"You're looking at a map?" Colt asks, and I look up from the map to find him and Thomas approaching.

I already knew they were approaching, but they both look a little wary today. While I always have reason to be wary, why are they?

"Yeah," I answer. "Trying to familiarize myself with it. It's not easy."

"Are you looking for something?" Thomas asks.

"Ya know how I've been fighting lots of goblins that are stronger than they should be?" I ask.

"Yes," Colt nods. "We heard that there's a potential raid attempt by the goblins coming up. Trenton mentioned he was going to hire a few people to investigate things."

"I'm one of 'em," I nod. "They think there's a goblin postout-"

"Outpost," Thomas corrects.

"Yeah, that," I say. "They think there's one… around this spot here, based on information given by me and a few others. He asked if I could investigate it, but I'm worried I'm going to get lost. So I'm trying to memorize the thing. It's not easy, though…"

"Easy trick," Thomas tells me. "Look for landmarks. You're not good at judging distances, are you?"

"Uh…" I try to think. "I know how long it takes to get around the slums I live in and the surrounding areas. Does that count?"

"No," he answers. "Do you know where we are on the map?"

"Around here," I point at a spot.

"Close," he points at a spot a little further north. "We're here. To get to this area, you'll want to follow the river north. Notice how it bends here? More than in other spots?"

"Yeah," I answer.

"If you reach the bend," he says. "Then you've gone too far. Backtrack a little so you're at this slight curve, then go due east. See these caves? Once you reach them, go northeast for a few minutes, then go east some more. You'll arrive in this area. Notice how the map has a few other things marked on it? Use those to confirm your surroundings. For example, if you reach this pond marked here, you've left the area you're supposed to be investigating."

"Oh, okay," I say. "Thanks, Thomas."

"You're welcome," he says.

"Max, I have a question for you," Colt says.

"You can ask me anything," I tell him. "I might not answer it depending on what it is, though. I don't trust you enough to answer anything. But you can still ask me anything."

Crap, that was too much. Please don't be mad at me, Colt.

"Why do you care about the goblins?" He asks.

"Because they're a threat," I answer. "I's considered quite strong, even if not on the level of a royal bodyguard yet. If they perform their raid on the capital, then a lot of people will die."

"Why do you care about that?" Colt asks. "I mean, you've mentioned before you don't have an issue killing people, and that you've done it before to protect yourself. You have no reason to care about the masses at all."

"Yeah, I do."

"What reason is that?" Colt asks.

"Because they're a part of the kingdom," I try to speak as clearly as possible for my response. "It's okay to kill someone to protect yourself. But to let a bunch of people die from a monster attack will be to allow harm to the kingdom. A bunch of soldiers may die, too. Then you'd have the soldiers devoted to protecting the city after the attack, while it's repaired. We might become vulnerable to other attacks, including from other kingdoms."

"Okay," Colt says. "That's fair, but you're an orphan from the slums. Why do you care what happens to the kingdom? Doesn't everyone from the slums only care about themselves and their own? Don't you guys dislike anyone who has it better than you? I'm still confused by you being so friendly with me, and I've been wondering if it's just you trying to make connections to better yourself."

"I only kill bad people," I say. "That doesn't mean I want good people to die, too. The kingdom didn't make me poor, some people just are. I'm trying to get myself out of the slums. That's why I'm doing the hunts and getting better. I don't dislike people for being in a better position than me."

Why waste pointless energy on disliking people because they were born into a better position than me? It just doesn't make any sense. That energy has better purposes, like working toward my goals. I want to go adventuring, and getting stronger and building up funds is a necessary step for that.

Which is why I'm hunting so much in the afternoons. Being a seven-affinity, I can build up said funds much faster than a normal adventurer.

"As for why I'm friendly with you," I continue, still making sure to be as clear as I can be. "You're cute, kind, and cuddly-looking. If I actually trusted you, I'd ask you to snuggle me while I take my nap after Thomas's training. That's all there be to it."

Colt's face flushes a little. Why? Is he upset with me?

