Chapter 24

A Fateful Encounter

There are six riders in total.

All of them are on sturdy-looking war-horses, all of which are probably more than capable of outrunning Fanny’s speed.

If I’m going to fight back, I’ll be limiting myself to what they know I’m capable of—air magic and the so-called fire magic.

Complications aside, all I have to do is to create enough space between us for me to get away. Considering that we’re in a tundra with lots of flat and open plains, outmanoeuvring them doesn’t seem possible. Incapacitating them is the only way I can think of, but how would I go about that?

Take down their horses? Knock them out? All available options are difficult without killing them altogether. Theoretically possible, just hard to do without having fully understood my grasp on magic.

...I’ll just have to take care of them one by one.

You up for this, Fanny?

“Quack!”

They’re starting to spread out with the intention of surrounding me. Now that they’re no longer grouped together, I can start my attack.

First up is the two with the lances, currently gaining on me from the rear.

I start by sending low-yield firebulbs at them as warning shots. Even as the bulbs explode around them, the riders keep chasing after me as if they don’t care about their own lives. Or perhaps, it’s because they have something planned?

Fanny, brakes.

“Quack?!”

Just do it.

As Fanny drops his pace rapidly, the distance between me and the lancers decreases drastically. Before they could react, I launch them off their horses and, with their riders no longer riding them, I fire small pops around the horses’ feet.

“Shit! Wait...!”

Keep going, Fanny.

I look behind briefly to see the two heavily armoured men running across the plains, their armour making noises as they hopelessly chase their mounts.

Two down, four to go. That said, the rest are armed with crossbows and guns, so it won’t be as easy. It seems like they’re not giving me a moment’s rest, as they’ve already started closing in with me in their weapons’ sights.

Pistols and crossbows—they’ll need time to reload after every shot. Not to mention, I imagine it’d be pretty hard to shoot a moving target while on horsebac—

*Bang!*

Whop.

With the bullet heading straight at me, I create layers of dense air barriers to block it, similar to the one I made to guard against hydra water-bullets. Even though it’s not enough to completely block it, the bullet whiz past as it was derailed away from its original path. I counter by firing small firebulbs at the riders, aiming at their horses’ feet. With their riders still in control, the horses keep running without so much of a reaction.

After that, three of the riders keeps firing bullets and arrows. The pistols in particular seem to be shooting at a much faster rate than what should’ve been possible. Is that some kind of new technology?

While I’m distracted on creating deflection barriers, one of the riders runs ahead in front of me. He’s holding something—some kind of ovoid-shaped metal. He does something to it, and now smoke starts to come out from the object.

And then he drops it on Fanny’s path. Could it be...?

Fanny, dodge that thing!

“Quack!”

Fanny jumps to the side, albeit a tad bit late. As the metal egg explodes, the shockwave puts us off balance and I find myself thrown through the air.

Wah!

I try to land in position, but ends up sliding painfully for several strides.

I look up just in time to see more of the metal eggs being dropped around me. I quickly put up shock barriers, but this time, no explosion came out—just thick, black smoke. I use air magic to blow them away, but the smoke flows out incessantly, taking mere seconds before my field of vision is wholly obstructed. Not to mention that my head is still ringing from the explosion.

Ugh... what a pain in the butt. If I can’t blow away the smoke, I’ll just have to destroy the sources.

Then, just as I’m about to look for the metal eggs, one of the riders fires a gun from beyond the smoke.

Augh...!

Shit... that’s not right. They shouldn’t be able to see me either, so how the hell?

Thankfully, it’s just a scratch, but if I didn’t hit the ground, it would’ve been lead in my gut.

Another bullet whizzes, and then a bolt after that, both of them landing far away from their mark. Strange... was the first shot a coincidence?

Just in case, I start erecting barriers to cover from all sides. Not nearly strong enough to stop bullets or bolts, but they can at least slow the—

Fuck?!

I hit the ground again—not to evade, but rather due to the shock of having a steel bolt embedded into my thigh. I scream—voicelessly—from the pain, but manage to keep my head in the game.

This can’t be a coincidence. How can they shoot through the smoke? Unless, they’re not using their eyes to aim?

