Polaris Dark - Arc II Chapter II

Hanakanmuri Girl's Academy - Female Dormitories: A-Wing

"System, load virtual room."

Welcome back Izayoi Miyuki! What would you like to do today?

"Aida-san, please connect me to the Ascendancy Database Forums and search for items that are metallic in nature and can be used for magic inscriptions. On another window, please connect to the same web forums but run a search for magic jewels and regular gemstones."

As you wish. Searching... accessing, connection complete. Loading windows...

Because my friends and I were lucky enough to get a reservation for the extremely popular Tatsuyama (translated to "Dragon Mountain") restaurant. What makes this restaurant special is it the way it serves its customers as well as the many delicacies you can chose from. This restaurant only allows reservation seats so you cannot just walk in and get a seat. Spending the entire afternoon and evening outside was tiring but fun.

The restaurant at the end made the walking worth it. One of the specialties of the restaurant is the wild fugu sashimi, otherwise known as raw blowfish (pufferfish). Not only does fugu have a dangerous reputation for killing those that consume products that are improperly prepare, it takes an incredible amount of skill, as well as a license, to be able to prepare this delicacy and serve it to customers. Fugu sashimi has a rather plastic-like consistency to the flesh, making it a bit chewy and tough. When raw, Fugu feels like rubber but I guess I rather like this consistency.

The cooked fugu hotpot brought in after the sashimi I would recommend everyone to try it at least once. The pieces of fish become so tender when cooked in a clear soup, it's hard to tell that it was rubbery and tough to begin with. Put in some enoki, shimeji and shiitake mushrooms, carrots, soft tofu, napa cabbage, shingiku (Tong Hao) and Japanese bunching onion (welsh onion) to the pot and you'll have a grand feast.

Loading complete, displaying search results.

Two cyan blue windows appear in front of me showing the search results in front of my virtual body. In my personal virtual space, I changed the basic cube-like bluish-layout of a virtual room to a peaceful, outdoor zen garden with a small koi pond. The pond has a couple of nishikigoi - otherwise known as Koi - fish swimming around inside. There are black, red, cream, golden yellow and white Koi in the pond from different sizes.

Looking at the windows suspended in mid air, I bring them down after sitting down in a seiza position near the pond since it's pretty much a habit from my traditional upbringing. I take a quick look through one of the windows, using my hands to scroll up and down.

"Hm.... Aida-san, please filter out all items except for ones that are used for crafting. Crafting material should have a level range between one and thirty. Please group the items according to use of the material. Each group should be ordered in terms of cost, from lowest to highest. Thank you."

The window sorts out the items quickly and is done within a second. I scroll through the items, checking each item for its cost, use and quality. It seems there is not much detail to each item, only giving the bare essentials and information that most players seem to value. I think I will have to research and experiment on the materials I gather so I will have a deeper understanding of the properties the materials contain.

After checking both the gemstones and metals, I absent-mindedly toss a handful of virtual fish food pellets into the koi pond and watch the fish swim around, nibbling the pellets up. Smiling, I close the two windows and pick myself up from the seated position. With a single thought and small, sweeping hand gesture, the zen garden and pool breaks apart into millions of "data pieces" that are swept away like a strong wind blowing away snow. The background is now a pure black, with only thin, glowing white lines indicating the cube I am in.

"System, log in to Ascendancy."

Logging you in. Enjoy your time in the game!

... ... ...

... ...

...

--- --- ---

I open my eyes and find myself sprawled on inside the carriage I was previously riding in before I left to go shopping for new gear for the coming camping trip. Yawning, I peek out of the small window by lifting a corner of the curtain away from the glass pane. It seems we are nearly at the first village by the looks of things. If my reasoning is correct, this village's specialty produce should be some sort of fruit on vines. I can see a wide expanse of farmland from the window. The land has many vines and fences, indicating the produce of this place should be grapes or similar if my eyes do not deceive me.

