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Chapter Text

Fear Not The Elf Who Knows 10,000 Spells
Fear The Human Who Knows Two

I think Luck is a physical, real thing in the world.

That in life there is this container of Luck that you get at the start of your life, and with ever bad shit that happens to you, that container fills up. Like your Karma tank.

You broke your knee as a kid? Pour in some Luck.

You lost the chance to be some famous soccer player? Pour in more Luck.

Bad relationship? Bad job? Some debt added in? Throw in another bucket of Luck.

Of course, you have to live a good life and not bitch too much lease you used up that Luck.

Then at the end, once you die and it's time to decide what your afterlife is, you can start cashing in on that saved up Luck.

Reborn in another world? Okay.

The world is the one from Frieren: Beyond Journey's End? Fantastic.

Be born in the Era of Peace, after the Hero's Party defeated the Demon King? Holy Fuck! That is Awesome!

Hell yeah, bring it on! Keep the good times coming!

"Down with the Elf Worshippers! Elves are nothing but Demons in disguise. They are an affront to the Goddess!"

"Go to hell you Anti-Elf bastard! May the Goddess bring ruin on the Anti-Elf Coalition!"

Be born in the Southern Lands that's in the middle of a civil war? ...Ffffffffffffuuuuuccckk!

God dammit, the Luck barrel emptied too soon.

60 HPV (Hero's Party Victory)

Ten years.

Merely ten years after the death of the Hero Himmel and the world seemed to go to shit.

I couldn't even enjoy this 'Era of Peace' everyone's been talking about, because I was born only two years after Himmel's death. Tensions were already rising within the Principality during that time, and with his death, the powder keg that is the situation between The Elves Shields and the Anti-Elf Coalition, exploded.

Let's take a moment to actually explain a few things. Honestly, I was confused for a while because the anime barely touched on this crap.

The world, or honestly the continent in my opinion, is divided into three parts. This should at least be well known.

They are the Northern Lands, the Central Lands and the Southern Lands.

Colloquially however, to those who live in those places and aren't travelers, they are the Empire, the Kingdom and the Principality, respectively.

I was born in region of Anfang, in a city called Schwanz.

The place was literally at the ass end of the world. The tail end of the map.

I was born a human.

Yeeeep, can't even be a dwarf with naturally stronger body, or an elf with virtually infinite lifespan.

Nope. Normal old, ass human. Well, not old, I was only 8 years old for now. I feel like I'm 80 from the stress through.

And of course, my name probably means something basic in German. Man, I wish I learned more languages.

Now, what the heck would have an eight year old so stressed?

Why, the fucking assholes that somehow gained a lot of influence throughout the Principality (Anti-Elf Coalition), and the incompetent dumbasses that really shouldn't been failing so badly against them (Elves Shield) but they are.

How could this state of affair comes to be, you may ask?

Welp, it all started twenty years after the defeat of the Demon King. A sort of rumor, or argument between scholars, or priest or something or other.

I don't think anyone remembers the origin of it.

"Elves and Demons seem to similarly live an awfully long time, you know. If Demons evolved from monsters that mimic humans' voices, then... what if Elves evolved from monsters to mimic humans' shapes."

It was a dumb thought.

Anyone with a brain would hear this, and utterly laugh at the incredibly dumb thought.

No one could possibly be so stupid as to entertain that idea, right?

"Have you ever seen an Elf's corpse?"

Yet the idea kept circulating in academic fields.

Elves are near immortal beings, yet their numbers are so low, and they don't have a strong reproductive drive, that they are facing extinction.

So of course whether they die or old age, or due to a battle or not is anyone's guess.

Yes, of course some people who lived with elves, and saw them die either due to an accident, a monster or a demon, would point out that they did see them die, and their corpse didn't disintegrate, but those were dismissed as anecdotal, or even as fake by some scholar who supported the idea of them being side-species of Demons.  

And so the stupid idea became an argument, and the argument became a discussion.

"An elf, the Mage Frieren, was a member of the Hero's Party."

"Clearly an exception to the rule. The Good Elf."

"Elves have helped mankind for thousands of years."

"Clearly it's to cause a dependency upon them."

"The Demon King genocided the elves."  

"Enemy of my enemy doesn't mean they are our friends."

And then the idiotic discussion left the halls of the academia.

It found no fruit within the Central Lands, for that was land the Hero Himmel called home.

It was laughed out of the Northern Lands, for the Northern Branch of the Continental Magic Association, the organization made by the Great Mage Serie, an elf, host the certification exam for 1st Class Mages. The Continental Magic Association itself has formed multiple magic academies for all aspiring mages throughout the world.

But in the Southern Lands, the debate persisted.

Persisted almost unnaturally. Surely anyone looking into this situation would think, something's off.

Then the name calling started.

Elf Servants.

Elf Sycophants.

...

And worse.

Elf Worshippers.

For it Elves are Demons in disguise, then that clearly means, they are Demon Worshipers.

So in response to this, a group of people rose up to defend all elves from slander. The Elves Shield.

Rumors about them immediately started. Be it that they were corrupt, that they were secretly demon worshipers. That they support Verrückte, the one single example of an evil elf in all of history, who was eventually slain by Serie.

All because one fucking dumbass on the Elves Shield side drew poster of elves who helped humanity, and to appeal to their deeds and beauty, and added a portrait of Wicked Verrückte, without fucking checking who it was.

The elf protestors made a nuances of themselves. Be it mockeries, disruptions or what not. This lead to the Elves Shield censoring anything related to the 'Elves may be variant of Demons' discussions, which just made people more curious about it.

Then... No one knows who did it. The incident that sparked things into a rage. Into violence.

That formed the Anti-Elf Coalition.

Supposedly a member of the intellectually curious, those that were just 'truth seekers' who thought 'elves and demons shared similarities' had their home torched.

That sparked a protest, that lead to an inquisitive investigation by the Church's Southern Branch.

The investigation ruled that no one was harmed, that they couldn't find this person who's home was torched.

That lead to a violent outrage by the "victims" which in turn lead to the Anti-Elf Coalition, and in turn they ranted that the Southern Branch of the Church had been infiltrated by elf sympathizers. Elf Worshipers.

Then one of the Elves Shield's leaders actually came out and said they did burn some rich merchant's house, because said merchant was funding the elf protests.

As I said. Fucking incompetent idiots.

The Anti-Elf Coalition were seen as the victims, the oppressed who's opinions were trampled on. All they asked was freedom to speak. All they asked was the ability to voice their theories without being attacked.

Wonderful bullshit.

Someone was funding them, empowering them. That much should be obvious to anyone.

The Prince, ruler of the Principality, ended up giving them approval to voice their ideas without censor. A sympatric fool.

Attacks between Elves Shield and the Anti-Elf Coalition continued to happen in small scale across the Southern Lands, except the Anti-Elf Coalition always delivered news of their wounds to garner sympathy.

People were generally of the opinion to 'let them speak, they're not harming anyone'. Problem is, they didn't let anyone counter their arguments, or shot their ideas down.

Insults, blackmail, violence.

And when the same is done to them, they'd cry foul.

The Prince kept allowing this. No one knew why he didn't put an end to all this.

And so, things kept simmering in a similar manner for thirty years.

The only reason why outright civil war was because of the Hero Himmel.

"Elves are another race as any other. They have good people and bad people. However, in all my life, I'm only see them being kind, wise and helpful to others, and I've known and traveled with the best of them. They have a heart that can know love. They are not Demons."

It was a simple statement.

He didn't even travel to the Southern Lands to deliver it, yet it arrived all the same.

And the words of Himmel was strong enough, that even with the Anti-Elf Coalition's bullshit, the winds were knocked out of their sails.

So their actions lessened as their voices fell to the background.

Then the Elves Shields committed their worst sin.

They did nothing.

They thought they'd won, and rested on their laurels.

So then the years passed, with some tense peace in the Southern Lands.

Then Himmel died, and the Anti-Elf Coalition resurfaced.

Well, I at least for three years to know peace. Not really though since I only grained awareness at two.

Five years after Himmel's death, the Anti-Elf Coalition appeared with a mage squad and torched Blume. A city which was a trading center, a source of news and information that spread throughout Southern Lands, burned to the ground.

Chaos erupted.

The army was deployed, except the Anti-Elf Coalition had members within it and the army was split into two.

Not half, from what I've heard it was 70/30 against the Coalition. Except due to miscommunication, the army realized too late the traitors within it, and lost a substantial amount of troops.

Regardless, while the army regrouped, the Coalition went about their acts of terror, with the Principality loyalist and the Elves Shields fighting against them, but almost always a step behind.

The Elves Shields pick up weapons and turned to violence too late in the game. They suffered a lot of losses, and the Anti-Elf Coalition were almost fanatic in going after Elf Worshipers.

They even made their own sect of the Church to legitimize their actions.

Not sure what the Church of the Goddess's reaction will be yet.

All I know is that I really want to get the fuck out of these stupid lands with their civil wars.

My name is Trenn.

A Human, an aspiring mage, and I swear to whatever god that exists in this world, I will learn magic, leave the Southern Lands, and I'll kick the ass of anyone who gets in my way.

Besides I already know what magic I want to learn.

All you need to dominate this world are two spells.

Fear not the Elf who knows 10,000 spells. Fear the Human who knows Jilwer and Reelseiden!

...Now if only I could find literally fucking anyone that could teach me those spells.

===

AN: Wow. This... turned into an exposition word salad. I genuinely thought I'd be able to get into Trenn's life immediately soon, but things just kept going. Anyways, sorry if you don't like this, next one is going to be about the SI going through things right away.

Chapter Text

60 HPV

Schwanz was a city located next to a river. Geographically, this was a good thing as it was the main reason this town flourished, able to have good harvest, and even some fish. Though we were blocked away from the sea by a mountain range.

It was also a bad thing because it made the city an ideal place for one of either revolutionary groups to occupy.

Now, one would think being occupied by the Anti-Elf Coalition would be horrid.

Well... The Elves Shield aren't making themselves better.

I don't know when the label of 'Elf Worshipers' went from an insult to them, to be a very real descriptor.

Somewhere between arguing against elves being different demons, and defending themselves, then ended up going from pointing out the virtues of elves, to just outright say they are the Goddess of Creation's chosen people, and the ones most made in her image.

"Now children, let us give thanks to the Goddess for this bounty this morning, along with her reverent blessed elves." Said the matron of the orphanage I grew up in.

I never stuck around for breakfast, or the 'morning sermon' it tends to turn into.

It's not like I could even blame her. The Elves Shield's presence in the city, and them having control over food distribution meant those who didn't start kowtowing to the idea of any and all elves everywhere, might unfortunately find the food handed to them lessened. After all, they 'needed it most to protect us from those vile, evil Anti-Elf bastards, right?'

It really was all bullshit, wasn't it? Just two group vining for power and using everything as an excuse, weren't they?

It's why everyday now I woke up before anyone to eat a single loaf of bread or the like, before sneaking out of the orphanage to the forest surrounding Schwanz.

The stone walls the Elves Shield was having the city's people build (instead of the wooden ones) will make that difficult soon, but until then I have it easy going to quiet places away to train and, or hunt my own food.

People might think that being a little kid in an occupied town was a hard life, but... honestly, I feel like the adults have it harder.

They have to play pretend to stay alive. Kids can just be kids as long as they aren't seen by the Shields, or just act cute and not draw their attention.

Don't repeat anything you hear is a rule engraved on the orphanage kids. 'You don't want the Shields to think you were bad, right?', at least that's what the matron would say.

Hand me downs were surprisingly nice. The matron wasn't secretly evil or selling kids.

Reaching my usual spot about twenty minutes walk from the city, I settled in to use the rocks and make shift basic pulleys for training.

First, I have a backpack filled with rocks. I carried that and ran around throughout the passing branches, dodging trees, in a wide circular route till I'm back to my training spot.

Then, its time to punch the stone boulder for an hour, or till I feel my bones vibrate.

After that it's meditation.

Immediately I feel it.

Mana.

I capture it, I control it, and lead it to heal my body.

One luck break of my new life is that I was always able to feel mana.

From the moment I became cognizant I was able to do so. I suspect the reason being because my world didn't have it.

Thus having a whole new energy, within the world, and in my body just made it plainly obvious for it that its there. It was never background noise like I suspect people native to this world would feel.

It's kinda like having a past life as a zombie. A heartbeat or warm blood through your veins will be pretty damn obvious.

Ew, wait. Morbid analogy.

I don't know the secrets of mana, or have my own cheat to figure things out, sadly.

I only know what someone who watched the anime once knows. The one season that exists. I'm gonna be pissed if it turns that right after I died season two aired.

Well, since spells are only limited by imagination, I kinda figured plain mana acts the same. Probably.

Having your 'internal energy' (whatever the setting's name for it would be), being able to just make everything about you extra, seem pretty basic.

Circulate mana through the body? Physical heal and mental refresh. It seems pretty obvious. And that's how it went.

That's also why I trained in the forest confidently on my own. My mana sense was something I've honed since I could think.

Of course there were predators and other wild animals. But I knew where every single one of them was in a twenty six square kilometers.

The predators also knew I was the most dangerous thing in this forest, so they wisely left me alone.

After the meditation heal, I went for the exercise again, but this time with a focus on my mana. I try to repress it to the limit, as much as I can, while doing the same physical routine.

It's like... well not holding a fart, but like puffing up your cheeks as much as you can, while trying to talk but without letting the air out.

It's mentally annoying.

Once that was done, I stop restraining my mana, and take one of the tree branches and try running my mana through it. Without making it explode.

I suspect that the reason mages in this world use staffs is because it is easier, and more efficient to channel mana through the wood, into the jewel foci to cast a spell.

Odds are the reason mages do this is because controlling mana is difficult. Plain and simple. Let alone casting spells. That probably would feel like wrestling with the mana, or wasting a lot of it.

However, I remember seeing Flamme being able to defeat three high level demons, or whatever their rank was, without any staff at all.

Welp, better follow the best example of a human mage and do the same.

After five years of this I did manage to run my mana through a piece of wood, or any object without causing it to break, snap, or crack from the inside. Wooden branches no longer splinter in my hands. It still takes some focus, because it's like holding a small vibrating chainsaw within the object, but trying to rotate it through and around the object, without having the chainsaw activate.

God, I wish I knew one spell so I can see if my training is doing something useful or not.

Schwanz' magic shops had been raided and shut down by the Shields. Wanting to 'protect' the people by wanting to keep away magic from any Coalition mage that could sneak in steal them, and then hurt everyone.

Lying fuckers.  

Anyways, after the whole physical routine and mana training is done again, I focus all my mana on body strengthening, and do the physical exercises ten times as hard.

I'm gonna need a new boulder for punching soon. I feel this one only has a few good days left.

Body strengthening is different than mana repression. It's like pouring in energy that feels like hot gas into my muscles, bones, skin, nerves, veins and tissues, till it's liquid, and then trying to keep it there.

Finally after my mana nears the bottom of my reserves, I go about chopping a tree down, and make firewood out of it.

The orphanage makes money from the various jobs the matron has the kids do.

Not actual work, as in job jobs. But rather small stuff like acting as a laundry mat for the portion of the city we live in. Sewing up old clothes that got a tear or two. Stuff like that. Things can kids can help with as a group activity.

The older kids get to help out the lumberjacks. Or carry stuff for workers. After the lumberjack made their daily quotes, anything extra our kids took for the orphanage to sell.

From what the older kids told me, it wasn't used to be like that. The city official used to just give money to keep the orphanage running. Now with the Elves Shield around "everyone gotta help out".

Assholes.

I was technically too young to go out and chop wood, but I brought a lot back to the orphanage, that the matron agreed to turn a blink eye to my 'adventuring'.

With my wooden pack frame filled up bigger than someone my size could reasonably carry.

It took another forty minutes to reach the city. Twice as long as I was walk carefully, using mana detection to avoid any Elves Shield patrol, or anyone really. Never know if I might run into an adult who believes that elf divinity stupidity.

I walk all while suppressing my mana to leak nothing out. I still couldn't manage it. Some bits always leaked.

Reaching the city, I see that the builders are closing in on the area I usually sneak out of. Hmm, I'm gonna have to go through some place else to sneak out from now on.

I walk long way around till I reach the part of the wall toward the shortest route to the orphanage. I focus to feel for any mage nearby. There are two in the city as part of the Shields.

There are not near where I'm at. Neat.

No one is near the area I was at either. Good. Just animals like cat, rats and the like, from the feel of the size of their mana.

I crouch down, channel mana into strengthening, and jump. It feel like rocketing upward into the air, with the pack frame trying to pull me down.

I land on top wall, without a problem.

I feel a pull back.

Uh oh. I move and grab the ledge of the wall, as the pack frame almost pulled me back down.

Phew. I guess super strength, doesn't meant super balance. Or is it that I don't have enough core strength? Something to add to my training.

I quick look around and no one was near by to where I was, and thankfully no one was looking up.

Looking at the nearing roof, I focused on mana detection, while keeping the body strengthening. Doing both while moving used to be like juggling eggs three years ago.

Now? It's like playing a spy game with a map on easy mode.

I jumped and roof hopped all the way toward the orphanage. Eventually the houses started to space out, and I got down to ground level.

This part I needed to be slower and more careful in, as with how big my pack frame was, with all the timber I was carrying, I couldn't turn sideways or pivot easily.

Alright.

Pass from this alley to this alley.

Cross this street.

Orphanage in sight. Need to just get to the storage house...

Huh? I could feel the mana of one of the Elves Shield mages. He was talking to Matron Gütig near the entrance. I should be able to go around the back to dump the timber in storage without being seen—

"You should wait, until Trottel there leaves first, little Trenn." A voice said in a low tone as a hand rested on my shoulder.

I jumped in place, startled.

I looked back to see one of the adult I didn't mind all that much behind me.

"L-Löwenjunges, how did you—Where did you come from?" I whispered back with wide-eyes. The question on my mind was actual, how did I not sense you?

The man was of average height, long blond hair, blue eyes. He dressed in clothes too neat and tidy, that they should be formal, that he turned casual somehow.

Löwenjunges was a traveling merchant that settled in Schwanz a year ago.

He is part of the Shields, but not really. I never got the feeling that he was a stanch believer. Just something saying the things so they continue doing business with him. He's go sell or bring wares from nearby towns and with it any news that came up.

I'm pretty sure he's a run away noble. Or used to be one.

I mean, I have nothing concrete, but I sometimes get the feeling like he's too... educated wouldn't be the word people would use here. Academic? You know, like people who know table manners they shouldn't? It's one of those.

Just a gut feeling.

And because him write on a piece of paper once in cursive. Normal people I saw around don't do that.

I never mentioned it, but he had since wrote more brutish.

"What? You weren't paying attention around you." Löwenjunges said with an easy-going smile, as he shrugged.

"No I didn't. I mean, I did pay attention." I said back focusing on Löwenjunges mana.

There was some instability in it, before it went back to that of a normal adult. Well no, Löwenjunges had the mana of someone physically active and fit, like the guards of soldiers around the city. Or rather a bit more than them. I'm guessing that's from his active life of traveling and all.

There is a different feel for mana between normal people, athletic people and mages.  

A normal person has a lazy like mana that changes with age as is normal.

A fit, active person has mana that, well, it feels like it's higher quality. Almost denser in a sense, and runs faster.

A mage's mana doesn't have that thickness of an athletic person, but has vaster depth. Greater quantity and moves faster like a solider too.

Löwenjunges' mana feels like that of the second type, but he also seems to have control of it, enough to conceal it? Does that make him a mage?

"Hmm? You should work on listening to your surroundings then. I was following you for a while, you know." Löwenjunges chuckled.

"Huh? Since when?" I asked worried. If he saw me, then did someone else? Since when was I followed?

I check, there was no one around other than some animals. Maybe a cat walking nearby—

Löwenjunges can suppress his mana. Could he... did he know about my adventuring and suppressed his mana so I'd mistake it for that of an animal, so he could follow me?

"You see Trottel over there." Löwenjunges said, just moving on from the topic. "He's been asking about old Mrs. Gütig selling more timber than expected. The Shields are wondering overworking the older children, now that some left the orphanage. Since they are worried about the kids and that the matron might be keeping extra money to herself, and not 'offering' the protections the Shield needed."

The Shields take a percentage of any business' profits in the city. A protection fee 'donated' by the charitable city. Basically a protection racket money.

"...It's the start of the week, the storage shouldn't be filled up yet." I said.

"Yep." Löwenjunges nodded.

With a scowl, I hide back into the alley with Löwenjunges leaning on the wall next to me, as the matron took Trottel to show him that they weren't embezzling anything.

I looked back to Löwenjunges who had a kind smile as he crossed his arm, leaning against the wall.

I wanted to ask him if he was a mage. If he couldn't teach me.

I held back the urge. I already had someone I planned to ask, after finally getting my body up to physical standard, when I last talked to him.

Old man Schroff will be coming in a few days to sell fish from over the mountain. Much bigger fish than the river. Or rather as I've come to learn, you can't open up a fish market from river fishes. I guess river fishes aren't enough to sustain a whole city.

Also I don't ask Löwenjunges about his mana control because he never asks about how I can carry thrice my weight in timber.

We just comfortably stand next to each other, ignoring the other's secret.

"You're going to leave soon?" Löwenjunges said out of nowhere, as we watch old Mrs. Gütig and a scowling Trottel come out of the storage house, toward the orphanage entrance.

I looked toward Löwenjunges in surprise at what he said. I don't think I've ever mentioned my future plans to anyone.

Old Schroff was someone I've seen use magic to keep his fish and game preserved. When I asked about him, I was told he was the last of a mountain tribe that used to live in the area, before they moved.

I instantly grabbed onto that piece of information. Southern Lands mountain tribe, that's were the folk spell Jilwer is from.

The old man has to know it! At least I hope so.

I asked him if he can take me on as an apprentice. Thankfully rather laugh me off, he just gave me an impossible challenge. To be able to uproot a tree with strength alone.

He probably thought that would be enough to deter me. Ha! Jokes on him. I learned the size of each tree in the area, and trained myself to be able to life boulders of that size, till eventually as part of my wood chopping, I could manage to just rip the tree out, then chop it.

"How do you know that!?" I asked Löwenjunges, wide-eyed.

