---

In terms of information, it was a decent start.

But again, that wasn't all. I had accomplished and learned much more during this one month.

For more answers to this conundrum of a world, one should look no further than my first day of training.

Apla 1st—the morning following my reincarnation in the fantasy realm of Velatya.

Shortly after waking me up, Rysef led me to an inconspicuous stone well situated behind his manor. Without uttering a single word, the Ashen Thief jumped in.

Still half-asleep, I followed him in with no hesitation. I didn't see a point in backing away now.

I landed flat on my butt. The impact was enough to snap me out of my drowsiness. An entrance lay behind me marked by stone brick arches forming a hallway.

「Sorry for waking you up, but early mornings like this come with the turf. You get some sleep at least?」

「Barely... Where does this lead anyway?」

「Warrens. The well acts as one of our access points to the underground.」

Unlike the dark tunnels Melyn dragged me through, this place was properly maintained. A row of torches lit the sloped corridor that opened up into these "Warrens".

Whatever that was.

「Why's such a high-maintenance tunnel attached to a second-rate well? Makes no sense why the city would fund such a project.」

「Haha! It would be funny if the government wasted taxpayer gold on this useless well. But unfortunately no, this isn't a state-sanctioned burrow. It was actually built by my predecessor.」

「Predecessor? You mean the previous District Master?」

「Yep! He's the one who turned this abandoned town into a slum dweller's paradise! It'd never been done before!」

「Oh? Was he your master or something?」

The Ashen Thief turned to me as he walked down the slanted stone brick hallway...

「Something like that! I had a hand in building this access tunnel you know?」

「Hm? Given your monstrous strength, I can't say I'm surprised.」

「Hahaha! Is my strength monstrous or are you just weak?!」

He grabbed me in a headlock and gave me a rough noogie, much to my irritation. By the time I'd broken loose from his grip, we'd reached the end of the corridor.

A reinforced wooden door stood in our way.

「It's a bit late to bring this up but...」

Rysef stepped in front of the door and folded his arms.

「W-what is it now?」

「Before you step in, I need to talk to you about the slum dweller tenets. Yesterday was hectic following your arrival—I didn't get a chance to inform you about them.」

I immediately recalled the thief girl's threats.

「Melyn talked a little bit about that. Something about slum dwellers sticking together and how betrayal means death...」

「Hah? She really told you that last part? Hahaha! She was joking about that!」

「Is that not how the rule goes?」

「Of course not! If Sentinels went around exacting their own ideas of justice, we'd fall apart in no time!」

I cursed Melyn under my breath. Her idea of "slum dweller humor" interfered with my actual knowledge of the world.

Whatever... I'll get back at her after this...

「All slum dwellers abide by five tenets. We Sentinels created these rules to uphold peace in our respective districts. In an environment full of the hopeless and impoverished, the risk of infighting is high.」

Rysef raised his voice and closed his eyes.

「Lorenzo! My newly named apprentice! Before I officially induct you into the Lakua District and the Sentinels, I shall inform you of these tenets! Should you break them, even I as your master would not be able to protect you from judgment! My duties as District Master come first and foremost!」

「I-I'll take your warning to heart... So... what are these rules?」

He slowly opened his eyes and inhaled deeply.

「First tenet: Slum dwellers are denizens of the slums! Those who are neither impoverished nor hopeless, have no place in our community. We naturally stick together!」

An obvious rule meant to set a basis for the rest of the rules.

Emphasis on shunning outsiders made it sound like these people were a close-knit community. It would be difficult to make allies on the outside...

「Second tenet: Slum dwellers shall not betray one another! Those who backstab a fellow slum dweller shall be judged and punished under the Sentinels' discretion.」

The Sentinels acted as the de facto government and law enforcement to all slum dwellers.

Their words held a lot of power. It would be bad to find myself on the wrong end of this judge, jury, executioner system.