As the caravan moves closer, I can see that my conjecture is correct: the fences are lined with grape-like fruits that have multiple drupelets that make the bunches look like a hybrid between grapes and blackberries. As the thought of grapes came to mind, my mouth watered a bit as they are my favorite fruit. A few minutes later, I can see the village in the distance. It's quite unlike what I imagined a small village would be: instead, it looks like a town surrounded by a some sort of stone wall. It was only after the caravans moved closer that I can see what the village looked like.

Unlike the walled appearance from afar, the village was actually fairly typical, surrounded by a wooden palisade with an open front entrance. The village has a cluster of wooden buildings in it with a few utility structures such as two water wells and an unwalled mill. The stone walls are built to keep several key buildings safe. The key buildings include the village "safe house", three large buildings that have specialized equipment for vinification and a supply house. Observing the number of thatched and wooden cottages and a few stone houses, there should be around six hundred or more people living here. Looks like it's one of the larger villages that have a specialty produce for trade.

As we enter the village, a crowd draws near our location, clearly wishing to trade with the merchants as soon as possible due to the excitement. As the caravan pulls over to a piece of land occupied by a large, unwalled structure with enough room for the horses and caravan units. The ceiling of this building is very high, maybe at least ten meters in height. This allows the entire caravan to park inside and leave room for standing and working on top of the units.

As the villagers crowd around the caravans, the driver of the carriage I am riding in opens the door for me. The driver looks a little out of place; with his head of short, golden blond hair and dark green eyes that seem to command both respect and and aura of authority, I have a feeling something might be off about him. He hides most of his face under a rather large hat and dresses in a rather unassuming traveler's get up that makes him look as mundane as possible. It is too bad his golden hair is a little too attractive to my eyes that brought his abnormal presense to my attention; most people would just ignore the color and put it off as simply unique hair color.

Noticing that I am examining him, the driver's eyes narrow slightly and gives me a small smile that seems to understand why I am looking at him. He then lifts his right hand up to my level, indicating for me to take his hand to help me off the carriage. My eyes widen a bit before I smile back, taking his hand and allowing him to pull me lightly off the carriage. I was about to talk to him when he puts a finger up to his own lips.

Ah, I guess people will have some secrets to keep. I smile to him and he nods, gesturing to me to go and meet with the head merchant. I nod before walking over to the other carriage where the head merchant of the caravan is stepping out on to the ground. His face was very handsome and can nearly be called beautiful. This should make him stand out even more if not for his clothing and hat covering most of his looks. However, I completely miss the driver's small smirk while thinking about this anomally while heading towards the merchant...

--- --- ---

1st POV - Golden Haired Driver

That little Miss is sure observant, she even noted my presense and was examining me with eyes that says "I'm curious about this irregular presense" instead of "I'm falling in love with his looks!!!". It looks like she'll be a nice person to get to know if we ever meet again... no, I'm sure we'll be meeting each other soon...

I straighten my hat a little before dusting off some dirt that got on to my suit jacket during the travel. Pioneer or not, she's going to prove to be very interesting. With her demeanor and that magic of hers, I wonder if she'll even be surprised to know who I am...?

Well, we'll leave that till later. Right now, I should go get some wine from the village chief...

--- --- ---

1st POV - Yukiara (MC)

"Ah, Miss Yuki, thanks for waiting."

The head merchant beckons me over after he finishes dealing with the crowd. He was directing the crowd to each caravan unit for the trades they wish to make. Each unit is managed by merchants that work under the leadership of this stout but charismatic man. The head merchant's name is Tallon Markos, a well-known merchant that barters with varies goods as well as doing buy and sell services with currency. His leniency with bartering has made him much appreciated with the common folk while his shrewdness in currency handling has earned him a respectable reputation with the nobles and other merchants.

Being a bit pudgy while wearing a medieval formal suit makes him look even more charismatic and wealthy. His formal wear is a dark brown color with broad yellow stripes across the front of his suit. Inside is a white tunic with brown straps to tie the front; this portion is not covered by the suit jacket and can be easily seen from the front. His pants and footwear are a dark brown leather. From observation, it should be a tough, durable material that is both comfortable and good for traveling long distances. He has a rather slick cap of dark brown hair that curls in certain areas and at the edges, making him look more like a Victorian Englishman more than anything else.