(They have a lot of assortments in their arsenal, the kind that specializes in hunting people like you.)

“Tch..!”

Perhaps, they can somehow sense me when I’m using my magic?

With that assumption, I stay low on the ground. A few more bolts are fired, but none came near. After five more or so projectiles whizzed past, I’m now sure of it. As long as I don’t use magic, they won’t know where to shoot. And then, once the smoke dissipates, I’ll make my move and take them all down at once. However—take away my vision and make me unable to fight back—is that all there is to their plan?

They should know what I’m capable of from Tarnlake, that I can blow them all away whenever I want. Or is it that they think I won’t do such a thing with them being this close in proximity?

...Huh? The smoke has lightened, but the attacks have stopped for some reason. If this is really their plan, shouldn’t they kill me before the smoke dissipates? Also... something doesn’t feel right. There’s a shift in the air and... it feels different now.

...Eh?

I can see a figure through the smoke, walking towards me. He’s on foot and seems to be holding something big in his hands. What is this? What are they planning?

Finally, the smoke clears out and I can now see the man in front of me. He’s dressed in ceremonial robes and is holding a large, mechanical staff in his hand—I definitely didn’t see him before. He’s not one of the six riders that was attacking me, so where did he come from?

Those six riders I mentioned are still on their horses with their weapons aimed at me, but no one is pulling the trigger. Instead, they seem to be looking at the robed man for the order.

“It is over, cursed one,”

the robed man said, his face brimming with pride as he slightly lifts the heavy-looking staff. It is longer than he is tall and seem to be made out of pure gold, but that’s not even the peculiar part. At the head of the staff is some kind of contraption—with moving parts and rotors, making ominous clicking and hissing noises along with a low humming. I start getting dizzy just by looking at it.

That thing—now that I’ve seen it, I know what it does. The change in the air I felt earlier is due to the mana disappearing from the area, and that staff is the cause of it.

“No matter how strong a magus can be, take away the mana, and they’re no different than the common pleb.”

I’m kind of interested in how it works. Even if it makes my head ache, I can’t help but stare at it with curiosity.

“It seems that you fell silent because of the shock of knowing your life’s at its end. I know you don’t have mana stones with you. It’s over, demon’s advocate.”

This kind of technology is similar to the aether field back in Purgatory. Yes, I know they’re at completely different levels, but still... maybe I can find something to help me beat Purgatory’s field. That would certainly help me in my future battle against Thalvos.

“Stand down, archdeacons. It is I, Bishop Tyas, who shall pass down the Goddess’ judgement on this heathen man.”

Huh?

Oh, right. Focus, Fay.

I’m kind of irritated from the pain on my thigh. If I don’t end this sooner, I might just kill them outright.

“O’ Holy Athyra—Martyred Goddess, Giver of Wisdom, and Shepherdess of the Righteous Men—bestow upon me the right to bring judgement down upon he who profaned your name. He who desecrated the Goddess’ faith through union with the demonic, you shall be cleansed and purified of your sins!”

I was expecting him to do something interesting with the staff, but in the end, he’s just going to shoot me with a gun?

...Huh? Wait, hold on. What you just said right now...

“Begone, malice!”

You said “union with the—“

The gun fires its shot after that. But it wasn’t the bishop’s gun. Instead, blood starts to appear on his robes. His face contorts in shock as he drops his gun to the ground, his body following soon after.

“Bishop!”

Two of the riders promptly jumps off their horses and runs over to the bishop’s side, while the other two stays atop their mounts and maintains a watchful eye of the surroundings. Meanwhile, my gaze is already locked on the shooter, standing further than anyone could’ve shot with a normal pistol.

Then, like an illusive shadow, the figure dashes so swiftly that you’d doubt he was a human. Before anyone could react, something round and heavy falls into the ground with a thud, though without so much as a glance, I already know what it is.

Not wasting so much as a second, the mysterious attacker continues to the other rider. With a single slash, the horse falls with a pitiful whinnying as its hooves are cleanly cut. The man that was riding it, with his leg trapped under the weight of his horse, never had a chance to get away from the blade that came down on him.