「Third tenet: Slum dwellers are divided into five districts. Those attached to a district shall not encroach on another district. Those who fail to stay within their own territory shall be judged and punished under the Sentinels' discretion.」

It was hard to tell where the district lines lay. Despite my cluelessness, I was eager to learn about the borders that separated this sizable community.

My current district, Lakua, seemed to hold significant power compared to the other districts. I also wondered about the implications of power among these vagrants.

「Fourth tenet: Slum dwellers that do not belong to a district shall be taken in by the master of the district they find themselves in. Slum dwellers also have a duty to lead these new members through the ins and outs of the community.」

So that's why Melyn was insistent on bringing me here.

Had I ignored her in the marketplace, I probably would've been brought in by some other Lakua District slum dweller anyways. I was deep in their turf after all...

「And finally... the fifth tenet... This one's the most important, so I need you to pay close attention. Can you do that, Lorenzo?」

「I've been taking notes since page one. You needn't ask me. 」

Rysef nodded with a smile. Those words struck a chord with him.

「Fifth tenet: Slum dwellers that are no longer hopeless and impoverished, shall be cast away by the community. Banished and shunned like the outsiders they are. If you're looking to save up gold for yourself, keep that in mind. We prioritize sharing amongst ourselves more than anything.」

It was like the tenet was aimed directly at me. My desire of becoming rich for an easy living would mean getting ostracized by the slum dwellers.

Not that I'd care... Though I'd have to squeeze every bit of experience out of them before I moved on to bigger aspirations.

「Now, my apprentice. Can you accept all those rules?」

I put aside my qualms with the slum dweller tenets and answered.

「Of course. I can live with them.」

I didn't hesitate for a second.

The Ashen Thief grinned ear to ear and reached out his hand in greeting.

「Welcome to the Lakua District, fellow slum dweller!」

---

Behind the door was a spacious stone brick room the size of a basketball court. On the other side was an unevenly cut hole which presumably led to the main tunnel system.

Like the corridor, the chamber was lit by hanging lanterns—the space was hued a warm orange.

Standing in the center of the room was a tall, muscular, and well-endowed woman with a pale purple pixie cut. She wore the same black leather outfit Rysef donned.

At this point, I'd seen unusual colored hair as commonplace in this world. Fortunately, as someone of Irish descent, my auburn hair and green eyes would fit in well here.

「Sir! Is that your new apprentice? I didn't expect you to bring on another girl...」

Her expression was serious and her tone was stern—though, that only worsened the delivery of her unintentional insult.

「Have some tact Lia! The kid's a boy! Ya can't be mouthin' off to yer student's like that!」

Rysef... he really stands up for his apprentices huh?

「Even if he does look like a girly porcelain doll, haha!」

I'm gonna kick his ass once I get out of here!

Lia quickly got on one knee and bowed her head. Her bold and dignified movements were very reminiscent of a knight's.

「I apologize for my impertinence sir—you may punish me as you see fit.」

「And quit sayin' sorry for every lil' thing! I was only kiddin'! Slum dweller humor ya know?!」

「Understood. I'll refrain from needlessly apologizing in the future.」

She got back up and pressed her clenched fist against her chest in a salute.

I was rendered speechless by the woman's extreme obedience.

Her servile attitude and stoic disposition were the last traits I'd expected from someone in a lawless group like the Sentinels.

Well, lawless as in autonomous from state authority. These lot still had rules to abide by, as I'd just come to learn.

「Ah, Lorenzo! This stony-faced broad's name is Lia. I'm sure you could tell from her speech and mannerisms, but she's an ex-soldier from the east! Hendoza city if I recall correctly... She's also head of the guard division in the Sentinels.」

「Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lia...」

The woman briefly nodded.

「From now on, Lia will be your trainer. She'll teach you everything you need to know, from basic self-defense techniques to that magic business you're so fond of, you need only to ask. Use her as you see fit! It's your chance to seize valuable experience.」

Rysef spoke as if he knew this would make me happy.