"You asked around about ol' Schroff a lot, kid. With how you are, it's kinda obvious." Löwenjunges shrugged.

"How am I?" I raised an eyebrow.

Löwenjunges blinked at me, as if surprised that I didn't know what he was referencing.

What? What am I missing?

Löwenjunges sighed. "You're still a kid." He muttered and shook his head.

I scowled (pouted) at that.

"What's that suppose to me?" Don't talk like I don't have self-awareness or some shit.

"Your very hard working, little Trenn. You always look like you are chasing some far off goal in mind. Not thinking about this fight between the Shields and Coalition like everyone else." He said with a smile.

"Well..." I frowned and looked down. Would it be heartless if I said I just don't care about the civil war. I'm only annoyed about it because it made learning magic difficult, and made my daily life stressful.

The sooner it ends, the sooner I can enjoy magic in this peaceful world. At least that's the plan.

This should be a peaceful world, right? Other than the monsters and demons of course, but hey, where else will I grind EXP.

"Well, looks like Trottel is leaving. You should get going before anyone notices you with that stupidly large bag you're carrying." Löwenjunges said as he moved off the wall.

After some talk Trottel left looking like a sour grumpy weasel.

Ha! Take that you money thieving asshole!

"Löwenjunges!" I said back, making him pause. "Thanks for the save."

He smiled back.

"Come see me before you leave with Schroff. I got something for you." Löwenjunges said.

"What?"

"Sorry," he shook his head. "Can't ruin the surprise."

With that Löwenjunges left, I waited a bit then darted forward and went around to the storehouse.

I sighed as I put down all the timber next to the little pile the other kids collected.

I felt the matron's presence without turning around as she came to the storage house.

"Trenn!" She said, her face alight with a smile. "Thank goodness you're alright." Said the old lady as she took me into a hug. "I was worried when you didn't return early today."

"Sorry, matron. I saw that idiot mage there, and waited till he left."

As the matron fussed over me, I felt a ping in my chest at her care.

I was going to leave soon. It should be fine, right? It's not like I'm close to anyone here.

===

AN: Junges is suppose to be a canon character with a different name. I tried to find as close to a picture of him as I could, although the name should be a clue.

AN 2: Welp, apparently Junges just means "young" without the context I wanted. Junges has been changed to Kater.

Because I forgot this is Frieren and fuck subtly.

AN 3: Okay. Last change, because even if it's on the nose, this is just easier. Junges/Kater is now changed permanently to Löwenjunges.

Chapter Text

I woke up, and just like before going to bed, I did visualization practice.

I imagined myself running through the whole of Schwanz with the world frozen in time.

I imagine myself swinging my arm, and everything in my sight is sliced like a picture cut by a sword.

I may not have Jilwer and Reelseiden yet, but that doesn't mean I won't prepare my ass off.

It's been my routine for basically this whole new life of mine.

After that I had to bath before anyone else, because I didn't want fight with anyone or wait a turn with others pushing for you to hurry up. Lots of morning stuff to get through.

At least that was my plan, but as I finished my visualization training, and moved to get up I heard a groan besides me.

I saw black, blue-tinted hair lying next to me. It was the long hair of Rein.

She was one of the younger kids in the orphanage. A little girl of five or six that tended to stick to me more than others, so I tended to be group together with her by the matron when I'm around.

Although, that's basically after I finish training for the day, so like from evening or sunset till bed time.

I usually use that time to help out around the orphanage is anyone asked for help, or just do my mana detection training. I reached the point where I'm focusing on ants now. Rein usually just sits quietly next to me, or asks me to read her bedtime stories from the matron's books.

Rein usually was a deep sleeper, unlike all the other kids in the orphanage that tended to be light sleepers.

Yet this time as I moved, she let out a groan as she opened her little eyes, with a sleepy pout. She wasn't really sleeping on the bed, but resting her arms and head on it, while sitting on the floor. This silly brat, that's bad for your knees. Honestly, anime tropes like that are stupid.

"Train," she called out in a small whine and opened her little eyes. And of course like a wittle baby she has to butcher my name. "I'm notta baby!" Rein said with a mighty pout.

Okay, my face can't possibly be showing my emotions that much.

"I didn't say anything." I pointed out trying not to smile.

"Ms. Gu-Ten says that's what you're thinking when you're making that face." Rein pointed out accusingly, her little finger pointed at me.

Dammit old lady, I can't believe you ratted me out like that.

Rein's eyes, started to drop after that little excitement.

I sighed, removed my blanket and got up.

"Alright, okay, up you go." I said as I pulled her off the floor and onto the bed, as I moved to get down. "I'll tell Ms. Gütig to let you sleep in a little longer today."

Rein weighed as much as a feather. Plump-ish kid, but everyone could easily pick her up. She hated it. It was hilarious.

Pretty sure she secretly liked it when I or the matron picked her up though. Not sure why me too. I'm not motherly am I? Do I give off that vibe? 

 "Nooo, I still..." Rein yawned. "Didn't give you...breakfast..." She was dozing off. I placed her where I was and covered her with the blanket. She seemed to instinctively snuggle into the warmth I left behind.

I looked to the table next to my bed. There was four beds in the room, I was on the one furthest away from the door in the room's corner. The desk was between my bed and opposite bed for Rot, one of my roommates.

The desk was really meant to make the room more lively, or for one of us kids to use it for reading or studying, but it just ended up mostly used for decorations and personal keepsakes. I didn't have anything of mine on it, maybe some old drawings I don't plan to take with me.

On the desk was a plate with... a ball... cookie? A half-burnt cookie in the shape of a sea mine?

"I made you a star cookie." Rein said from behind me with a soft sleepy tone.

"Aren't stars flat?" I found myself saying before I could stop. I should have just said thank you, waited for her to sleep and threw it out.

"Ms. Gu-Ten said the sun is a star. The sun is a ball. And stars have horns, so horn ball." Rein said, some annoyance fighting to show itself from her sleepiness.

Impeccable logic.

"Did the matron help you with it?" I really hope it wasn't one of the other kids that let her play around in the kitchen.

"Aren't you...gonna try it?" Rein scowled at me like a squirrel.

I help back a sigh and prepared for whatever this thing of a cookie will turn out to be.

I didn't bother thinking about it, or examining it. Might as well get it over with.

I took the cookie ball—A-hem, star, about as big as a tennis ball, filling my hand, as in three bites devoured the whole thing quickly.

"You didn't taste it!" Rein whined. sitting up a little.

And thank god I didn't! How the hell was the outside burned and crunchy and the inside still raw dough.

I mean, there's still sugar in it, so that's good.

"Rein, how long did you put this in the oven?" I asked.

"Oven? We're not suppose to use that." Rein crunched her cute eyebrows in confusion. "I used fire under a pan like a proper cook. Lässig showed me."

Of fucking course it was Lässig. That guy should not be given any responsibility for anything, regardless of him being seventeen and one of the oldest kids still around.

"So?" Rein said as began to pulled back to under the blanket, her eyes dropping closed. "Is it good?" She asked with a quieting voice.

"Yeah, it just," I pulled back any criticism. This was a kid after all. "Yeah, it was good, Rein."

"Good enough..." She yawned once more. "You'll... stay..."

Where the hell did that come from?!

I frowned unsure how to explain to a six year old child that I still have to leave today.

I tried to start a few times, sighing each time, as I didn't know how to say this in a way that didn't hurt.

Thankfully while I was brainstorming an answer, Rein's breathing changed to something low and steady. She had fallen asleep before she could wait for my answer.

"Sorry, Rein." I whispered, and moved the blanket to cover her, so she doesn't get cold.

I frowned as I turned to leave the room. She's a kid. She'll be sad for a while, but she had seen other kids leave to lives before. She'll be fine after a while, right?

I ignored that small ping of guilt, as I went about my day.

Schroff, an Archer POV:

"Hey, old man!"

Schroff blinked at a voice he didn't expect to called out to him, set down his hot buttered rum, and turned his head to see the boy that came up to him two years ago asking to be his apprentice.

Schroff doesn't have a lot of pleasures in life. He's old, all his family left the Anfang Region long ago that he doesn't know if they are alive or dead, he's alone and what peace he can expect in his latter years is likely to vanish with this civil war going on.

His life is work. Crossing the Froststaub mountains to reach the sea. Fishing. Use a preserve fish meat spell, and curing it when he doesn't have enough mana. Cross the mountain again back to his cabin. Hunt animals. Preserve or cure whatever game he got. Put everything in frost storage. Built up stock, then travel down the mountain to sell his game to three different town, picking up supplies, money and firewood, before landing at Schwanz for the big pay day of selling everything left.

Then it's back home. Rinse and repeat.

The only pleasure he allowed himself in his lonely old age, is the conversation he finds in taverns, and a quiet cup of hot buttered rum. He doesn't like to mix the two.

It doesn't seem like he will get to enjoy drink in peace.

Trenn seemed like a normal rambunctious kid with a loud mouth and attitude, even if he doesn't raise his voice, or act noisy. Yet, he had this way about him like someone headed towards a goal, with an unstoppable focus.

He reminded Schroff of when he was young and foolish, wanting to be an adventurer and fight monster, rather than do something actually productive. He wasn't a bad kid really.

It's just that Trenn wanted to learn folk magic from Schroff and the old man wanted to not be bothered into doing something that required that much effort.

So he gave the boy an impossible challenge. An old dwarven warrior tradition. One that was left in the past.

For a dwarf to be considered a warrior, he needed to find the tree with the strongest roots, and be able to ripe it out of the ground.

Schroff felt like that requirement was unnesseary, so he only made it, so that as long as Trenn completed said challenge, he'll take him on as an apprentice.

Given the boy's grit and dedicated, Schroff reckoned Trenn will take until his mid-adolescence till he succeeded.

By then Schroff hoped he'd have died off. He had turned seventy two recently after all.

Besides, it was a mercy for the boy. It's not like his wishes for strength went unnoticed by the Elves Shield. They wanted Schroff to train the kid, so they'd have a Warrior with mountain folk spells on their side. Schroff was promised a lot of gold should he agree. They even promised to pay him for any student he'd take. A way to "sponsor" those kids development. A way for Schroff's people and their traditions to not be forgotten.

Oh no. Just turn the ways of the Weißer Berg tribe to those of indoctrinated killers.

The old archer's challenge to the boy was suppose to show his high standards. And also a subtle way of telling the Elves Shield leaders of this city to fuck off. Thankfully they let things be. They don't want to seem like the crazed cultists, like those of the Coalition.

Schroff was old, and he really hated living long enough to see the peace the world enjoyed by the efforts of Himmel the Hero, get torn to shreds by self-entitled fools. See his tribe be forced to abandon their ancestral homes lest they get caught up in men's violent stupidity.

He stayed. Because someone had to stay. Someone had to remember.

"I'm coming with you today." Trenn said, his assured tone bringing Schroff's wandering mind back to the kid.

"...I believe my words were clear, kid. " Schroff said with a disappointed tone.

He supposed he shouldn't have expected a child to continue to act so mature, and to not throw a temper tantrum at a difficult challenge. Although he kinda hoped Trenn's pride in his maturity wouldn't let him lower his determination, and complain about the harshness of the task.

"Yeah. Which is why I'm saying I'm ready. I can do it now." Trenn said with a wide grin, of a kid who knew something the adults didn't.

Schroff blinked and looked again at Trenn, really focused on the boy. There wasn't an nervousness in his posture. No false confidence, or the wary those who prepare trickery tend to hold.

Huh... 

Schroff won't say he's surprised. He doesn't fully believe the kid, since they can be pretty self-assured without bases... but his curiosity is piqued.

"That right?" Schroff raised an eyebrow.

"You pick the tree. That way you can't say I was cheating." Trenn said back.

Schroff couldn't help the snort at the boy's gumption. With a little motivation in wanting to see how this plays out, Schroff downs his drink, letting the warm rum mix, fill up his belly, and stood up.

"Alright," the old man gestured for the black haired boy to lead the way. "This should be funny."

The boy, Trenn looked comical hugging one of the trees in the forest around Schwanz.

Schroff and Trenn were accompanied by the old lady who ran the Calm Orphanage, along with some kids.

They all watched as Trenn's arms cracked the tree bark, as they sank into the wood. The body growled, groaned and trembled.

Schroff's eyes widened as he watched the boy's mana surge and nearly explode out of him. The instability was obvious now that the body was engaging in strenuous activity.

Why was he trying to suppress his mana even while using it? Schroff thought.

The tree shook, and the ground cracked and broke under the kid.

Then with a shout, Trenn started pull the tree up.

The roots sprang out of the ground, ripping apart and breaking as the old archer watched the impossible happen.

An eight year old pulled up the fourty foot tall tree out of the ground.

"YES!" Trenn shouted out in joy. Then began to lose his balance.

Schroff moved with the speed spell before he could think, and pulled the boy away from under the tree and back next to him and the audience, the moment tree leaned toward Trenn.

The tree fell with a loud thud, as it hit the ground.

Schroff looked at the grinning kid, who's hair shined dark blue under the sun's rays, ignoring the cheering orphans and orphanage matron behind him.

Well shit. Schroff scoffed with a scowl. I got an apprentice. 

Chapter Text

"So, you're really leaving, huh kid?" Lässig said in a casual tone from behind me as I finished packing what clothes and notebooks I had for training and ideas, things I tried, what worked and what didn't and what I learned, etc.

The blond young man, wore a loose orange scarf around his neck, standing with a casual demeanor that seemed like the signature image of the 'cool kid'.

"Yep." I said definitely as I closed the bag, and lifted over my shoulder, as I turned to leave.

"You know, the other kids usually left much later. Like fourteen or fifteen when they found someone to apprentice under." Lässig pointed out, but made no move to stop me.

"That is way too long to wait." Fourteen? Fifteen? That's already a twenthith of my life!

"Not that long, kid. Why are you rushing off so much?" Lässig said as I walked passed him. He easily kept up with his longer stride.

"Because I don't wanna waste any time. And I know I could do more if I knew more. I wanna learn the thing I want or need to learn, so I could be able to travel around and do what I want." I stopped to turn and give Lässig a smile. "Basically work hard now, so I can enjoy my life without worry later on." I said before continuing on my way.

"That's not really how it works, little guy. You're living whether you're rushing or not. You won't be able to enjoy anything if you put a condition on it, and keep thinking you're suppose to finish something first." Lässig said.

I paused for a moment. That... sounded like some unexpected wisdom. It was good advice, and I'm surprised it came from Lässig of all people.

I looked back and he raised an eyebrow at me, as he leaned back his hands now behind his head.

Or maybe it's laziness disguised as wisdom. That seemed more fitting for the oldest orphan still around.

Honestly, it almost sounds like some lesson the Frieren anime would give.

"Nah, I know what I'm doing." I shook my head and walked forward. I ignored Lässig snort behind me.

My farewell was... surprising.

As I stood in front of the orphanage, it looked like almost everyone came to say goodbye.

Why? I don't even remember everyone's name beyond the matron, Rein, Lässig, Rot, Nervös and Ungeduld. And I only remember the last three because they're my roommates.

"I really hoped this day would come much later, but I suppose you were always too mature to stay put." Matron Gütig with a sad smile. "Take care of yourself, listen to Mr. Schroff and come visit often."

"I'll visit whenever I can," I said automatically. It's what I said to my relatives in my past life whenever they said similar things.

Matron Gütig let out a short laugh. She was still smiling but the sadness seemed deeper to my eyes. Weird.

Everyone said their version of goodbyes, with me replying, smiling or nodding.

"Make damn sure to be amazing, you hear, Trenn. Don't let your smarts make you lazy." Lässig said with a laugh as he ruffled my hair.

"I'm not you, Lässig." I said batting his arm away. He just laughed as he stood back.

My sight fell to Rein, who stood looking down, sad and hugging a pink teddy bear.

I sighed, as I was already feeling bad about telling her that I was still leaving.

"I'm never gonna see you again." Rein said.

...Where did that come from?

"I'm gonna visit," I leaned down, balancing with one hand on my knees, and the other placed on her shoulder to reassure her. "We may not see each other as much, but I'll be sure to come back when I can. At least you can be sure we'll see each other when Mr. Schroff comes back with his stuff."

Rein shook her head like a stubborn child, tears at the edge of her eyes.

I thought she'd run back inside in a tantrum. Instead she jumped up and hugged me. I let her pull me down as I kneeled and hugged her back.

Why was she this emotional...? I'm the only one who actively spent time with her, aren't I? I mean, I babysat her when I could because there's no out else, but...

Kids, emotions and attachments. Can't say I understand any of that. Still, she'll get over it, she might even forget or feel distant about me when I meet her months, or a year from now. I'll just be someone whom she used to spend time with, but then she'd grow up and make new friends.

Or she might die from this civil war if the fighting comes here. 

An insidious thought wormed itself into my head, before I forcibly shut it down.

"I'm gonna miss you." Rein said, now crying.

"I'm gonna miss you too, kid." I said back easily, finally glad this goodbye was coming to an end, while feeling bad for her.

Rein shook her head, as if I wasn't understanding something.

Honestly, you'd think I'm going away to war with how she's reacting. The awkward goodbye continued for a moment longer, before I finally left the orphanage and everyone behind, waving at them as they waved at me.

Rein was waving the hardest. Cute kid.

"Hey, Löwenjunges. I came to say good bye."

"Hey, kid. Wait a moment, I got just the thing for you."

Mr. Schroff didn't seem to mind the detour, as we passed by Löwenjunges' home on the way out.

Löwenjunges was gone for a moment, and came back with a sword and sheath.

"Woah." I blinked at the sword he brought out. That, uuuh, looks kinda expensive.

"I know what you're thinking, and trust me, it's junk." Löwenjunges said with a chuckle.

"What?" I looked at him in confusion.

"Well, not to a beginner, but to any practicing swordsman, it might as well be." He sheathed the sword and handed it to me. I almost dropped it as I was handed the strap. "Yep. It's stupidly heavy. It was some blacksmith's experiment with different alloys. He made a sword," Löwenjunges thought for a moment, shaking his head back and forth before settling on how to describe it. "As durable and sharp as a normal sword. But it was much, much heavier than a normal one. That wouldn't have been a problem, although sharpening it would have been annoying due to that durability. Had it been just that, I could have still ended up in the hands of an aspiring swordsman, or the like."

"So, what's the problem?" I asked as I wore it over my shoulder, and took a moment to adjust to the weight.

"See how heavy that sword is?" He said with a sigh.

"Yeah?"

"That's how it's always gonna be." Löwenjunges said definitively.

"...Huh?" That sounds... awesome. Like the ultimate training sword.

"Yep. No Warrior wants to use a sword that's too difficult to wield in a real fight." Löwenjunges sighed with regret.

"Say what?" I'm not getting the issue here. In fact, isn't this thing too valuable to be giving off to some random kid. Löwenjunges, are you... actually a good merchant? Am I robbing you right now?

"Said blacksmith asked a mage to enchant it, and said mage misunderstood and made it so that the initial weight and heaviness of the sword would say constant for the user." Löwenjunges explained, but I still don't see the issue.

"Huh. Junk." Schroff said with a nod from behind me.

"Huh!? How?" I said looking back at him.

"Useless in a real fight. No point." Schroff summarized.

"That's basically the issue. It might be good for training, but in a real battle, where seconds matter, using a sword that's too unwieldy would cause the user's death." Löwenjunges added.

"Why not sell it to a noble?" I pointed out. "Seriously I feel like I'm taking advantage of you by taking this for free." I couldn't help but say. I know I should just be happy for my good fortune, but it feels sleazy.

"That's because you're a good kid." Löwenjunges patted my head with a smile. I let him since I'm robbing him of a magic sword. "But no noble in the Southern Land would bother to buy this as it would just be a luxury item. It would be too expensive and useless."

"Kid is right though. What about nobles outside of the Southern Lands." Schroff pointed out.

Löwenjunges sighed as he ran a hand through his blond hair.

"Sadly travelling had become kind of hard near the border due to the increase fighting between the Shields and the Coalition. I don't know for how long I'll be stuck here with my wares." He said, hiding his dejection.

Why don't you just leave your wares and run away? Is what I wanted to ask but felt it might sound stupid or insensitive.

"I'm... not sure how to pay you back for this." I said awkwardly.

"How about you become a legendary adventurer and we'll call it even." Löwenjunges said with a grin and a laugh. "I get to say, 'I gave the Great Trenn his legendary sword'."

"Didn't you say it was useless, other than for training?" I chuckled.

"Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling you'll figure something out." Löwenjunges said back.

Schroff grunted behind me impatiently. With a more hasty goodbye, I left Löwenjunges behind, as the old man and I finally went to the city gate.

A short inspection where I saw that mage Trottel trying to act tough, which fell flat against Schroff's stoic face, and then we were off.

We left Schwanz. On foot.

"Mr. Schroff?"

"Hmm?" He grunted.

"Don't you have a wagon with a horse?" I asked, confused.

"No. If you can't endure this, you might as well go back." He said. Is he trying to get rid of me?

Ah, no. This is the whole tough mentorship thing starting.

"Alright, cool." I nodded and stepped next to him to keep up. "Although is this really how you usually travel, every time from the mountains to the city?"

Schroff looked at me surprised for a moment, before just hardening his eyes, focusing forward on the road ahead, the stoic look back in his eyes.

"No. I use a spell for high-speed movement, along with a spell to make things I carry be light in weight." He explained. "However if I don't have the stamina and strength to do those actions normally then it's useless. Unless you can complete this journey without the aid of magic, then there's no point in teaching you." Schroff said in a definitive tone, before glancing at me for my reaction.

"Alright! Seems reasonable." I nodded at the logic. His magic is about improving physical capabilities, then obviously the base abilities need to be good.

I did my best not to show my hype and excitement at the confirmation that the old man did know Jilwer. I think I succeeded.

Soon. Soon Speed  will be mine!

Schroff looked surprised at my casual reply, but tried to shrug it off. He grunted while grumbling under his breath, then we continued walking in silence.

For a while.

"Sooo, what kind of magic and trade skills will I be learning?" I asked.

"Save your breath while you walk, it's going to be a long journey. We'll talk while we make camp and rest along the way." Schroff said. "Talk only to point out something important, or if you sense danger. I'm more likely to sense danger before you, but if you notice something tell me anyways. Don't worry, if I sense anything on the road I'll let you know, since you're my charge now." 