As he waves me over, he opens takes out a small but well-decorated wooden case and opens it. When I get near him, he takes out a small package wrapped parchment and hands it over to me. Receiving it with both hands, I look at Tallon questioningly. With his mellow but pleasant voice, he explains what he just gave to me.

"This is a small token of appreciation from myself. Even though you are a paid passenger in the caravan, you still assisted the guards with that amazing magic of yours."

I gratefully accept his gift and glance at the package. It is fairly light and uniform, similar to a box that does not have any loose items inside.

You have acquired the item Tallon's Gift

He tells me what the package contains.

"There are two things in the package; inside is a box that contains the two gifts. The first one is a carved amethyst jewel that you can do whatever you want with. The second gift is a silver card inlaid with the mystic topaz gemstone, the stone that represents the Primrose Trader's Union. This card will indicate that you are a friend of the merchant group and will give you a fifteen percent discount on your purchases in any stores and caravan traders affliated with the merchant group."

I look at him in shock as I never realized he was a great enough figure give such an important item. From reading some online posts about the business and economy of this region, I read about the three main merchantile groups that runs the show.

The first one is the , a large group that focuses on expensive, luxurious items for the upper-class as well as decorative equipment for high-ranking military officials.

The second one is the , a collection of smaller crafting guilds that has an official council that deals with the selling of weapons, armor, and other metallic goods that are not magic-related.

The final and largest group is the . This group is the "binder" for the other two as well as having it's own operations in trade and commerce. This merchant group helps the other two with their selling and buying for a small fee while performing their own trading services. You can say that the Primrose Trader's Union is the hub of this kingdom, if not the entire kingdom.

Tallon smiles and bows his head towards me before reintroducting himself.

"My name is Tallon Markos, head merchant and co-founder of the Primrose Trader's Union. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Yuki."

You have lost the item Tallon's Gift.

You have acquired the item Primrose VIP Card.

You have acquired the item Fine Cut Amethyst

"The pleasure is mine," I reply, "again, I thank you for your wonderful gift."

The first gift, the carved amethyst jewel, could be used to generate some capital for my research or be kept for testing. The second gift is probably worth the most for me: my profession clearly requires a lot of capital for research and experimentation projects. Being able to purchase things at a lower cost is a huge plus for me.

"Oh," Tallon teasingly nudges my side, "if you can make magic equipment that can be used by other people, we'll happily buy your products at a high price!"

I giggle a bit before replying.

"I'd be happy to, but don't expect anything amazing for a while; I started my journey to create new technqiues and items not long ago."

I suddenly remembered that I borrowed an item from Tallon.

"Oh, here's the item I borrowed from you. Thank you for lending me the torch."

The head merchant gives me a hearty laugh before taking the torch from my hand.

"Your welcome Miss Yuki, I'm glad to be of assistance. My friend's friend will always be a friend of mine."

After a bit of conversation, Tallon gives me a suggestion of lodging for these two nights. He recommends that I visit the Inn in this village and show the receptionist the card he has just given me. I tilt my head a little, wondering where this is leading. Tallon smiles at the apparently cute expression I have on my face and tells me that his company is one of the major associates to this nation's Inns and other establishments for the weary travelers and adventurers.

We head on our separate ways after a short farewell for now. At this time, two bolder players from the caravan guard team walk up to me curiously. They're probably wondering if I am a player or NPC since I was allowed to be travel in the carriage. I do not like attention but I also don't want to lie to others. I'll see how it turns out and decide on what to do as we talk.

"U-Uh..."

Both players are human females that stand at least three centimeters or so taller than me. Looks like they're a bit flustered on how to address me since I seem like a NPC rather than a player like themselves. I guess I'll have to start the conversation myself. I smile towards the two females and bow to them a little. My explorer's clothing set is similar to an academy uniform for aristocrats, making the adventurers cautious at first until the previous introduction to the team leader and vice-leader.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Yukiara. Please call me Yuki if you don't mind and thank you for your good work in guarding the caravan."