After our series of talks yesterday, it looked like he seriously went out of his way to please me. I had no idea why he'd go to such lengths, but I saw his forced charity as a fortuitous boon.

If he was using me, I'd simply have to use him back. An equal tradeoff like that was okay in my book.

「I thought you were the one training me...」

「Kid, I've got a district to run. Besides, I'm running late on a meeting with the other District Masters. Just think of Lia as a second master, haha!」

The Ashen Thief gave me a thumbs up before instantly teleporting to the mouth of the uneven hole in the room.

「Lia, teach him with everythin' ya got! Don't ya go treatin' him like a sissy, hahaha!」

And with that, Rysef disappeared into the depths beyond the exit.

I shifted my gaze to the new trainer. Her mild topaz eyes were sharp and her glare was sharper. Although she spoke respectfully, it was hard to tell what she was actually thinking.

Was she bored? Mad? Irritated that she was stuck babysitting some random brat she'd never met?

She seemed docile, but I was understandably on guard.

「Say, Lia... Rysef said you're an ex-soldier. What did he mean by that?」

「Hm? Exactly what he said. I was dismissed from the military five years ago after serving a good fourteen years.」

「Fourteen years? Seriously..?」

This military veteran was the real deal. If I could get fourteen years' worth of military knowledge under my belt, I'd definitely be better off than a lot of these slum dwellers.

In terms of physical training, it looks like I'm set. As for other skills...

「What do you know about magic?」

My voice echoed throughout the chamber. It was finally my chance to obtain magic skills from the fantasy MMORPGs I played.

「Oh right... Rysef said you were oddly fond of magic. Most children your age haven't even heard of it.」

「Let's just say, I'm seeking strength in all areas. It'd do me well if I was well-rounded in a fight.」

Then, I saw it.

The otherwise emotionless woman had cracked a smile at my reply. It wasn't a beam of happiness, rather a slight smile of amusement.

Seeing a human side through the cracks of her robotic façade had partially allayed my anxiety around her at least.

「I like your spirit. For this explanation, I need to draw a diagram for you to fully understand.」

Lia crouched on the floor and pulled out a chalk from one of her pockets.

I had not known at the time but carried multiple around as it was tied with her magic powers.

「Picture an octagon. A shape with eight equal sides.」

Without a ruler or any sort of apparatus, she managed to draw a perfect octagon on the stone floor.

I was mesmerized by her speed and accuracy in drawing. I quietly sat down and paid attention to her explanation.

「This octagon represents the eight types of magic. In actuality, these eight types stem from four basic principals split into two roots: Ani and ina.」

Lia swiftly drew a straight line through the octagon—between two opposite corners. Again, not a blemish was in sight. Her skills were truly something.

「What's ani and ina?」

「These words derive from ancient Velatyan. Ani means animate, implying life. Ina means inanimate, implying non-life.」

I was completely unfamiliar with the terms ani and ina.

Battleshift's magic was no different than the generic magic you'd find in other games. It was a testament to how different the world had become.

Everything had changed—either owing to God or that Garrick Huldst figure.

「For every ani principle, there is an ina principle, and vice versa. An easy way to remember them is by thinking of them as abbreviations of their respective root. Ani means magic affecting only animate objects, ina means magic affecting only inanimate objects.」

Lia marked one half of the octagon ani and the other half ina.

She began writing down the names of the magic types on the sides of the octagonal diagram:

The first and least powerful principle is an, meaning "to change the property".

「Think a glass of water. An principle magic would be able to make the water either cold or hot. When rooted in ani, its colloquial name is "illusion". When rooted in ina, its name is "infusion"」

The second principle is ty, meaning "to change form".

「Ty principle magic would morph the shape of the glass into something else. When rooted in ani, its name is "restoration". In ina, its name is "manipulation".」

The third principle is la, meaning "to change type".

「La principle magic could either change the glass into metal or change the water into wine. When rooted in ani, its name is "fortification". In ina, its name is "transmutation".」

The fourth and most powerful principle is ve, meaning "to change completely".

