The discussions took forever, but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to leave or not after I finished saying what happened. No one ever dismissed me, and they occasionally asked me questions as well. I got the impression that they want me to help in the battles they're planning against the goblin kingdoms, but I don't want to just assume that.

After all, I'm just a kid, and a boy from the slums at that. Why would they want my help? Sure, I'm powerful, but they've got many more experienced warriors and mages.

With Na'Maerul, I really would have died if it wasn't for Alphonse and Henry. I never would have manage to kill him if they hadn't distracted him, either. I wouldn't have even gotten the opportunity to hurt the thing the first time, much less the killing strike.

I send up a silent prayer of thanks to the gods for that as I make my way down the street. A voice calls out to me, and I turn around to find Colt and Thomas having exited the guild. Weren't they supposed to still be in the meeting with the Guild Master? The king wasn't there, but it was still an official meeting about something.

"Yeah?" I walk back over to them.

"You've been quite secretive about your Level," Thomas tells me, then holds up a hand to stop me from saying something. "I'm not asking for it, Max. Considering that Colton gained nineteen Levels today, however, I can only imagine you're at least Level 45 now, and you only have one Title. I mentioned in the lesson yesterday that it's normal for someone to have half as many Titles as they do affinities by the time they reach Level 50, so you're falling behind if you do only have one."

"I ain't bothered by it."

"Maybe not," he says. "But there are Titles which will no doubt be quiet easy for you to acquire. As I've mentioned to you and Colton in the past, the more affinities someone has, the easier it is for them to learn and advance their magic. I believe I also mentioned yesterday that you can gain Titles from doing so."

"I don't remember."

"Anyway," Thomas says, and my face heats up as I realize I'd spoken out of-turn. "You can gain a Title just by having enough spells at the right Level. You need a Total 100 Level in an element to obtain the Title for that element. This only applies to spells at or above Level 10, and only counts their most recent multiple of ten. So a Level 18 spell only counts as a Level 10 spell for this, while a Level 21 spell counts as a Level 20 spell. Additionally, a spell counts more based on its Tier – a Tier I spell only counts once, a Tier II spell counts twice, a Tier III spell counts thrice, and so on. So if you have a Level 23 spell in Tier II, it counts as 40 Levels rather than 20 Levels.

"That is why they are easier to obtain the more affinities one has," Thomas informs me. "The more affinities you have, the easier it is for you to develop all your spells. So all you need to do is train them some more, and you could probably earn the rest of the Titles by the end of tomorrow. I know you have issues with lightning magic, Max, but know that there is also a Title for achieving the Titles for this for all seven elements."

I can get that with static spells rather than full-on lightning spells, it will just take me longer. That's something to work on, then.

"What bonuses do they provide?" I ask.

"None," Thomas answers. "But the items you'll earn from them at the Rank-Up Trial are quite good. It's also good to work on your spells in general, as that helps increase your abilities with them, decrease their Mana costs, and even help you learn new ones or Level others."

That last part is a direct result of growing used to using that element as well as using that type of spell. Spells of a type all share similarities. [Fireball], [Ice Bomb], and [Flashbang Bomb] all have similarities despite using different elements. They're spherical and they explode on impact. Working on spherical spells like [Light Orb] can help with improving bomb spells, too, since bomb spells are spherical in nature.

Grow in skill with the base, and improving more advanced things becomes easier because you already know some of what to do.

"Okay," I say. "I'll work on that."

It really won't be hard for me to obtain them, I have enough Mana and Mana Regen that I can devote a lot more to improving my spells at once than someone with only one affinity.

"On another note," Thomas says. "You have enough funds to move into your own place. Are you planning on moving out of the slums? Or are you not planning on it because you plan on going off on adventures?"

"I ain't able to buy a house 'cause I ain't an adult," I say. "Gotta wait 'till I'm fifteen. And I's plannin' on returnin', Thomas. Not staying away. Been lookin' for a place I's can use as a base."

That's part of why Hailey and her team are important to me. They're going to get a house on their own, and they'll keep watch over it. With me helping them get out of the slums, they'll be willing to let me stay there. Out of respect for me for helping them, I know at least Hailey will make sure my stuff is safe. Some fear of me might be a part of it, too.

After all, in the slums, you hurt those who wrong you, and those kids know that I'm more powerful than them. I'm also the one who caused Hailey to lose her eye, so they know I'm not afraid of it. They are beneath me.

"Max," Thomas says. "You can rent a room at a guild, such as this one here."