The two girls blush from the praise and shake their heads furiously as if to cool-off their supposedly overheated heads.

"N-No! No, we weren't really that good. You're the amazing one Yuki, you were able to assist with that las- erm... magic of yours!"

The first player is has a head of mid-length brown hair tied in a small pony tail. She has several long sunstreaks that highlight her hair blonde in color as well as several bangs of hair framing her round, youthful face. Her hazel-colored eyes compliment her hair color as well as making her look younger.

This player is wearing equipment similar to adventurer team leader Rebecca; consisting of a small chestplate of some sort of metal, most likely iron or steel. It is plain silver-grey and is fastened with leather straps to her back over a beige-brown padded tunic with forest green patched design on the arms and waist of the tunic. The tunic reaches down to her upper thighs, creating a miniature skirt like bottom. She compliments the tunic with a pair of pants of the similar material, color and style. The boots and gloves she wears are a soft brown color, probably made from leather. On her waist is a sword in a brown sheath, simple but well made by the looks of it. Strapped to her back is a long, wooden staff with a silver colored metal cap on both ends.

The second player is slightly shorter than the first, with a head of fiery red long hair that reaches her upper back in a flowing, smooth style. Long bangs of hair frame her angled face, reaching down just above her chest. Her dark red eyes compliments her hair and dress, making her look more elegant and exotic due to the bright, vibrant colors.

This player is outfitted with crimson red leather overcoat that reaches down to her knees. The coat has has patched black linear designs and opens up at the waist of the girl, allowing room for mobility and comfort. Underneath the coat, I can see a dark-colored - mostly black with a bit of red - soft-looking blouse matched with an equally red plaid skirt that reaches just under the middle of her thighs. Oh, she looks really cool with the small curved sword at her waist underneath the coat. She does not wear gloves like her companion and has a pair of dark red boots to match her style.

Ah, they forgot to introduce themselves until the red-haired girl's eyes widen. Seems like she's figured that that out and blushes in embarrassment.

"S-Sorry... we forgot to introduce ourselves.."

The red-haired girl speaks up with a soft but modulated voice, stuttering slightly as she fumbles over her apology for a moment before calming down.

"I am SeraphinaEine, a magic swordsman specializing in fire-attribute spells and swordplay. Please call me Seraphina, Sera or Aine if you'd like."

The other girl is still flustered and unresponsive, causing Seraphina to nudge her sharply with an elbow, causing the brown haired girl to yelp and relax slightly. The pony-tailed girl stutters her introduction in an equally soft but gentle voice.

"A-Ah! U-Um... hello! My name is AntheiaEine... err.... I-I'm a battle mage s-specializing in close combat and using e-earth attribute magic."

So... fire girl here is "Burning Fire One" (Seraphina is a Hebrew name meaning "burning fire" while Eine is the German word for "one") while the badly stuttering shy one has the name of the Greek Charity (one of the minor goddesses) of flowers and wreaths. Pretty unique in that many people don't think about other languages and mythos other than what they are familiar with or are interested in.

Seraphina should be a then since she has a specialty. She is probably one of the lucky players to have a Hybrid profession this early on in the game. The same applies to Antheia since she has the magic-heavy Hybrid profession. The difference between a magic warrior and a battle magician is simply that the former relies on finesse and weaponry while supporting one's self with magic. The latter fights up close and personal with a higher vitality and defense through the use of magic while supplementing spell casting with heavy melee strikes.

"As I have said, my name is Yukiara. I am a researcher of lost magic and a rather avid bookworm. I like learning about new things and experiencing new things."

A window appears in front of me to show the identity tag of the players in front of me. When players and NPCs communicate with each other, the identity tag will be shown. I ignore the window since I'm sure their rank is still .