...That sounded like some old man bullshit, because he doesn't want to talk but I'll let it go.

"Got it."

===

AN: ...Wow. Trenn is kinda an unempathic selfish dick. Weird to realize that after I've written the scene with him and Rein. Also yes, Rein isn't being dramatic for dramatic's sake. (Hint: HoTS. Acronym for a character in Frieren)

Chapter Text

"What do you know of magic?" Schroff asked once we made camp and settled down for the night. A small fire was made between our sleeping bags. I had one bought with allowance I saved up from a long while.

I asked why not make a tent, he said just using the sleeping bags was faster for picking up, when we wake up and get moving.

Seems legit.

Although circulating mana around my body to push away bugs and the like, while sleeping is something I've done before, I never had to do it for multiple days. This should be good exercise.

"Other than sensing mana, and moving it around a bit? Practically nothing. I know you need mana to make a spell, and that's magic." I answered honestly.

"And what constitutes as a spell?" Schroff continued.

"Causing some kind of effect in the world that uses up mana?" I shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Hmm," he grunted, and went quiet for a moment. "Is that all you can think of?" Schroff asked curiously.

Is there anything else? Hmm, what else? What else?

Oh!

"You need good imagination to be a good mage." I said with some excitement as I remembered the most essential thing about the Frieren magic system.

Unlike what I expected, Schroff scowled, then sighed.

...Is this like the Old Master trope where everything that I know is wrong, but later turns out to be right, but I didn't have the mindset for it?

"You need a strong imagination to be a great mage," Schroff replied, yet from his tone, it sounded like he was reciting a quote. "It is not what you need as an aspiring mage. You need something else to learn to be a mage."

Huh, I was right.

"And what's that?" I asked, really engaged with the the lesson. I found myself smiling as I was finally learning about magic, rather than stumbling in the dark.

"Certainty." Schroff said, and the first time in my mind was how, you could be certain with imagination.

A clear image in one's head can make them certain about how something could be.

I held back the enthusiasm a bit, and so I can listen to Old Schroff's words, and not force my assumptions on what he said. Learn then assume as the saying goes. Probably.

"Could you elaborate, Mr. Schroff?" I asked, my smile nearly splitting my face. I swear I was so excited, my eyes probably are doing that pupil star shining thing.

Schroff snorted at my reaction.

"What happened to 'old man'?" He scoffed with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry for not being more polite earlier, teacher!"

He snorted and chuckled some more despite his want to appear stoic.

"'Schroff' is fine. You sound weird when you're trying to be a goodie-two-shoe." He said, waving me off.

"I can act like a good kid." I scoffed this time, playfully offended.  

"Not saying you're not." Schroff shook his head. "Bah, never mind." He said, as his tone returned to being lecture-y. "Back to the point, 'you need certainty first to cast a spell, then you need an imagination to cast it well'." He said in a rhythm-y way.

"Is that a quote from somewhere?" I asked.

"A rhyme we used to get told as kids." Schroff said. "I don't know about fancy magic schools or academies but here's how I learned it." The old man had a small nostalgic smile the more he spoke. I don't think he realized he was doing that. So I didn't mention it. "Magic, as my grandmother used to tell me, is a conversation with the world, and spells are the agreement both parties come to." He said. "It's fine if you don't get everything I say. Stop me and ask questions, if you're lost somewhere."

Yet my thoughts were elsewhere.

'Magic is a conversation'?

A conversation needs two parties minimum. How would the World talk?

Wind? Air?

No. Obviously mana.

The world has mana!

Goddess's Magic is a three party conversation, that's why it's stronger than normal magic. Wait, is it stronger than normal magic—? The thought immediately came to mind, and I pushed it aside for later.

"The world has its own mana!" I cried out, trying to hold back a laugh.

"..." Schroff's eyes widened, as he blinked at me in muted shock for a while.

"So Spells are a combination of our mana, or internal mana, and World Mana which is external mana?" I asked as connections came to mind from anime, manga and other fantasy stories, with even bits of sci-fi.

"Who told... Huh, I guess that's what they call a genius?" Schroff muttered to himself.

"Huh?" I blinked at that. 'Genius'? That seem like just normal logic. I don't think I could stand with any of the real geniuses out there.

"Nothing," he waved me off, before a wistful look came to his face. "You really should be learning in one of those fancy magic schools." He muttered, and I pretended I didn't hear him. Before ignoring politeness and addressed him anyways.

"Well, you're here and I wanna learn from you anyways." I said almost petulantly.

Schroff snorted, which turned into a laugh.

"Right, right, of course." The old man said with his gravelly voice.

"It usually takes a while for kids learning magic a while to realize that. You're only realized as a true mage when you can sense the mana of the world." He explained.

"So you need to first sense the mana of the environment around you in order cast spells?"

"No," Schroff shook his head. "If you know the structure and rules of a spell, you can cast it, even if you don't know everything about it, or about magic." He said. "Casting a spell is like trying to look through a fog to see a picture. The more concise and focused a spell is, the easier it is to cast. Both in terms in mana cost and spell structure holding up."

"Concise and focused how?"

"Hmm," Schroff grunted in thought, before a small amused smile came to him. "Did you know there are twelve spells for making tea?"

"Excuse me?" What the fuck? I like tea as much as the next guy, but it's not that complicated to make! Why would you need to know that many spells for making frickin' tea!?

"Well, that's what I heard. Although I do know two of them." Schroff said with a chuckle. "The first the spell that brews hot tea, Teekessel. However that one requires all the tea's ingredients in place first. So you have to put tea leaves, and sugar or whatever if you want, along with water, then the spell will boil it to a perfect temperature. The other is Heißtee, a spell that makes hot tea by transforming water into hot tea." Schroff said, and I was trying not to let my amusement show up too much, as how silly that was. "I knew someone that could summon tea directly from their wand, just straight up mana to tea. But I didn't bother to learn that one."

I laughed. I really should take this seriously, but it was just too silly.

"Sorry, sorry!" I didn't want to seem like I didn't care for the lesson.

Schroff grunted, yet I could see the smile hidden behind his white and silvery mustache and bread.

"Back to the point." He said once I finally calmed down. "The reason why you have many spells for the same thing, is because different people have different ways to solve a need that magic provides. Such as getting tea." I snorted, but was now calm enough so I could listen. "That's why the more a spell is specific, the easier it is to learn, and the less magic you use."

"So something generic like a fire spell would be like looking through a dense fog for that picture, because not only is the spell too generic, I'd need to learn a lot about fire, how it works, etc. and all that raises the mana cost of the spell?" I asked.

"Hmm," Schroff smiled and nodded. I think I heard him mutter 'quick' under his breath.

"So, how do you cast a spell? Do you shape your mana in a specific way? Do you just combine your mana with the world's mana while focusing on your intention? How does it happen?" I asked.

Schroff seemed tired all of a sudden as he sighed and looked away. He looked down at the fire in thought, before turning to me.

"You can detect mana, correct?" He asked and I nodded. "Learn to detect mana of the environment around you, then you'll be ready to learn spells. The better you are at the basics, the better you'll be later on." Schroff then got up, got some of the game meat from our supplies, deer meat, and a small cup of nuts. "I'm gonna make dinner, you work on that, and keep working on it throughout our trip till we reach the mountains."

With that Schroff just got to cooking on the open fire.

I sat back in a meditative pose, and closed my eyes.

Mana detection was second hand to me now. Yet there was still stuff I can learn, like how to pin point things too small, like dust mites. Ants are still a struggle, as I can't focus on them if I'm moving. Even while sitting down, I can only feel them by focusing on a location. Feeling all insects in my range is out of my league for now.

Also, my range, that's something I need to improve. But more than that, Löwenjunges proved that mana detection could be spoofed by someone pretending to have mana levels lower than that of a human, making others mistake them as an animal. I need to be able to get a visual feed of someone when I use mana detection.

Not just feel their presence, but feel what they look like through their mana.

But even with how skill I got so far, how can I detect the World's mana when I never even got a hint of it before?

I can feel other living beings just fine, but why not anything else? How did this escape my notice?

I stopped focusing on the living beings around me, and tried to focus on the 'empty space' space in my radius. The parts that aren't the animals, insects or plants. The air, ground, rocks or dirt.

I feel... well, I feel the air around me, but not much else.

I kept going for a while. There is the heat and of the campfire and crackling of the firewood. The smell of the venison Schroff is roasting on a stick is starting to get distracting.

But again, why can't I sense this external mana, if it should be so abundant? It mana of the World, right? It should be everywhere. It should be easy to figure out.

Fern learned it as a nine year old or something. That's why when she finally learned how to correctly use Zoltraak she was considered a mage, since she likely figured out this first part, and what was left was just casting a spell correctly, with good mana control and mental image.

So why can't I sense it if it's already all around me?

Water. Ocean.

My mind went to thinking about fish swimming in water, and some old philosophical or scientific quote came to mind.

A fish doesn't know it is swimming in water.

With my eyes still closed I raised a hand and slowly tried to wave it, like waving water in a swimming pool.

If I'm already in the water, I should be able to feel the effect of ripples I'm making.

I tried to feel if something was rubbing against my mana. Something that should have always been there.

Isn't my mana pushing against something as I'm moving? Or is it too big to be felt?

How does a fish know it's swimming in water? 

It needs to swim.

I raised a hand up, gathering my mana into hand, doing nothing but focusing on mana detection.

I focused my mana... then shot it upward.

It was nothing. There was no spell after all.

Just a pure stream of mana flying upward. It wasn't Zoltraak of course or anything like that, there was no intent in my mana. Just a desire to be.

Just a rod or a sonar shooting out, while I focused on detecting what my mana interacts with.

Nothing. No, something... maybe?

Am I imaging things, or trying to see something that isn't there, but I expect to be there.

I frowned, but didn't stop my mana detection. I ignored all living beings again.

I brought my hands down, gathered mana between them and let it ripple and expand like a bubble.

Again!

There's... something at the edge of my awareness. Like a picture, colors bleeding in.

I kept focusing on the negative space in my mana detection, spending waves of mana like a soap bubble expanding outwards. Not trying to do anything, just feel.

I felt as my mana hit the air. As it moved over and under the ground.

Okay, maybe focus on something smaller?

I made my mana coat my hands and tried to move them as if I was grasping air.

It was like a bad attempt at clapping. Yet the more I did so, the more it felt like I was grasping 'something' between my hands. Like a pressure between my palms. As if I a ball of air that's trying to resist and push back.

I grinned and focused on that feeling. Doing it again and again, focusing on the separation. On what's not "me".

Feeling it by feeling what it is not.

Until finally...!

The World opened to me.

I've discovered the water.

It was like finally seeing, when at first I only had a blackened world with points of light.

I could feel everything in my range. The totality of the world that I could sense in my mana detection range. I instinctively held back from fully sensing it. Like, only having an awareness of it, but not fully taking in everything, lest I be overwhelmed.

I felt energy. My mana in me, but also how the World's mana was... you know how energy and matter are the same thing?

Of course it's difficult to sense the World's mana, when solid matter, ground, dirt, or air, oxygen, nitrogen and other gases are just energy in different states, different vibrations.

It's all so basic in their presence that you couldn't distingish them. Like hearing the sound of your own heartbeat, or seeing the edge of your nose.

It too active focus to realize them.

I opened my eyes, staring at the flames of the campfire, ignoring Schroff's frozen posture and stare towards me.

I only looked at the fire.

Fire is combustion. Despite how it looks, it's a chemical reaction even without the connotation of 'chemical' being liquids. It's a rapid oxidation that releases energy in the form of heat and light.

I moved my mana over to the fire, as the external mana moved around it. I swirled my mana around the fire, the World's mana moving where my mana wasn't.

I intention swept through my mana. The World's mana and my own dissolved into each other, as an 'effect' was centered on the campfire.

I waved my hand, wanting the chemical reaction of the fire to halt, to pause. For no more heat and light to be released for now. For the energy to stay in the wood.

The fire went out.

Then I thought about reigniting the flames. Nothing fancy, just bring them back just as they were.

Of letting the gases in the wood escape once more, or letting it heat up and mix with the oxygen once more. For light and heat to escape and be freed as they once were.

The fire returned with a bit of a spur before settling down as I let go, let my mana let go of it. The World mana disconnecting as I let things be.

I released a breath. Took one in and let out a laughed.

"Holy shit." I said laughing. "I did it."

"Holy shit," Schroff said. "You did it."

His tone, much more stunted and quietly shocked, threw me out of my celebration as I turned to my mentor.

"That's good, right?" I said, struggling to quiet down the excitement running through me, but easily letting the energy settle down, as I smiled and relaxed my shoulder. "That's the first thing magic students are suppose to learn and all."

"...It's suppose to take you years to sense the World's mana." Schroff said, making nervousness and amusement take hold of me. "I know because I've seen others train, and I distinctively remember it took me six years to learn how to do that."

"Oh..." Uuuh, what do I say now? "Cool." I nodded.

Nailed it.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The tunnel like the last time I saw it was chilling and gloomy. It wasn't cold, but rather it just gave off this vibe that made fear chill within me, but no coldness in the air. The cave was alight from what I could see in a distance with some fluorescent moss that gave off an orange glow like the sun, or a fire. The name of the moss was something I forgot because it can't be eaten or has any use beyond being glowy.

Using the Adlerblick, the spell that grants hawk-like vision, I could see the exit of the tunnel. There were even some moss lighting up the way before the exit.

"Alright," Schroff spoke next to the... curiosity at the entrance. A wooden post stuck to the ground with a rope tied to it. The old man finished looping the end of the rope into a belt. "Here." He said offering the rope to me.

I took the rope by the loop end and stared at it, feeling incredulous as I now understood what it's for. Yet I still asked the question.

"What is this for?"

"Wrap it around your waist. Tighten it. You feel it pushing into your stomach, you run toward where you're being tugged against." Schroff explained.

"What kind of monsters are in there?" I asked confused about this method. We have mana detection and a weapon enhancement spell. With Scroff's bow and arrows, he should be able to take care of them without an issue.

"Monster." He corrected, making me raise and eyebrow, and a slight bit of excitement flared in me. A unique monster? Awesome. Guess it's time for a Tutorial Boss. "An Einsam." Schroff said as I did as he said and wrapped the rope around me, closing the loop tight like a belt. "Make damn sure to use spells correctly. Formed Spells. None of that fancy shtick you do."

"An Einsam? That's the..." I slyly didn't comment on whether I'd use Formed or Non-Formed Spells. What's the point of the method I honed if I don't use it in a practical real life situation. I tried to recall the monster's name. I felt like I should've recognized it. After a moment, it sparked the memory of ghost Himmel telling Frieren to shoot him. "The monster that makes illusions about people you know, right?"

"Normally yes, and that in itself is dangerous enough." Schroff said, as he checked the rope before casting a spell that made it stronger. "However this one..."

A low wailing sound began to come out of the cave. It grew louder as we felt the wind rush past us.

Schroff's face lost its blood, as his eyes widened then narrowed in serious caution.

I looked between the old man and the tunnel.

"Schroff, it's just the wind." I said.

"The wasn't the wind, boy." Schroff shook his head.

"Y-Yeah, it is. If it's the Einsam I'd have detected it by now." I said, confused. Because yes, I didn't feel anything in my mana detection range, so it was clearly just wind through a tunnel.

"Mana Detection..." Schroff looked at me in surprise, before sighing and shaking his head. "Right, you always have that on." He said. "Cancel it and turn it up again."

"Huh?" I scrunched my face in confusion.

"Just do it. And really focus this time." Schroff said, seriously.

Alarms sounded in my head. He's saying I missed something? Even more, because I missed it, whatever it is, the first time I won't detect it now?

That was... disturbing.

I did as Schroff said, really focusing on my mana detection as I turned it back on and—

Something hit me.

Through the mana detection itself. From the very mana I put out something struck it and my mind instantaneously.

Then it's presence. This link dissipated. Like if it was a rope, every individual strand of straw broke down till there was nothing.

No. There's still the vague shape of a rope, of a link. Like the barest hint of something there that you can only notice by focusing on it and squinting. And even then you aren't entirely sure if something's there, or it's your eyes and light playing tricks on you.

But my instincts told me something was there. So I didn't dismiss the danger.

"Einsam can look at your memories through your own mana?" I said in worry.

"I don't know about normal ones. I never met them. Heard stories, but never ones like this one." Schroff said, glaring at the cave's entrance. The wailing returned.

Except this time there was no wind with it.

...Was, was this thing taunting us? Knowing that we are there, and that we know that it is there. My smirk gradually faded.

"How is it different?"

"...My father used to tell me about this tunnel when I was young and curious." Schroff began. "He told me that this Einsam existed since the time of his grandfather, and his grandfather before him. It simply settled here in this tunnel, feasting on travelers, before being sealed to only this tunnel by a traveling mage."

"So it's old?" I said warily.

"I think older than the stories." Schroff said seriously. "Ancient even. Maybe a thousand years old from the time of Great Mage Flamme. Maybe older." He said before some nervousness leaked into his frame. I've never seen him nervous before. "...I don't think its sealed at all. I think it chooses to stay in there. That it finds being a death trap in the tunnel for desperate travelers to be entertaining."

I blinked in worry at that.

"But... Monsters don't have that kind of intelligence." I argued. "They're just instincts and hunger."

"Well," Schroff began. "I thought the same too once." He said looking into the cave and suddenly seemed darker. The light of the exit on the other side, seem further and smaller. "Be careful now. Run away the second you sense something off."

"Okay." I nodded.

I walked toward the tunnel. I readied myself, mana suppression, body strengthening, mana detection ready. I may not have my sword—Old Schroff said I wasn't fighting, just scouting, so it would be dangerous to have it around—but trying to link to my head to use my memories was dumb. I can backtrack the link you dumbass monster.

I readied Zoltraak. Yeah, I felt a bit of mental pressure of doing everything I usually do, while using a Non-Formed Spell, but this was only for a few minutes. I can last that long.

Just one shot the monster. In and out, real quick.

I walked into the mouth of the tunnel, I told my first step into the tunnel, my feet touched the ground—

I saw my parents.

Not the ones from this life, I don't remember those.

But the ones from my past life.

"Son, look at how much you've grown?" Said my 'mom'.

"What a life you've lived. I'm so proud of you." Said my 'dad'.

I frowned at the obvious false image. It even looked like a ghostly TV static. I fired my spell beam.

The image dispersed, as I expected it would. A small sigh escaped me without meaning to.

I mean really, my parents from my past life don't exist in this world. Like that's such an obvious thing, why would it pull on that of all things?

"Just like a said, monsters with instincts. It shouldn't have used something that outlandish." I scoffed.

Crying.

I heard crying.

I saw Rein crying behind one of rock formation. The stone stake thing that rises from the ground. Something with a 'S'. What's it called?

Stalactite?

Stalagmite?

Bah, who cares? They all start with the same words.

"Are you serious?" I sighed at the stupid obvious bait.

"T-Train?" 'Rein' looked up from where she was hiding, smiling upon seeing me. "Train!" She quickly ran up to me.

I sighed at the stupid illusion. Like hell Rein would be here and in a fucking dress like I remember her being.

I raised a hand readying another Zoltraak.

Something trickled at the back of my mind. 'Rein' didn't look like a ghostly image like my past life parents were.

She looked real. Exactly as I remember her. Was the Einsam tailoring its illusions to its prey as time when on? Improving them? And that fast? No wonder its seen as so dangerous.

'Rein' slowed down and looked at me in fear.

"T-Train." 'Rein' said in fear. "W-Why are you point that at me? Train, you're scaring me?"

Aren't they suppose to only recite what I'd imagine them to say?

Hmm, I guess the real Rein would also react like this.

I fired the beam, sighing in annoyance at another—

A scream. Blood splattered.

Rein stood with as if frozen in time. A hole in her chest. Gore visible and blood gushing from her.

"N-no..." Rein uttered before her eyes dulled and she fell dead to the floor.

"Trenn!" Schroff shouted from behind me.

The matron screamed. "REIN! NOOOO!"

I snapped my head behind to see the matron and the other orphans standing next to Löwenjunges and Old Schroff who looked at me horrified.

"Rein!" 'Lässig' shouted and ran toward us.

I tried to form another Zoltraak but this... this wasn't real right?

Lässig rushed pass me bumping into my shoulder almost making me fall down.

What!?

I held my shoulder focusing on it.

I felt that. I felt that bump.

"Rein, Rein!" The older boy shouted desperately. "TRENN, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"You're not real." I said focusing on the sensation of that bump. It felt real. The touch felt real, the impact. Yet I knew this was a lie. ...Right? "All of you wouldn't come here. Its a long trip, not a walk in the park."

"Schwanz was attacked by the Anti-Elf Coalition." 'Löwenjunges' spoke as he walked up to me with a sorrowful, pleading look. "We came here because Schroff was meant to train you to fight with us. We needed your help and to protect you." He came close and I raised a hand holding the beam ready to fire.

"Stay back." I said firmly. "Even if that's the case you wouldn't come to this cave. You wouldn't have separated—"

"The Coalition chased us!" 'Löwenjunges' cried out as he held my wrist that was pointing at him. "Look at us! We're real! This is real! Trenn, please snap out of it, we're real, we need your help."

My spell weakened. I couldn't maintain it as the energy grew unstable and dispersed.

What my mind and body were telling me, were at odd with my magical senses.

This isn't real. I shouted to myself.

"You're wearing the same clothes." I ripped my hand out of the Fake Löwenjunges' grip.

"What?"

Schroff told me to use Formed Spells. I mentally apologized to him for dismissing that advice. To my shame, even after all my efforts, I still needed 'Certainty' to be a mage. I'll have to work on that.

I readied the Offensive Magic spell and this time it didn't disperse.

"We are in the fucking mountains, at high altitudes, in the winter." I growled with a sneer. "And you all look the same. The exact same as I saw you last time." I turned and look at the 'corpse' of Rein. "It's been months since I've seen Rein. A child her age would have grown a bit by now, not look the exact same." I turned to 'Löwenjunges'. "Stop this weakass charade and show yourself, or actually do something impressive."

I called out. Not that I exacted a monster of all thing to understand what I was saying.

Regardless I just focused on its string thin link it had to me and looked through it.