"I's need to be part o' the guild for that."

"True," he nods. "And you can buy a house if you have a Title. Having a Title automatically entitles you to all the same rights as being an adult. A five-year-old with a Title can buy a house."

Show me a five-year-old with a Title and I'll show you someone beloved by the gods. Or someone who is a god.

Or Elm. I'm fairly certain he's got a Title or ten or a hundred thousand. Even if we only met once, I still get the feeling he's more than just a boy who knows things. If he's not a god, he's most certainly beloved by them.

"So I can buy a house now?" I ask.

"Yes."

"I's gonna look into that tomorrow, then," I say. "So I's prob'ly ain't gonna be at the fields tomorrow."

"Alright," Thomas says. "You're not speaking as clearly as you try to when interacting with us, Max, so I'm going to assume you're rather tired, especially since you didn't sleep last night and had a fair amount of physical training today. You have a good sleep."

"Will try," I say. "G'night, Colt, Thomas."

"Night!" Colt tells me.

"Let's return to the meeting now," Thomas tells Colt. "He wants to talk with you more about your hunts."

So that's what they were talking about? I thought they moved on to topics of the goblin threat they don't want me knowing.

I turn and hide two portions of my earnings in the usual spots, then find a place to get something to eat. Though food was served during the meeting, I'm still hungry. Not extremely hungry, just a little bit. To sate that, I seek out the restaurant that sells the sticky buns I like.

Dessert obtained, I make my way back to the slums, soon finding the spot where I hide my pack during the night. It's in one of the spaces with a well. There are some short walls, three-to-four feet in height, that surround this space. Retaining walls, I think they're called? The other side of them is dirt, all the way up to the tops. They were put in when the ground was leveled in areas so that the houses don't slope down.

This particular spot has several bushes, two of which are the berry bushes I used to stuff myself from, until I started earning money. I approach one of the non-berry bushes and pull off my pack, wiggling my way behind the bush with the pack. I usually sleep back here, too.

Gesturing with my left hand, I separate a section of the stone wall, one that's just-barely big enough to fit my pack into when it's laying down. As I use my magic to move the section out of the way, a hole behind it is revealed. I got rid of the dirt there awhile ago and moved it somewhere else.

My pack fits perfectly into the stone hole, and I return the removed section of the wall, using magic to fix it so that no traces of the removal are left. No seams or cracks which don't belong.

I step out of the bushes and stretch for a few moments, then pull off my tunic. It's dirty and I want to wash it some, so I step over to the well and rub it with cold water I pull up from the well, then drape it onto a bush to dry before pulling up another bucket of water. This one, I just drink some water from. I'm a little thirsty and want a drink before bed, and magically-created water just isn't the same.

Footsteps catch my attention and I look over to find Hailey running down the street, her ragged dress covered in fresh blood that glistens in the moonlight. She's wounded in several places, and there's blood flowing down from her scalp and onto her right eye. She's running blind, isn't she?

I step into her path and grab her, and Hailey almost immediately slams me with a spell, a [Static Bolt]. It zaps against my bare chest but does nothing beyond that. That startles me and I almost freak out, but it being only a static spell decreases the panic a little. Enough that I can actually react to her next movements.

"Hailey, is Max!" I say as she starts to summon a [Fireball] with her left hand while punching with her right.

The moment she hears my voice, she stops her attack but keeps the [Fireball] as she relaxes, but only slightly. Then her spell fizzles out. The way it did… lack of Mana.

"What happened?" I ask as I pull her over to the well.

"Where's I?" She asks. "I's runnin' blind, hopin' I's remember this area 'nough."

"You're at me well."

"Thank goodness," she lets out a breath in relief. "I's gonna jump into it and hope for the best. They caught the others."

"Who's they?" I ask as I manipulate water from the bucket, using it to clean her eye.

"I's not sure," she answers. "But they wanted kids from the slums. They wanted us because we can use magic, especially me and my light and lightning magic, Max. Somethin' 'bout trainin' us. Retrainin', I think. Said we's gonna make good slaves."

Someone's kidnapping slums kids? Even if the slums are largely ignored by the kingdom, whoever is doing this has balls. The kingdom does not take well to mass kidnappings. Not only that, but they're kidnapping beginner mages known to a guild.

Even if the kingdom didn't hear about the kidnappings just because of a kidnapping, I'm certain that Guild Master Trenton would be alerted to ten kids suddenly no longer bringing in loot. Ten kids who were only farming the slime fields. He'd send someone to investigate, I'm sure of it.

