Ah, Lennon, it's so good to be back in this rural town. It feels nostalgic to see the townspeople moving to the fields, the narrow paths filled with wooden homes, and of course, the amateur attempts of the town garrison watching my every move. In retrospect, suddenly disappearing from their sight was a bad move. I have to do something about my watcher.

I abruptly turn the corner into a dark alley and my bumbling pursuer follows suit. Unfortunately for him, he ends up face to face with his mark as I stare him down. With a yelp, he falls on his back as my antlers exaggerate my height and the shadow of the surrounding buildings create an imposing atmosphere.

"A-ah..."

"Listen carefully, guard. While I do not mind having a follower, I do not fancy being watched like some animal. You will walk by my side and accompany me like a proper escort!"

"Y-ye-yes!"

"Very good."

By keeping this guy next to me, I can delay what gets reported to the head guard or the mayor. Well, assuming he doesn't run off screaming in terror...

Without waiting for my "escort" to recover, I smoothly make my way to the town square as he hurriedly jumps to his feet and follows. I regularly check with to make sure he's still within five feet of my position. Along the way, I briefly pause outside the magic shop, but realise I can now recreate most of the items within a single day. I've come a long way over the past year and it makes me glad I studied with Takumi and read much of his magical archive. Eventually, I reach the town square, and contrary to my guard's expectations, I begin making my way to the life well.

"Eh? Are you not visiting the adventurers guild?"

"All in due time. What would you know of my priorities?"

"P-please forgive me!"

"If you must know, I'm visiting the life well to offer a prayer for a skill."

"Huh, you actually believe in that old wives tale, um, sir."

Actually, it's more like trading in points from a rewards program, but I'm surprised it's not a deep rooted tradition. I remember Si saying that praying at a life well could bestow a new skill, but evidently it's rare enough to be a rumour. Actually, if you think about it, if followers of the Path of Eden keep praying to the World Stream, then logically at least one of them will receive a skill. I'm guessing the earliest cases reinforced their devotion, with all future cases being treated as divine blessings. But if that's true, does that mean I have a hotline to god? Just what is the meaning behind my skill points?

I carry these random thoughts to the centre of town, where two stationed guards watch me kneel and offer my "prayer" to the World Stream.

Yes, I would like to archive my upgraded skill.

Over the past month, I've finally improved to point of being a greater rank skill. It is much sturdier and proficient in absorbing both blunt AND slashing attacks, through it's still relatively vulnerable to piercing blows. The secret lies in its construction; the mana is structured as a tetrahedral lattice reminiscent of the molecular lattice of a diamond. Of course, it's nowhere near as hard and my magic ability is not high enough to improve upon it, well, at least not yet.

A strand of pure mana reaches out from the life stream and connects to my soul.

50 Skill Points exchanged!>

Hmmm, like a thought, archiving a upgraded skill instead of a new one nets 50 skill points instead of 100. It's something I realised back in Yamagakure when me and Takumi completed , and . Including the exchange that just occurred, I now have a total of 490 skill points. There's nothing in particular that comes to mind, but there is something I want to test.

You currently possess 490 Skill Points.>

"As I thought..."

"W-what is the matter, sir?"

"Nothing worth your concern. After all, you are so sure this is just another "old wives tale"."

While the guard shuts his mouth in shame, I ponder the implications of this discovery. Using this system, I can reacquire skills lost from upgrading them. This is a huge advantage for a like me. I can evolve existing skills, archive them and then use those points to reacquire the lost skill! It gives a lot of incentive to specialise my spells.

Extra Skill: Fortify (Basic) obtained!>

Welcome back, my old skill. Let's find a suitable quest and test you out.

My escort opens the door to the Lennon adventurers guild and I walk in as pompously as the day I first visited. Once again, I catch everybody's attention as I make my way to the receptionist's desk. This time, the line is much shorter and the receptionist in question can no longer avoid directly asking me that familiar line.

"H-how may I help you?"

"I would like to register as an adventurer."

"Eh?"

"I will not repeat myself."

“I-I'm terribly sorry, please take this and fill out your name, address and, if applicable, your class. Do you have any commendations?”

"I do not."

“Oh, um, then I-I regret to inform you, b-but I must register you as an F rank adventurer...."

With every word, the poor lady shrinks in fear for assigning such a lowly rank. Even the surrounding adventurers are holding their breaths in anticipation. Seriously, I'm sorry for putting on such an intimidating air, but I'm perfectly happy with starting out as an F rank adventurer!

"It does not matter. My magic ability will prove itself soon enough."

"I-I see."

"Here is your form."

"Th-thank you, um, Enbos the Black. I'll be back shortly with your adventurer crest."