"Max," Thomas says. "There is a difference between disliking the kingdom and simply not liking it. You seem to have some level of actual care for the kingdom, even though it has done nothing for you. It confuses Colton and myself why you would care for a kingdom that doesn't care about you. Or at least, which didn't care about you until you were found to be a seven-affinity."

Oh, that's why Colt's confused. They know I know the kingdom just wants to use me because I'm special, like Colt.

"Tell me, both of you," I say. "Why do you care about the kingdom? Is it because you were raised to? Raised in a better position? What has the kingdom done for you other than expect things of you?"

Thomas and Colt both think for several moments on that. The reasons they're coming up with, they no doubt realize the same could likely apply to me.

If they say it's because the kingdom keeps them safe from enemies, I could point out that my only enemies in the slums were other dwellers of the slums, and the guards were only my enemies when I stole things or caused trouble. If they say it's because the kingdom's forces protect them from monsters, I can point out that I was never attacked by a monster while in the city because of that same reason.

Any answer I can think of for them, I can turn around and apply to myself.

In other words, the kingdom actually has done stuff for me. Repaying that by assisting them in ways that I can, as long as I actually want to do the thing, is enough for me. If I can repay them protecting me by taking out monsters that threaten the kingdom's safety, then that's fine.

However, the kingdom is a lower priority than my own freedom, safety, and health, as well as below my plans to adventure. I will help the kingdom stay safe, but when it suits me. If doing so threatens me or affects my ability to adventure, then I won't.

I might care about the kingdom, but I won't give myself to it.

"That is fair," Thomas says, and I look back at the map. "Other slums kids have magic?"

"Huh?" I look at him.

"There are ten other kids here," he says. "All of them dressed like they're from the slums. All ten of them are using magic. That's unexpected, especially considering their outfits suggest they're not on the upper end of the slums dwelling. They live on the street, like you."

"Oh, them," I say. "Those are my minions. I bought them yesterday."

"You bought people?"

"With sticky buns and blueberry tarts," I confirm. "I taught them how to use magic earlier, but I started with your enhancement thingy. That's why there are so many rock pieces over there."

"That's not 'a bunch of rock pieces'," Thomas says. "That's 'a bunch of rock pieces that someone shaped into the crude form of a person', Max."

"Huh?" I look over. "Oh, right, I did that to practice my skills," I look back at the map. "It took them all a few hours to manage the enhancement thingy, but once they got it down, we got them working on drawing the elements from their Mana. Nine are single-affinities, and one is a three-affinity.

Hailey, the girl with the scar, has affinities for fire, light, and lightning. She can only use fire right now, and I think she already reached Level 2.

"They're currently working on their aim," I tell Thomas and Colt. "And on getting some Levels, too. They want to be able to buy their own food, so they're also gathering up the cores."

I gave them my old pack for carrying those and bought myself a new one. The new one is sturdier, with a frame inside, and the leather and canvas it's made from is stronger than the canvas of the other pack. This probably won't be the one I take with me when I finally go seeking out wonders, but it will do for getting used to moving around with a proper travelers' pack. It also has more space inside.

"I'm still confused about you buying them," Colt asks. "Slavers will sell people for food?"

"He bought their service," Thomas tells him. "Max didn't go to slavers. I didn't know there were people you trust, Max."

"I don't trust them," I say. "I simply know that right now, they ain't gonna betray me. There isn't much they could do, anyway. And if one does try to betray me, I's gonna kill 'em."

"Some of them only look five years old," Colt says. "And the oldest looks our age."

"So?" I ask. "Ya betray someone, ya get dead. That's how the slums work. We ain't soft."

"Sorry," Colt's face is red again.

Dammit. I keep messing up today, and I'm not sure how to fix things.

"So you bought them treats," Thomas says. "The first they've probably had in awhile – the first fresh ones, anyway. Then you gave them your own pack, and likely bought them breakfast this morning, too. You promised them a way to get stronger, possibly even a way for them to get themselves out of the slums. Then you actually taught them how to cast magic and enhance their bodies some."

Thomas narrows his gaze on me.

"What are you planning?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Max," Thomas says. "You generally don't trust people, yet you've essentially bought the temporary loyalty of slums kids. You're planning something."

