I know druids practice something unique by channeling life in a different way than soul magic and then I recently met some shamans in Northern Tross who connected to their ancestors somehow.¡±


    ¡°I thought you were a witch too,¡± Mitsuko said. ¡°Can¡¯t you teach me hexes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a witch. I can often recognize hexes and know some of the rituals used to empower certain hexes but can¡¯t channel them.¡±


    ¡°How did you live with a witch and never learn a hex?¡±


    Kizu shrugged. He simply hadn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t explain any more than that.


    Shika started poking Kizu in the side, trying to get his attention. When he looked over at her, she threw a crumpled-up page from his notebook at his face. He barely managed to lift a hand in time to swat it away. She laughed and scampered after the paper ball. She often started acting out whenever he and Mitsuko talked about magic for too long. As a zombie, Shika couldn¡¯t perform any spells and had already vocalized several times about how left out she felt. Never mind the fact that Mitsuko couldn¡¯t manage much more than her.


    Shika¡¯s newest game involved trying to see who could land the paper ball on top of the highest organ pipe. Currently Mitsuko held the highest score, getting hers perched on the third tallest pipe.


    While they turned their attention to that, Kizu decided to try something new.


    He hated waiting for the door to open for them. It was exactly like it had been with Anata, the constant unease of never knowing.


    This time though, he had an idea based on what he¡¯d managed to decipher from the glyphs. Most of it was entirely foreign to him. But he understood the purpose of half a dozen glyphs from his studies on the gate he¡¯d created for his Enchanting C final. That might be enough.


    He sat cross-legged on the floor and focused on the area between his hands.


    His studies with Wakino had been cut short, but he¡¯d learned a little more than just barriers from her. While barriers had been what she¡¯d instructed him on, she¡¯d also demonstrated a few other uses of spatial magic. Not too unlike the ring he wore, space could be stretched and condensed. By doing so, a mage could completely change the distance between two objects. It warped reality and was difficult to pull off in more than small areas unless supported by permanent enchantment glyphs.


    At first, as he channeled into the space between his two palms, he only created varying densities of barriers. He stretched the barriers and tried to instead touch the space itself. He instinctually switched to antimagic barriers, which wasn¡¯t much closer to what he wanted. A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek from his brow. It was far from the last.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how long it took, and he likely used up more blood than was wise, but something finally connected. He pinched his thumbs to his pointer fingers, as if able to feel the space under them like a filmy layer of slime, then pulled his arms apart.


    The space between his palms warped. It was like looking through a half-melted block of ice. The other side of the space had its proportions distorted.


    In front of him, Mitsuko was holding Shika on her shoulders. The zombie girl had detached her left arm and held it in her right, trying desperately to reach a paper ball on top of one of the organ¡¯s lower pipes.


    Kizu slowly lifted the altered space and turned it ninety degrees. Aiming it up at the paper ball, he released it like a slingshot. The sudden impact of space snapping together caused a ripple effect and he jolted forward, falling on his face. But the paper ball also felt the impact and tumbled off the pipe, pulled towards him. It hit the ground and rolled over to him.


    He grinned at the wad of paper. A success. The further the target was away, the less of a pull his spell had on it which was why he was shoved forward with force while the ball had barely felt a minor tug in his direction. In the future, he¡¯d keep in mind both ends of the spell to keep himself from face planting in the middle of a fight.


    ¡°Was that an air elemental spell,¡± Mitsuko asked. She picked up the ball and looked down at him sprawled on the floor.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Kizu said. He pushed himself back into a sitting position and examined the room¡¯s glyphs.


    It took him a few minutes of scanning, but he finally managed to find what he was looking for. One of the glyphs had notably dimmed. He smiled. It was a start. The room was designed for exactly the amount of space within it. His ring likely already taxed it of any wiggle room, but him creating rifts of altering space could wear down the enchantments.


    After eating some bread and swigging down a flask of pumpkin soup, he got back to work.


    When in doubt, just break the magical artifact holding him prisoner.