The following day, I discovered that the City of Eisten was known for its bathhouses. I ordered Walker and Lilly to join me there for the afternoon and turned in early that evening to enjoy as much time on a decent mattress as possible before our travel the next day.

The following morning, we met the [Wagoneers] by the westernmost gates, as well as a party of four adventurers. The party consisted of two second tiers, a [Mage] and [Rogue], and two third tiers [Ranger] and a [Paladin]. While I was surprised to see two third tiers taking the quest, the party leader Nist, the [Paladin] informed me that they were already headed in the same direction. Apparently, the newer Barons and Baroness being former adventurers implied that adventurers got better treatment. All their lands were mostly unexplored and contained danger and opportunities one couldn’t find in more stable parts of the kingdom. I recalled the feeling from my days as an adventurer, so I could understand the sentiment. Unfortunately, the adventurers with us all rode horses, so I didn’t get the opportunity to marvel at any new type of riding animal.

The road to Lark was hillier than before. While we passed farms and villages, it was more pastureland than farmland. Some hills and valleys held vast tracts of tall mossy trees untamed by civilization. The roadway was packed dirt and several sections suffered from snowmelts. While the wagons did fine, even in the mud, the carriage stuck once or twice. It was here that I began training Walker in the casting of [Earth Manipulation], calling the road to raise and even. He fared poorly at first, seemingly uninterested until Kine, the adventurer [Mage] asked for tutelage as well. Something about that stirred his competitive edge, and soon the two were pushing themselves to see who could fix the road the fastest.

The instruction on the [Earth Manipulation] is what opened the door for the ever-eager Lilly to ask about Soul Scrolls and the difference between skills and spells.

Inside the carriage, Lilly was seated across from me and Walker next to her. I permitted Kine to join us, as he seemed enthused about the opportunities to discuss magic with me. Kine was a lean man in his late twenties with short brown hair and long eyebrows, who wore a plain blue mage’s robe with a hood. While I didn’t always touch on the subject of magic, as much of the lessons I was giving Lilly were more in tune with basic education, he listened intently when I did.

“Let us begin with the understanding of what a Soul System Scroll is, and then move on from there. The Histories teach us the High Elves enslaved gods. We know, from a quest we are all issued, that one of those gods was the Goddess of Knowledge and her enslavement brought about the Soul System. While it may have other uses we don’t understand, at the base, it is a way for us to call upon the goddess to measure our power.”

Lilly nodded along, and I noticed the conversation on basic elements that Walker and Kine’s were having fell off in favor of listening in.

“At its heart, the Scroll is only a tool for measurement. Because of that, parts of it are open to interpretation. For example, the spell [Analyze] was developed solely to peek at the status of another’s Scroll. We found that applying the spell to monsters or animals or everyday objects that don’t have access to their own Scroll still showed a result. Clearly, a rock doesn’t have a soul. So, why does our [Analyze] spell tell us about a rock?”

I turned to look at Walker for an answer I knew he had. While I could have chosen Kine, I didn’t know what kind of education he held and didn’t want Lilly subject to further false information.

“Because the Soul System Scroll is provided by the goddess of knowledge and she would know a rock,” Walker answered with a satisfied smile.

“Correct, but let me ask you. If you know the rock is made from granite, what would it tell you?”

“Well, it would say granite rock, master.”

“Now tell me why.”

“Because I knew it was made from granite and not limestone,” he answered, but hesitation replaced his earlier confidence.

“Because you knew specific knowledge related to that particular rock or because you held more knowledge on all types of stone?” I was willing to lead him towards the answer because it would further Lilly’s education, but I didn’t plan on making it easy. Giving knowledge away too easily was a quick way to become treated like a book, only consulted when they wanted to know something. I wanted both to be able to think for themselves. That would reduce the amount of tutoring required when I did have a tower.

This time though, Kine shook his head, “But that doesn’t make sense. I know I’ve analyzed monsters and gotten a specific result without knowing what kind of monster it was.”

I gave Kine a smile, “Exactly. Why would you be able to analyze and get results for a specific type of monster but a rock would still show as a rock?”

He seemed to think on it, resting his head in his chin. Walker raised a finger and spoke, “In class, they taught us that’s because the spell draws on common knowledge. It only fills in additional details when it’s related to your class.”

“And that’s correct. To a point,” I didn’t want to undermine my school’s teachers. I may have been the one to put that lesson together and didn’t delve further because it would take too much time. Humans had so precious little of it. “Let us consider this. One hundred years ago, I saw a bird on a tree outside my home, a little blue and red bird no bigger than my fist. When I [Analyzed] it, the spell told me it was a robin. Thirty years later, I’d forgotten about it until another bird of the same type landed once again on the same tree. I’d forgotten the name, and when I [Analyzed] it, this time it came back as an eastern robin.”

