Unlike yesterday where I woke up incredibly tired and feeling like my body was glued to my bed, I woke up today as refreshed as I can be as if this physical body has just been recreated anew. I was one of the earlier to wake up though, as I looked up to the sky and I can tell that it’s still in early dawn and almost everyone is still sleeping, with the exception of Gabriel and some members who I’m guessing are the ones in shift for guarding the bound knights.

“Well, you woke up early.” Gabriel said to me. “Something in your mind?”

“No, not really,” I replied as I begin to walk towards him and seat on a piece of log that he’s sitting on. “You know, there’s actually something that I want to ask you.”

“Oh, so there is something in your mind. And what might that question be?” he replied.

“You told me that your father was a Celestial, but you never really expanded on that.” I told him. “I want to know everything about your father and how he behaves. I could learn something from him about dealing with this mortal form.”

“I see. Well, I’m sorry to say but he left me and my mom when I was still a little kid.” he said while staring into the starry dawn sky. “The only thing I remember from him is the unique and bizarre feeling of being given mana... you know, just like how you did to me. That’s how I was able to find out you’re a Celestial.”

“That’s unfortunate.” I replied to him. “And no, I don’t mean the fact that he left you and your mother. I was unfortunate about the fact that you can’t share any information to me. Also, don’t you dare start identifying me as your father figure just because I gave you a nostalgic memory of him.”

“Ha ha ha! Don’t worry, I’m not into those kind of sentiments.” he replied while laughing. “Besides, how old are you anyway?”

I gave him a look of slight shock that Gabriel, the mortal I thought is less stupider than the others, would ask me that question.

“That’s probably the stupidest thing I’ve heard from you.” I told him in contempt. “I am as old as the universe itself. Maybe you’re starting to forget that I’m a Celestial?”

“No, not that kind of age, oh great and mighty Celestial one.” he followed up with a sarcastic smile. “I meant how old is that human body you’re currently using?”

“Oh, that’s what you meant. You should’ve said that at first.” I replied. “The average age of the human population in this continent is around twenty two to twenty seven. If I’m going to guess, I might have picked it to be around twenty four. Being in the majority group would allow me to stick out less and make it easier for me to blend in.”

“I see... I’m twenty nine and Frain is just twenty three, guess that makes me the eldest huh?” he said. “So even your age was picked based on a formulated logic? Man, do you even display any kind of emotion?”

“Emotions only cloud your judgement.” I replied to him while eating soup from a silver plate. “But, yes, I do display emotions. As a matter of fact, we Celestials have thousands of emotions that are impossible to be perceived by the mortal mind. If you ask me one that can also apply to you, humans, that would be mainly curiosity and boredom. The two reasons why I even decided to stoop down to this plane in search of stimulus.”

“Now you’re getting me curious.” he joyfully replied. “About those Celestial emotions you’re talking about. Can you give me an example?”

“No, I can’t.” I immediately said to him. “Your language is just not developed enough to find the right words. And even if they are, some things are just impossible to be explained by linguistic communication.”

“So you’re saying those kinds of emotions are impossible to translate into words? Huh, interesting.” he replied. “Wait, how do you Celestials communicate to each other anyway? I meant, in your true forms?”

“I believe in your words, you call it ‘Telepathy’.” I replied to him as I put down the plate unto the ground. “It’s actually more than just the human concept of telepathy, but for the sake of getting the idea across your head, that word would suffice. If you’re still curious, you could say that we can ‘tell’ our emotions and make others feel what we’re feeling with our way of communication.”

“Truly interesting.” he said while pondering what I had just said. “Sometimes I wonder just how do you see our world, our universe. What does it look in your perspective?”

I stared at him for a few seconds, then pointed to my left eye and smiled.

“You don’t have to wonder.” I replied while still smiling.

“Huh? What the hell does that mean?” he asked me while I was standing up.

I completely ignored his question and decided not to tell him anything anymore. His patched eye… it’s not a mortal eye.

He told me the night before yesterday that he was born with his left eye not functioning. It’s strange and unpleasant appearance also turned away other people and that’s why he decided to cover it with an eyepatch. If he finds out the truth, it could lead to all kinds of problems arising in the future. I’d rather spare myself the responsibility of resolving those issues.

I was preparing to head out into the woods and do some experiments with my non-offensive Celestial spells when I suddenly felt multiple weak magical aura. It seems that it’s surrounding our entire encampment. I immediately told everyone to wake up as we’re currently under attack but those who are awake only looked at me puzzled.

