Chapter 11 - My First Adventures
The journey back to the inn was lonely and exhausting. As soon as the heavy iron gates of the palace of Aluvia Magna closed behind my back, the absence of that oppressive royal guard escort left me with a strange feeling of emptiness.
— I wanted to disappear from here... — I thought as I walked and tried to digest what had happened.
I arrived at my lodging more downcast than I ever imagined I could be. It felt like I had lost a relative, but no — I was punished just because I did well at something... Damn it! — Some rebel tears fell from my eyes as I pounded on my room's door.
— If punching your own thigh solved any problem, I guarantee you half the nobility would be walking around limping. —
I stopped abruptly, blinking fast to ward off the tears.
Leaning against the hallway wall, right next to my room's door, was a woman. She wore a practical outfit of dark leather and chainmail. Her gaze carried no pity, but it also lacked the disgusting arrogance of the palace lords. It was a calm look, from someone who perfectly knew that bitter taste of injustice I was feeling.
I tried to hastily wipe my face with the sleeve of my tunic, straightening my posture as I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.
— Who are you? — I stammered, my voice still sounding a bit choked up.
— Elara — she answered simply, pushing off the wall. — I was sent by the King. I am your official bodyguard as of today. —
She took a step forward, turned the doorknob to my room, and pushed the door open, making a slight gesture with her head for me to enter.
— You can go in and finish crying to your heart's content in there. You don't need to hold it in front of me, no one is made of stone. — — But don't take too long to pull yourself together. We only have until nightfall to shove your things into those bags and get out of this capital. —
I tried to stammer something; however, that option was the only one I had. After all, as she said, beating myself up wouldn't bring any benefit. I entered my room with all my accumulated anger, determined to leave this madhouse.
— I am never going to any damn tournament or anything like that ever again... Just to be punished later? No way. I'd rather run away than do another tournament like this. — I thought while I organized, or rather, shoved everything into my bag in a way that wouldn't break on the way, not giving a damn about organization. The eternity that seemed to have passed for me amounted, in practice, to a mere half hour.
— Are you done yet? — Elara asked, with a voice that was sweet and harsh at the same time, which bothered my ears a little.
— Yes. —
— You're this angry but you forget that you became a Rank C adventurer overnight. —
— And? —
— "And"? Didn't they teach you the basics about the guild? —
— No, I've never even heard of it... — I paused for a bit to remember. — Ah, I remember! It's a place where certain people called "adventurers" do risky jobs in exchange for money, right? That makes it worse, then. — Although I tried to contain myself, it was inevitable that part of my anger showed in my speech.
— Ugh, yes... — Elara sighed, trying to keep her calm. — The problem is that the guild only allows people 12 years or older to take Rank F jobs, which essentially boil down to almost domestic chores, and still with a guardian accompanying them. You earned Rank C, which already allows you to do missions that are worth much more, straight away at 12 years old! — She sighed again. — Do you understand what I mean? —
— That I can fight monsters? Ok... Let's just go, I'm tired of this... —
Without wasting another second in that room, I threw the bag over my shoulder and walked down the inn's stairs with heavy steps, with Elara following me in a comfortable silence. We went straight to the stables at the back of the lodging, where I found the carriage driver who had brought me from Aritel. The man's eyes widened upon seeing me pale, in a rush, and escorted by an imposing figure in leather and steel, but I made no effort to give any explanation. I just tossed the payment coins into his hand and asked, in a tone that left no room for refusals, for him to prepare the horses immediately; we would return home before the moon even reached the top of the sky.
As the carriage began to roll and the sound of the wheels ground against the mud and gravel, I looked back under the window. The sight of Aluvia Magna pleased me greatly, not because it was beautiful, but because it was getting further away from me.
Even so, guards and drivers are not made of iron. As much as I wanted to get home as fast as possible, the animals' exhaustion forced us to make a stop on the side of the main road a few hours after night fell.
— The guards held out for quite a while... Were they afraid of me? — I thought as I stepped down to eat some rations near the campfire they had made.
I grabbed some of my papyri and ink, sitting in a place further away from the fire, but still catching plenty of its light. I began to unroll the magic circles that were left over from that fight.
— All the blades are in good condition... My wind gust too... Now... My multi-circle... — I quickly swept my eyes over the place I was in. — I guess the excess mana must have made it catch fire... It happens. —
From the other side of the fire, Elara threw a twig at my circles. In a reflex, I pulled them away using sorcery, making the papyri hover behind me and the twig hit the very stone where they had been.
