I woke up near a fire, with Epieoth sitting close to me.

“You have some reliable friends.”

He says stirring the ashes. I look around and Gobber is laying on the ground, did he kill him?

“You're friend was pretty adamant on not letting me take you back to school. After refusing to let me a few times he attacked me. I couldn't just leave someone unconscious outside, they'd probably die from a monster attack. So I set up camp.”

The white mage familiar ran itself dry healing me so I feel fine, honestly Epieoth was in far more pain than me. I send my white mage over to heal the bruise that my rock cannon caused him. To beat both of my trump cards... He could have easily killed me several times over but was testing my abilities instead.

“Ah thank you for that, the rock weapon you used. What was that?”

I started to explain all the moves I used. It is the least I could do for him not killing me or Gobber. So I go over each skill I used from silence at the beginning to each of my magics. How I drank the potion I made to increase stats and used the combination scrolls to play bard music by itself. Down to the rock cannon which I explained how I made it.

“What was that magic you used against me? The one that caused that insane backlash?”

Should I tell him?

“It was a chi wave attack that had almost a years worth of meditated chi in it... I wasted it hurting myself.”

He explained that I probably didn't use my chi. Counter spell forced it to feedback into me. Chances are, it was just a case of misfire. Epieoth said.

“Still though, I've counter spelled dark mage skills from high level masters without such a reaction. The sheer force behind that skill is terrifying.”

“Why did you want to fight me?”

I asked him. He stared at the fire continuing to poke and stir it.

“Well it was to test your skills in combat. To be able to hurt me is no easy feat. Leo didn't manage that after years of sparring with me… I wasn't sure whether to kill you when I knocked you out or not since you're so strong. You could become a threat later on.”

I feel terror run through me. I just almost died but was spared on a whim from him.

“To be able to use magic in so many strange and unique ways... The ability to draw strong allies to yourself. That goblin was no ordinary goblin. As a beast tamer to have two pets bonded with you, at such an early stage is unheard of. Most tamers never even bond with a single monster."

“I actually tamed Sock normally.”

He looks at me with shock.

“What!? Do you realize what you're saying? I've never heard of a tamer changing a forced pet into a bonded one before. You truly are special.”

“I decided against killing you because you're far to kindhearted to be a threat later on. You didn't even want to fight any of us to prove that you weren't weak. Even so, I'm going to tell you something I shouldn't... In hopes that someday you'll be an ally.”

Epieoth stood up now staring at me.

“My demon race is on the verge of extinction. This country is applying too heavy of a tax to the lands where we live. Most demons aren't allowed to leave except under certain circumstances. Like for schooling in very rare occasions. The demons are also used as fodder for the war between the countries and it's gotten to the point where if something doesn't change in our lifetimes the demon races will go extinct.”

I feel awful for him. I haven't heard anything like this in my entire life. It's probably being covered up by the countries king. He continued.

“I'm a spy for the demon races. We're trying to find strong allies to help us gain our freedom from this country. I was sent here strategically to try and win over the headmaster of the school. Because of his job to make automaton dolls. But headmaster Milton was to fearful of what would happen after we had gotten our freedom. With the dolls, we could overrun the kingdom. The rolls might be reversed with us subjugating the humans.”

He's said a lot. I honestly don't know what to make of everything... In the long run I'd like to help them but I'm still too weak.

“Well, maybe in the future I will help you but right now I need to get stronger. If I try to help you right now I'd make too many enemies that could easily kill me... In the future I'd like to help you. No, I'll definitely help you.”

He looks a little disappointed but its hard to tell with his expressionless face. I mean what does he expect one person to do and I also agree with Milton. Building an army of fighting dolls seems like it could easily backfire on the creator.

Epieoth leaves towards the city. I get up and once he's out of sight cast healing magic on Gobber. He's still out cold but whatever Epieoth knocked him out with didn't deal any external damage to him.

I decide to practice my new moves. Making the white mage cast healing magic I improved counter spell him. It's the same as silence but their is also some feedback, depending on how strong the magic is. I use the infused anti magic runes on my metal sword to see how long it lasts for.

A few hours later Gobber wakes up and I explain what happened to him. He understands and we wait until the sun comes up outside. He goes back to the fortress and I head to school. It has been several hours but the runes are still on the weapon. Maybe it's permanent?

The school year is getting close to ending. It has already been almost a year since my village has been attacked. I managed to get another level from killing monsters at night making me level thirteen. My classes and jobs have also steadily increased to around level fifteen for some of my more higher up ones like knight and scout. I feel it slowly getting harder to level classes up.

I started taking it easy and focus on teaching Gobber things instead of training. He can speak very broken “common” now. Which is the language most humanoids learn. Even if they aren't human, for the sake of being able to communicate with more humanoids. He's leveling very fast, all of his classes are above ten now too. Except chemist, which seems hard to level. Since it is tied with a job he doesn't have.

I've been getting challenged a lot more since that day. When I use improved counter spell to stop their magic an extremely tiny explosion happens in front of them. They normally give up as soon as they are silenced. In comparison to my chi wave, their magic explosions aren't even to the scale of one to one hundred.

Zero people besides Leo and Epieoth are a threat at this school. I'm so prepared to fight against casters. I figure if I keep this up, I should be able to support a dungeon party before long. It's only a few days until the graduation ceremony for this year. I'll officially be halfway through school once that happens.

I should visit Lance before the end of the year. From what I understand the boot camp he's a part of only teaches for two years. It consists mostly of sparring and some practice. With a few lessons throughout the year, explaining different mechanics to fighting and different techniques that can be implemented. Normally when I see Leaf she would get all red in the face and run out of the room. I wonder why.

I was approached by Leaf yesterday asking to meet her outside the city. Maybe another challenge? I go prepared with weapons and scrolls. I don't bother getting my pets because Leaf is already waiting at the entrance. We go for a walk and we're ten or twenty minutes into silence, neither of us speaking the entire walk. We reach a clearing before Leaf decides to talk.

“Kite, I really like you… I've liked you ever since we fought the lich together. You're always so strong, able to do so much but that doesn't stop you from constantly getting stronger. As I am right now and how young you are we're not compatible… Once I graduate, I'm going to get stronger. So I can be beside you without feeling like a hindrance. I'll wait until your fifteenth birthday... If you care for me at all, lets meet back here at this exact spot on your fifteenth birthday.”

Leaf runs towards the city. I don't have a chance to respond.