I returned to the camp with the rats and sent the fire signal for Zahariel to return. Sometime later the seraph joins us.

"Did you get the bow back?"

"Yes. It is here in the Item box. As soon as the girls return tomorrow we are leaving south. We will cross the road to Strawford and move south until we reach the next town. Then we are going across the hills until we find the syrup meadow."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Yes. I might need to innoculate everyone here to get the poison resistance skill. Maybe using the bees to sting. The syrup meadow is made mostly of death willows." I made my home in poison wetlands. Not a swamp. And I won't be sending off any guests. In fact, I want a lot of... people in there.

Absorbed in my thoughts, I drifted into a nice sleep. I woke up late. Helen and Marcy were already back.

Actually, Marcy is sitting on my chest, "Good morning, 'Wooden burglar'! How are you doing?" she put a lot more emphasis on the words 'Morning' and 'Wood'.

"Morning wood?" I ask still drowsy.

"Would be better than what is going on right now in town," She steals a peek at my waist and continues, "You had to do that, didn't you?"

"And what are the charges against me, exactly?" I move the redhead aside and sit.

"None, but there was no way it wasn't you. Weren't you just going to get Marcy's bow back?" Helen comes and kisses my cheek.

"Not 'just the bow'. We talked about making it look like the bow wasn't the target."

Zahariel approaches to check on the morning scolding, "Hey, what just happened yesterday? I was guiding the gorillas and you never called me, so I know nothing."

Marcy points at me and says, "Some thief broke into the basement of the guild last night, stole everything and left a dozen logs inside. The folks at the guild don't even know how the logs were put inside, they don't fit through the door."

Everyone gazes at me. "C'mon! At least now they don't know what was the target."

"They are offering 200 gold coins to whoever catches the thief," completes Helen in a playful voice.

"You would sell me for 200 gold coins? And what is it with that cheap reward? The stuff I took was worth more than 10,000 gold coins!"

Marcy hits my shoulder and asks, "10,000 gold coins? We are royally screwed if they find us out. You overdid it!"

"The loot yesterday was over 10,000 gold coins in total value, but there were less than 100 actual gold coins. I think that the other stuff was worth as much. I have no idea because the item box cargo manifest does not show appraisal data. But I didn't take everything. I left a magical sword behind. There was probably some other artifact in there. But it is not a good idea to check it here. They could have a way to track the stuff."

Helen is scared of something. It can't be just the heist, "I think we should go away from this place. Fast. There is nothing for us here, we even got our things back already."

"Yes, we should do as Helen said. I am sure you want to see your mother, Marcy. Let's go."

We leave the subject of the heist behind us and move out to cross the south-western road coming out of Barnsley leading to Strawford. We have to spend at least the first half of the day moving behind the treeline before we can go on the road. After that, we just need to move at the same speed as a cart and worry about incoming traffic.

As we travel on foot things get very boring. We distract ourselves hunting small game by the edge of the road or finding some herb here and there, but my mind races on several subjects. The most prevailing thought is that I want an airship. If you say fantasy, airship comes to mind, doesn't it? I wonder if I can enchant something to fly. The fact that our resident holy being is spreading his holy wings and soaring under the white clouds also has an effect on it.

The second day of traveling our worst fear happens. There is a merchant caravan coming.

"Run and hide a few rows of trees after the treeline. To the left!"

Everyone scrambles into the forest. "Aaaaaa!" one of the gorilla kids gets too excited and ignites!

"Kochurearc, put that child's flames out!" I order the gorilla leader.

"Water Jet!" Zahariel puts out the fires behind us.

Too late. The merchants already spotted us and are preparing to defend themselves. They know it is useless to run, pack beasts pulling a cart can't outrun a monster. Most monsters run faster than people. That is why you should always bring your fat or infirm friends to an expedition. You can run safely when they are left behind. Worked with Helen, for example.

"Helen, what is the standard modus operandi when a merchant encounters a monster?"

"First you have to check for ambushes, then check the type of monster, defeat it if you can and if you don't set a repellent potion and try to get away."

"But can a merchant go away without checking what monster is it?"

"No. It is bad if there is a very strong monster. It must be reported for the sake of everyone."

"Everyone stop!" I yell a command. "Lay low here, I'll distract the merchants." By this time Kochurearc was able to stop the kid from burning.

I take a hacksaw out from storage and cut off my horns. I bet that to a normal troll the horns are a symbol of status but I can't care less. They will grow back before the sun sets. Next step is to wear the pelt of one of the defeated flame gorillas. I should have thought of this before and made a costume, but anyway, this will work.

"Are you going there to pose as a flame gorilla and scare the merchants away?"

"Yes. There were sightings of flame gorillas in Barnsley two days ago, so it would not be a strange encounter."

I separate from the group and return to the road. The merchants are fully ready.

"Groo! OOK! OOK!" I shout like a gorilla. Or at least try.

"Look there is something in the woods there!"

I trigger my Immolation aura spell.

"Shit! It is a huge flame gorilla! Shoot it!"

Three merchants fire arrows at me. You were supposed to run away! I retort in my mind.

I dodge the arrows and move a bit closer to the road circling behind them. I need to leave the way forward open. And to boot, I am still burning myself!

"Take better aim! Kill this beast, it is a rank D!"