— Good reflexes. — she pointed out. — Even so, "It happens" is a terrible justification for someone who just earned a Rank C license. —
— That is merely a statement of facts. If I put in too much mana without anticipating it, it will catch fire. It's like you swinging a sword like an axe thinking it'll work out. —
— Fair enough. The difference is, if I drop my sword in the water, it remains a sword — countered Elara, pointing her chin at the intact papers floating behind my back. — The coliseum was a clean environment with rules. But out here, it isn't. A torrential downpour could fall right this minute, and your spells will turn to soup. —
She leaned slightly forward, her gaze fixed on me.
— If your main weapon is so fragile that a simple puddle of water can turn it into mush, you have a fatal flaw on your hands. Nothing will be able to save you if you slip in a river and your weapon melts. —
Elara shrugged, settling herself better against the tree trunk to try and rest.
— I am not questioning the efficiency of it. But as soon as we arrive, make sure to put your spells on a thick piece of leather. Nature doesn't care how well you control your magic, and relying on paper out here is asking to die because of a dark cloud. —
— Wouldn't an engraving be better? — I retorted. — Though it must be more expensive to carve... A good engraving on metal or other resistant materials could be much more useful... Imagine if I could use it as a shield to absorb spells? — I explained, as a drop of pride, which quickly vanished with the memories of the tournament, welled up inside me.
Elara stopped chewing for a moment, genuinely evaluating the proposal. As soon as the drop of brightness faded from my face, she turned her eyes to the side to prepare an answer for me.
— The idea is good — she admitted, frankly and without beating around the bush. — For a spell you need to use all the time, or precisely as a fixed defense, a metal plate would be excellent. It doesn't tear, it doesn't melt, and it defends well if your mana runs out. —
She took a sip of water from her canteen and leaned back against the tree trunk again.
— But think about the weight. How many of those parchments do you have there in your bag? About thirty? Try marching for three days in the mud carrying thirty steel plates on your back and tell me how fast you'll be at dodging a monster. —
— But I am a mage. Mages are usually protected by the rest of the group, I won't need to dodge. —
Elara raised her hand to her forehead in exasperation. — Ugh, if you only knew how many mages get killed because they don't even know how to move under pressure... Being a walking catapult doesn't stop you from dropping dead at the first hit. — Right after, she pointed at my inkwell. — More importantly than that, if you mess up a line on paper, you just throw it away and get another one. But for a blacksmith... One wrong engraving and your precious circle goes down the drain. —
— Makes sense... — I thought. Unable to think of what to say, I continued eating my rations and went to sleep.
The constant jolting of the carriage finally changed rhythm, swapping the uneven dirt road for the familiar clatter of hooves on cobblestone.
The morning sun already illuminated the thick walls surrounding Aritel, but the scene we were greeted with was not one of euphoria.
As I watched the gates, I noticed there was no retinue, no excited servants waiting for me. There were only the guards at the gatehouse, confused to see the young lord's carriage returning so suddenly and without prior notice. To make matters worse, Elara, who was sitting beside me, seemed to be having the worst day of her life.
— I know she didn't like it and neither did I like us being together but... — I thought, but censored myself upon remembering that I was much worse off than her earlier.
There weren't many problems getting past the guard, and, after a while, about halfway to my castle, I turned to the side. There were many people walking by, avoiding the carriage, and others in pilfered rags carrying heavy boxes. One in particular couldn't bear the weight and received a lash from another nearby, quickly getting back up and picking the box back up.
I decided to turn the other way after that atrocious scene, and the setting remained the same, except for the lack of some overlord whipping others.
— Where is the guild? — I asked Elara.
— We would have to turn left at the next street, turn right at the other one, and continue for two streets... No —
— Driver, please change the route, turn left at the next street, then right, and continue for two streets. — I shouted to the driver. — Great! That way I won't get scolded anytime soon! — I thought.
— You... I don't even have words. — Elara replied to all this commotion, right before the driver responded.
— My Lord, I humbly ask that you state the point where you wish to stop next time, there is no need to tell me exactly how I should proceed — commented the driver before turning down the street as I had requested.
Although he took a different path than I had anticipated, we arrived exactly where I wanted to: The adventurers' guild.
The place was a huge inn with 3 floors and several windows. When we walked in, a strong aroma of wood and beer, coming from the tables full of people, cut through the air near us.