I turned back to Lilly, “Now, what can you gather from that?”

“Hmmm,” she made a noise and thought. I could see brows furrow in thought on Kine and Walker’s heads as well.

“That it changed? But why did it change?” she finally answered.

“Well, I assume that it changed because common perception, thusly common knowledge about the bird changed. Perhaps a western robin was discovered and they needed to tell the two apart. Why is not as important here. The fact that it did change is what’s important. What does it tell you?”

After a few moments of waiting for an answer, and not getting one, I answered myself, “It tells you that the information on the Soul System Scroll cannot fully be trusted. It can be used as a measuring tool, but it isn’t the only measuring tool. If common knowledge changes over time, so do our perceptions of power.”

Seeing the looks in the eyes of both Walker and Kine, a look that said they wanted to argue the point, I continued, “Now, I’m not saying not to view your Soul System Scroll, as referring to it has benefits. What I want you to understand, is that you shouldn’t use the scroll to define your life. Kine.”

“Yes, sir?” He wasn’t calling me master, but it didn’t bother me.

“Your class says that you are a [Mage], correct?”

“Yessir,” He answered with a nod and a proud look.

“But is that all you are?” I raised an eyebrow.

“No. I mean, yes. I—I am not sure what you mean. I won’t always have this class, I’m close to the next tier,” his answer seemed to take my question as a personal accusation of failing to advance in a timely manner, but that’s not how I intended it. I pressed on with more questions, redirecting him back where I needed him to be.

“If you learned to cook, cook as good as anyone with the class of [Cook] or [Chef], what would you be? A [Mage] or a [Cook]?” I looked him in the eye as I asked, and though his eyes met mine, they were focused in thought.

“I suppose I’d still be a [Mage], sir,” he answered cautiously.

“Right. Now take it a step further. Say you took a job as a cook from now on because you loved it. You cooked every day all day was entirely happy doing so. In doing so, you chose not to practice magic ever again. Even if your status still says [Mage], what are you really?” I had them now, they were all rapt with interest.

“Well, I’d be a [Cook], but I wouldn’t ever give up magic,” he protested, but they all understood what I was saying now.

“Certainly. I wouldn’t expect that of you.” I turned back to Lilly, “I have seen good men and women waste their lives chasing the next percentage point of a skill. I don’t want that to happen to you. When you are old enough to access the Scroll, certainly take a look. It is beneficial to know what you don’t know. Or mark how well you do know something. But don’t let it control you. It’s a means of measurement and nothing more.”

Walker injected now, “But what about classes, master? The scroll gave me options when I changed from [Apprentice] to [Mage]. Aren’t those important?”

It was a good question and seemed on point. I nodded my head in agreement. “They are. I’m sure you felt the increase in your power when your class evolved to Tier 2. I’m also sure you’ve heard that the skills and skill levels you have at the time of your advancement broaden your class options.”

He nodded and so did Kine, Lilly just watched on silently toying with her yellow hair.

“But who’s to say classes didn’t come first? That the Soul Scrolls are only measuring that which we are already capable of? Even more—what if there are classes we can reach for but don’t because the scroll doesn’t show it to us as an option? How would we know?”

I reached for one of my books to read, a signal that the lesson was completed after my barrage of questions. I didn’t want them to try to give me an immediate answer, but to let their thoughts collect on their own. Even if they reached their own answer, it wouldn’t matter to me. I hadn’t looked at my Scroll in decades.

Later that evening, we camped in a flat clearing hidden away between two hills and situated with the road before us and a copse of elm trees behind us. The wagons circled around the campsite, and the horses were hitched to the trees. A campfire in the center threw light against the covered wagons. In the center, a kettle bubbled a stew thanks to the ranger having shot a few rabbits and gathering wild vegetables while he scouted ahead. It wouldn’t be enough to fill all our stomachs, but it was enough for everyone to have a small cup to go with their travel rations. Luckily, the pleasant smell of the soup overpowered the odor of horse sweat, though I doubted my luck would last the whole night.

Sometime past midnight, I awoke to the sounds of hushed argument coming from three adventurers, all packed into one of their well-used tents. Elven ears are much better than human ones, and while I doubted I heard as well as a full elf, I most assuredly have better range than most men or women. I could hear the slight clings of armor from the paladin, standing watch by the road just outside the wagon circle. I could hear the raccoon in the trees nearby, likely hoping we left scraps it could scavenge. I heard the whispers of those a [Ranger], a [Rogue], and a [Mage] all conspiring to rob me. Or two conspiring to rob me, and the third arguing against it.

“You are fools if you think you can steal from him. That man is Tier 4. He could kill us by accident,” Kine argued.