As soon as she turns her back, I hear collective sighs of relief from everybody in the room. With nothing better to do, I examine every soul with and . While most of them are marginally above average compared to a common villager, there's a party in the corner who possess notably superior equipment with strong internal flows. Hey, I think I recognise that lad with the bow. Wasn't he...

"I'm sorry for the delay. All we have to do now is to bind this crest to your soul.”

"Enough. I'll take over from here."

I rummage through my travelling pouch much to the receptionist's confusion, and carefully produce a strand of hair. Helena's strand of hair.

I've been preparing for this moment for a long time. Controlling my internal spiritual energy, I create a tiny connection touching Helena's soul. I place the strand of hair on the crest and activate the enchantment to absorb it within its magic core. Unexpectedly, the magic core at the centre splits into two identical stones, one still embedded in the item while the other is taken by the receptionist. The adventurer crest works by using a sample of the owner to create a spiritual link using the mana stored within. From now on, I must always maintain my connection to Helena. In a sense, we're becoming adventurers together.

"Um, pardon me for asking, but why didn't you simply cut a strand from your body?"

"I wear this mask for a reason. It's best you do not pry into my circumstances."

For added effect, I "accidentally" allow my sleeve to slip to reveal an inch of my disfigured "flesh". The lady almost gasps with widened eyes. Those on the side catch a glimpse and begin whispering with their parties. It seems my plan worked, though I have no idea if it's better to be scorned or pitied.

"A-anyway, congratulations, Enbos the Black! You are officially an F-rank adventurer!"

"How preposterous! He deserves far better than this insult!"

Ah, yes. I almost forgot. While I wasn't concentrating, my escort must have gone off to inform him. I turn around to face the reason I ran away from Lennon in the first place: the mayor of Lennon.

"Please, enjoy the tea. I assure you it's the best you will find anywhere short of the capital!"

"I'm thankful for the hospitality, but unfortunately my current attire denies me such a pleasure."

"I see. It is a shame indeed."

After his sudden appearance at the adventurers guild, I was invited to the mayor's house for a chat. I'm now sitting inside his living room and as nervous as a kid visiting the dentist. Calm down Enbos. You couldn't handle the pressure last time because you made your persona on the spot. All you need now is a little confidence, no, make that arrogance.

While I wait for my host to finish his cup of tea, I scrutinise my surrondings. Judging by its proximity to the merchants guild, it's safe to say the Mayor made his fortune from trade. There are enchantments embedded in the building with magical items locked in the cabinets, away from the reach of mischievous children. Redirecting my attention to the man himself, he has short blond hair and beady, tawny eyes on a round face. His clothing is finely sewn with bright colours to emphasis his status. More notably, sitting on his left eye is a monocle, and I detect magical energies emanating from the lens. I hope it's not a lie detector...

"Allow me to welcome you to my home. I am Harvel Marchand, the mayor of this humble town, Lennon."

"I am Enbos the Black, travelling mage and D rank adventurer. I must thank you for your commendation."

"Please, think nothing of it. It is the least I can do to repay you."

Huh?

"I'm sorry to inject, but I must ask in what manner do you feel indebted."

"Did my sons not introduce themselves, or do you feel modest about the incident? After your visit to Lennon, my sons returned and informed me you had saved them from a kobold! While you never introduced yourself to them, I recognised the description they had offered. I am forever in your debt for this selfless act."

While he bows his head in sincere gratitude, I'm left completely stumped by his story. Wait a minute, could it be those two brats pinned the entire reason they were late on Hachirou, and their loving father forgave them for sneaking out over their safety? I'm not sure how to feel about receiving the mayor's favour!

"T-there is no need to bow your head. I only did what was right (admonish them). Speaking of which, where are your sons now?"

"They're currently receiving instruction at their tutor's place. It is most regrettable they cannot express their gratitude in person."

Thank goodness!

"... I see. Unfortunately, I do not have much time to spare. I intend to depart from your domain before nightfall."

"Pardon me for asking, but I would like to know the intent of your last visit. Why, it was so short-lived I began to question your existence!"

"At the time, I was conducting some research and considered your town for my base of operations. Regrettably, it did not satisfy my requirements. I must apologise for not making my presence evident, but I did not believe it was worth your attention."

The official mages of Reinsol tend to be secretive figures who are paranoid of revealing their spells and research to other countries or even wizardry lines. Saying something like this should be vague enough to discourage him. However...

"Surely you jest. A mage of the Novuseus bloodline deserves even the attention of the king."

What.. the hell... are you saying!?

"Hoh. Tell me, what do you presume to know of my origins."

"Please excuse my presumptuousness, Enbos the Black, but now that I have the honour of sitting this close to you, I recognised

the seal engraved on the hilt of your sword. I can only infer that you are travelling incognito for the sake of your studies."