Seeing this, the last two living deacons positions themselves as to protect the bishop and aims their weapons at the attacker.

“No, this can’t... Uwaagh! You bastar—“

The voice is cut short as the longsword is pierced through his throat in one clean jab, out the back of his neck and into the chest of the man behind him, killing them both in one stroke. With one quick pull, the vagabond pulls out his sword, splattering the blood and staining the green grass in red. Along with the bishop in his arms, the last deacon falls to the ground, the same moment as the now-headless man falls from atop his horse.

Ah...

I can’t move...

My whole body is tightening at the bloody sight. When I realized it, my arms are already hugging my own body, my hands clawing my clothes and shivering like crazy. Meanwhile, the vagabond turns towards me as he puts his longsword into the sheath on his back, not even bothering to wipe off the blood. He pierces me with his icy gaze, one that made his earlier threats seem like child’s play.

“...I don’t get it,”

he said to me while he casually rips some cloth from the bishop’s robe and uses it to wipe the blood on his face.

“If what I heard is true, you could’ve killed them right away. So either the rumour is exaggerated, or you’re just that naive. Which is it?”

........

“ *sigh* I guess it doesn’t matter, because either way, you disappoint me. I thought you were an interesting fellow, but look at you, shivering like a baby. To think that I saved the life of someone so... lesser. What a waste of effort.”

After that, he puts his fingers on his lips and let out a sharp whistle. From the distance, the black horse, Amor, runs up to his side. He hoists himself up and looks at me one last time with that cold, lifeless eyes.

“...I don’t think we’ll ever meet again. Just remember—I saved your life, so you better make sure it’s damn worth it. Make yourself useful for whatever.”

With that snobby remark, he starts riding away back south. I watch his figure disappear into the darkness of the night, my body still locked in place. Sometime later, I hear a footstep and suddenly, a shadow looms from behind me.

“Quack.”

...So you’re fine, huh.

“Quack...?”

Yeah, I’m fine too.

That was... close.

When I saw this bloody scene, I nearly lost control. With all that violence, I felt as if I was back on Level Three. My mind just when blank, and my instincts were....

...If that man had made a move on me in that condition, what would’ve I done?

I’m sorry, Hadda.

Even though I made my resolve not to kill them, I actually let myself lose control and almost killed the man who “saved” me.

After I calmed myself down, I look around at the macabre once again. All five men now lay lifelessly. One of the horses is still here, sniffing at his owner’s headless body. Well, it’s still alive and healthy, at least. The other one isn’t as lucky.

I look at the source of a pitiful sound, limp towards it, and stare down at the horse's dying form. With its front legs like that, even if it survives, it can never stand on its feet ever again.

He didn’t have to do this.

I go down on my knees and trace my finger on the horse’s forehead, visualizing where its brain would be.

He didn’t have to do all of this.

I take a deep breathe and clear my mind. After making sure it’s at the right spot, I shoot a jet of supercondensed water with enough pressure to penetrate through the horse’s skull.

...Idiot Fay.

This could’ve all been avoided had I finished this earlier instead of getting distracted by some stupid staff.

“...Ugh....”

Eh?

I turn around to look at the source of the whimper. Underneath his subordinate’s bloodied corpse, the bishop grasps around in a desperate attempt to crawl away. When I approach him, he lets out a gasp and looks up at me with dread painted on his face.

“Pl..ea...se...”

Ah... the image of him brought forth the memory of a certain sadist’s dying moments, to my distaste.

Earlier, you said “union with the demonic.”

“Urgh... *gurgle* whatever you’re gonna do... do it fast...”

...Have the church learned about my deal with Lyrfanas?

“Curse you... damned heretic...! Men like you... are the reason the Order exist...”

...Come to think of it, he thinks I’m a man, doesn’t he?

He doesn’t know much about me, and yet, this bishop, along with his “deacons”, had come chasing me all the way here. Despite knowing what I’m capable of, they still risked their lives to take mine. You may call them overzealous fanatics, but that kind of courage and determination is still something worthy to be admired.

You too, I’ll put you out of your misery.