"Found you." I said, feeling the largest pool of mana within the tunnel, unlike Löwenjunges, the matron and everyone as they had none. Seriously, fucking waste of time.

I fired the Zoltraak deep into the tunnel, watching through the mana detection as it followed the monster's link and slammed into the Einsam, killing it. It died screaming.

"Heh," I smirked. That was easy—

"̵V̸e̶r̵y̶ ̴w̶e̷l̴l̴.̵"̷

I heard the voice from all around me.

From Rein's corpse, to Lässig, to Löwenjunges, to Matron Gütig to... Schroff.

"What?" I stared in shock. Since when!?

Between one blink and the next I was back in Schwanz.

Schroff was next to me as we were carrying the fishe we'd sell.

"Trenn, I'm so glad you're back. And look at you. Only a year and you've grown so much." The matron said.

"Train! You have to tell me all the stories! Come on!" Rein said as she rand up to me, pulling on my arm.

I wanted to fight. To cast Zoltraak at this illusion.

Yet Rein was older. Her dress was different. New. I've never seen it before.

I could feel the warmth of the air this far west from the mountains. I could smell the familiar scent of the city I've lived in all my life.

"N-No, this is—"

A giant fireball fell from the sky.

It hit the orphanage and exploded blasting the world with light and heat.

I fell to the ground feeling something warm on my body.

I looked up to see the city on fire. People burning in the streets.

"COALITION! THE ANTI-ELF COALITION ARE HERE! SHIELDS! SHEEEILDS!" Löwenjunges was shouting as he rode on a horse running around trying to fight men in different colored banners.

I looked at the weight on my chest. It was Rein. Her back blasted from the heat and shrapnel as it was a gory mess.

"T-Train," Rein said with a wet raspy voice. "H-Help me." Her voice was too hollowed from the loss of air.

And then she died.

I watched as Lässig tried to save some of the kids from the burning building.

And then he died.

I watched Löwenjunges fight outnumbered ten to one.

And then he died.

I watched as the only place I knew growing up was destroyed piece by piece.

I saw it. I heard it. I smelled it! I felt it.

"...enough."

Over and over people I've known, even if I didn't care about, even if I don't remember their names, they all died in all manner of horrific way before my eyes.

"Enough."

The lady that gave me extra bread early in the mornings every once in a while.

And then she died.

The older boy who was with us in the orphanage showing about becoming a great swordsman and a hero like Himmel, who left to join Elves Shield. He used encourage me to play with the other kids, making sure I wasn't alone.

And then he died.

The blacksmith that I helped carry heavy equipment as part of my training, and gave me my blue jacket as thanks for the help. The jacket was one that once belonged to his son, but he grew out of.

And then he died.

Or the old lady who taught me how to read and—

"Enough!" I shouted, releasing the hold on my mana, trying to push this whole world away—

The tightness on my stomach grew, and then it pulled at me, and with a surprising force it pulled me off my feet!

Before I realized it I was physically pulled away from the scene, as I was launched back and found myself in Schroff's arms out of the tunnel.

Back in the cold mountain air. In the real world.

"Kid. Calm down. It's okay, you're back. I'm here." Schroff said, before tugging at my ropes to show me they were there. "See?"

I closed my mana detection immediately, then opened it to only skin deep, focusing solely on anything within me.

I saw the remnants the link the Einsam once had on me. Now it was breaking for real. If I was to describe it with colors, it's as if once it hit me, it became transparent in parts, making it seem like it weaken, but in truth it was still full there.

Only now that I was outside the tunnel, outside the range of the Einsam did it start breaking.

We looked into the tunnel to see the scene of the city burning like a vision into hell. The illusion was crafted to pain a picture, rather than only people like I expected an Einsam to do. I could even hear sounds from the illusion playing within the tunnel. It literally was like a TV. But looked too real.

It was an illusion. I knew that now. I mean, I always knew that.

I felt the cold of the mountain and held onto it like a lifeline.

Slowly the images dispersed and we saw the tunnel as it normally was again.  

Far, far within the tunnel we saw it. The Ancient Einsam revealing itself.

It stood there as if wrapped in shadows. As if taunting us, by being there, yet knowing we won't dare head toward it.

"I'm going to fucking kill that thing." I gritted my teeth. How dare it! How dare it play with my mind like that.

In my heart, I vowed to vanquish it before I left this mountain for good.

Just before the link the monster latched onto me completely disconnected a heard a voice, that wasn't a voice.

Like a collection of people speaking at once. Voices that I didn't know, speaking in tongues I didn't understand, but the meaning was clear.

"̸W̴e̷l̴c̸o̷m̶e̴ ̶b̵a̷c̶k̷ ̶a̴n̸y̷t̴i̸m̷e̶.̶"̴

I shivered once more from the comforting cold.

Chapter Text

I stood with a bow and arrows in my hands. Greenery and trees around me.

Old Schroff and I were hunting in the forest areas down from the mountain.

The fishes were capture is mostly for selling, and we need to eat different stuff from time to time. Also animal pelts are useful to sell as well. Or as Old Schroff would say, everything from an animal had its uses.

I lined up a shot on a deer, half a kilometer out, the image wavered.

I lowered the bow, closing my eyes as I took in a deep breath and let it out in frustration.

I cast the eyesight of a hawk spell again, Formed this time. The deer was clear in my eyes, not image wavering, nothing wrong.

I held up the bow as I lined up my shot again. My arm shook. The draw was too much on my eight, almost nine year old body. My body strengthening wouldn't hold.

Focus. Focus. I told myself.

My arms were steady.

Then I saw Rein die to my Zoltraak.

I lowered the bow, unloosing the string.

It's been happening ever since the Death Tunnel visit two weeks ago.

It's like I lost my ability to shape my mana as I please. I can cast spells just fine.

Formed Spells—'Correct Spell Casting' as Schroff would tell me—I can do just fine.

But Non-Formed Spells, spells built by nothing but my imagination and will, those just crumbled at the slightest sign of distraction? Hesitation? ...Reality.  

When I try to use them in an actual situation, the structure just crumbles.

I glared at nothing. It was just an illusion. Of course there are things strong than me. Or rather... better at using mana control than me.

I knew that. I expected that. It's just... it turned out to be a monster. A mindless beast that wasn't mindless. I wanted to tell myself it was a demon, but those guys are distinct. And the wiki explicitly said Einsams weren't demons, regardless of their nickname.

Even the old exercises of freely controlling mana were more difficult. Except mana suppression. I got better and making my mana levels appear smaller, like a normal eight year old.

Like a coward.

"It's about to move." Schroff said as he appeared next to me, dropping five dead deers next to him. His sudden arrival startling me.

He looked at my surprise, then looked away frowning. Probably berating himself for taking me to the Death Tunnel. Since then I've been afraid of something else getting into my mind.

The world felt vibrant and dead without mana detection.

"I shouldn't have taken you there." Schroff muttered under his breath, likely not expecting me to hear.

"Not your fault. I'd probably would have went on my own if I didn't pester you." I spoke up. I wouldn't, but he doesn't need to know that. Better appear as some wildly kid that's been humbled. Not that far from the truth.

"You know, you can string that bow without using that Bärentatze-like spell of yours, right?" Schroff said.

Bärentatze was a spell that granted one's arms and hands the strength of a bear. Useful for archers.

Of course even my body strengthening was based on something. I need to stop being arrogant.

"I'm not so sure." I muttered, feeling ashamed that I gave Schroff such high expectations of me that I'm falling short of.

Schroff scoffed. Okay, my self pity is getting annoying even to me.

"Cast Wurfspeer and just fire. Don't think about it." He said. "You're good at controlling the arrow after its loose." That's only because I was good at telekinesis. I'm not sure now I'll— "Three. Two..."

I took a breath, closed my eyes.

And cast Wurfspeer, feeling my mana and the World's mana fused into the shape of the spell.

"One."

I opened my eyes, drew the arrow back and let go.

My eyes still had their hawk eyesight. That spell kept going given its duration.

The arrow flew and had I no control over it, it would have sailed over the deer's head by a few inches. I lower it's vector and the arrow went through the deer's chest and struck its heart without piercing through the other side of its body. No need to ruin the pelt.

The deer stumbled then fell in the next moments. It instantly died before realizing so.

"Alright, go get it now." Schroff nodded with a look of pride.

When I looked down in shame rather than dash up to get the deer at super speed, Schroff frowned looking aside as he ran a hand through his hair.

"You still didn't read it?" He asked slowly. I bite down on my embarrassment and shook my head. It must seem like I'm wasting his time. "You know, you might try to hide it, but you always looked so excited when it came to that spell in particular. I always feared what kind of hellion I'd unleash if I teach it to you." He said chuckling, trying to lighten the mood.

I just loathed myself even more. Loathed how weak I am.

"I just don't want to mess it up."

One Week Ago

"Trenn, come here." Schroff said as I was sword training. I've been neglecting it for a while now, only training one hour when I wake up and one before I go to bed.

The sword was still heavy all this time. Wielding it was uncoordinating. Like, I had to learn how to use a zweihander or something. Except it's like Siegfried's sword from Soul Calibur, or Guts from Berserk.

I stopped my training, feeling my body heated up. Even with it now starting to snow more regularly, I still felt hot from swinging this damn heavy thing around.

I wiped away my sweat with a towel, used a spell to summon water than washes you up quickly, got dressed then went inside the cabin.

Schroff was waiting for me there with surprise. A slight smirk on his lips as he held up a book for me.

A Grimoire.

Although it was more like a pamphlet. Ten to twenty pages long.

I took it with some trepidation and a sense of rejection. A wish in my heart that it wasn't what I thought it was. I wasn't ready. I'd taint my wish with my current self.

'The Spell of Shortened Travel and Rough Terrain Maneuvering'.

I opened the first page and to my dejection I read the name of the spell after some general description.

Jilwer. 

Just like I expected. Just like I always wanted.

And right now, everything in me wanted to reject it.

"I figured after that encounter with the Einsam, you need something to help you escape. Not only that was in six months when we make our trip to sell our goods, you'll need that to keep up with me." Schroff explained, as I look up meeting his gaze. He smirked. "What? You didn't think I usually just walked the whole way did you?" He laughed and waved me off. "When you first traveled with me I wanted to see how resilient you are. You showed you are. Patience and dedicated as well. So I know you'll excel with it. I think you'll only need two months to learn it." He smiled wildly, expecting me to jump in joy at being given a help that can aid in combat.

Yet quieter I continued to be as I just stared blankly, maybe even with some trepidation at the grimoire, the more worried Schroff became.

"...I don't know if I'm ready." I finally said.

Schroff lost is smile and grunted, as he rubbed the back of his head, and looked away.

"No one knows when they are. You just gotta put in the work, and let the results speak of your effort." Schroff said. I wanted to give a rebuttal, ask him to take back the grimoire. "Take your time in learning it." He said, stopping any rejection or self-condemnation from leaving my mouth. "Hitting a snag or two normal. That's part of living. You'll figure it out."

"What if I don't?" I asked.

"I don't think you'll let yourself quit. I've known you long enough to tell you're bullheaded." Schroff chuckled.

I found my lips twitching into a smile despite myself.

Yet it didn't change how I felt about finally having one of the two spells I longed for in my hand.

I don't want to learn it as I was now. I don't want to ruin this spell with my chains and limits.

I just don't know how to shed them, when the specter of that Einsam haunts my thoughts. 

Schroff sighed and stayed quiet for a moment.

I need to get my shit together. I can't be a burden on the old man. Six months. Less now. I need to figure something out.

This isn't a guardianship, it's an apprenticeship. Well apprentice, go do your fucking job!

"I'll go get the deer." I said.

"No, I'll do it. It's faster that way." Schroff shook his head. "Watch the game while I get back. Keep your guard up. Forest is never a safe place."

"Got it." I nodded.

Between a blink of an eye and the next, Schroff vanished. A whistle in the wind signaled his movement.

I waited, just looking at the scenery around me, feeling the calm warm-ish air hit my face.

The forest was noisy, as it normally was. But there was something tranquil in that noise.

For a while I could just stop thinking, try and just focus on breathing, and let those dark emotions berating me, quieten and fall to the side for a bit.

Of course, such peace didn't dare last.

I didn't register what my eyes saw for a few seconds.

Rustle from the leaves, then a creature coming closer from the tree lines.

Then it appeared with a roar.

Giant stout body like a bear, orange fur with brown strips, a tiger's face along with claws and fangs dripping with acid.

Bäriger.

An aggressive monster with a terrifying appetite. It had a hard time eating due to all the acid it produced, but it killed its prey very quickly, so it could hunt many.

I didn't sense it until I could see it, and it could see me.

Because I didn't have my damn mana detection on!

The Bäriger ran at me with a snarl.

I fumbled with the bow and arrows, trying to get the arrow nocked. I wouldn't make it in time.

The Bäriger neared with a growl, as it ran at speeds that belayed it's heavy mass. Just like a real bear.

I threw the bow and arrows aside and just grabbed at my magic.

A Defensive spell was thrown up immediately, just in time for the Bäriger to crash into the barrier.

As expected the monster stopped dead against the magical might of Defensive Magic.

Then it's acid began to melt it.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" The acid is magic? Can affect magic?

What? Does this universe have some kind of daily reminder that I'm not hot shit?

I push more mana into the barrier and that stops it's deterioration.

Oh, so it's just a matter of sharpening up the foundation. Just make the barrier stronger.

That also meant it's taking more mana to maintain.

I readied a Zoltraak, maybe I can used this opportunity to focus my imagination and convection once more. Right here and now, I create the spell shape with my mana alone. I imagine the beam piercing through everything like a heated rod breaking through a sheet of ice.

Unlike the direwolf from that one time, the Bäriger wasn't slow in its attack frenzy.

The monster began breaking the barrier one piece at a time, as hexagons started to shatter one by one.

The upper half of the barrier broke under it's relentless assault much faster.

"Don't get fancy, your life is more important." Schroff's words echoed in my mind.

The Zoltraak spell structure that was trying to stay held together, snapped into place instantly with the addition of World mana. A correct casting.

The Bäriger roared in my face. I fired the beam into its face.

It dodged.

My eyes widened in shock. This thing had much sharper instincts than I thought.

The Phaitagurd broke completely, as the Bäriger lunged at me.

There was no time I had to think. I cast Zoltraak without thinking, just to kill this beast.

The beam fired from my hand as an idle thought came to mind.

Why am I rooted in place? Why didn't I just run? Why am I a lousy fighter?

Body strengthening is on? I realized much to my shock. When did I do that?

...I cast Zoltraak in a Non-Formed way.

I felt a bit of elation that when it was do or die, I succeeded into shaping magic by my will, visualization and conviction.

The Zoltraak slammed into the Bäriger's shoulder blowing up its arm off.

I missed?! 

The monster shouted in pain, yet was still relentlessly dashing at me.

It's other arm, sharp claws and acidic goo still heading to my head.

You're kidding me? Am I... gonna die from something this stupid? Because I missed? My adventured ended before it even began—

The Bäriger's arm went missing, along with its head.

I heard the sound of something cause a bang as it passed in front of me. A sonic boom.

The headless monster stopped dead in its tracks, as its body began disintegrating before it even hit the ground.

Distantly I heard Schroff coming up to us, shouting for me, worried about me.

"Kid, you're okay!" Schroff said as he kneeled next to me.

Huh? When did I fall and sit down on the ground? My legs are shaking. Oh, I guess I'm in shock.

"Dammit, boy. Your life isn't worth some stupid game meat, you should have ran and moved around!" Schroff said, yet I was a bit transfixed by my savor.

"I'm just glad I got here in time." Said the hooded man.

The large man looked at us with concern, his large muscled frame showed someone that trained a lot and fought a lot.

He removed his hood, making Schroff's eyes widened in surprise.

It was an elf.

"Hello, good hunters. I wish you well on this day. You made a great showing against such a powerful mighty beast as the Bäriger. Its truly a shock that you haven't so much as a scratch upon your frame, young child. You should be proud of such accomplishment."

"Bah! Proud my ass." Schroff waved him off. "It will just get to the head of this little shit-stirrer."

The blond elf laughed.

"I am Flink the Archer. Might I know who you two are? It must be quite the story for how a Mountain Hunter and an Aspiring Mage came to each other's company?" He said in good-nature.

"'Mountain Hunter'? That's an old title." Schroff muttered. "I'm Schroff, an Archer of the Weißer Berg tribe like my father and his father before him." He said as he gestured for me, his hand extended. I took it and he pulled me up to my feet. "This little one is Trenn. My apprentice. Not sure about being a mage. I'm not one and he doesn't have anyone to learn from."

"Truly?" Flink asked in surprise.

I was still mostly silent as I was stunned by the random appearance of this elf.

Schroff dope slapped the back of my head.

"Boy, stop being rude and introduce yourself."

"Ow! Right, sorry, I'm Trenn."

Excuse me for being shocked, because this universe seems to have a sense of humor.

The first elf I met in this new life wasn't some cute waifu. No.

Rather it's some bro that's a member of the Church of Swole! What the fuck!?

Chapter Text

"By the Goddess's divine light, young Trenn, you truly have a talent for cooking these skewers." Flink said as he took another piece of deer meat from his skewers and bite into it with clear joy.

"Yeah, he complained about my food sometime, I told him if he didn't like it to make his own, and he said 'bet', before he cooked a fish all on his own. Damn this felt like a tavern girl who worked the kitchen had made it."

I grinned at that memory.

"Bet what?" Flink asked, as I blushed a little at my use of modern slang.

"I dunno, some young kids slang of these days. Something like 'I bet I could do it', or the like." Schroff scoffed.

"I know humans are always in a hurry, but shortening words now?" Flink asked in mild shock.

"Bah, I dunno, what kids do these days. Probably it's just some fun they have between themselves and then will grow out of it, to speak proper like an adult." Schroff said.

"Hmm, depends on what writings survive for a few centuries." Flink nodded.

Okay, this is getting a little bit too silly, with these old folk focusing on my wording. Also it's kind of a hilarious image to see an old man, and a young-ish elf, while knowing the elf is likely older than both our ages combined and multiplied a few times.

"So!" I said out loud to cut this embarrassing discussion short. "Flink, you're religious? I didn't think elves believed in the Goddess?"

"Hmm," Flink paused in thought. "I can not say if I do or I don't, but it is one of the human traditions that stood the test of time, thus I appreciate it."

...When an elf says 'stood the test of time' how fucking long are we talking about?

"And what do you think, young Trenn? Do you think the goddess is real?" Flink asked.

Schroff raised an eyebrow at such a question being asked to someone so young.

"She's probably real." I said, shrugging. I mean, I reincarnated into this world from another.

Gods are most definitely real, so odds are, so was the Goddess of Creation, given how old her religion was, given what Flink said about it.

"Hmm, really?" Schroff now looked at me, curious.

"Oh?" Flink also looked intrigued.

"What?" I frowned (pouted) at their reaction.

"You're a brat, and you sound like you're speaking from evidence." Schroff chuckled.

"What Schroff here says, rings true. You do not speak from faith, and it is intriguing to hear such from one so young." Flink added.

"Hmmm..." I held my chin in thought as I looked to the sky. How do I bullshit this wasn't making myself look weird? "Sir Flink, you're old enough to have travelled enough to acquire some common or basic knowledge about different topics, right?"

"I'd like to think so, yes." Flink nodded with an amused smile.

"Don't tell me but, do you know how the Goddess's magic works?" I asked.

"I am familiar with the basics, yes." He nodded again.

"Well, here's my theory." I began to replay, as this was something I thought about before. "Normal magic, at least the most commonly accepted and known form of it, is about combining one's own mana, with the mana of the World to form a Spell. The distribution is fifty-fifty. Then the spell can only be fed mana from the user to be sustained."

"Correct so far." Flink eyes widened momentarily as his amusement turned to appreciation.

"So!" I raised a finger like a teacher explaining something, or a scholar. "I theorize that a Goddess's magic work by making it so that based on one's faith, the World supplies mana for the spell after it's formed, rather than you needing to supply it yourself."

Schroff raised an eyebrow, before shaking his head in exasperation for some reason.

Flink's smile however widened.  

"Schroff, has young Trenn ever studied with a priest?" Flink asked.

"No. That old lady Gütig never mentioned it, nor has he. We have yet to visit any towns for my trade." Schroff shook his head.

"Trenn?" Flink asked.

"Nope. I was too busy training while living in Schwanz to bother with that. Life as a Priest just isn't for me. I wanna get married when I'm older." I said. Flink and Schroff chortled a laugh out loud. "Like way older." I pouted.

"And..." Flink took a moment to calm down. "How did you come to such conclusion?"

"When Mr. Schroff here taught me how spells worked, I figured it out from there. Magic is magic, but if there's such a strong distinction between normal magic and Goddess magic, then it has to be something fundamental." I explained.

Flink just looked at Schroff with a raised eyebrow, which was weird.

Schroff shook his head with a chuckle.

"No, I didn't teach him that fancy way of talking." Schroff said.

"I'm speaking normal." I huffed and crossed my arms.

"Do not mind the jest, young friend. It is simply that you sound beyond your tiny years." Flink said, good-naturedly.

"Didn't have to say 'tiny'." I muttered.

"You know, there is still a theological debate on whether this phenomena of how Goddess magic works, truly means the Goddess is real or not in the Royal Academy, in the Kingdom last time I was there." Flink said. I didn't feel like asking when was that, this time. "I wonder, what make you sure the Goddess is 'probably real' as you said."

"Well," I thought for a moment. "Faith and prayer, well, they're a conversation. Can't have one person in a conversation, someone has to be answering from the other side."

Flink's smile widened, as if he was fascinated by what a human child was saying, and that he hadn't heard this before.

"And if it's simply a natural phenomena of World mana?" Flink asked.

"Faith is still a deciding factor. I assume the more faithful Priests tend to have stronger spells, right?" I asked, and Flink nodded. "If that's the case then something has to be listening and responding to that faith."

"It could be a cast of magic visualization. The more belief one has that a spell can work, can cause it to work better." Flink argued, looking like he was having fun.

"Visualization for Mages, faith for Priests?" I said, thinking out loud to myself. "Huh, wonder if you can combine both." I muttered. "I dunno." I shrugged as a final answer. "It's just that gut feeling, there being a Goddess makes more sense."