“So what? I’ve stolen from high levels before. It’s nothing I can’t handle. If he comes for us, we could take him—not that it would come to that. He won’t even know anything’s missing,” The [Rogue] was apparently a woman. I hadn’t realized it before. Then again, I’d only seen her briefly before we started off from Eisten and then a couple of times out the carriage window. She wore loose leather armor and a thick faded cloak. I suppose I hadn’t questioned her attire, as not everyone was suited to the cold, and this spring had yet to shake off the chill.

“A mage that powerful, he’d have some good magic books for ya, right?” The Rangers spoken words were deep and soft. I’d call it a kind voice if he wasn’t speaking of theft.

“You think he hasn’t warded his property? I’m only second tier, and my wards could kill you. What do you think his will do? You’re both fools for even thinking this.”

I stopped listening as the sounds of raindrops began to splatter down, a few a first. Both sides were mistaken. I hadn’t warded any of my belongings in the wagons. How were the [Wagoneers] to carry my furniture if it zapped them stupid when they touched it? At the same time, I would know if anything was stolen. Charms of detection were almost cantrips in their simplicity. Students, tier-one apprentices, were taught the spell at the Arcanum the very first year. It’s very hard to steal something that I could make glow with a thought.

I took a step outside my tent and cast a quick spell to protect myself from the rain. In my mind, I was considering how I wanted to react, if I wanted to react at all. With a stretch of my [Earth Manipulation], I began to draw stones from the hills beside us to the surface.

I could let their party leader know. As a [Paladin], he’d most likely put a stop to it quickly and firmly. But it might also break up the adventuring party. I didn’t want to do that. I had a deep distaste for most [Paladins]. It wasn’t anything rational really. Mostly envy that they could simply ask for power from their deity rather than work for it. Logically, I understood that praying could be work, but emotionally, I revolted in the unfairness that I had to study for years to get the power I held compared to them. The rest was more of an experience bias. The few [Paladins] I’ve met were unduly arrogant. Something about seeing the world only in colors of good and evil and then smiting all that is evil leads to misplaced confidence in one’s judgment. After all, when was the last time you heard a [Paladin] apologize for anything? I still wanted them around to make sure the [Wagoneers] I’d hired felt safe. With half a thought, I gathered the stone to form two columns angling out from the hillsides, and two more rising from the ground to meet them near the front.

I could warn or threaten them away from stealing. I wasn’t the most proficient at curses, but I knew enough about them to construct one that would work for that. Or rather than curse these two who were so easily discussing taking my things from me, I could curse some of my more valuable goods—the ones that I didn’t keep in my bag of holding—so that if they were stolen the curse would reveal the culprits. I slowly pulled stones from further away, merging them together into a flat roof over the campsite, allowing it to slope lower on one side so that rain would flow back towards the woods.

Of course, I could do nothing and decide later if they actually stole something of mine. It isn’t as if they have done so yet. Really, I was of two minds about it. On one hand, a part of me wanted to absolutely destroy them. To ring them up in cages of lightning screaming for days on end as a sign that none should test themselves against me. That what was mine was mine. I knew that was arrogant and prideful. The other part of me was understanding and forgiving. The life of an adventurer was more than just difficult. Risking your life against monsters is no easy task. I knew what it was like to get word that other teams you drank and ate with perished in a dungeon or beastwave or to overestimating themselves on a quest. The lifestyle was hard; I knew because I had lived it. The bulk of the stone cover was completed, but I was never one to do things in half measures. I began pushing and pulling different parts of the stone, leaving ornate designs and patterns across the way. I thinned out triangles in the top so that the weight wouldn’t cause it to collapse in on itself. I made stone ivy grow up and around, detailing the fingernail-sized pieces of mica and quartz into small trumpet-shaped flowers embedded in the columns and ceiling, smiling as the smoldering light of our campfire reflected against them like stars in the night.

All in all, I took maybe an hour’s time to build it and think things through. Eventually, I went back to sleep without a decision made, but I knew that, by not making a decision, I was still making a decision.

The next morning brought excitement with it. The stone overhang elicited a number of boisterous conversations. The two [Mages] were able to see the nuances of the working, from the amount of power needed to the level of control used to construct such detailed work. The non-magic users of our group seemed simply amazed that such a thing was possible. Especially the [Wagoneers], who spoke like it was a gift I’d made personally for them. I suppose a respite for travelers in poor weather is the kind of thing they would benefit from the most in their travels.

We got underway relatively quickly after that, and I spent most of it listening to Walker and Kine discuss the differences in options for 3rd tier advancement, though they both now seemed enamored with geomancy. Which is what I wanted, of course. While the other elements offered their own benefits to society, only geomancy would allow a mage to detect precious metals or raw gems hidden within the ground. The kind of skill that could lead a [Mage] to great success should he or she take up prospecting. When we camped that evening, I constructed a new stone overhang and guided both [Mages] through the process.

The next day, we arrived in Lark.