Spoiler: Information

Name:SeraphinaEineGender:FemaleRank (Social Class):Pioneer

Name:AntheiaEineGender:FemaleRank (Social Class):Pioneer

Looks like they think I am an NPC since I have a Rank that isn't a anymore. The reason they am not suspicious of my name is because of the existence of . is an ancient nation that was lost several millenia ago during the period where a series of disasters occurred...

Hm... this "Heaven's Wrath" interests me. Maybe I'll be able to figure out what happened during that time of strife.

...and tore up the land. There are large clans of descendants from that nation that have survived even now and have names like mine in this world. Names like Kumiko, Sora, Akio and Naoki are commonly used in those clans. Although the descendants of the nation is rare, they are still around and are part of different kingdoms in this continent.

Spoiler: Information

Name:YukiaraGender:FemaleRank (Social Class):Honorary City Guard

The two of them are also headed towards the Inn here so the three of us walk together while conversing about small things in this game. When they said they are sisters in this game, I'm pretty sure they imply that they are also sisters in real life. The two of them will share a room for the night and help out the villagers if there is a need for adventurer-type work (Pioneers are counted as special adventurers - remember that adventurers are only NPC roles unless the pioneer gained a certain amount of intimacy in certain situations - but are without an adventurer's guild identification card).

We soon reach the Inn and find ourselves in front of a huge, surprisingly well-built building with the sign saying: "Berry Vine Inn". The building is probably around 5800 square feet or so in size, probably slightly smaller due to the extended porch. The three of us stare in awe for a moment before entering the Inn. Taking a brief look around: the building is quite well furnished and has a light-hearted atmosphere.

As the three of us walk towards the reception desk, I notice the multiple tables and food service to the right and wonder if this place can be considered a tavern. There are a couple groups of people - probably adventurers; seeing a few familiar faces from the caravan guard here - currently, chatting and eating. A few people notice the three of us and frown a little... it's probably because of me. Due to my explorer's outfit being similar to an aristocratic academy uniform, I'm probably attracting some attention from the NPC adventurers that have not met me during the caravan trip.

I note the small circular button-like object on the reception desk as we walk. We reach the reception desk where a man with a mullet-style (short in the front, long in the back) dark brown hair is at. His eyes are a lighter shade of brown to his hair and is sharp and steady, giving him a casual but attentive look. Wearing a standard medieval-like tavern uniform, he greets us with a tenor, husky voice that surprised the three of us. With his angular face with a beard similar to Hollywoodian-style, I would've thought he would sound a little gruffer.

"Welcome to the Berry Vine Inn travelers, my name is Brenson Cliff, receptionist of this establishment. How may I help you?"

Antheia fidgets bashfully while Seraphina looks around for a moment. I close my eyes and slightly bow to Brenson, and answer for the other two as well as myself.

"We wish to rest and refresh ourselves when night falls. What is the price for two regular rooms for two days and nights?"

Brenson recites the information from his mind while smoothing out some wrinkles of his working uniform. The uniform consists of a white tunic worn under a dark blue vest with silver-embroidery. I do not know what he is wearing on his legs and feet since the desk covers the lower half off the receptionist. The receptionist also brings up the information for food service after replying to my question for convenience.

"Reservations for two rooms for a single night is twenty rasters. It will be eighty rasters for two rooms for two nights. Dinner and breakfast can be added on to if you choose to. A night with dinner and breakfast will be an additional eight rasters per person."

The three of us discuss for a moment before I tell the reception what we would like.

"We would like two rooms for two nights with dinner and breakfast for both nights please and thank you...."

The receptionist gives me a small smile while I take the out the silver card I received from Tallon.

"You are sure polite young Miss, it will be..."

Brenson's eyes go wide as I bring out the card. He quickly fixes his uniform once again before addressing me in a formal fashion.

"P-Pardon me for my casual speech young Miss, I did not know that you are an associate of the Primrose Trader's Union. Please forgive my insolence..."

Haa...? This card possesses more influence than I thought. Seraphina and Antheia looks at me in slight shock; probably due to being close to someone who has some connection with this "Primrose Trader's Union". I put away the card in the one of the buttoned pockets of my attire before turning to the brown-haired receptionist.