Shortly after, multiple figures of short, humanoid creatures began to slowly appear from the blanket of the shadows. Without noticing it, we’ve just been surrounded with at least sixty bloodthirsty goblins, ready to attack at any moment.

It was only after this revelation that they stood up in panic and began waking those who are still sleeping. Interestingly, and perhaps fortunately, the goblins didn’t attack while we’re on the process of waking people up. They seem to be awaiting orders from someone, whoever that is that’s giving them orders.

“W-what the hell is happening?” Frain asked in terror. “Why are there this many goblins?”

“I don’t know.” I replied. “I only noticed them myself right when they have already surrounded us.”

Suddenly, one taller-than-average goblin wearing a full plated black armor with golden linings to it started talking in what I assume is its native language while pointing its crooked, peculiar sword at us and swinging it all around.

“What is it saying, Arthur?” Gabriel asked me while wielding his crossbow in the left hand and a sword in the right.

“How am I supposed to know?” I replied to him while casting a barrier spell for myself. “I have a human brain, not goblin brain. By the way, be careful not to touch my barrier or you’d get your mana sucked away.”

“Hey! How come that spell didn’t generate that higher dimensional light you were speaking of?” Frain asked in what might be the most inappropriate of time.

“Because its existence does not interfere with the natural laws of this plane.” I replied. “You should probably focus on those goblins at the moment, you know?”

Before she could utter a single sound, a fireball came rushing down from the backline of those goblins that is hidden within the shadows, burning every leaf and tree branch in its path towards me. I didn’t move a single inch, nor did I even flinch as the fireball nears me. I looked at the armored goblin who was just talking earlier straight into its eyes and smiled, menacingly as if I was issuing it a challenge.

As the fireball collided with my barrier, it didn’t explode, get deflected or even impacted my barrier. It merely dissipated into nothingness, like placing a burning piece of paper under water, as all of its mana gets returned back to the Archeus.

The armored goblin got even furious, and shouted another incomprehensible language which caused another volley of fireball. This time around, in multiple.

As the fireballs travel in an arc towards us, it stopped mid flight, right above where the armored goblin is standing, and redirected its direction towards the goblin like an eagle diving down to its prey.

I looked around to look for who could’ve caused it and saw one of our members, holding his two arms above towards the direction of the fireballs.

“A telekinetic huh? He’s going to be useful.” I thought to myself.

Right before the first fireball hit the armored goblin, he quickly jumped out of the way and dodged it, where it exploded and hit probably two to three goblins. The attack doesn’t end there though as four more fireballs subsequently attack him, but he manages to dodge all of those too just in the nick of time.

When the fifth and the final fireball is about to strike him, he jumped to the side, seemingly timing it like how he did with the rest but this time, the fireball that’s supposed to hit the ground flew upwards and turned back and around to hit him while he’s still recovering from the jump.

It exploded on his back violently, catapulting him towards Gabriel who’s now readying himself to receive the goblin with a blow of his sword’s sharp edge. While in midair, the goblin shouted what seems to be orders to the other goblins that are surrounding our camp, which made them shout and charge towards us, from all directions.

The battle rages all around the camp with arrows and various colored lights from different kinds of spells fly around the battlefield. Meanwhile, the armored goblin and Gabriel are facing off in their respective battle stances. It appears that Gabriel wasn’t able to finish the goblin in one blow as the head of the goblin seems to be bleeding, although not heavily.

As I watch the two warriors of different races fight each other, one filthy, stupid goblin decided that it was a good idea to charge me head on, and with his bare hands at that. Needless to say, he immediately regretted his decision as his skin gradually turns pale and he struggles to breathe due to mana deficiency while lying on the ground in agony.

I returned to watching Gabriel and the armored goblin fight as I had found it entertaining. Gabriel, while backing away from the goblin’s relentless sword swing, pointed his crossbow at the goblin and fired it. The goblin managed to deflect the crossbow bolt with his sword however and jumped towards Gabriel with a single leap. He held his sword downward, pointing its end towards Gabriel as if using a knife to stab someone. Once he was near enough, the goblin then quickly charged his sword downward aiming for Gabriel’s head but with a swift movement, Gabriel used his unloaded crossbow to block the goblin’s sword stab. He then quickly stepped to his right side and used the sword he’s holding in his right hand to stab the goblin, who was still in mid air, between the exposed points in its armor. A loud cry of pain and agony came out from the goblin before finally reverting back to its silence, as a dead carcass.