「Ve principle magic is unlike the other types. While the others require an already existing entity to perform on, ve magic allows you to create any object you desire. As long as you understand its molecular structure, you could quite literally create the glass of water out of thin air. When rooted in ani its name is "conjuration". And when rooted in ina...」

「Let me guess... creation..?」

Lia nodded and wrote the last magic type at the top of the octagon.

For every ani rooted magic type she attached to a side, the ina version would show up opposite the separating line.

It was a lot to digest, but Lia was not done explaining.

She wanted me to understand every bit of information she put out—an undeniably scrupulous teacher.

「I'll ask you some questions just to make sure you fully get it.」

「Since when did our roles switch..?」

The trainer went on to draw a detailed illustration of Rysef and Melyn in a matter of minutes. Her art skills were phenomenal...

「What types of magic does Rysef specialize in?」

She circled the drawing of the Ashen Thief.

「Rysef said the only types of magic used in the sewer prank were illusion, manipulation, and creation... So, those three are definitely part of his magic roster... But then what about his teleportation move..? Does that lie under fortification... or..? To begin with... what do the types do..?」

「Time's up. You seem troubled with the nature of Rysef's move set.」

「That much you can tell. And wait... I was timed?」

Lia nodded again. She began sketching her explanation.

「Here's an interesting fact about magic: humans typically show aptitude in only one to two magic types in a single root. It's rarer for someone to be skilled in three types, and even rarer for someone to be skilled in all types of a root. It is, however, impossible to have aptitude in two skills from opposing roots..」

「So... what you're saying is... All sorcerers can't be both ina casters and ani caster at the same time?」

「Correct.」

「And... some guy who's perfected creation magic will live the rest of his life unable to cast magic on animate objects... ani...」

「You catch on well, Lorenzo.」

「It would've been nice to know that before you shot me with a doozy of a question. Not so much an interesting fact as it is a vital one...」

The trainer continued circling the drawing of Rysef with her nearly depleted chalk.

「Again, what types of magic does Rysef specialize in?」

「Since he can't have done everything during the sewer prank... That could only mean Melyn is also a magic caster. I don't exactly know what's her specialization... But going by Rysef's teleportation move... No, it could also be super speed. Meaning the answer with any real evidence to it is...」

I answered with confidence:

「Illusion and fortification! He can change how people see things and change the speed on his legs!」

Lia looked up at me with her emotionless eyes. She then rose and turned her back towards me.

「Wrong!」

「W-what..?」

「You were right about Rysef being an ani caster. But he is in fact skilled in all four types of magic. A rarity among rarities.」

「How was I supposed to know that..?」

My trainer pivoted on her heel and reached out her hand for me.

「Well, you're starting to get the gist of it at least. Satisfied with what you've learned?」

「Very. You're a talented educator, Lia. And a fine artist too.」

「Thank you. Your words are far too kind.」

I grabbed her hand and pulled myself up. All in all, it was an insightful session on a facet I dangerously knew nothing about.

It was time to wrap up today's magic classroom and move on to some physical learning.

「I feel like if I learned any more about magic, my mind would pop. For the rest of today though, I do have another request to make of you.」

「Hm?」

「You'd mentioned before that you were once part of the military. I was thinking you could offer me some firsthand military training. Know of any regimens to put some muscle on these bones?」

I stuck my arm out and flexed my imaginary biceps. It was all skin and bone—a pathetic display when compared to Rysef's gunboats.

Lia placed her hand on my shoulder.

「I've got just the training plan for you. But I have to warn you, it's extremely taxing for someone as young as you. Are you still willing to go through with it?」

I brushed off her comforting grip and stood firm.

I'd already strengthened my resolve. I was going to follow through with my training till the end.

「Of course! It's my idea anyway, and I'm rarely ever wrong!」

I held my head high and laughed heartily.

Surely I can get past this with no problems. I just need to tough it out, is all...

---