"A surprisingly mature answer that many have taken on." Flink said, before slapping his knees and standing up. "So, what adventures do you two seek next?" Flink asked, as we finished up the meal.

I began to clean up the impromptu campsite, while Schroff gathered up our hunt rewards for the day.

"Not much of an adventure. Just back home from another day of work, rinse and repeat." Schroff said.

"All parts of life are an adventure to those who see it as such." Flink replied back with a nod.

"Hmm," Schroff grunted. "What about you? As an elf, surely you know that the Southern Lands are, well, little bit of a shit show right now."

"Well, it's because I heard of its current turmoil that I wandered here to check on something." Flink said. "Tell me, Mr. Schroff, have you travelled the Froststaub Mountains before?"

"Bah! Of course I have. I live there." Schroff scoffed.

"Oh!" Flink's eyes widened in delight. "Then have you heard of the Schneeleute Tribe?"

"Hmm?" Schroff's expression scrunched in thought. "'Snow people'? I think my tribe were called that at time, when they were only a handful."

"Truly? How fortuitous. They were a group of people I helped a while ago settle upon that mountain. Aided them with making spells to help their lifestyle as hunters." Flink grinned.

"...Oh!" Schroff stood straighter. "You're Great Ancestor Flink. Books kinda failed to mention you were an elf. Or maybe it was forgotten."

"When you say a while ago, you mean...?" I asked.

"About, hmm, three hundred, three hundred and twenty years ago." Flink said after some thought.

"Sounds about right." Schroff nodded.

"Hmm." I nodded seriously before something more important come to mind. "I thought you were an Archer?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

We finished gathering up our things, campsite broken up and all, and now we're ready to head on our way.

"Ah, I had a phase were I tried to be a Mage, but didn't find a passion for it." Flink said sheepishly.

"...And when you say a phase, how long was that?" I wondered.

"Just a little century." Flink said casually.

"Ah, of course." I nodded solemnly.

"Tell me, Mr. Schroff." Flink turned to the old human with a kind smile. "How fares your people? I feared what this human war would do to them, that it would pull them into its relentless maw."

Schroff sighed and looked crestfallen.

"I do not know." He said, and Flink lost his smile, looking commiserative. "About, what was it now, twenty years ago as the tension between the Anti-Elf Coalition and the Elves Shield started to be visible, the Head of the Tribe predicted that our people would be seen as a military assets in that situation, and decided that they'd all leave the Southern Lands."

"But you stayed." Flink said.

"What's the use of a heating spell for cold weather, if you don't live in the cold?" Schroff shrugged. "It's my home. The memories of where I grew up and lived at there on that mountain. I can't leave it. Someone has to remember."

"And now you have someone to remember?" Flink said with a small smile looking at me.

"Nah," Schroff waved him off, surprising Flink. "Kid wants to be a Mage. He just didn't want to learn magic from those stuck up weirdos in his town. Kept bugging me to learn folk spells." Schroff snorted before he smiled. "I got a helper around for a while, and he gets to practice magic, without those Shield fanatics breathing down his neck."

"How wondrous young Trenn. It seems your apprenticeship is baring much fruit. Standing before the Bäriger earlier and having enough of a mind to cast those spells, is a courage and focus those many times your age fail to grasp." Flink said easily.

"Y-Yeah, I guess." I gave a fake smile and looked down, not really feeling all that proud of my 'achievement'.  

"Do you feel you have not done enough? That you could have done more?" Flink asked, making me snap my head to him.

I looked at his understanding expression, and remembered at that moment that this was a person who lived for hundreds of years. Of course he can easily see through me.

"I could have defeated it if I'd just..." How can I explain my problem in a simple manner that makes sense?

"A Bäriger isn't something a novice Warrior can vanquish, young Trenn. Even for a Mage, it's a surprisingly agile beast." He said in a supporting manner, and I don't want to insult his kindness but the disappointment I feel in myself wasn't easy to brush off.

"..." I didn't know what to say. Surprisingly help came from an unexpected place.

"The boy wants to be a Mage using Non-Formed Spells." Schroff interjected.

"What?" Flink let out a laugh of surprise. Upon seeing Schroff's serious face, he looked at me with a smile of subtle amazement. "Trenn, trying to master magic that way would be like building a foundation made of air." Yet his tone somehow didn't sound admonishing.

"Maybe." I started to say, sure surety entering my voice. "But if I focus on Formed Spells... Every Formed Spell comes with a baseline of what it can do. A Phaitagurd even at the lowest level will stop an arrow. A Gluthalt will light a campfire or just a log of wood on fire and keep it going for an hour without input. These baseline, these Certainties in Formed Spells might be good for normal Mages to use and depend on, but I see them as a trap. An invisible chain that limits what you can imagine or visualize a Spell can do.

"That's why I want to master Non-Formed Spells. Yes, keeping the spell structure just so it would be cast would be on me, but..." I smiled as I remembered the simple dream, the image I held onto for too long of what I'd be able to do with Jilwer and Reelseiden once I finally got them. Then frown because I had the grimoire for Jilwer back home but feared opening it.

"Trenn," Flink spoke up, getting my attention back on him. "Can you indulge my curiosity and tell me what you were training in? I might be able to offer an insight."

"Well..." I shrugged and decided why not. Free advice is free advice, especially when it comes from elves. Like imagine if there was a consultant agency ran by elves in this world, it would likely make infinite money or something.

So I told Flink about my usual training, my daily routine, all mana exercises I usually carried out and all that. Flink throughout my description held a patient smile on his face.

"And that's about it." I said after I finished telling him about my sword training which I sadly wasn't doing as much in.

I didn't tell him or Schroff about my visualization training for Jilwer and Reelseiden, only that I did mediation and visualization training in general before bed and when I wake up in the morning.

Flink turned his head to look at Schroff.

Schroff nodded.

"Yeah, the kid's a workaholic."

"Young Trenn." Flink turned back to me, looking like he was struggling not to laugh. "Truthfully I'd tell you that you are pulling yourself in too many different directions. That you should spend a few years on each individual skill till mastery." Flink said and I looked down because I expected that advice. "That is what I would tell an elf." I looked back up intrigued. "But you are human, your time isn't the same as ours. So rather my advice would be..." Flink thought for a moment, before he let out a laugh. "Have you heard the story of Gesang and Stein?"

Schroff and I looked at each other, then shook our heads.

"Oh, it's a great story. Gesang and Stein were dwarfs who were brothers. One day Stein goes to Gesang and says 'Brother, I found a mine under my house. I think there might be riches there, but I fear it would collapse my house if I dig in it'.

"Gesang without looking tells him 'Riches await! Riches await!'. Encouraged by his brothers words, Stein goes and digs into the mine. A year passes, and indeed his home did collapse from the unstable foundation it gained. Stein goes to his brother and says 'Brother, I dug the mine, yet I have found no treasures and my home is in ruins'.

"Gesang tells him again without looking 'The path is forwards! The path is forwards!'. Stein renewed by these words goes and digs into the mine for another five years. He grew stronger and more hearty from the work, yet became more poor for he still found no treasures. So Stein goes to his brother angry and in sorrow. 'Brother, I have followed your words and they did nothing my lead me to ruin. My home is gone and my wealth is ashes. What more must I do?'

"Gesang stood up and shouted with his eyes closed. 'DIG THE HOLE! DIG THE HOLE!' Seeing the passion and fury in his brother words, Stein stood up once more, resolute, grabbed his pickaxe and went back into the mine. For ten years more he kept digging, and miraculously he discovered a vein of gold, silver, mithril and many other precious and magical metals. Stein goes to his brother, hugged him and say, 'Brother! Through your wise words I have not only gained unparalleled strength but treasures for a thousand lifetimes. I have my pick of the lovely maiden of our hometown. I could not have done it without your wise words.'

"In response Gesang shook himself as he focused on Stein and said 'I'm sorry brother, I was singing, what were you talking about?'"

Flink laughed his ass off as he finished his tale, while Schroff look confused and I awkwardly smiled.

Seeing our reaction Flink pouted.

"What? Not even a chuckle? That story used to be a knee slapper not three centuries ago." Flink whined.

"That story has a lot of context the listener is suppose to have known beforehand, isn't it?" I asked, having gotten the idea from context clues.

"That's right, all the response Gesang said to his brothers were phrases from popular songs at the time." Flink smiled and nodded. "The point that I'm saying is, it's fine if your feeling stuck, but are you truly so? Have your efforts really not brought on any results?"

"Oh they did. They definitely did." Schroff commented, surprising me. "Trenn here managed to perfectly cast Offensive and Defensive Magic from the first time, even if he took longer to learn then. He learned how to sense World mana in literally less than an hour, after I explained that it exists, and that's likely because he trained his mana detection diligently before I ever took him in." On and on Schroff went, telling Flink of every accomplishment I ever did.

My ears were burning. Schroff isn't one for praise. He isn't someone that would make a remark on everything I did. He'd just say 'good job' and move on. Seeing him talking about me like that, with... with such pride, I couldn't help but want to cry.

I really had been berating myself when I had someone who believed in it that much? 

"I see. Your diligence truly is amazing, young Trenn. And it has not gone unnoticed." Flink said, and Schorff grumbled and said nothing. "I don't need to tell you that path of mastery that you want isn't gonna be easy, you already know that. But I do want to tell you that it isn't going to be uniformly pleasing. You will stumble, you will end up with blocks and limitations, there's nothing wrong with that. Even if the Formed version of spells end up giving you a mental block, that doesn't mean you can't overcome it later on. The mind can flourish like a garden if you dedicate time to it, and you have been a loyal gardener returning to it everyday to water it with your dedication." Flink said with a simple smile. "So take heart, Trenn. And keep digging that hole."

I laughed out loud at the joke this time.

Flink, The Archer POV:

The boy will be a monster once all grown up. Flink couldn't help but think.

People generally stick to a single discipline, a single Class as it were, due to simply the limited time they have in their life, and that any Class skills require dedication to master.

A Warrior needs to practice their chosen fighting path, swords, spear, axe, whatever weapon they use, and their hand to hand combat daily.

A Priest needs to pray and keep their faith burning bright.

And a Mage needs to study and memorize their spells and tomes.

And due to that dedication to a single Class, a person can excel but they form habits that have them see their Class as all they need to dedicate their time to.

Some individuals have walked different paths of disciplines before, but they couldn't bring out their full potential in either path. Rarely did some succeed, yet they were still known for their primary Class.

Of course, a Class such as Hero is beyond this simple classification.

The human boy, Trenn however, seemed to be one, that in the future will break this mold. All because of his dedication.

In the future, a Mixed-Class might end up more known, all due to this boy.

Flink stumbled upon quite the unexpected surprise. The blond elf had been traveling the Southern Lands in search of the Snow People he helped those centuries ago

To find a descendant of them was good fortune, and from little Schroff's story, there are likely more of them out there that fled before things could get bad in the Southern Lands.

There was still a chance to find them out in the rest of the continent.

For now, he decided he might stay for a little while to care of little Schroff of the Schneeleute, before heading off.

Also, he was curious about little Trenn. The human child astonished him with his dedication and what he managed to learn and accomplish in what little time he had lived.

Flink was a young elf of two thousand years, he had seen quite a lot of the world already. Yet, the boy Trenn might be something new. Another human that might leave their mark on history that sticks to humanity's myths and legends.

It would be interesting to witness the start of that.

"You're staying with us?" Trenn asked, with that adorable crunched expression of incredulousness and curiosity.

"Aye, if Mr. Schroff and you would have me as company?" Flink nodded toward them respectfully, after all they are to be his hosts if they accept.

"I don't think we have the space in the cabin." Trenn said, looking toward little Schroff.

Schroff looked to be disgruntled as he mentally debated with something.

"I'll show you Eisdorf. You can find a place to stay there." Schroff accepted.

"What Eisdorf?" Trenn asked.

"The village were my tribe used to live. I moved out when they did and build that cabin to be able to live on my own without looking at all the empty houses." Schroff said bluntly.

He was a prickly human, Flink decided, but that was understandable. Some got like that in their old age.

"We have a whole village next to us and you never told me!" Trenn cried out.

Flink noticed the subtle twitch of Schroff's lips and mentally agreed. Trenn's reactions were amusing.

Once we were back home I immediately went to my room. I had nothing else to do for the day. No tasks, chores, whatever, and I gave my self a break from training today.

I went to my nightstand, and opened the drawer.

The Grimoire was there.

I took a deep breath and picked it up.

No more moping. No more running.

Time to take the first step of my dream come hell or high water.

And if my fears or imagination limited what I wanted Jilwer to be, or what it could be?

Well, as a legendary digger once said.

Row row, fight the power.

I turned the book cover and began to read.

It was night time where Old Schroff expects me to train outside, or do my own thing, since we were done with the chores of the day.

Flink was a nice addition to have around, and even offered to teach me a little swordsmanship himself.

Which made it all work out for what I now planned to add to my training routine.

I stood before Death Tunnel, facing it with all its creepy glory.

I could tell the Einsam was there. Even without mana detection I could just feel it in my guts.

I took the rope from the wooden post, that stood before the entrance. I cast the spell to strength ropes, Seilstark,  in its Formed Spell shape. It doesn't matter if that would affect my mental image of spells or imagination power. Live, survive and improve.

I did focus on the mental image of carbon nanotubes while casting the spell, focusing on making the rope as strong as possible. In theory, a single spider's thread of carbon nanotubes could carry 6 tons.

So a whole rope should be able to do much more, even if it can't fully replicate that feat.

I tied the rope around my waist.

Closed my eyes.

And blasted my mana detection in full force. Not just the normal mana detection, but the one that granted full sight of the world. It was like synesthesia, I could feel/see/hear the totality of space within my mana detection.

So I also instantly felt the mental hit by the Einsam's mental thread.

It broke through the mental barrier I constructed right away.

I grinned. The fact that it interacted with that mental barrier, meant it can be affected at all. It can be stopped. Eventually.

So now it was just a matter of practice.

"I'M BACK, BITCH!" I shouted as I took my first step into the tunnel.

I could feel the monster's surprise at my attitude and mental state.

I didn't care for its illusions. This time I was studying it and fighting it. The illusions felt like someone colored the world around me in a wave of buckets of paint.

It was an interesting case study of mana control if you can detach mentally from the whole thing.

I did so. And I did so with a song.

"I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole~! Diggy diggy hole~! Diggy diggy hole~!"

Would this be considered racially insensitive in this world?

Aaah, who the fuck cares?

"BROTHERS OF THE MINE, REJOICE! SWING! SWING! SWING WITH ME!"

The Death Tunnel was filled with dozens of Zoltraak beams fired at the same time.

I 'killed' Schroff, Rein and everyone I knew dozens of times, but I didn't care. The Einsam panicked this time, and I will celebrate it's death throes in the end.

Chapter Text

61 HPV

Wake up.

Keep my eyes closed as I cast Jilwer, and feel my mind speed up. The world slows down around me, even if I don't see it.

I visualize a world frozen in time, and as I traverse it, with every swing I cut the world like it's a picture in a book.

I do this long enough to feel my mana fall down a quarter, then I get up.

The more I improve in the speed spell, the less morning time I technically spend in real time. Meaning more time for other training.

First cardio and weight lifting using boulder. A mount has many of those.

I even used the enchanted sword Löwenjunges gave me as an extra way to train. For me as it's wielder, it's always heavy even if I'm not swinging it.

So I used it to hold it over my back, while doing one-handed push-ups.

Training with the enchanted sword was never easy. I constantly have to keep up body strengthening up to move it around. Thus its enchantment activates and makes it heavier once more. As I improved in body strengthening, and as my body naturally becomes stronger from all the mana I have daily pumped into it, the enchantment compensates to keep the weight the same, so I am always struggling with this blade.

Thus I am always improving.

Also according to Flink turns out my body strengthening does have a Formed Spell version called Vigorkern. Although it fell out of use, because what use does a mage have, for physical strength.

It was a good reference as I could mentally compare notes on how my mana feels with either my method, or the spell. Turns out mine was better. The baseline improvement of Vigorkern were just much lower than mine. Like it made one twice as strong, but mine was like jumping from an average person's physical ability to someone a bit above peak human physical ability.

So when I use body strengthening, that effect is much more pronounced.

So after three hours of sword training, I go back to my magic training.

I already have all the folk spells Schroff knows memorized. I may not have mastered them all, but I know what they are, and can practice them one by one in my own time.

I keep up the full world sight version of mana detection around half a day now. I don't need my eyes to see the world, I feel it with my whole being.

Sadly I can only do this outside of combat. In an actual combat scenario with stakes, and need to focus and cast other spells, I can only hold onto the full world sight mana detection for around ten minutes at most.

While I do that, I completely suppress my mana till nothing is leaking. Yes it makes more sense to keep up the restraint to a level that makes me feel like a warrior, but I do that all the time anyways.

This is to go further beyond that. You never know when you might need to be a ghost against mages.

From there I either run around the mountain, or do deliveries for Old Schroff when he needs it.

The closest town at the base of the mountain was a Wolfsruh, a town that was six hours away by foot.

With Jilwer I can reach it in ten minutes. Yeah, I'm a fucking car baby.

Still not enough to be a speedster where I'm running in a world frozen in time, but like Flink advised me, my journey to my goal doesn't have to be perfect, neat and tidy.

Then after I return from any chores, or running around the mountain while trying to zero down my mana levels, I go back to sword training, then at night, I venture into the Death Tunnel and fight the Einsam, while having the lifeline rope around me.

The moment I feel my mana drop to a tenth left, or feel the rope digging into me, thus meaning I went too far into the tunnel, I Jilwer out of there, and out of the Einsam's range.

Important thing I learn was that while it's illusion can affect what I see and feel around me, they don't affect my directional perception. Forward is still forward, right is right, left is left and backwards is backwards. And if the rope is digging into me, the direction of heading to where the rope was pulling from was the correct one, regardless of what my senses told me.

Haven't gotten a hit on that fucker yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm pretty sure I scared it a few time. At least that's what I like to imagine.

It's been six month since Schroff showed me why the Death Tunnel was a no-go zone.

Five and a half since Flink came and lived with us on the mountain—The home he took up was an hour normal walk away. I still can't believe Schroff didn't tell me about a whole village right next to us.

Although I did visit the place and it was eerie with how silent it was.

Regardless, even with everything I did in these past six-ish month, the most outstanding was the times Flink interjected into my training and I gained a sparring partner.

Thank god for elves with long lives, because I finally know how to use a sword, beyond blind swinging.

I dash forward enhanced blade pulled back. Flink stood with a simple wooden sword that he carved himself. And strengthened by magic so that I can't break it easily.

I lunged and spun, using the momentum of my spin to actually add some momentum to the slash.

THUNK!

The hit is angle to the side. The weight of my sword carried my momentum. I jumped with it to throw a knee hit to the elf's stomach.

Flink easily dodged by jumping back and away.

I landed on the ground, angled myself to face him again, and rush forward dragging. Normally when one uses a heavy weapon, they try to create a fighting style to accommodate, that focuses on delivering massively powerful attacks, even if they are slow, so one hit would be all they need.

Those people are quitters.

I took a deep breath, a habit that sadly I can't help, and Flink already knows about. Body strengthening and Jilwer were cast at once.

The air whined as I dashed forward, I moved like my body was light as air, and my arm swung with the speed of a sparrow. At least that's what I like to imagine it looked like.

Flink of course already anticipated this tactic, raised his sword and prepared.

THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

A strike from the left. Flink block with a back block,

A follow up of pulled back followed by an upward slash, Flink moved his blade down and out, diverting the momentum away.

My arms carried the momentum up. I readied a direct downward slash.

Flink moved and met my swing. The blades clashed and I struggled not to have my sword fly out of my gripe from the force it pushed against. Seriously why is that wooden sword not breaking yet. I swear he makes them stronger every time.

We both pulled back and clashed again. Over and over I tried to find an opening, to gain even one strike even if it was futile. I pulled the sword back with one hand, poised for a stab and thrust forward.

Pull and thrust. Pull and thrust.

Flink maneuvered between the stabs like he'd fucking Neo or something, simply taking the smallest movement, or diverting the sword with the quickest and smallest act of his wooden sword to parry.

Yet as the battle flow got going, that is when the enchanted sword's magic reacted, as if now realizing that the weight was lighter for me, and thus began increasing.

I overcompensated by increasing the mana on the body strengthening, yet I knew I didn't have long before the weight grew abominably heavy that I'd have to drop the enchanted sword from my hand to reset the enchantment.

My muscles strained to keep swinging the sword at the speed I was at. My stomach and core muscles were clenching too hard from me, rooting myself on my feet and not letting the growing weigh carry me off my balance. Even my legs struggled with having to keep moving, keep up my footwork back and forth and not stay still like a statue.

Flink was working up a sweat, so I was pushing him, good.

Then he jumped up high in the air, using the fact that he's a fucking adult and this is cheating!

Flink summersault in the air turning it into a spinning slash. I brought up my blade in to block as it was too fast to parry, or for me to jump out of the way.

The wooden sword shattered from striking my enchanted sword that I held up horizontally to block the attack. The sheer weight of my sword now, made it drop from my fingers, almost snapping them. Flink finished his summersault over me, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he threw a kick at my back.

I grunted in pain at the hit threw me forward, but it wasn't something that would take me out of the fight. I rolling forward with the momentum, and spun around to face the elf, and launched myself forward.

Without the enchanted sword to weigh me down, I blasted off like a rocket, appearing in front of him from a lunge into the air, and throwing a punch at his face, with the wind hugging my fist.

Flink turned his head to the side, and deflected the punch with an arm block while punching with the other.

I quickly brought up my arm and 'caught' a punch to the stomach with my other hand.

I may have said 'caught' but it was more like being hit by the cannon ball, and launched me away across the training field.

My hand hurts, my stomach hurts, and as I hit the ground, not my back hurts, yet I couldn't lay still, as I rolled back up to my feet.

Flink was onto me, and came and threw one punch after another, each making the air scream from their speed. I swear, every one of his punches had the force and speed of a shotgun.

No longer was I on the offensive, Flink let me have my fun earlier, and now it was Dodge Training. Capitalization required.

Again and again I pushed Jilwer to not just increase my speed but also my reaction time. I didn't think in terms of speeding myself up by improving my physiological functions like nerves firing faster, or blood moving quicker.