I plead to Brenson not to talk any differently while Seraphina starts giggling at the funny scene. After several minutes, the receptionist relents and finally makes some small talk with us with casual speech. Soon, everyone gets comfortable and the receptionist feels alright again talking casually. Another minute or so of idle chat pass before we return to the main topic. Brenson tells us the price of the rooms and food service with the VIP card I have with me.

"The cost for two rooms for two nights will be eighty rasters while the price for food services for two nights will be forty-eight rasters. The original total cost would be 1 istotle and 28 rasters. Since the young Miss has the Primrose VIP card, you and your friends will receive a 15% discount on the price. The total price is now 1 istotle and 9 rasters."

Although I wanted to pay for them as well after being well acquainted, the two absolutely refused and wanted to pay their part. The receptionist finishes to the paperwork as well as receiving the money before handing Seraphina and I two small metal keys.

"These will be your keys for the rooms you reserved."

Brenson pauses for a moment and presses a button on top of the reception desk before talking to us again.

"Please wait a moment; one of the workers will come over and direct you to the rooms assigned."

As soon as he finishes his sentence, a young pretty maid-like female worker appears from around the corner of the stairs that is positioned to the left of the reception desk. She walks down the stairs gracefully, her light brown hair bouncing on her shoulders lightly from the impact of her steps. Her brown eyes shine with life and cheer, lighting up her face and complimenting her smile. I also note that she is at least five centimetres taller than me...

"Please come this way," the worker addresses us in a cheerful voice, "I will take you to your rooms."

We follow the rather young girl working her up stairs to our rooms. I glance at her outfit and realize it's somewhat similar to the traditional European tavern maiden uniform. It consists of a white peasant's blouse that is obviously designed for attracting customers with a dark brown vest over the top. A perfect blend of showing one's figure as well as retaining modesty. The worker wears a layered skirt with the shorter, top layer a soft, leafy green color. The lower layer of the skirt is striped dark green and brown that matches the vest. On her feet are a pair of tan strapped sandals that match the tan ribbon in her hair.

This Inn is very large in deed; the maiden takes us to the third floor and shows us our rooms. Our rooms appear to be adjacent with each other, making it easier for us to contact each other when needed.

"Please enjoy your stay and have a nice day!"

The cheery worker was about to walk away when she realizes something and stops.

"Ah... does our esteemed guests require anything before I leave?"

We all shake our heads before Seraphina replies to her.

"We're fine thank you."

The girl nods and half-saunters back to work. Looking at our room's doors, I turn towards the two girls that I am now closely acquainted with.

"Why don't we check the rooms out before finding something to do in this village for the day?"

"That's a good idea," Seraphina responds to me, "I need to figure out this village's key points so I can get comfortable with this place."

Antheia nods her head quickly to indicate her acceptance. This shy, bashful girl is going to be a fun person to be around. Maybe I should tease her a little when the three of us get to know each other more. I smile and bow my head slightly, probably because of my habit.

"Let's meet up at the front porch of the building when we're done."

The two girls nod and we all enter our respective rooms.

--- --- ---

--- --- ---

Plisse Village Region - Outer Reaches

"Eis shri krahton" (It is time...)

"Llis't kesc preish un' skraha'a!" (We will kill of them filthy humans!)

"Enn! kesc sk..." (Yes! We will kil...)

*Bam!*

A figure falls to the ground, hard.

"No, you fool! We will destroy town, kill male and take female! Don't kill all people, waste!"

"Ya'ktoc fyuis plase triwef?" (Ya'ktoc wonders what prizes?)

"No matter, all are for taking!"

"GRAH'A! GRAH'A! GRAH'A!" (Slaughter! Slaughter! Slaughter!)

A resounding chorus of rough shouting echoes through the plains...

"Eis skea! Preish un' Dharhak!" (Let's go! It's time to attack!)

{{Non-Proof Read Version}}