It doesn’t seem fair for him to die without ever knowing who he was up against, so I take off my hood to show him my face. The second I did that, his eyes flared up, now glowing with hope as if he’d forgotten about dying. He opens his mouth, and what comes out is a raspy voice befitting that of a dying man’s;

“...Go..dess... “

I’m sorry,

I answered as I point my hand at his head, summoning more water while doing so.

I’m not your goddess.

--- --- ---

Now that that’s taken care of, it’s time for to examine the object of the day. I’m talking about the staff, of course. Even now, the null field is still in place, as there seems to be a void of mana and the staff’s contraption is still moving as well.

Another thing that interested me is how the bishop acted. It looked like he was expecting my magic to be disabled with the device activated, which is curious, to say the least. Yes, there was a void of mana, but it’s not like I need mana to use magic in the first place. Even though mana is certainly the ideal mediator to connect with the aether, any element can be used to mediate, so why did they think otherwise?

As I though, there seems to be discrepancy between the knowledge those three taught me and the one known to this world.

Anyhow, let’s get to work.

*click*

Oh.

The staff stopped moving as soon as I touched it, and the mana is slowly returning to its normal rates. Was there some sort of failsafe to prevent technological theft? Oh well, I’ll just take it with me for now.

...Ugh.

Damn it. As I thought, this thing is friggin’ heavy. There’s no way I can lift it, especially not with my leg like this. The bishop must’ve been quite ripped beneath his robes to be able to lift this with one hand.

Fanny, give me a hand.

“Quack!”

..........

After fastening the staff to Fanny’s saddle, I look around once more to see if I’m forgetting something. As I thought, leaving all these bodies here doesn’t feel right. I can burn them, but it’d make it seem like I’m getting rid of evidences. In the end, it’s probably better if I leave them here for the church to find. Whether or not they find the bodies, the church will assume I killed them, either way.

“Quack.”

Yeah, just let me take care of my leg first.

Supported by Fanny, I walk a little distance away from the macabre before sitting down to treat my wound. I rip the cloth around the injury and thankfully, the bolt didn’t seem to hit any major vessels... from the looks of it, at least.

“Quack.”

Yes, it hurts as bad as it looks, you stupid duck.

Now then, the first thing to do is to pull out the bolt. After that, clean the wounds and bandage it. Simple, right? Well, the last two parts are, at least. The first part, pulling out the bolt, is probably the worst part.

I try moving the bolt’s shaft a little, and it feels like the head is lodged in. If I just yank it out, I might as well bleed myself out. If I can make an incision to enlarge the wound, maybe I can pull it out, but I don’t have the tools nor the know-how to do it.

Now then, what to do...

..........

I have something in mind, but considering I’ve never used earth magic ever since I came up here, it might be a little risky. To put it simply, if I can gelatinize the bolt, I might be able to get it unstuck.

Taking a firm grip on the bolt’s shaft, I close my eyes and let my mind traverse away into the realm of aether. I probe into the steel bolt’s structure and further, deeper and deeper into its lattices. Then, I start making the necessary changes—distancing the molecules, weakening the internal interactions...

Ow...

My head is starting to hurt. I guess doing magic on this scale is too arduous for the mind after all. At least I managed to get the bolt unstuck. I can pull it out now...

...I think.

Here we go. Deep breath, Fay... deep breath.

With one quick pull, I yank the bolt out.

OW, OW, OW!

“QUACK, QUACK QUACK!”

YES, it’s as fucking bad as it fucking looks—Fuck!

--- --- ---

After that, I cleaned up the wound as best as I can with water magic and bandaged it with clothes I picked out from the dead zealots. I made sure to pick up spares as well to change the wrappings with.

Before leaving, though, there’s one more thing I want to take.

I approach one of the bodies and take his gun to feel its weight in my hands.

A gun, huh...

It looks a little different from the ones the drifters used. When we fought earlier, it seems as though they were able to shoot a few bullets before they had to reload. Some new type of gun, I suppose?

Hmm... having something like that might prove useful, so I decide to take it with me. Nevermind the fact that I don’t know how to use it, or that it’s probably too heavy for me to aim with.