"The plan was originally just to buy Hailey's loyalty," I admit. "But she's got a group of kids she protects, so they kind of came with that. I hadn't thought about that happening."

"And Hailey is…?"

"The three-affinity with the scar on her eye."

"How did she get that?" Colt asks. "Why wasn't it healed?"

"Because she stole an apple from me, and because she can't afford healing of that scale," I say. "Her left eye is actually gone. Entirely. It got infected and she removed it to avoid possibly dying from it."

"You did that because she stole an apple from you?" Colt asks, a little horrified.

"I surprised myself," I nod. "I didn't think I'd actually be able to hurt her. I did get my apple back. It was the first good thing I'd eaten in a month, and the first thing I'd eaten in a day."

"Interesting," Thomas says. "You wound her at some point in the past, but then buy her loyalty. I can see why you don't trust her, she may still betray you for scarring her and removing her eye. So, Max? What are you planning?"

He won't let up on that, will he? How honest should I be here?

"People are inherently sexist," I say. "They's be more willing to help out a girl in need than a boy in need. If they see a dirty, hungry girl, they're more likely to give her food than if they see a dirty, starving, half-naked boy with no meat on his body. With Hailey having the scar, they're even more likely to help her out."

Thomas looks less-than-impressed and more than a little suspicious.

"So I figure," I say. "If Hailey gets a few Levels, then she can get herself a little bit better clothes, keep them cleaner. Then, she can give sob stories about how she's lost her home and is trying to save up money for a place to stay, but it's so hard with her injury. They might try to take her in, but she'll say she has a lot of little brothers and sisters she has to care for, so they'll not take her in. But they might give her food or a few coins or something. And while they're feeding her because of her sob story, she can ask them for stories. Then, she'll tell me about any of the stories that include a wonder to go look for."

Hailey's used the sob story before, which is why I got the idea to do this. When I saw her last night, she was planning on using the two with her to help her in convincing someone to give her a little bit of food. The kids are even trained in pitiful crying on cue.

It doesn't always go well, but they sometimes get an entire loaf of bread.

She agreed to the current plan when I made my offer. It's a basic deal of exchanges. She gets a way to better herself and to better care for the kids she's taken under her protection, and I get information that will help me figure out where to go on my adventures. I know Hailey well enough to know she won't turn back on this agreement.

"…you're planning that much," Colt says. "Just to hear about wonders?"

He looks like he finds it weird. His tone suggests he does, too. It's not that weird. I'll do what I must to find out information.

"Yeah," I answer.

"I could tell you all day about wonders rumored to exist," Colt tells me. "I read a lot. For example, in the mountains north of the Great Wilderness, there are rumors of the remains of a city built out of stone, metals, and gems, built by an unknown people."

"A city built out of gems?" I ask. "That sounds… made-up."

"I think so, too," Colt shrugs. "It was in a book I was reading last night, when Elise returned from visiting the guild to pick up the knives."

"So you really do know the princess?" I ask.

"I live in the castle," he nods. "I see her often. Are you aware that you frightened her, her guards, and even Trenton?"

"How could I do that?" I ask. "I'm not even thirteen yet."

"Your invisible spells were not unnoticed," Thomas tells me. "They all noticed your preparation for fleeing. Even if they could all handle the attack should you have activated it, they were shaken up by how calmly you were able to do that, how you showed no sign of having the contingency for fleeing, and how you could cast invisible spells when you're only thirteen."

They noticed my spells? I need to find a way around that, just in case I need it. At least they didn't arrest me for that. I'm relieved.

"Almost thirteen."

"Almost thirteen," he nods. "That was more frightening than the spells themselves."

"It's a good thing," Colt says. "I warned Elise before she left when I found out she was going to meet you. If I didn't warn her ahead of time that you might be rude and abrasive, and possibly looking for a way to escape at any moment, her guards would have likely arrested you on the spot."

"Well, they shouldn't have asked me to come into a room all by myself with them."

"I told her that when she told me about the meeting," Colt nods. "She asked me if I could tell you she's sorry for that and wouldn't have if she knew you'd be so on-edge."

"Okay."

"If we're done with this," Thomas says. "Let's begin today's training."