After seeing their leader dead, the other goblins who are still in the middle of battle abandoned their opponents and their weapons behind, quickly running towards their own separate directions. Our men didn’t just let them go though, as they continued attacking the fleeing goblins in their exposed backs with various arrows and spells.

As if on cue, the end of the battle was accompanied by the daybreak, with the first rays of the sun shining down on the bloody landscape and being reflected by the various metallic weapons that the goblins have left behind.

I was watching them loot all the weapons and the armors of the dead goblins to sell it later since it’s too small for anyone to fit into anyone when I was approached by a young boy with brown robes. It was the same boy I saw earlier who was controlling the goblins’ fireballs.

“Uhm… Excuse me, Sir. Arthur.” he said. “C-can I ask you a question? If it’s okay with you.”

“Yes?” I replied.

“Uh, well. I was just curious what that barrier spell you used was? I’ve never heard of ANY spell that drains away mana nor interact with it in any way.” he said nervously.

I was caught off-guard by the boy’s question. I just remembered that only Frain and Gabriel knew that I was a Celestial. Me blurting out the fact that I casted a spell that drains mana is a very unwise decision on my part. I should’ve chosen my words carefully.

“Oh, well, you see, it’s like this--”

“That’s another one of Arthur’s unique ability.” Frain interrupted. “Apart from being able to give mana, he can also drain away mana from a casted spell, or directly from someone.”

“Is… Is that really true?” the boy exclaimed in excitement and disbelief. “Wow! That’s incredible, Sir. Arthur! Wait, does that make you a mage that specializes in mana manipulation? If so, then you’re the first ever mage to be capable of doing that!”

“Haha, indeed. I suppose we should start calling him the Sage of Mana then?” Frain said while laughing.

“The Sage of Mana sounds so cool and fitting!” the boy enthusiastically added. “Can you please teach me how to become a better mage?”

“Easy now, Marlon. We still have a lot of things to do.” Frain said. “After these guys are done looting, we’re leaving immediately. We need to get to Palgrim by tomorrow. You can ask him that again once we have reached our final destination, ok?”

“Hmm… Okay Frain…” the boy said with a disappointed look on his face.

After rounding everything up and packing our things, we resumed our walk within the forest while still dragging the bound knights with us, who appears to have three casualties and one wounded due to the goblin attack. After two hours, we have finally reached the forest boundary and is greeted with a bright green, expansive plains that stretches out as far as the mortal eye can see, well past the horizon. Not far to the right of where we exited from is a beaten path, which I assume is the road that leads to the city of Palgrim.

“If we follow that road, we’ll get to Palgrim maybe by tonight but the problem is the knights we have with us. We’re not leaving them here to die and they can be used to send the message of our existence, but if some patrolling guards or some merchants in wagons saw us dragging these knights with us, we’d be in unnecessary trouble.” Gabriel said. “However, if we chose not to follow the road and go above those hills on the side, we’d take longer to get there. What do you propose we do, Arthur?”

I pondered about this question for a significant amount of time, until finally coming to a decision.

“We’re leaving them here and we’ll take the road. We don’t have enough resources for another night and to share with these knights but we’re not leaving them here to die.” I said. “We’ll leave the knights here and take only one with us. Then we’ll tie that one knight on the road so that someone passing would see him and he’ll be the one to inform them of the rest of the knights.”

“I see, that is an incredibly wise compromise.” Gabriel praised. “Very well then, we’ll do just that.”

We took one knight from the bunch and tied the rest of them to a tree. We also left a note with the knights informing whoever is their rescuer of our existence, with our banner, a crown with a sword pointing down at it, placed on the tree trunk above the tied knights. We then took the one knight who is now saying all kinds of words at us and telling us that we’d never make any difference, and tied him up in a tree right beside the road. After that, we took the road and proceeded to head towards Palgrim.

Gabriel said that taking the road to Palgrim is the fastest way to get there by foot but even after half a day of continuous walking, I still couldn’t even see anything that remotely resembles a city over the horizon.

It’s already high noon so we decided to stop by the shade of a giant tree by the road to eat our lunch and recover our energy. The tree had bright blue leaves with purple apple-like fruits dangling from it. Gabriel warned me that those fruits are incredibly poisonous and I shouldn’t so much as to touch it. The heat was unbearable even though we’re already covered in a perfect shade. Every once in a while though, a gust of cool breeze would blow past us like it’s a considerate gift from nature.

After about forty minutes of resting, we packed up everything and proceeded to march once again towards Palgrim, under the extreme heat of the blazing sun.