Speaking of which, when the vagabond rode away earlier, I saw the pistol on his hip—most likely the one he used to shoot the bishop. It seemed like a regular flintlock aside from its barrel, which was probably twice the usual length. That could explain how he made that shot. Maybe I can make upgrades like that as well.

Of course, I’ll have to learn how to use it first.

Let’s go, Fanny.

“Quack.”

As I ride away, my thought goes back to the violent vagabond. Honestly, he kind of reminded me of someone, but I can’t remember who.

(...I don’t think we’ll ever meet again. Just remember—I saved your life, so you better make sure it’s damn worth it. Make yourself useful for whatever.)

No matter what the truth is, he thought that he had saved me by killing those men. And that annoys me.

I had it under control, jerk.

“Quack?!”

At least, the two lancers got out alive.

...Or did he kill them too?

Also, the way he moved earlier—he’s definitely not a normal person. He was as fast as Luise was, maybe even faster, even with that longsword of his. Not to mention his marksmanship—disregarding the specialized barrel, to shoot from that far of a distance is still an exceptional feat. Above all else, however, it was his ruthlessness that makes him dangerous. That kind of man, with that kind of skill—who knows what he’s capable of?

(...I don’t think we’ll ever meet again.)

*sigh*

Because he said that, I’m now certain that we will meet again sometime in the future.

---

--- ---

--- --- ---

...Is this it?

“Quack.”

I take a look at the map again, and it does seem to be the right place.

After following the map for two straight days, I seem to have finally arrived at Falreas. Judging from the overgrown vegetation around the roads,the forest seems to be devoid of traffic. Then again, I haven’t seen signs of civilization ever since the fight with the church. I seem to remember someone saying about how the roads around here aren’t used anymore.

I was contemplating what to do when I get here because I don’t really know what I’m looking for. But now that I’m here, I can feel some kind of mana network. It’s similar to the one in Halhallart’s Dread, but... purer, somehow.

Can you feel it too, Fanny?

“Quack.”

Follow it to the source.

--- --- ---

After a few hours of riding, I notice some change in the surroundings. As the mana veins become thicker, the bare trees become lush, grass and thickets start appearing in more density, and sounds of life start to fill the air.

Be wary of beasts, Fanny.

“Quack.”

Just like the case with the Dread, places with high mana density might be a common place for demonics to linger in, more so in a place so desolate like this. Worst case, I might run into another demon. Let’s hope not...

...The road ends here, huh.

“Quack...”

The road had been barely visible for a while now, but at some point, it was finally swallowed by the forest.

The centre is still further in, though. Don’t worry, as long as the sun is still up, we won’t get lost.

“Quack, quack...”

Trust me, I’m a magus. We won’t get lost.

--- --- ---

We got lost.

The nearer we get to the source, the more tangled the mana veins became, thus resulting in us following the individual veins in circles and when we realized it, we no longer kept track of the direction where we came from.

Damn it, Fanny.

“Quack?!”

Hmm... I thought that if I focused on following a single vein, we’d eventually arrive at the source, but that seems to be the wrong strategy. Maybe if I just keep following the general direction before it became tangled...?

Okay, let’s try that.

--- --- ---

....It’s no use.

This is so weird.

It’s as if the veins are made to confuse people. Everything I’ve tried seems to have only gotten us more lost. If we’re still like this when night falls, we might be in trouble.

Come on, help me out here, Fanny.

“Quack.”

If there’s one good thing, there doesn’t seem to be any demonics here, despite the fact that there’s an abundance of mana. I wonder why?

At any rate, we’re going nowhere like this. let’s rest here for a bit.

After that, we decide on a small clearing to rest in, and I use the chance to check on my leg.

Speaking of which, my thigh is healing up pretty quickly since I somehow managed to avoid infection. It still hurts a lot, though. I had to pull it up on Fanny’s back so that it doesn’t hang whenever I’m riding.

Do you think I should change the bandages?

“Quack.”

Okay, then.