Rather I thought of the world slowing down, as my perception sped up, as if a wave of lightning was moving threw me. Hey, if I unlock speedster Flash power, it would be a complete coincidence. Totally not because I want it.

But its only because of that spell that I could avoid the onslaught of punches that wailed on me.

I was bobbing and weaving, seeing the pattern in this strikes. Finally after six bloody months I could dance this rhythm, I could see, I could fight—

So of course Flink, the bloody cheating elf who cheats, at that moment used Jilwer.

My legs were lost from under me, as I found myself staring at the oncoming ground.

The ground smacked into me like a jilted lover wanting a kiss. Meaning it was just an excuse to give me pain.

Ow! If only I could have avoided this.

Wait, I could use flight magic, I could have avoided this. Double ow.

"Hahahahaha! Excellent warm up, young Trenn. You really are in excellent form this day." Flink said with a hearty laugh. "Now, what say you we spar for real."

He knows I'm fighting for real.

He knows I'm fighting with all I've got.

Yet he always says that at the start of every training session.

Stupid smug elves, that won't let me punch their stupid smug smiles, from their stupid smug faces.

I got up and we sparred for another hour.

Then we sparred at full, me with my full magic arsenal, and Flink with his bow and arrows. The point of this specific spar is to be able to use everything I know in a fight, integrating everything, without being confused, or have decision paralysis in a real battle.

And finally after all that I got trained in archery before taking a rest for an hour and getting on with my day.

Every muscle in my body ached. It was awesome.

Today was the day Schroff made his round trip across Anfang.

First we head to Wolfsruh at the base of the mountain. Well, I say base, but the town is six hours away by foot. Ten minutes by Jilwer.

Then from there we head to Hochfeld, which was two weeks on foot. Two weeks and bit? I think it was sixteen to seventeen days maybe. I didn't care to remember.

Then from there its two weeks exactly to Ackerheim, I remember that because that part of the trip ended after two weekends, and we stayed their for two days before moving on.

Finally there's nine to ten days between Ackerheim and Schwanz.

This is all not counting the day or two taken at each town to rest up at an inn.

Jilwer cuts all that time out by an insane degree.

With Jilwer it would be ten minutes to Wolfsruh, six hours to Hochfeld, five to Ackerheim, and finally three hours to Schwanz.

A two month trip cut down to only one day. Fuck I love Jilwer!

Of course neither Schroff nor I have infinite mana, so with rest and pacing between each Jilwer sprint, we'd make the trip in three to four days.

Three or four days not counting staying at an inn in each town to rest for the day.

So more like a week to make the trip all the way to Schwanz, then one week back.

With mine and Schroff's preparation complete, game and fish meat secure and Lastfrei, the spell to make thing weigh less cast (not useful on the enchanted sword), we were ready to head out.

"You're not coming with us?" I asked Flink, trying not to show my disappointment. It was expected that now that Schroff and I were heading out, he'd continue his own travels again.

"I'm afraid so, young Trenn." Flink looked at us with a sad smile. Absentmindedly, he was rubbing his forearms from our spars earlier. "This had been a wonderful short rest," of fucking course six months are a short rest. I didn't roll my eyes, but Flink laughed as if reading my thoughts all the same. "But I'm afraid I must head on my path. Schroff," he addressed the old man. "I will search for your kin in the other Lands, and should I find them I will bring news of it. Ten years and I will return here regardless of the results of my search."

"I'm not holding my breath." Schroff grunted, but gave Flink a grateful nod.  

I kind wished he's stayed with us some more.

"Why would your hold your breath? No creature can hold its breath for ten years?" Flink looked at us in confusion.

We look back just as thrown off.

"It's a saying." Schroff said slowly.

"It's not even that new, it's really old!" I added.

"Hahahaha! Fellas, fellas, I jest, I jest is all." Flink laughed us off.

This frickin' dork elf.

We said our good byes and each went on our way.

Looks like I'm finally going back to Schwanz. Wonder if anything changed at all?

===

AN: 61 HPV, Trenn is now 9 years old. His birthday is the equivalent of January 1st. Unless Frieren world uses Gregorian calendar then it's just that.

Also Flink is never appearing again in this fic, as would be expected (I think) of a Frieren story.

You meet an elf once and never again, unless you're part of their story. :P

Chapter Text

The trip to Wolfsruh was uneventful since I went to it every other day.

Schroff and I left immediately after we sold our bounty, fish meat, game meat, pelts and other items made from animals.

The trip to Hochfeld made me feel fired up a bit. Something about running with Jilwer on an open field just felt... right. Like the world opened up to me. Something clicked, and it's like my strides were greater.

A few times I noticed Schroff was falling behind and I had to 'slow' down. The old man took a break a few times on the road, but soon enough we reached Hochfeld with time to spare. Even Schroff commented that today was a good day, as we reached the second town early.

After that we rented a storage room for our bounty, and booked an inn room for the night.

Schroff went to the tavern, and I walked around Hochfeld. A peaceful farming town on elevated plains. Nothing much going on with this place, same as when I came here last time.

Hmm?

There was something odd I noticed as I walked around town, and looked at the people. Those living here, and those traveling and passing by like me and Schroff were.

The people moving around in general, there was this... foreboding feel in the air. Nothing much was happening, but it's like people's easy going or cheerful expressions were forced. Like someone anticipating bad news, but thinking that if they ignore and don't hear it, it won't come.

"Still no news from your friend?" One merchant asked another.

"He told me he'd hire bodyguards to travel from Ackerheim to Schwanz. They say monster attacks along the road have gotten particularly fearsome." Said the other merchant.

"I heard it was bandits gathered from villages ruined by the Coalition." Said some village fool.

"Sheeesh, stop talking about that nonsense. You'll jinx us with your doom sayings." Said the first merchant.

These were the kind of talks circulating in the market.

It was a bit foreboding, but it's just the beginning of bad news, not necessarily that bad news did occur.

Maybe if things look tense when I visit Schwanz I can ask the matron that she takes everyone and head to a different town. I'm basically rich (for a kid) since all money I've made, I don't spend. Any food I need I hunt, and any items I need I make (even clothes). Man, making money in medieval fantasy Europe was easy. Heh.

I blinked at something came to my senses that I haven't felt in a while.

A mage.

Not someone using mana at an increased rate, like an archer like Flink or Schroff, but someone that specializes in using mana.

They had just entered the town. I noticed because of how fast their mana moves compared to the average person. But its size, it's... huh.

It felt like a dark tower of mana. The largest I've ever seen on another person thus far. I say 'dark' not because it feels 'evil' but just something to be wary of.

I know my mana when fully released it shoot out of me like water directly out of a fire hydrant.

That dark tower is easily, hmmm, twenty maybe? Thirty times my mana volume?

Hmm, I wonder how I can beat this person without Reelseiden?

It was clearly an elf. Beyond the size of the mana, due to all the mana reading I did while living with Schroff and Flink I could now tell the difference in how the mana of a human and the mana of an elf felt like.

But only in general terms. I can identify someone by their mana yet.

...Oh. They're heading towards me.

Okay, watching that tower of mana maneuvering through the town streets at a steady pace and heading toward me, was kinda terrifying.

I could imagine the Jaws theme music in my head.

Daaaa rum! Daaaa rum! Daaaa rum! Dud dud dud dud! Dud dud dud dud! Darara~!

"Oh? How unexpected?" Said the mage, their head covered by a cloak hood.

Neat thing about my height as a kid? That type of disguise doesn't work against me. I can just see through that by looking up.

"I was wondering how was staring at me so intently. To think what I thought was a Mage was just a child?" Said the lady mage.

"Mage?" I pouted and crossed my arms.

My mana is suppressed, it should be perfectly stable for now, and it's at the size of a warrior.

Heh. Let's bluff and see if it works!

"Lady, I don't know what you're talking about! I'm a Warrior!" I said pumping my fist in the air. "Well, future Warrior. One day I'll be as strong as the great Eisen!" I declared whole heartedly.

"Oh? Truly," Said the lady that under her hood I could see was slightly dark skinned and...

Okay I can see that she has elf ear and that's what I should focus on, and be amazed that I met the second elf in my life and so soon, but... the whites of her eyes are black!

Judge, I swear it's not a racism thing. It's just freaky to look at.

"What a surprise." Continued the hidden elf lady. "Normally a child of your age would have a third of your mana, even when training to be a Warrior."

"Ah, shit. Really?" I grumbled.

Dammit, Flink! Why didn't you say anything!?

Then again he wasn't a mage, so how could he know but still!

No wait. He's an elf and is centuries old at minimum, he should have known better.

The elf lady giggled as she lightly laughed in her palm.  

"Quite the jester, young one. I suppose I can excuse the rudeness from earlier as ignorance." Said the creepy elf lady.

"Rudeness?" I tilted my head in confusion at her.

"Why yes." Smiled the elf lady. "To use mana detection due to sensing something unusual is normal. But to keep up the detection afterwards? Why, it's like declaring that I am someone you are hostile towards."

"Eeeeum," I grimaced and let out a whine at discovering that. It made sense, in the anime no one had their mana detection always on twenty four seven. Except maybe Serie. "I guess I can see how that can be the case, but I don't wanna shut off mana detection. You never know when you might need it. Plus I might miss something cool."

The elf lady giggled some more.

Lady... you're pretty. And creepy. And pretty creepy.

"I suppose I can take the time to educate you on these manner, child. What is your name?" She said.

"Trenn. Nice to meet you." I said with a wide grin.

Something shifted in the elf lady's mana. Her face showed nothing, yet her mana felt, as if... not dangerous like it's about to be used, but alert?

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. I can't full tell people's emotions from mana yet, but her shrugged a tiny bit at the mention of my name. It's weird.

"Likewise," she said with a smile. "My name is Minus, Trenn."

===

AN: Can't find fanart for Minus (or at least one with only her and beyond her head), so I found some AI art to use as an alternative. This is a short chapter, but I think this is the only one like that.

Chapter Text

"You awakened to the magical arts by yourself?" Minus the Mage (and what a name) asked me, as we sat on a bench next to the food stalls.

"Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow as I ate my deep-fried sweetbreads that I got from the stalls. Minus had a pretzel, her staff resting against her shoulder with her arm circling around it. Yes. They have pretzels in Fantasy Europe. "I'm not self-taught. I have an apprenticeship."

Minus shook her head. "I speak not of what master you have gained, but rather how you discovered the path of magic by yourself." She began to explain. "For children to learn magic, specifically those of less chanceful backgrounds, they most likely have to discovered by another mage. One who senses their potential, due to their above average mana levels. From there they will train them till they can feel their own mana, starting on their path as a Mage. However how quickly or how slowly they take that first step usually indicates their talent in this path."

Ooooh! So because I learned to sense mana early on... Ah, shit. She thinks I'm a genius. I really am not though.

"Hmm, I kinda just copied some of the mages in my hometown." I said with a shrug. Better than saying 'I could sense mana since I was aware'. "They did that sit quietly thing, I asked about that, was told to shoo off, spied on them later and learned it was a mana practice." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it was something I did to see of anyone would just give a curious child an exposition and lore dump on magic free of charge. Sadly that didn't work out, so I went about things on my own.

"Incredible," Minus nodded. While her tone wasn't mocking, it held the same interest as zoologist studying an animal in a cage. "To have walked the magical path by your lonesome till you found a mentor, you are truly gifted."

I chuckled, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.

"I think I got lucky more often than not. Something like magic could be harmful if you're reckless. Looking back, it was a good thing I never had any ideas of trying to cast spells without having any knowledge about them." I said back.

"Those are good instincts," Minus nodded, before she look off into the city, deep in thought. "Although for me, I was always more gifted in my curiosity than insight."

"Hmm, how so?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Well? I do hold my own responsibilities, when it comes to magic what deeply intrigues me about it are Curses." Minus looked at me with a small smile.

I take it back, I'm not curious anymore.

"Curses?" I titled my head, playing the innocent curious child.

I had my mana detection on as usual, since that's what I told Minus its what I always did, but I shifted my focus.

I put it all onto myself, watching my own mana flow in my body, and any minute changes to it. Nothing so far.

"Yes," she nodded. "It is magic used by Demons and Monsters that changes the state of living or nonliving matter. It's a subject shrouded in mystery. One of the few true unknowns I have found in this world." She said holding her chin in thought.

...Well that's a Mad Scientist stranger danger if I ever heard one.

"Changes the state of living and nonliving matter? But we have stuff like that." I thought out loud. Minus looked at me in polite intrigue waiting for me to elaborate. "I mean you can use Vigorkern to make yourself stronger, and there are spells like Seilstark that makes rope tougher." I explained my thought.

"That is true, but think of it like this, can you change that rope to become iron? Not iron-like but actual iron. Can you change your skin into diamond? Can you do so while still remaining a living being? These types of powers do exist, but sadly they are unknown to us sapient races."

I held my chin in thought trying to think on an example of those. The turn rope to iron thing sounds like just alchemy. Was that not discovered here?

And turning organic matter into something else... yeah that's still alchemy.

Okay, describing it in those term, it might be a taboo subject to study from how creepy it is.

"Not only that." Minus continued when she saw I wasn't able to contribute this time, and she seems interested in the conversation. "There are monster that can induce a state of eternal sleepiness on others, until they are defeated."

"So it's a continuous spell effect." I replied. Then something occurred to me. Tall titty mage Sein missed his chance to meet. Methode. "Wait, what about Hypnosis Magic?" I said making Minus' eyes widened a tiny fraction, showing pleased surprise. "It's a known thing," I counted on my fingers. "It can affect the mind, so like a monster's sleeping curse, a state of a living being, and... I don't have a number three. But there, an actual connection."

Minus giggled, it sounded more normal this time. Like young maiden having fun.

"Bravo, young Trenn, excellent observation." Minus said, smiling a bit more normally now, rather than that ethereal enchanting smile.

Or as I like to call it, the 'high as a kite' smile.

"Thanks."

"While true that Hypnosis Magic is understood by the continent races, Curses still eludes us, I'm afraid. Hypnosis Magic is structured and shaped like any normal magic, but Curses can only be affected Goddess Magic." Minus said.

Something sparked in my mind at her words. Priests' spells (Goddess Magic) uses faith as a bases, and thus once a spell is structured the World provides the mana for the spell rather than the person.

The World hold virtually infinite mana, so a priest's spell can hold for as long as their faith can.

Can... can monsters or demons also used this method, but without faith?

Is there another way to utilize World mana?

"Hmm, that look of revelation, have you by chance thought of something—Uugh." Minus winced mid-sentence, I looked at her in worry, to see her holding her her left side of her waist.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"It is no matter of worry." She said back. "Just a simple wound from the perils of travel. One mustn't underestimate what kind of foe one meets on the road."

"Do you need to go to a Church?" I asked. Give healing spells by priests, it's the equivalent of a hospital in this world.  

"No, no," she waved me off. "I'll be well off in a few days." She suddenly looked at me with a new light. "Tell me thought, young Trenn, would you like to be my apprentice?"

"Huh?" That's a pivot. Where the heck did that come from?

"I haven't met such one with such insight and instinct into magic before. This discussion was... fun." She said with a tilt of her head. To me it sounded like Steve Buscemi going 'how do you do fellow kids?', like the word 'fun' was an alien concept to her. "I would like to nurture such talent."

"I..." Damn that's a temptation. Learning from a mage elf is a goldmine. And a goth chick too? Double win. But... "I'm sorry, I can't abandon my current mentor." I said. Minus felt off to me. It's best to be careful with her, not all elves are good after all. They're just people.

"..." Is... is she pouting?

"But in a few years when I finish my current apprenticeship, if you don't mind waiting, I'd love to have you as a master!" I found myself easily saying. I just felt bad about just giving her a total rejection.

Minus threw her head back and laughed. Not loudly thankfully, but she looked deeply amused.

"It is of no worries, Trenn. Your dedication to your mentor is admirable." Minus said, the creepy smile back.

Huh. Trenn, to young Trenn back to Trenn. Weird.

"It seems I must head off as well. Although I do have one last question, if you'd indulge my curiosity." Minus said.

"Uh oh, should I be worried? Your curiosity was piqued." I said back without thinking.

Minus stilled, looking at me as if for the first time not knowing how to react, before chuckling.

"Nothing so dramatic, simple tell me," she began. "What is magic to you?"

"Fun." I said back instantly. I didn't need to think about this.

"'Fun'," she nodded slowly, looking slightly disappointed. "I suppose for young children that's a natural response."

"I mean, it allows you to do things you can't normally do like flying and all, so why wouldn't I like it?" I said back with a shrug, yet feeling myself smiling at this topic.

"I am not belittling your answer, only commented on how common it is, but that clarification, well, I suppose that I resonate more with." Minus elaborated.

"Then what's magic to you?" I asked back caually.

"Power." She replied just as fast as I did. And her answer made the hair at the back of my neck stand. "The power to shape the world and bring my desires as I please."

That answer was just so... typically villainess.

God please tell me she's not like the next Demon King equivalent.

Hmmm, maybe I can change that mindset a bit?

Time to use some good ol' Meti philosophy piercing question.

"And then what?" I asked.

"...Excuse me?" Minus actually froze and looked at me, thrown off. Well, I got her attention.

"I mean," I rubbed my head and looked away to not show off how nervous I was, but I am already committed, so time to bull headed on through. "Let's say you studied, learned and cracked the secrets of magic and the world and got ultimate power. What then? I mean what would it all be for?"

"...Elaborate Trenn." Her tone was more reproachable, as she stood up. I followed suite to be able to face her.

"I mean if you work your whole life for this grand goal, to have enough power, to have enough wealth, et cetera, all to have the peace of mind and freedom to do what you want in the end. Well, that thing you want to do once you have that freedom, why not do it now?" I explained as best as I could.

Minus' eyes widened, as if a lot of thoughts were going through her head, before a wide smile spread across her face.

 Uh oh. Did I... give the BBEG some kind of enlightenment she would have got later early on in this timeline?

"You are a special child, Trenn." Minus placed a hand on my head, imitating the affectionate gesture of patting one's head. "You have a fascinating wisdom to watch."

I felt it then in alarm. A spell cast on me. But... it was subtle. A subtle as the Einsam's mind link.

This one wasn't that, but rather some kind of... beacon? Like a mana signal that shows where something of yours was.

...Did she just fucking give me a magical tramp stamp to say I'm hers!?

"I must be heading off now. This had been a most... fun conversation." Minus said.

Wow, you really are struggling with the word fun, aren't you? 

Minus turned around to leave, yet as I watched her use her staff in her left hand, now noticing that she's leaning on it, to not put pressure on her left side, a well of pity rose up in me.

I thought back to the talk about curses and Goddess magic.

Is it possible? Well... I may not have faith in the goddess herself.

But I do know that she's real. Like 99%, so something like her is. Otherwise I'd have never isekai'd.

And I do have faith in magic itself. That is also real, so...

So I felt that this idea I suddenly got was possible.

"Wait!" I called out as I ran after Minus.

"Hmm?" Minus stopped and turned to me, curiosity in her eyes. There was also warriness in her eyes, which was... weird.

What would a centuries old elf have to be worried about from a human child?

"Could you let me try something?" I asked and approached her, pointing at her wound.

"..." Minus debated with herself for a long while. "Show me."

I nodded in thanks.

"I'll stop if there's any pain, and if you feel I might mess up, pull my hand away." I said, to which she gave an amused nod.

I went to her side, and place my palm hovering over where she was holding, likely were her wound was.

I thought back to magic. How it feels when it moved, it interacts with the World, the shape it takes for spells.

I focused instead of on knowledge and intent, on rather feelings. On the wonder of magic, on the exhilaration of flight, on the joy of being alive in this world.

I felt a spark of something as my mana and the World mana interacted, but it wasn't enough.

I know you're real. I thought at the World, at the Goddess, at something other than myself. I'm here, so you must be there as well. Help me heal her. 

 I began to combine my mana with the World's, holding onto that Certainty. Certainty in my faith that the Goddess existed.

Certainty for my wish to heal, even if I don't have the knowledge.

Except I do.

I do know how the body heals. How the blood vessel slow blood flow toward the wound. How the white blood cells eat the dead cells and mircoorganizms to prevent infection. How platelets form over the wound's edges till they close it, only for the blood to clot and finish full closing the would. How the immune system cleans the wound area. How protien makes new tissue, as oxygen and nutrient go to the repaired area for healing, till finally the injured area is fully restored.

I may not remember the minute details, but I remember enough of the general process.

So come on, Goddess, World, or even my own self that believes something will answer. Fucking answer.

In the next moment, I sore I heard a giggle.

My personal mana and the World mana combined, and this time when the structure was finished both types of mana fueled the spell.

I saw it. The spell structure of the Healing Spell. I memorized it.

Yes, it is possible to cast on one's lonesome, but no, it needed both my mana and the larger supply given by the world.

Because, looking at how the spell work... It didn't need my knowledge. Just my well wishing, my empathy, and faith in something greater.

The spell touched the affected area and just acted. I could see the wound in my mind's eye. I could see the deathly energy leaking from it. Something, or someone held a deep desire for Minus' death.

That intention, that negative emotion tried to fight my spell. I brushed it aside with my apathy. I don't care for your grudge or determination or whatever, whomever you are.

I want to heal her, and I know she can be healed, so I will heal her.

Minus gasped as she felt the spell take effect. A few second later I removed my hand, the spell, or World mana, or something, actually telling me the spell wasn't needed anymore that the healing was done.

I looked up to see Minus looking at me with look I couldn't fully decipher.

Interest. Amusement. ...Hunger?

Caution? Like, the type you give to an opponent, but not one you'll fight, if that makes sense.

If she was worried before that I might fuck up and worsen her injury, that's understandable, but her wariness now confused me.  

"There. All better." I smiled.

"..." Minus checked her wound touched it a few time and didn't wince in pain. She stood straight now without leaning to one side. Her wide creepy smile returned tenfold. "You are a most marvelous specimen, Trenn."

...Of all the fucking compliments.

I didn't shake my head in exasperation but...

"You need to work on your compliments." I replied.

Minus laughed.

Nothing much of interested happened the rest of that day. It was already evening by the time I met Minus, and it was around sunset when we parted.