"Are you sure, Pelham? Aren't flame gorillas rank C?"

"Only if they can shoot fire! Now kill this beast. I want that pelt!" Oh, thanks.

"Firebolt!" Shoom! I aimed at the side of the road, not at the merchants or the carriage.

"Shit! It can shoot fire! Let's run! Mix that repellent potion faster!"

"I want that pelt! Kill the beast!"

"Pelham! We should run!"

I'm sorry Pelham. Please take one for the team. I'll toss some magic at him but at my current strength it will kill him. I need to downgrade it, I'll set my job to Villager!

Job set: Villager.

Frag, I was in combat. Oh, wait did it work? I think it was in the tactical options package. More arrows. I'll just take it because I need to aim precisely. Pelham, please take my lowest power firebolt!

"Ugh!"

"Pelham! He is wounded! Mix the repellent potion and throw it at the burning gorilla, we have to run!"

"Graaa! [Intimidating Shout]!"

"AAAAAAAAA," They throw the potion after their pack horses are already running. And a flask of purple-pinkish liquid flies at me. It hits me, boils and the flask breaks and envelops me in the mist. The repellent potion. My flames went out! Why?

My MP is being drained too. And fast! I've set my job to the crappy villager, that is why.

I am getting dizzy from MP Exhaustion. I have to get out of the road before they realize.

skill MP Depletion Resistance level 1 awakened.

I remember Helen said something like this existed. The repellent potion is made of the chytheria herb that has a negative magic potential. It is bad. Its effects are perhaps potentialized because it boiled before bursting.

"Grendel!" I can hear Helen shouting.

"Grendel, what were you doing?" Marcy too.

"Wow, you stink big guy," Thanks Zahariel. He address the other monsters, "Stay back, fellas. This guy has been struck by an intermediate repellent potion by the looks of it.

"I'll be fine. Just some time to recover. Job list."

Job History Info [1] Villager: 36 [2] Apprentice Magician: 20 [2] Apprentice Scout: 10 [2] Apprentice Warrior: 10 [3] Super Villager: 43 [3] Magician: 15 [3] Warrior [3] Scout [2] Apprentice Merchant: 10 [2] Apprentice Acolyte: 10 [4] Elementalist [3] Monster Tamer [3] Merchant [3] Artisan [3] Thief

Four new jobs appeared. Monster Tamer, Merchant, Artisan, Thief. It has been quite a while since I last checked, I don't know when I cleared the requirements for each of them.

"Maybe I will choose Elementalist now..."

Helen grabs my arm and yells, "Don't! Don't pick Elementalist now!"

"Okay, don't worry, but why?"

"If you pick Elementalist now you will be forced to learn [All Elemental Magic] like me, but you will never learn the ultimate spells and also lose the chance to evolve a higher grade magic skill! If it is you and your unique that speeds up the growth of skills, I am sure you can reach that summit that is considered impossible!"

"Calm down, my dear. You can speak slower! Here, have some water."

"The Magus job. Nobody knows what is required to obtain it. No records are left of the job except that it exists. Even the archmage and wizard jobs are almost impossible to have. You need a dozen magic schools."

"Fine. I'll leave Elementalist for later. Maybe I'll work on the magician job then. Job change: Magician!"

Job Set: Magician.

Helen looks at me with teary eyes, "Is anything impossible for you, Grendel?"

The skill [All Elemental Magic] is a shortcut to having all the four main elements evolve at the same time and to earn spells of all four by having only one skill to level up. But you earn no ultimate magic and can't retrain the basic element skills that were used to fuse up. For Helen that from an early age believed that only magic was her worth in life, being stunted in her growth like this felt like a bitter pill to swallow. She would never learn any ultimate magic of the basic elements.

It looks like she wants to at least have me soar on those unreachable heights. "... standing on the shoulders of giants."

Marcy hears me mumbling and asks, "What did you say, Grendel?"

"It is a thought from a great person in my world. 'If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants'. This great person caused a great change in the world for the better. But he was saying that his achievements were not possible if he were to do things by himself. Only by building upon the knowledge of those that came before is that he could do it. If one day I get this Magus job, it will be Helen's accomplishment as well as mine. It would only be possible because you shared your knowledge." By this time she is crying so much, I don't even know if she is listening. Even Marcy is bawling.

"Grendel..."

"Helen is the giant that will make me reach a new height in magic. Marcy taught me the ways of the world. Zahariel the ways of the ancient world. And so are each one of you in your own way. Kochuraerc, remember this! A tribe is not as strong as its stronger warrior. A tribe is as weak as its weakest warrior!" I didn't realize until too late, but I told that in the human language.

"Yes, great Grendel! I will keep it in my heart as long as I live!"

Everyone is looking at Kochuraerc. Even Marcy. He learned the language skill, finally!

"The merchants are gone. Time to resume travel. I'll return home, and then I'll make a home. Carve a place in the world. For me. For my people. For my family."

We returned to the road and our bizarre crew resumed traveling south. I was not even cut for being a clan lieutenant back on Earth, but there I had a choice. Here in this godforsaken rock, these people and these monsters laid their lives on my hands.

Zahariel is looking at me with a smile that makes me uncomfortable. It is like a lady that is about to swoon. Please spare me. At least he is wearing the black beetle adventuer's garb, very manly. With trousers.