I look down at my sword, and sure enough there is an intricate symbol of wings wrapped around a small sun. I thought it was just a decoration, but now he's telling me it's a big deal?

"... Indeed, it's a blade only I may wield."

"Of course. If it were anyone else, they would be executed along with all their kin under the decree of the king!"

BURN IN HELL, SEPESH! Where the hell did you find this!? Were you trying to escape a death sentence by ditching it on someone else!? B-but before that...

"Harvel Marchand, I trust you will not inform anyone else?"

"To my family's saviour, I would gladly banish the very idea! Please, I would like to hear of your thoughts regarding my town..."

Sometime past noon, Enbos the Black leaves the mayor's dwelling, and a moment later, an assuming man enters after him. The mayor Harvel is still sitting in his chair, fully expecting his new visitor.

"Tell me Harvel. What do you think of him?"

"... He's no fake, my dear friend. You may tell your guards to rest easy."

"While I trust your decision, I have to ask you why."

"For a start, he's too articulate, too literate. Barely a syllable was misplaced and yet he spoke with such ease and fluidity I thought I was reading him rather than listening. As for his capabilities..."

He removes his monocle and rubs his tired eyes.

"... almost every piece of his clothing has been magically enchanted. The gloves and sword were of notable quality, though I suspect his mask serves a more symbolic purpose rather than a functional one. As for his baggage, I could not pierce the veil he had placed upon it, but it's undoubtedly very important."

"And his past? His intentions? What did he say?"

"Nothing I can tell," Harvel says with a slight smile, "all that I determine is he's a man of terrible power. Did you notice his presence as you passed him?"

"Y-yes. I felt a creeping dread not unlike facing the terrors of the night."

"He must possess the title of . A title often possessed by those with great authority."

"Funny. I heard a pretty sob rumour back at the adventurers guild. Is he really going to leave so quickly? The nearest town is a day away."

"Indeed he is."

"He sure has some confidence. I wonder, will his retainers come chasing after his trail two days from now like last time?"

"Hrm, I forgot to ask him about that. By the way, what is this sombre rumour concerning Enbos?"

Huh? That's weird. I almost felt like sneezing for a moment there... No matter. I think I managed to handle that situation pretty well thanks to some unbelievable luck. I even offered a few ideas from Yamagakure to solidify his impression. Unfortunately, after that visit I may be a bit late to my rendezvous. I'm half expecting and half afraid Hachirou has stayed in the same spot for all that time.

As I hurry my movements and enter the familiar grove on the side of the road, I also hear a familiar voice.

"... Please, stop swinging that knife around..."

"I'm going to cut off your tail!"

Sure enough, as I make my way closer to Hachirou's position, I spy two knife wielding brats and my light-grey friend.

"What? Not again! Am I stuck in a time loop? Hold on Hachirou, I'm going to teach those miserable kids... eh?"

While running at full speed at first, somewhere along the way I slow to a crawl and become a captive audience to the scene before me. As expected, it's the mayor's two sons, and they're both coming at Hachirou without reserve, but unlike last time, he's fighting back. Well, fighting is a strong word. He's handling them like the toddlers they are.

"Why... won't... you..."

"... stay... STILL!"

"Please stop this. I have no idea how I've provoked you, but you shouldn't flail about with those blades. It's too dangerous for..."

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

My god, I wish I had popcorn right now along with a digestive system. Hachirou is swiftly dodging and parrying every swing without ever throwing a punch. Soon, the two attackers become too tired to continue, while the defendant hasn't broken a sweat. In one last ditch move, they throw their knives at him, which Hachirou deftly catches... between his fingers.

"There, is that enough, you two? May we talk about this instead?"

"*Huff, puff*..."

"Please don't glare at me. Oh, I see. It's because I have your weapons. Here, take them and be more responsible from..."

Too tired to shriek, yet too frightened to stay put, both perpetrators bolt off leaving behind two knives and a very confused kobold. I begin to clap with muted success as I step into view.

"Good job, Hachirou. That'll teach those two to not mess with you or any kobold from now on."

"E-enbos! You saw all that? I must admit I handled that situation fairly poorly. In the end, I never discovered why they attacked me."

"No, you did fine, Hachirou. You've grown so much since we first met in this very place. You should feel proud."

Hachirou stares at me with wide-eyed surprise, pleased by my glowing approval. He looks down at his palms and clenches them with newfound strength. I watch over him with an invisible smile, and wonder what kind of Spartan training his siblings put him through. We've hunted together over the past month, but he has never needed to show his martial prowess until now. Actually, he may be stronger than me in a non-magical fight, and yet he will never acknowledge it.

"I... I-I've really grown."

"And you will keep growing. Let's go, Hachirou."

"Yes...! Um, where to, Enbos?"

"I registered as a D rank adventurer and picked our first quest. We're going to investigate a life fall."