We might just be slums kids, but something I've learned – and only just started to accept as possible truth – is that the kingdom is very serious about certain things. When people show talent as warriors and mages and hunters, the kingdom keeps an eye on them. If they suddenly disappear, the kingdom investigates.

Why? Because what if those people are spies? Or what if those people are part of a pattern that eventually affects nobles? The kingdom wants to nip it in the bud.

"Max, please save 'em," Hailey begs. "Please!"

As if not saving them is an option. They're doing stuff for me, and that means their safety is partially my responsibility. They're unable to find information for me if they're brainwashed, right? Hailey will also be less efficient at finding information if the kids she's taken into her care are gone.

So rescuing them is a must. The people kidnapping them must be desperate if they're going into the slums, and they probably can't handle a Level 47 seven-affinity.

"I's going to," I tell her. "Lemme heal ya up a bit first."

"No!" She says. "We need to-"

"Hailey," my voice is firm. "They's need ya as well. Ya calm 'em down. I ain't trusted by 'em. Without ya, they's jus' gonna be terr'fied by me. Ya need to recover some o' yer Mana and heal a little. Now. Lemme heal ya some."

"O-okay," she nods.

I hold up a hand and focus on her head. Light. Healing. Flesh mending. Injuries fading. Skin clearing up and becoming healthy once more.

Light shines from my fingers, seeping into her injuries.

[Mend Flesh] Learned!

I spend a few minutes healing her injuries before focusing on the broken bones, learning the spell for that as well. With how much Magic I have, I'd have thought I'd heal her injuries faster. I suppose only just learning the spell means it's weaker, though, as I have no experience with it.

As I finish healing the last of Hailey's injuries, men show up. Four of them, all of them armed, all of them looking menacing. A small bit of fear runs down my spine. Then I remember that though I'm still skinny, I'm not the powerless boy I was a month ago.

"There she is," one of the men says. "Found herself a healer. The boss'll want him, too. Grab 'em both."

Hailey goes to cast a spell, but I put a hand on her shoulder. Dressed in just my ragged pants and my boots, covered in injuries, and dirty, I definitely look like just another slums boy. They're probably going to take us to the other kids, anyway, so there's no point in fighting back yet.

Though she wants to fight more, Hailey stands down with my gesture.

"Looks like the healer kid's in charge here," one of them snorts. "At least one of them's wise enough not to fight back. Come with us, kids, and you'll be hurt a lot less than if you fight some more."

We follow them, and I keep alert. None of them seem to have noticed my invisible barriers, nor have they noticed my invisible [Flashbang Bomb]s. They're definitely not skilled in sensing Mana, which gives me an idea. Unrelated to this ambush I'm preparing. It's something I'm going to ask Hailey and her crew to do once we have a house.

The men take us to one of the better houses in the slums, though it's still run-down. Its windows have covers, though, and I don't see any gaps in the walls.

Inside the house, I immediately spot the nine kids in Hailey's crew, all of them sitting with their backs against a wall, all of them injured, some of them crying. There are four more men in here, with the one sitting at the end of the table obviously in charge. His clothes are finer and he projects an air of authority about himself.

As soon as the kids see Hailey, the younger ones start bawling. The older ones just look at me in confusion.

"Found her," the man who spoke to us tells the man in charge. "The boy's a healer, and fairly talented with it, more so than the healer in her group. She was only out of our sight for about five minutes, and he'd healed everything, even her broken bones."

Seven invisible [Air Bolt]s impact the heads of the seven men not in charge.

"Whoops," I say as a violet-tinted [Air Bolt] forms in front of me, no trick of invisibility to this one. "Guess I's shoulda told 'em I ain't just a healer, huh?"

The man in charge just stares at the bolt.

"You're the kid who killed Ak'Narul, aren't you?" He asks.

"I also killed Na'Maerul earlier," I tell him, then blast the bolt into his right shoulder.

He attempts to stop it with an [Air Barrier], but the green-tinted shield of comprsesed air is ineffective against my magic. My spell breaks it with ease. The moment my [Air Bolt] impacts his shoulder, he's thrown back, knocked out of his chair. I step around the table and blast his right kneecap with one, too.

"I's got some questions for ya," I create a [Stone Knife]. "And yer gonna answer 'em. Ever been tortured 'fore? I have. It ain't pleasant and ya might say anythin' to get 'em to stop. Be honest with me, would ya? Or I might let Hailey do what she wants to ya, and she's castrated more than a few men."