Aside from taking care the wound, I also decide that it’s a good time for a meal. I take a piece jerky and a small slice of bread, and since Fanny’s been working hard, I treat him to some dried fruit. Food doesn’t seem to be an issue for now, as long as I keep track of what I have. It’s a good thing I’ve rationed it because now I don’t know how long we’ll be here.

As I eat my fill, I admire the serene scenery all around me. And then, something just clicked.

I’ve been here before...

I kind of remember walking through a place like this. I think I just woke up, and... I was frantic. I was running around calling for my friends and then... I think I blacked out. The slavers must’ve picked me up after that. That means, the place where I woke up can’t be too far. Even so, with all this veins in turmoil, I can’t think of a way to get to there.

Geez, it really does seem like someone’s trying to keep us out, don’t you agree, Fanny?

“Quack.”

...Except, maybe someone is trying to keep us out.

Every exit is an entrance, which means, if the slavers did find me here, an entrance to Purgatory might be somewhere near. Taking his personality into account, Thalvos would’ve left something to prevent people from going near. Perhaps, the chaotic veins of mana are something he left to confuse curious magi. If that’s the case, then maybe I can just go “deeper”?

Mana may be manipulable, but aether is not quite so simple. If all this was done artificially, there must be some sort of aetheric passage for him to control it remotely. Maybe, if I “sync” myself enough, I might just be able to see it, but... it might be quite risky.

Fanny, I’m going to try something.

“Quack.”

I close my eyes and let the aether pull me away, but careful not to let go of my physical existence. Before long, my body becomes feather, and my sense of time is lost. Or better put, rather than lost, my own time is warped into the timeless sea of the aether.

When I open my eyes, everything is... beautiful. The light, and the colours... they’re beyond the range of what my physical eyes can see. Even though I’m still in the same place as I was, somehow I feel warm, but also cool at the same time. I don’t know how to put it. It feels alien, but welcoming and comfortable.

Crap... Focus, Fay.

If I lose it, my mind might not return the same as when it left my body.

The passage is... there. I can see it. The colours are swimming around in a pattern, forming one glome after one another until it becomes some kind of pipe—a hyperspace conduit, is one way to describe it.

Got it!

I pull my mind back, and the surroundings returns to normal in one blink.

Phew, I haven’t gone that deep for some time.

“Quack?”

I got it. I know where to go now.

Without wasting anymore time, I get on Fanny’s back and we’re on the move once again. Based on what I see, we shouldn’t be too far.

--- --- ---

As the mana grew dense, the air grew heavy, and it’s not without consequence. After some time, I started becoming lightheaded, and so did Fanny. Her steps became sluggish and clumsy, but we kept going anyway.

There is an unearthly noise in my ear, like some kind ringing in high frequency. It’s like in the back of my head, quiet and insignificant, but it grows more substantial as we walk further into the source.

Perhaps, the reason why there are no beasts here is because it’s too much for them too. I mean, the myriad of “veins” have become so thick and tangled that it’s no longer possible to distinguish them from one another. Rather than singular veins, they’ve become a single large continuum of mana.

Freakishly enough, some critters don’t appear to be affected at all—insects, birds, rarebits... small animals and the kind. Maybe it’s because they’re less sensitive to mana?

“Quack.”

Yeah, we’re close.

At a point where the ringing blocks out all other noise, we finally come upon into a clearing. I hop off Fanny’s back and gaze at the sight before us.

A misty pond—with strange dancing lights hanging at the surface of the water, and in the middle, a cubic structure stands. It has an opening the size of a door, and through it, all I can see is darkness.

There are markings around the opening, inscribed upon the archaic stone blocks—ancient hieroglyphs that faintly glows. I've seen these markings before. Arranged like that, they can form... words.

Through me you pass into the city of misery.

“Quack?”

I slowly walk towards the stone structure, disregarding all the abnormalities. Everything else just seems and feels blurry and unfocused.

Through me you pass into eternal pain.

As I walk closer into the opening, I feel the darkness inside stretching its tendrils towards me. I step into the water as if the dancing lights noticed me, they briskly approach me and starts dancing around me, urging me to go forward.

Through me you pass into the realm of the lost.