I went back to the inn with nothing to do for the rest of that day, trying to play with my new power.

I mean training and study this new magic.

I couldn't replicate it. Not to the same level as that first time, and it was very slow acting.

But regardless I could now heal wounds, not just depend on my body's accelerated healing from body strengthening. I could also rejuvenate myself from fatigue but to a lesser degree.

It took us around seven hours of on again off again of Jilwer use for me and Schroff to reach Ackerheim.

Tomorrow we'd head to Schwanz. It was... odd. This anticipation to see everyone. A year, well less than a year, might be a long time normally, but this was a medieval world, regardless of the fantasy element.

Odds are nothing much would have changed. Maybe some details, but things should more or less be the same.

Yet there was a subtle excitement to see the orphanage and everyone in it again.

Like I wanna show how much I've changed in the time I was away.

Maybe I just wanna brag. Heh.

Regardless selling mine and Schroff's bounty was going well in the town's market went about, well, not completely normal.

There was no incident, but people felt more in a hurry somehow.

Wonder why?

I heard a commotion in the town square. News travelled from it to anyone across the town.

"Did you hear? The Coalition and the Shield clashed at Schwanz?!"

"What will the Shields hold? Are the elf haters come here next?"

"We don't even have elves, or a Shield presence here? Why the hell are they bothering with us?"

"You fools, us not having a Elves Shield presence mean, they see us as a target to take over!"

On and on the arguments between the townspeople and the travelers went.

Yet my ears were ringing from what this news brought.

"Trenn!" Schroff held me by my shoulder and heavy look of concern on his face aimed at me. "I understand how this all must feel, but by the time the messenger arrived here, it means this battle was days ago. You can't act rash—"

"I'm sorry, Schroff." I said back.

Old Schroff tried to tighten his grasp, hold me in place.

But I had already disappeared from his sight.

"TRENN!" He shouted after me, but with Jilwer I was already gone.

The town gate blaze passed me, so were the people traveling here, that I noticed now. People seeking refuge.

Time slowed for me as I looked at each and every single one of them on my way. None were from the orphanage.

I kept on going past them and headed onto the open road.

I have to get there. I have to get to Schwanz right. This. Fucking. Instant.

I stopped restraining my mana, and focused everything into visualizing a frozen world.

The spell structure of Jilwer sparked with new incandescence.

It was an old creature. Ancient even.

It had lived through centuries having known only struggle and death.

It has lived through era of great turmoil and relished them.

Now in this age of humans, it found itself bored with the lack of bloodshed, of fear and combat.

But it knew such lull in the chaos of war was only temporary. Such was its experience.

Thus for now it travel waiting to see if something would spark its excitement once more.

It even spark some hostilities in these human lands by giving money to those that needed it to fund their resistance of their aggressor.

How hilarious humans can be sometimes. Being moved into battle and war just by some shiny metal.

It blinked in surprise as it watched a being, a human traversing the land at absurd speed.

Far way from where it watched on a hilltop, it saw this human cross the land with swiftness it never saw before.

The human's speed was half of that of the Stille bird.

The horned monster didn't know who that human was, but it knew what goal it now wanted to find in these warring Southern Lands.

===

AN: Alright, these are the current chapters for now, and I'd like to tell everyone there are up to 10 advanced chapters up on my Patreon. 

Chapter Text

It was like walking into one of the nightmares constructed by the Ancient Einsam.

I walked around a familiar city that was no longer so.

I saw bakery I knew. A blacksmith's shop. An apothecary's shop. A tailor's building.

And so on and so on.

All familiar places I've seen or visited, they were damaged, charred, or were still on fire.

The occasional corpse littered the street. Splatters of blood showed the memories of battle. Or a slaughter.

The smell, the sights, the heat, it all seemed like one of the Ancient Einsam's illusions.

I checked myself right away, checked my body and my mana. The Einsam's illusions can't be maintained forever. It does get tired and was forced to retreat a few times when I faced it.

So I wasn't in a long term illusion that only now set up this place.

I even checked if any of the monster's lingering mana was on me.

Usually whenever I leave the Einsam's radius and successfully break its link to my mind, there is some lingering connection. Sort of like mana residue carrying a lingering will, a want to harm.

It would cause me nightmares if I don't get rid of it before sleep. Sometimes when awake, it causes me paranoid, and imagine that there might be something out of the corner of my eyes, or that I just missed a shadow moving.

I have trained in mana detection till I could detect dust mites if I stand still and focus on an area they are in.

So I know. There was no Einsam lingering mana on me.

This time, it wasn't an illusion.

I could feel the people of the city. Those still hiding and those still fighting. I could feel the people they were fighting. The Anti-Elf Coalition that made it to this city.

I ignored them all and headed to the orphanage.

It wasn't on fire. Good.

But the building's door was broken.

I was instantly inside with a Jilwer movement. The scene inside of the place was of a wreck.

There was no blood, thankfully enough. Or maybe I'm not noticing it because I'm not looking. I'm not focusing on the details.

I'm just looking at the inner decoration, the furniture and other things inside the building, and seeing how the image I have in my mind from when I last was here, is constantly breaking.

What I remember versus the reality before me. I'm just taking everything in, but not able to focus on it. Not able to process it.

Some part of me still wants this to be just an illusion. That I was stuck back in the tunnel. 

This is shock, right?

It might be why I didn't notice that part of the building. In the dinning hall, at the very back, at one of the corners.

Where the walls intersect, where a lot of furniture and others things of the room were missing.

There was just a wide empty area at that corner. That corner was completely black.

Charred.

The walls and floor were completely burned. I could still feel remnants of the heat of whatever spell caused this. The burned out fire had extended all the way to the ceiling, but was focused mostly on the corner.

At least that's what I could tell from the black soot covering this space.

There were no bodies. Just a pile of ash. And next to that charred out area was a red shoe with a white sock inside.

I blinked a few times and looked again.  

I rubbed my eyes, I stared, and my brain refused to comprehend what I was seeing.

I went to chair near by, and sat down. I took a few breaths, closed my eyes and shut off everything. My mana detection was pulled back to just the orphanage just in case.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

...

I opened my eyes to face the scene from before. The wrecked halls and rooms. The destroyed dining hall. The charred corner wall.

And the severed child foot neat the charred area.

There was only one child in the orphanage at the time I was here.

Rein.

There was no one else that young, or wore shoes that size.

Could they have gotten another girl soon after I left—?

I shook that thought away. No. Best not get my hopes up.

I look at this scene, I don't turn away from it, I accept it and feel...

Not sad?

I'm angry. Yeah, it's probably that.

I frown and extend my mana detection to its full range. If another mage comes here I'll deal with them.

...Okay, that's odd. There are pockets of people and mages fighting.

Well, more like one mage I think feels familiar, so likely someone from the Elves Shield. The rest are warriors fighting against what I'd assume are mages and warriors on the Anti-Elf Coalition side.

The odd thing was that none of them react to me. My mana detection can feel them, but none of them are acting like they can sense it.

No. It's probably that they're too busy focusing on their battles to focus on some random mage trying to find out what's going on from far away.

Alright, if that's the case, I'll just take a full view with my complete world sight (I really need to come up with a name for this version of mana detection).

I focus and the full sight of the world comes into view. I can feel, smell, hear and see the battles across Schwanz through my mana detect. I looked to see the Elves Shield shoulders holding out in quick-made barricades. For the civilians most of the women and children are in hiding, while the men are forced to fight with bows and arrows. Some even engaging with the Coalition soldiers with weapons.

There are eight mages on the Coalition side. The Elves Shield only have one mage but a lot more warriors.

I don't sense Trottel. Guess he died. Or ran away. Wouldn't be surprised by either.   

My range has increased over the past year. It's why I can feel something at the edge of my senses, far outside the city. I stop focusing on Schwanz in it's entirety and just focus on a single direction. Making my detection zone rather than sphere, more into a line or a cone with me at the base looking at what the apex point sees.

I saw a camp a mile or so outside of the city. The number of mages there was much more worrisome.

Thirteen. Twenty. Twenty eight. Thirty.

Thirty three.

A total of thirty three mages on with the Anti-Elf Coalition encampment. There mana levels don't seem full. Guess they are resting from the battle?

Again, none sensed or reacted to me. Seriously, what's going on? Minus sensed me easily. As in, right away.

Maybe these are the novice mages sent here to overwhelm the city with numbers.

Regardless, I need to do something about the mages within the city.

I turn my attention back to Schwanz, making my mana detection spherical shaped again.  

Locating the eight mages in the city is easy—Again, they still don't notice my mana detection or the advanced version. What the fuck?—now the trick is to kill them all at once.

Firing spells by making them originate from a point outside of skin range, or from my palm in general, isn't something I could say I've master.

Sure I can create and fire a Zoltraak from meters ahead of me, or any point in my full vision mana detect range, but the spell is only at it's strongest, and quickest to form when cast from my hands, or something I'm holding.

Not only that, but the moment I cast the spell, it's going to be obvious and the mages will deploy Defensive Magic.

After that they'll look for me or hide, and that sounds like a pain to deal with.  

I create a casting point behind each mage about three hundred them. They are eight casting origin point. I still can't do multiple spells ready at once. I have to make them one at a time.

Still they don't notice me. I slowly ready the spells, while adjusting the Zoltraaks to be made for speed. If I hit them once in the head, they die. I don't need that much penetrative power.

I shrink down what the rays will be and concentrate them for that speed enhancement.

Smaller. Smaller.

The magic energy spheres are about a golf ball in size now, and will main that width when fired.

Okay, spells ready. And just in case I cast Jilwer for the increased perception.

Wait, if something happens or the mages move, or they manage to dodge, I have to cast the spells again quicker to not give them time to react.

What to do? Risk it?

No wait. I have a way to mark them!

I look toward the mana signal spell Minus cast on me. I read how it was structured as it was cast, and can still read the spell in its current state.

Good thing I didn't dispel it.

The mages are in my full mana detect. My mana is brushing against them.

They are bound to feel it if I cast that mana signal spell on them. I mean, I think Minus was being sneaky, but I still felt it. Or was my detection that good?

Hmm... Better be cautious, and didn't I train for this all this time?

I cast the mana signal using a Non-Form Spell structure. I don't need it to hold on for long, but I already know I can do this. My visualization and will are firm on this.

I first single a lone mage to try this on just in cast.

Okay. Focus, cast on just his coat, not need to cast it on him. Aaaaand...

Done!

Now... No reaction. He didn't notice.

Yes!

Okay, now all preparations done. Here goes.

The world is moving much slower now thanks to Jilwer.

I cast the Offensive Magic spells one after another, firing them at full speed. They are even faster than when I normally fire them. Must be an effect of casting while Jilwer was active.

The spells were all angled in a way, that they can be fired in a straight line.

Immediately all eight Zoltraak zip through the air like a stream of light.

The pass through the eight mages and... nothing?

There was no effect?

I definitely felt the Zoltraaks hit. So what gives? Did I make them so fast that I put zero offensive power in them? Would that be like them being penetrated by a nail? 

It's a hit but there's no effect because the damage is so small?

Wait, one of them is beginning to lean down. Is he going to sit down? What the hell? He's in the middle of an active shoot out. Spell cast out.

No. Wait. I'm an idiot. He's falling in slow motion.

I cancel Jilwer and the world resumes moving at normal speed.

One after the other the Coalition mages begin falling to the ground, dead. A coin-sized hole through their head or neck. Oh? Guess I managed to shrink the Zoltraak even more than fired. Neat.

Immediately the fighting starts turning with the Coalition now down all their mages in the city.

Right, now I have... something to deal with. Maybe a part of me held some bits of hope.

That maybe some of the orphanage kids had made it out. If they were in the city I'd have seen them with my full vision mana detect by now.

It seems they really are all gone after all.  

I cancel the full version of my mana detection and keep the standard one as usual.

I stood in the middle of the building wondering what I should do now. I found Löwenjunges. He looked heavily injured but was being tended to by some priests. I don't recognize those. Must be new people.

I don't have confidence that I could cast healing magic long range. Casting those distant origin points, long range Zoltraak took way too much time. Like four whole minutes. It's not a feasible thing in real combat. He looks alive and will survive, so that's all good. I don't need to head there.

Instead I should...

"I should learn their names." I said to myself. There were twenty six kids in the orphanage including my three roommates, Lässig and Rein. I need to find out their names. I should remember them.

At least I should do that. I head to the matron's office to search it.

I ignore the unfamiliar mana signatures heading toward the orphanage. Warriors from the Coalition's side. Hmm, some of them are archers. That would explain their tracking quickness. Flink explained how those of the Archer Class would develop heightened senses, as well as a naturally refined mana detection.

Weird that they only noticed me now after I cast those Zoltraaks. Guess that mana residue was something I couldn't do anything about for now.

Regardless they aren't important right now. I need to find the matron's files on the kids.

As for those of the Coalition? Let them come. They'll die all the same.

===

AN: Alright, break's over. Time to get back to work.

Chapter Text

Fels. 7 years old.

Wiesel. 10 years old.

Hell. 4 years old.

Sacht. 12 years old.

Frost. 16 years old.

Zart. 11 years old.

Wild. 8 years old.

Staub. 9 years old.

Traum. 9 years old.

Raschel. 10 years old.

Laut. 14 years old.

Weit. 11 years old.

Mut. 12 years old.

Zorn. 15 years old.

Ruf. 9 years old.

Klein. 13 years old.

Herbe. 13 years old.

Blass. 16 years old.

Sturm. 15 years old.

Leise. 7 years old.

Glanz. 7 years old.

Rot. 9 years old.

Nervös. 10 years old.

Ungeduld. 10 years old.

Lässig. 18 years old.

Routine. 6 years old.

Rein. 6 years old. 

Twenty seven names. Twenty seven kids.

My first thought was: Wait, wasn't it twenty six?  

Did they get a new kid this past year? Which one of these is the new one?

Hell. Has to be that one. I don't know if that's a boy's name or a girl's name in this world.

Also, 'Routine'? There was another kid Rein's age? Since when... Wait, maybe they're the new kid? Or where they always there?

Rein was the youngest, I'm sure of that. ...Okay, she was the shortest, like, smallest kid here. That I know for a fact.

So another one of the kids was Rein's age, but looked older?

Was Routine someone I met before? There was one kid whose name started with a 'R'.

Was that her? No. The name started with a 'Ra' sound, so it has to be Raschel according to the matron's book.

Maybe Routine was a new kid, and Hell just look older.

No, wait. There is no four year old that looks older than a five, or six year old.

Hell is the new kid. Routine is... someone I just never noticed.

I tried to put name to faces. Trying to write a small description next to each name so I can recall what they looked like, but I kept drawing a blank.

Calm Orphanage Notes:

Matron Gütig. Old. Late 30s? Early 40s? Patient. Nice. Makes great pies. Makes good cold medicine. Guilt-tripping face. Never loud. Hard-working.   

Lässig. 18 years old. Guess his birthday passed. Lazy. Blond. Cocky smile. ...Half-assed wise quotes.

Rein. 6 years old. (Happy birthday, Rein. I'm sorry I wasn't there to say it) Black, blue tinted hair. Cute. Clingy. Energetic. Funny bad cook. 

Rot. 9 years old. Redhead. Keeps playing with the brook, acting like it's a spear.

Nervös. 10 years old. Sleeps with a teddy bear. Rein lends him hers. Glasses. Quiet kid.

Ungeduld. 10 years old. Jittery. Always wants to play outside in the mud. Raced him a few times. Doesn't admit defeat. Loud.

Glanz. 7 years old...

I stop writing as the Coalition soldiers are nearing the building.

Right. Time to deal with that.

I close the notebook I picked up and wrote all those notes in, and placed it in my bag.

I already don't remember much about the kids. But they should at least be remembered. I should at least put a name to face.

After I finish my apprenticeship with Schroff I should find a mage specializing in Mind Magic to learn from. Although I planned to learn swordsmanship after I finish my time with Schroff.

...Am I being disingenuous to wanting to learn Mind Magic just because I feel guilty for not remembering them? Should I put it off till later and focus on what I originally planned. Would that be more... authentic?

To who?

Who am I doing this for? ...Myself.

I'll think about it later. After today is over.

I head to the building's entrance, sword unsheathed.

The enchanted sword still feels heavy. I'll only have a few seconds where it's light once I use body strengthening.

Thankfully Jilwer doesn't cause the sword's magic to activate. Nice.

There are five of them total. Three in the front and two in the back. Standard formation it seems.

The ones first attacking will be warriors, and those in the back will be archers.

I'll need to take out the archers first. Hmm, but that will give the warriors a chance to attack me in the meantime.

Hmm...

Overwhelm them. Flink did teach me how to use a bow, quite well in fact. But I kept mind at home. It felt like too much equipment, and I already have Offensive Magic for long range.

Using full sight mana detection I got a good look at the Coalition soldiers. Good thing they're color coded with their red outfits, unlike the Elves Shield with their blue.

Anyways, while I don't have my bow and arrows, their archer does. Nice.

Time to make them into Red Shirts. 

I went up the stairs to the second floor, then used a window me and the other kids used when we wanted to sneak up to the roof.   

I could see the group easily rounding the corner on the building opposite to the orphanage, and are now heading in.

The warriors seemed armored. Some have shields that gave off a magical feel to them. Magic shields? Hmm, gonna have to hit them with something harder than usual.

The archers weren't as heavily armored.

The two archer—No, wait. One is an actual archer, and the other uses a spear.

Is Spearman a Class? Or would it be Dragoon in this world?

Bah, doesn't matter. I had a Zoltraak ready, as I cast the flight spell and flew up when I was outside the soldier's peripheral vision.

I also cast Arggefahr just to be on the safe side.

Arggefahr was a danger sensing spell. It's a basic folk hunting spell, for when you're in a forest, for example, and can't see any predators. This spell gives you a warning on if something if giving off killing intent towards you and from where, and how far away. Just intent to do harm is enough to register for the spell.

I accidently combined it with my always active mana detection and body strengthening, that in active combat it gives me the ability to react to danger, near instantly. Unfortunate this danger sense-reflex ability combo only works with living beings and something that intents harm.

Wouldn't work with golems, or people not meaning to hurt me.

So, it's basically a discount spidey sense. A very cheap one too. I can only have it up for a few minutes before getting a headache, but usually fights don't last that long anyways.

I flew up in the air far away from anyone's sight and waited. I think I was, hmm, six? Seven stories up in the air. I should be able to tank the drop with body strengthening. Probably.

The warriors barged into the orphanage, going loud like they're a gang, while the archer and spearman stood outside.

Good. I still had eyes on every enemy, even behind the walls of the orphanage, and they don't know the danger they're in yet.

Hmm? Is that Löwenjunges speeding up toward here? The heck is he running here for looking so injured.

Okay, finishing this up fast.

I drew the enchanted sword, cancel Luftstieg and let myself fall.

Jilwer was active, the world slowed down. I waited to get close to attack. Don't want them to be alert to me from my mana.

The archer felt something and looked up. I clicked my tongue.

Damn, guess he has good senses.

 I fired the Zoltraak in its condensed speed form at the spearman. The beam went through his head and body just as he turned to his comrade, looking at him questioningly.

The archer's eyes only had time to widened as he opened his mouth to start to shout.

I Luftstieg to accelerate myself into flight again.

I reached him, swinging the enchanted sword down, the momentum of the fall-flight and swing, along with the weight of the sword, let me cleave right through the man.

He couldn't get a word out. I slammed into the ground with a grunt, my impact force made the ground dent in place, and annoyingly make a loud sound from said impact.

"Ow." My body hurt but nothing that I didn't feel in a spar before. I could still easily move.

From my full vision mana detection, I felt the Coalition warrior get startle as they began to call out to their comrades, one of them going out to investigate.

I let go of the enchanted sword, and with a telekinetic grab, I pulled the thankfully still intact bow and arrows to me. I instantly cast Wurfspeer to reinforce them, and improve the arrows piercing powers.

Then added Zoltraak to the arrows coating them with the spell. Neat trick I finally got down to fire weapons faster. Not good for hunting through.

I fired two arrows at the ones in the building. Like a sniper shot, it went through the walls and through their chests before they can react.

The warrior that got out to investigate saw me, and saw his dead comrades.

He shouted for them, and in that time he wasted I prepared an Offensive magic spell, while training my arrows at them.

"You damn demon child!" He shouted and rushed at me.

Huh, he's fast. He already cross a quarter of the distance between us, sword raised. And that's from my perception with Jilwer. Not bad zealot guy.

I let loose the Zoltraak coated arrow. The Coalition warrior brought his shield up, and I saw a primitive Defensive spell flare up upon it.

The Zoltraaked arrow went right through the shield both magical and metal, along with blowing the guy's arm off.

He shouted, he roared and even with a bloodied stump lunged toward me.

I fired a Zoltraak through his face, taking out his head.

The headless corpse fell to the ground mid-run. Points for preserving Coalition guy.

 I then heard panting as another warrior arrived.

"T-Trenn!?" Löwenjunges looked at me in surprise. "You're alive?"

Honestly, he should say that about himself. He looked bloodied all over, and there was now a massive cut over his right eye.

"Yo." I waved at him. "You look like shit."

For some reason Löwenjunges looked at me like he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.

Chapter Text

Minus, The Witch POV:

"When T-Train gets strong enough and gets slicey-slice, h-he'll beat you! A-And then you'll never hurt anyone ever again!"

The Great Mage Minus looked back on that memory with gleeful amusement.

The reaction the little human child gave to her arrival was not what Minus expected. She thought the child would be scared of the inevitable, scared of losing her precious divine gift.

Yet, little Rein faced Minus with all the gumption of a particularly stubborn warrior.

Well, 'faced' might be an exaggeration. It's not like the child tried to fight her, that would be silly. Rather the girl hide away from everyone, so Minus would find her alone.

Did Rein foresee a clash? Or that the other kids or their matron might interfere and be harmed by Minus in turn?

How someone who knows the future acts, was always fascinating to Minus.

Like for example why would Vorblick, the Hero of the South, willingly go to his own death? Yes, it let him defeat Demon King's right hand, Schlacht the Omniscient, along with three of the Seven Sages of Destruction, but surely he could have done it in a way where he survives?

No one even knows his name anymore, due to how he went about things. Not to mention the demons destroying any relic or knowledge of him where they found it.