— Look who's arrived — burst forth a sweet and delicate voice. — A young adventurer together with his mentor. How can I help you? —
— I came here for a few reasons... And mainly, I am already registered with the guild, right? — I replied as I walked to the counter.
— Of course, of course! You are Lord Lycon, correct? — she said after observing my clothes.
— Yes, how do you know? —
— Who wouldn't know? You are a prodigy who defeated the princess and even pierced the kingdom's defenses — although I don't trust that. —
— I heard that. —
— My sincere apologies! — she replied. Elara, who was near me observing our conversation, finally decided to speak up. — Please stop with this chitchat. — she said. — Just hand over the card and show us some good Rank C missions. —
The receptionist dashed off to some corner of the guild. — She seems quite cheerful... — I thought while she was gone.
— I'm back! Here is your card, but I think there is some problem with it. Could you touch it for me to see? — She held my hand, placing the guild card in it. On it was my name, the approximate amount of mana I had, the Rank, which was C, and my history, empty for now.
— How strange... — She commented. — usually rookies have between twenty thousand to thirty thousand MP... Your card is marking thirty-five thousand MP, you are too young to have all that! —
I wasn't understanding much, as Master Cassian refused to talk in more detail about the proportions of magic. I only really learned from that circle, which, unfortunately, caught fire. Even so, even Elara was in shock.
— I'll put it away right now before someone picks on me. — I thought as I put away my card.
— Well... — The receptionist wanted to say something, but the situation shouldn't have left any openings for that. — About your missions... I have an excellent one here, I'll go get it! —
I had to endure 10 minutes of drunks babbling while she went again to some corner away from the counter.
— Sorry for the delay! I went to get some missions and took too long — I believe a perfect mission for you would be Cleaning the Boar's Tavern. The owner of an inn near the walls around here is asking for help dealing with some monsters there. Will you accept it? —
As soon as she finished explaining the mission, Elara whispered, — These missions are easy, you will probably get bored and it still pays little. I don't recommend accepting it. —
— Can you accept more than one mission? — I asked softly. She just nodded, so I replied to the receptionist. — I will accept it... But I also wanted to know if I can take another one. —
She flipped through some pages she had with her, and answered, — Definitely! I have right here... — However, Elara interrupted her with an abnormally harsh voice. She was clearly irritated. — I appreciate the compassion, but you don't need to worry about him. Just give us good missions already. —
She took a step back. — So she didn't want to give me good missions?! Man! — I thought.
— Ok... There's a Rank C mission that asks to deal with acid slimes that are corroding carts in a cave. The mission pays 3 gold coins... Quite a lot, no? — She then composed herself before continuing. — Will you want it? —
I just nod in acceptance and she hands me a quill with ink. — Please sign both papers here. —
Before signing, as it had become instinctive because of that bastard Alistair, I read the contract to see if there were any traps. The only thing I was upset about was that the Cleaning the Boar's Tavern was Rank E, which means: I couldn't expect much.
I signed both missions and left happy with them. If I do both correctly, I will earn 3 gold coins and 8 silver coins, my first earned money!
When I went to close the guild's door, I heard a muffled comment from her: — I just hope they survive... —
I naturally became curious, but didn't want to say anything else.
As we walked nearby, Elara said sarcastically, — You picked a mission that's complicated even for Rank C adventurers, huh! And right off the bat... — and soon continued to explain. — These slimes feed on practically everything, even iron is on their menu, and their sticky bodies piece themselves back together every time you try to cut them... It's not an easy task. — said Elara.
— Well, can't I summon my hurricane for that? —
— Are you crazy? You're going to use a hurricane just to kill a few slimes? —
— An explosion —
Elara immediately interrupted me, displaying disgust both in her voice and on her face, besides bringing her hand to her forehead. — None of that. An explosion inside a cave? —
— Then what do I use against these damn things?! — I thought. Elara noticed my frustrated face and then answered, — Ugh, you can use fire against them. Basically boils them alive. And if they haven't eaten anything at the moment you kill them, you can even eat them. It's not very common to eat slimes, but if you look carefully, you might find some around here somewhere. —
— But wouldn't the fire use up all the air in the cave? —
— True... This mission is going to be complicated. —
— I could use lightning... At least they don't consume the air in the cave. —
— And you can even use that?! —
— Yes, it's just a matter of changing the mana distribution in the circle. The circle itself stays the same. They are basically the same thing. —
— Now I understand why they did that at the tournament... You must have shattered the nobles' egos. —
Her words reminded me again of that trial, making me downcast. During a short walking time, which for me seemed like hours reviewing all the actions I took... And how I shouldn't have said that... Elara finally broke through it. — Anyway, we've arrived where I wanted. And you, huh, didn't even notice we were heading to a completely different place from the carriage? —
— True... I didn't even see that! And she... She didn't even warn me! — I was finally laughing, after so long, but laughing at my own lack of attention.