Fanny’s calling me, but her voice sounds so distant. Instead, my ears are flooded with the ringing, except it’s no longer a ringing—they’ve turned into whispers.

Justice moved my errless Lord.

The water rises to just beneath my knee and is neither cold nor warm. It pulsates like a heartbeat, along with the air around me. This place is alive... and the darkness in there is the beating heart.

Thus, divine Darkness birthed me to Purge the sinners of their sins.

The whispers... I couldn’t hear what they were saying before, but now I can. Some are calling my Name, and others are saying the words along with me.

Before me is Void, save things Eternal, and eternal I endure.

When I realize it, I’m already in front of the temple. I squint my eyes to see inside, and there is nothing but the pitch black darkness, sucking me in.

Abandon all faith, you who walk upon the cursed earth.

Pushed by some otherworldly force, I walk into the opening and let the darkness swallow me.

--- --- ---

......

............

...Huh?

I look around, and all I see is stone. No darkness, no whispers—just old, mouldy stone blocks.

What the heck...?

I run outside the structure, and the markings are no longer there as well. Standing at the edge of the pond, Fanny tilts her head in a questioning manner.

“Quack?”

Didn’t you see what I saw?

“Quack? Quack quack.”

But, the words... the whispers, they were calling my name.

...Wait, that’s odd. My name? But what’s my name in the first place? What did the whispers say, or were they even real...?

Haah...

As if all strength left my legs, I flop down into the ground, wetting everything below my chest.

There is something here—I know it in my gut, but that something is gone or hidden now. It could be that Thalvos realized I was here and cut off the connection. However, looking at Fanny’s reaction, she doesn’t seem to have seen and heard the same thing. In other words, it could’ve been all just me.

Aargh... I’m so confused...! What the heck should I do now?

“Well, you’re still young. You can do whatever you want to do.”

Whatever I want to do... eh?

What the crap?!

Who’s there?!

I turn to look at the source of the face, and there, a woman is sitting atop a large rock at the edge of the pond, smiling at me.

“Hello,”

she casually greeted me, which gives the opposite reaction of “casual” from me. I scan the surroundings to see if there’s any more people, and once that I’m certain there’s no one but her, I start looking at possible exits. Fanny is closer to me than she is to both of us, so a quick escape is more than probable.

Is she a threat or not? To decide that, I start observing her features.

Her gaze is sharp and so is her form. Even though she’s sitting, I can’t feel any opening. Her skin is slightly tanned, and she has a beauty mark near her left eye. She has brown hair, which is tied into a ponytail that reaches her upper back. In her hands, she holds a staff with a mana stone adorned on top.

A magus...?

“Ding-Ding! But you’ll have to be more specific than that,”

she said as she lithely hops off the rock and into the water. I immediately take a wary stance, but the way she walks towards me doesn’t seem to imply any threat. Even so, I can’t let my guard down.

“This is one fateful encounter, no? Or so I said, but I don’t know if you can call it that, considering that I followed you here.”

Followed me?

“Uh-huh. All the way up here, in the middle of nowhere in a cold, desolate region of the country.”

She admitted it herself that she’s after me. If she’s wants my life, she wouldn’t have revealed herself and just killed me outright. Just what does she want?

...Nexy, ident—

...Hold on. I’ve been too focused that it just went over my head, but... did she just?

“Don’t worry, kiddo. I mean no harm.”

You...

“Yes?”

You can hear me?

She lets out an impish smirk before replying,

“Loud and clear.”

Who are you?

“My name is Inzhi, and yours are Fay, right?”

Yes. And what do you want from me?

“That depends. Did Sallis not mention me?”

Eh? Sallis?

....Ah.

You’re... Inzhi, a geomancer.

“Correction; The Geomancer.”

I remember—she’s Inzhi, the arcanist who was supposed to be my mentor because of Sallis’ recommendation. Of course, a lot of things happened and I just assumed that the plan was already down the drain.

Why are you here? How did you find me?

“Now, now. I’ll answer your questions, but you have to answer mine too.”

...Go on.

“So, then, Fay...”

Her dark eyes gaze into mine, pulling me in as she opens her mouth to continue where she left off,

“do you want to be an arcanist?”