We entered a shop that exuded the same smell as Alistair's clothes, bringing back several terrible memories of my training with him.
— Hi... — harshly said the shopkeeper, a middle-aged woman with some wrinkles on her face. — I see you are well escorted, little boy. You are probably Lord Lycon, right? What are you doing here with Elara? —
— We came to buy some flat pieces of leather for him. We're going on a mission and we need them. — she answered for me.
The woman simply gave a small nod before searching a nearby drawer for several pieces of flat leather, perfect for my circles.
— I can do 10 for 8 silver coins. —
— Ok — said Elara, immediately turning to me. — I'll go fetch the coins real quick and I'll be right back! — In the blink of an eye, my "bodyguard" had vanished to get something we had forgotten. — Great bodyguard, really. —
The seller gathered the leather squares, closing the heavy wooden drawer with a dry thud that echoed through the room. To try to ignore that acrid, familiar smell that infested the air and brought me bitter memories of Master Alistair, I decided to wander through the shop's narrow aisles. The shelves were a fascinating mess of combat and survival supplies. I passed rows of magical ink vials, something I definitely didn't need at the moment, and stopped in front of mannequins wearing reinforced armor, made specifically for adventurers. However, upon laying eyes on the grimy tag of a steel breastplate, I almost choked: it cost over twenty gold coins. That absurd number made me realize how small the three coins I would earn risking my life in the cave really were.
I left the expensive equipment behind and continued walking to the back of the establishment, where a small, solitary table displayed a single volume: A book with a thick, worn cover, entitled "Compendium of Magic Techniques". I couldn't resist my curiosity and opened the tome. The first half of the book was dedicated exclusively to sorcerers, so I skipped it. The second part had several basic spells, classified from "basic" to "advanced". What surprised me the most was that a reduced form of my hurricane circle was there, along with its description.
The simplified version, described as the easiest way to obtain the hurricane, didn't use delimitation rings. The circuit showed a Square — acting as a charge storer — connected by a thick line to a Frequency Node of the wind element. Below, a second Square was linked by a thin line to a Fire Node. Both paths met in a "V" Matrix before the output terminal.
Right below, the diagrams showed the full version, which required three separate instances to avoid thermal collapse. The theory involved drawing a fire circle, with structural capacity for less mana, a wind circle for the main massive flow, and a third mediating circuit of Superior Element. The latter would serve to guide the interaction and modify the modal characteristics of the final fusion, such as adding the Null element to create a vacuum area, or the Darkness element to conceal the magic.
— I didn't know you could do that... — I muttered, running my finger over the drawing of the Superior Element paths.
However, as I analyzed the flow of that complex diagram, a wrinkle of frustration formed on my forehead. There was an obvious flaw there. The version described in the book required one part of the circuit to receive much more mana than the other in a fixed manner. It was rigid. The method I had created was intuitively superior. While the book's multi-circle allowed only one spell, mine allowed, at the very least, 3 different spells.
Even with a quick glance, it was possible to notice several differences between my magic and the book's magic. As soon as I closed the book, I heard the shop door open. It wasn't Elara; it was 3 hooded figures, and one wearing a full suit of armor, very similar to the one that cost over 20 gold coins.
The leader, who was the person in full armor, looked at me. His malicious intent was clear even to me.
— He is in my custody. I'm taking him. — he warned with a voice as cold as ice.
The shopkeeper stood up. A second later, the entire shop was covered in a thick layer of ice. The air here became absurdly dry, erasing the old smell of incense.
— It's quite audacious of you to try and kidnap the heir of the city, huh. You definitely won't be doing that. — she proclaimed.
The other 2 henchmen were horrified to see this, while the leader seemed as unshakeable as if it were just any ordinary morning.
— Who... Who are you — asked one of the henchmen.
— I am Mave, I'm just an ex-adventurer friend of Elara's. — declared the seller.