Minus made sure to remember the human girl's name. For her bravery it was at least worth remembering. Or at least it's worth remembering the one whom she stole the Divine Gift of Precognition from.

Beyond that silly threat, the girl, Rein ran off. To where Minus did not care to find out.

Either little Rein will be killed by the Anti-Elf Coalition—whom Minus alerted their leader to an elf's presence (ha) presence within Schwanz—and the former precognition girl will die to their attack on the city, or Rein will live.

The Coalition Leader, a human noble by the name of Gierig, was a silly man. He didn't believe in any of the tripe about Elf Demonship or anything of the sort. But he loved her gold enough to lead this whole silly movement if it meant his pockets stayed full.

Regardless the outcome of the tiny human town, nor Rein, mattered to the Great Mage anymore.

It was a few humans' lifetime of work in which Minus studied magic and curses till she finally learned how to extract, what she called "Traits", from living beings. Unique qualities that are so distinct they can not be called skill or talent. Rather divine gifts some beings, humans, dwarfs or otherwise are born with.

And finally the last piece of the puzzle, the power to see the paths to the future, choosing her own outcome, her own fate as she wishes, was in her hands.

Except as soon as she used the power of Future Sight, she was greeted with her death.

An old man, a human in his latter years, a wrinkled face, silver hair and bread, and a sword at his side.

He draws the blade in an instant, and in that very moment she dies.

Seventy years from now, the human Trenn slays her. The name given by her power, along with the place, far at the snow mountains of the far north.

Minus tries to look further back, to see where that human was/will be. Where he trains and gains the spell that would allow him to her.

She sees a full adult human, a man in his prime, facing her with calm determination.

"I swear, the second I learn Reelseiden you're dead." He would say.

Twenty years from now, the human Trenn learns of her role in civil war turned miniature wars, that raged across the Southern Lands.

He would be able to escape from her with the help of another elf. An Archer.

Minus looked into who this human is now and she saw a few days ahead. She saw a child. Blue chair, unexpected work ethic, casting mana detection and a non-solid form of Vigorkern at a low level at all times. Not using Nature's Mana to solidify the structure of a spell was not something mages of the current era ever do.

Or rather it's only done in spell experimentation and creation. To use it in the manner the young boy was, where the spell is shaped and only held in form by his own will, why, that practice has been all but abandoned for a thousand years. Seen as too primitive, when magical knowledge had advanced much since then.

Yet...

While the boy who will grow into the man who will one day slay her, was a... what's the word the current generation uses? Neat!

Yes that. Seeing her killer as he was in the present was neat. Another genius human mage.

However Minus thought it was odd. Why would she let this human live long enough to be a danger to her?

She tried to look for futures where she kills him immediately, and it always seem like it causes her identity to be behind the Principality civil war to be revealed and her death would follow due to some unexpected factor.

Mostly, other mages gathering together to form an army, failing, and then Serie stepping up to deal with her.

Minus scoffed. How annoying.

It was while she was enamored with her new power, and examining these futures that she was attacked.

The man, a Shadow Warrior of the Empire, caught her alone and immediately sought to end her. Her instincts saved her. It was a battle she would have usually enjoyed, yet the images of the future were interfering with her focus on the Now.

She didn't expect the Empire would catch up to her dealings to the wars in the Principality. Or rather, she didn't think they would care for it even if they did.

But, just like she suspected, Great Mages like her were the next on the list to be targets of humanity now that the Demon King was dead.

Throughout the battle the more Minus regained control of her senses, the more desperate the Shadow Warrior became. He almost seemed like an animal towards the end, howling for her death.

It was through this happenstance of circumstances that the blond Shadow Warrior laid what would have been a killing blow at her side, as she did with a scorching curse took out his eye.

She sought to take out his head. Burn it from the inside out.

He managed to avoid it by luck, and a blessed amulet from the Church that took the damage in his place.

Eventually both were forced to retreat. The Shadow Warrior to hide among the populous and use the attack by the Anti-Elf Coalition to likely fake his death, and her to run away and deal with this stab wound that seem almost like a curse in itself.

Yet Minus was sure that warrior knew no magic, or at least nothing sophisticated like the curses she wielded. Yet how did it came to be? From a grudge? Truly, magic still has more mystery than she expected.

She ended up stilling the bleeding and put the wound in stasis as it wasn't getting better. She would deal with it in time. If she couldn't heal it with magic, she knew some potion making and traditional medicine. The curse on her stab wound seemed to be the type to reject magic. Odds are by the time she finds any church with a skilled enough priest, news of herself and her deeds would have spread throughout the Southern Lands. That will be a problem all on it's own.

Then Minus met the boy that was meant to one day kill her.

It hadn't been intentional, or something she expected. The boy was long gone from Schwanz, so Minus didn't expect him to be anywhere close or to meet him so soon.

Then again she never checked, when would she soonest meet him. She expected it to be when he learned of her involvement with the attack on his hometown, and his following desperate escape.

Yet she felt a mage focused on her once they detected her, and went to confront them. They left their location pretty obviously revealed after all.

And it was him. Trenn. As a boy.

Minus checked the future once more, just to be sure. It was still the same.

20 years till Trenn learns of her involvement with the attack on Schwanz. 70 years till he slays her.

Why?

He's right there. So small, so vulnerable. She could just end him right here and now.

Sure in an outright fight he could cause annoying consequences for her, which is why she could always assassinate him.

But according to her future sight, she doesn't do so. Why?

This oddity confounded her. It intrigued her.

So Minus took to conversing with the boy for a while to see if there's a reason for her staying her hand.

And it was... because the boy himself intrigued her.

Trenn had an instinct to magic the likes of which humans mages rarely have. But more than that, he had luck.

Luck to be born with a high sensitivity to magic.

Luck to have not been plucked by some incompetent revolutionary or anti-revolutionary faction to use as some attack dog and kill his love and curiosity for magic.

Luck that whatever magical experiments he did—and as a child, she most definitely must have did some, even if he tries to act like he wisely never did so—never back fired on him.

Luck to find the exact type of mentor, someone too hands off, and not traditional in any sense, that they'd allow Trenn's exploration into magic to left unchecked, as long as he doesn't harm himself.

For a moment Minus looked at Trenn, his dark blue hair and wondered if he had been the Hero of this era, immediately reborn after his passing, and guided by Nature's hands.

Many people believe any many things in this world. Some believe the world is just dust and bones. Other believe in the goddess and heaven.

The Great Mage Minus, the Witch, believed in Nature.

That the so called Goddess Magic was simply the Nature of the World answering people's belief based on the benevolence that exists in nature.

Curses, Goddess's Magic opposite, would naturally represents nature's malevolence.

Because Nature is both good and evil.

Kind and cruel.

Gentle and vicious.

It was a realization that Minus was sure young Trenn nearly stumbled upon. A child less than a decade made a connection most mages would need to stay for decades to make, and have cross-discipline knowledge.

Yet he instinctively gained it. And applied it by healing her cursed wound.

Honestly, that was such a fortuitous thing, it almost made Minus not want to curse him to death.

After all, given that a Shadow Warrior is after her, any church she might stop at for healing might have an agent there, waiting to for an opportunity to add to her injures.

Trenn really was an unexpected good luck encounter.

She still formed the first stage of a curse, in the form of a magical link to the boy, but honestly it was a precaution.

Thinking more on it, Minus wanted him as an apprentice.

Could she change the future? It should be possible. There are a few paths to it, yet...

70 years later, a sword is drawn and then she dies.

That doesn't change.

How odd. How annoying.

She should just kill him. She can do so now. She can complete the curse.

Yet her curiosity continued, so for now through said magical link she'll watch the boy's actions instead. She could always kill him later.

After hearing Trenn's answer for what magic was to him, she wanted to see how he's react to the Anti-Elf Coalition attack on his home. Will he keep that mindset? Will he change? How will he use magic here? Will he kill? Will he justify it to himself.

His words: "I mean if you work your whole life for this grand goal, to have enough power, to have enough wealth, et cetera, all to have the peace of mind and freedom to do what you want in the end. Well, that thing you want to do once you have that freedom, why not do it now?"

They made her smile. They struck a cord in her, making her realize that that what she wanted wasn't in the future. It wasn't in eliminating humanity as a threat to elves, to herself.

Rather it was engaging in this battle with them now.

She watched Trenn eliminate those Coalition mages with quick efficiency. They didn't even know what struck them down. They didn't even realized they have died till their corpses hit the ground.

Then he took out the warriors that came for him with that same efficiency.

What if Trenn learned of her involvement sooner? Would he come hunt her then? Or would he run and hide then? The second would be the logical option, so maybe its better if he doesn't learn soon, lest she kills him right away.

But then he met that Shadow Warrior from the Empire. It seems he integrated himself into the quiet life of the southerner town. Making himself a friendly big brother-figure to the boy.

Minus found herself frowning at that. Even more when Trenn healed the Shadow Warrior's injures. Of course he couldn't heal his right eyes, since Minus' intense curse was still upon it.

The eye was completely gone anyways, so there was nothing to heal.

"Hmm, regeneration shouldn't be impossible. Axolotl already exist and they're basically immortal, so even if I don't understand the process in detail, it's still possible." Trenn said to himself.

What? Minus thought.

"What?" The Shadow Warrior uttered in confusion.

Trenn places his hand on the Shadow Warrior's face once again, concentration and conviction in his demeanor and actions, as he closed his eyes and with faith in his knowledge... the cursed energy upon the Shadow Warrior, Minus' parting blow, was undone.

"This is...! Trenn, you... thank you." The Shadow Warrior said in surprised awe.

And Minus... found her smile slowly widening.

How fascinating.

"Löwenjunges." Trenn spoke. "Do you have an in with the Elves Shield? Can you get me any of the magic books they confiscated?"

"Um, sure, I can help but what for—? No. Beyond that, Trenn, while I'm glad that you're okay, you need to hide somewhere. You can't engage with these Coalition troops. They are savages, they have no mercy—"

"They killed everyone in the orphanage, Löwenjunges. I'm aware." Trenn replied.

"...I'm sorry." Löwenjunges looked at the young mage with sympathy.

"We need to deal with the situation now and worry about other stuff later. Can you direct me to where the magic grimoires are stored." Trenn asked, as if he knew that the Shadow Warrior wasn't who he was acting to be.

Would the Shadow Warrior try and slay the boy to hide his identity? That's how they usually operated.

Instead, a calculating look came over this 'Löwenjunges' as he considered Trenn in a more strategic manner. Did he start to see the boy as an assest?

Minus frowned a bit.

"Why? What do you have in mind?" Löwenjunges finally said.

"There's a camp with thirty three mages out about a mile south of the city. They need to be deal with, silently and swiftly. I have an idea on how to do that, but I need to recover my mana, and see some fire magic just to be sure." Trenn said in an almost mechanical tone.

Löwenjunges nodded slowly at the boy's words, observing him as they talked. The Shadow Warrior then took Trenn with him to the main camp of the town's survivors and let the boy into where they stored their grimoires. Trenn didn't seem surprised at the man's high position in the Elves Shields nor did the Shadow Warrior comment on it.

Any Elves Shields that questioned Trenn's presence were deterred by the Shadow Warrior's answers and presence.

A conversation came up mid Trenn's studying that weirdly made an annoying feeling of anxiety come over Minus for a few moments.

"I thought you were studying to be a mage. When did you decide to switch to the path of the Priest Class." Löwenjunges asked.

"I didn't. It's something I picked up on the way here." Trenn said not taking his eyes off the grimoire.

Löwenjunges snorted.

"'Picked it up'. As if Goddess Magic is something you can casually practice?"

"Eeeeh, so-so." Trenn made the wiggling gesture with his hand, without looking back. "I think it's probably a mix of talent and faith, but some of it can be semi-substituted by knowledge from what I could feel about it."

"Uh-huh. And who did you learn that from?" Löwenjunges cross his arms, looking amused, as he looked at the boy's back.

"Came to me during a conversation with this elf mage I met in Hochfeld." Trenn said, and unseen by him, Löwenjunges' body tensed the tiniest bit, but still managed to appear casual to any watcher.

Only Minus watching the Shadow Warrior, due to the link with Trenn, could see the reaction.

"Oh yeah?" Löwenjunges casually said.

"Yeah, we were talking about magic and curses and naturally Goddess Magic came up. She was injured and I offered to heal her and did so." Trenn replied.

The light in Löwenjunges' eyes hardened, even as his postured remained relaxed. Minus thought he made a good actor.

"Really? And what is the name of this fictional elf mage, with her fictional injury that you just happened to heal with your Goddess Magic, that you apparently only learned today." Löwenjunges said in a 'sarcastic' tone to rile up the boy into giving up information, in trying to prove the Shadow Warrior wrong.

"It wasn't today," Trenn paused in his reading to look back at the Shadow Warrior in annoyance. "It was yesterday. Her name is Minus, she had this stab wound at her side. I think she ran into some bandits that catch her off guard before she could cast a spell."

"Oh? Then how did she survive?" Löwenjunges said, acting as a skeptical older brother-figure. Yet just as he was watching Trenn to learn of his story—and thus confirmed his worst fear of Minus surviving—Trenn was also watching Löwenjunges.

"She's a mage." Trenn shrugged. "Barrier spell then fly up. It's not that difficult to run away with magic."

"Hmm, I'll give you that." Löwenjunges nodded, relenting in acceptance.

The conversation seemed to have ended at that point. Löwenjunges left after asking about Trenn's progress, and Trenn focused back on his studies, now looking perturbed, yet there was no one there to see it. Except Minus of course. She was still watching. Wondering what will young Trenn show her of his genius and magic.

For a few hours Trenn took to reading about generic spells on Earth and Fire Magic, till night fell.

After that he went with Löwenjunges, as they gathered some archers, and sneaked to the Coalition camp, planning to attack them with rapid hit and run tactics.

Trenn reached the camp, till he was four hundred meters away from it. He was easily hidden in the grass away from the camp's watchmen's sight.

According to Minus' senses there were 33 mages and 50 or so odd conscripted peasants. Some were warriors or other fighter classes.

Trenn placed his hand on the ground and focused.

Minus watched as his mana spread slowly through the ground, all the while he constrained his mana down to almost nothing. A mage would need to be looking at the boy and focusing to see the small miniature flares of mana sweeping from his control.

Minus wondered how many years of focused training did the boy subject himself to, to be able to lower his mana level to such a point that he at time appears to emit complete magical voidness.

She saw the spell as it took shape. A Non-Formed Spell at that, held in the form it did with nothing but imagination and well power.

Minus blinked at Trenn's boldness to use that kind of spellcasting in such an important situation. Then she saw what the spell actually was.

It was a mix of Earth Spells—one to crack rocks, one to turn rocks to the smaller minerals that make it up, and one was a folk spell to cause a mountain to shake slightly in order to escape pursuers—and Fire Spells—one to cause firewood to catch on fire and keep the embers warm, a generic fireball spell made of igniting the air into flames, and one that heats up the floor when its cold.

All these six spells combined onto each other. If each spell was like a disk of light, then mixes together, they were like a sphere made of those six disks each in a place, and all intersecting at a single line. The intent for potential energy to be released.

For all that energy within the earth to become active and shift to heat and kinetic energy.

The spell reached the center of the camp after a few minutes. Then for the next quarter of an hour Trenn was focused on spreading its influence to the whole of the camp's ground, all while hiding its presence.

"Is he done?" Asked one of the town's fighters. Not an Elves Shield, just a man with a heart full of fire, and want to hurt those whom hurt his home.

"Shush." Löwenjunges whisper commanded back. "Quiet and wait for the signal."

Thankfully their patience was rewarded a minute later once Trenn's spell was ready.

Without giving the enemy mages any chances, Trenn flared the rest of his mana hard slamming into the spell to activate it.

The enemy mages didn't have time to react. They didn't have time to shout, warn, cast barrier or fly.

One moment they were standing on the ground.

Then next the ground glowed like the sun, and exploded upward and outwards.

There were barely any screams as the fire roared upward like an awakened dragon, rising up to consume and burn everything.

The only people who survived where those standing upon the camp walls, or on the watch tower.

Those were launched by the explosion burned, broken and bleeding, before they slammed into the ground. And those who somehow survived weren't long for this world, even if the townspeople and Elves Shields didn't pick them off one by one.

Minus couldn't stop smiling.

"Hey, Minus," Trenn suddenly spoke to empty air. "Did you have anything to do with Löwenjunges' injuries?"

He had laid down on the ground, panting and covered in sweat. He looked up and watched the sky, yet his tone made Minus freeze as she registered his words.

This is...

"Are you the reason why the Coalition targeted Schwanz?"

He... he can sense the magical link? ...When? When did he...?

Minus looked into the future.

The future of twenty years from now was erased. Instead there was the present.

Right here and now where Trenn learned of her involvement. Where he put the pieces together.

Ah...

Minus smiled. An unexpected melancholy entered her bosom, just as a vibrated excitement followed after.

Divine Gifts such as future sight...

There are other such Divine Gifts. Like the monk from 400 years ago who would hear the Voice of the World. He isolated himself from people as he could hear their thoughts, before going mad from the constant voices and taking his own life.

Such examples of Divine Gift usually followed the same end.

Minus wondered why the Hero of the South could walk to his own death?

The answer was simple, because knowing the future doesn't change who you are as a person.

That's why she doesn't kill the boy even when she had the chance.

Future Sight truly was a Curse after all.

Chapter Text

Minus, The Witch POV:

When did the change happen, she wondered.

What made the future change?

Is it an unexpected power? Is it something Trenn is inherently capable of? Another Divine Gift that she didn't see?

Looking at the past, the origin of deviation... She caused it.

Minus herself was the cause. All because she her curiosity sent her to meet the insignificant (to her senses) mage who kept his mana detection up, while looking at her.

Because she met Trenn. Because she talked with Trenn. Because he saw her injury and healed her.

That is what lead to the events that led to his suspicion of her.

And now, her silence, while using Precognition to find all of this out, confirmed it in his mind.

"Why do you think that, young Trenn?" Minus asked, using the magical link to project her voice so Trenn could hear it. So only he could hear it.

Trenn frowned at how she addressed him but moved on.

For Minus, she called him 'Young Trenn' because, well, he isn't her enemy. Not yet anyways. She wishes to... study the boy a bit longer. He is interesting, so she will stay her hand for now.

Let him grow. Let him gain strength. Their battle will be all the sweeter then.

"You and Löwenjunges being injured at roughly the same time. Yeah, it could just be a coincidence, yet his reaction to your name also seemed off." He said.

"Oh?" Minus raised an eyebrow, even if the boy doesn't see it. "And how did you know? You hadn't activated Sight-Through Mana at the time."

"Heartbeat rose up. Body strengthen, that is Vigorkern enhances everything physically, including senses. Things were quiet around us, so it stuck out. He knows you, and I have a feeling you know him." Trenn's logic was childish.

Minus had half a mind to rebuke him and act offended, just to throw him off.

"Also," Trenn continued. "that negative energy you both had were similar. It felt like a deep wish for the afflicted to not just feel pain, but to die no matter what. That might happen with two people fighting to the death." He sat up.

"Child, just because some events happen in a circumstantial way, doesn't mean they are connected." Minus said coldly. Scolding in a way she knew professors would toward unruly students. She could try to copy a parent's disappointment, but she didn't think she could do it convincingly.

"There are no towns between here, Ackerheim and Hochfeld. Logically, if nothing abnormal happens, a person's travel route would be from one town to the next, without much change in route. According to Löwenjunges, the Coalition arrived and attacked thirteen days ago. It would take normal travel time between here and Hochfeld twenty three days. Ten days after you left. That's not enough time for a message to go the Coalition base, where ever it is in the Anfang region and to get here in that time. And the base can't be close to Schwanz as its Elves Shield territory, so they must have been following you." Trenn explained his thought process.

Oh? Minus thought in amusement. He doesn't think I personally had an active hand in this, but that my presence caused the attack.

"You think I used the town to fled from those zealots?" Minus asked, voicing wonder in her tone.

"Maybe." Trenn voice held uncertainty. His theories were less solid the more he talked now. "But the timing of it is suspicious." Confidence filled his voice once more.

Minus wondered where it sprung from. Probably youthful surety?

"Yet that is not enough to make such grave accusation, young Trenn." Minus said, disappointed at his deductive reasoning. She thought he'd be sharper.

"Minus, you passed by my home and suddenly the Coalition followed and destroyed it. You met me who's from that town, and mark me with a magical signal. I mention Löwenjunges and you feel irritated. You were feeling smug while he was injured, and while surprised by my ability to heal his eyes, you also felt angry at it. I don't have anything concrete but at this point I don't really need nor care to.

"Correlation might not be causation, but I feel the correlations are too many and too close that could paint a picture of the cause." Trenn said, before looking down. "Honestly the only thing I don't get is why would Löwenjunges attack you? Well... maybe he thought by killing you, then the Coalition won't come to this town, but no," he shook his head. "He'd have had to know they were following you in advance. The only answer I can think of is that he attacked you as soon as you arrived in town. The why still eludes me."

Minus blinked as what Trenn said just registered to her.

"What did you just say, young Trenn?" Minus asked.

"I don't know why would Löwenjunges attack you." Trenn said, yet raised his eyebrow even if he can't see her. "No, something else is bothering you. What part was it?" Trenn ran last bit of the conversation through his head. "That you felt angry for me healing Löwenjunges and undoing your work."

"You could feel my emotions?" Minus started to dig into the magical link, and she found Trenn's mana detection completely focused on it.

All along he was reading her just as she was watching him.

Minus' body shook with mirth.

"Why are you suddenly so chippery?" Trenn asked.

"Because you keep exceeding my expectations, young Trenn." Minus said before laughing and shaking her head. "Shadow Warriors of the Empire."

"...Huh?" Trenn blinked in confusion.

"They are a secret group swore in service to the Empire. They eliminate individuals, especially mages, that could pose a threat to the safety of the Empire's stability or sovereignty." She said plainly. "And your friend, Löwenjunges is one of them. That is why he ambushed me, the moment he saw a chance."

Trenn's eyes widened and surprise but also a feeling of acknowledgement came to him. Like he had suspected such a secret for his friend, but not of that magnitude.

Yes, just as Trenn could read her emotions, she could easily do so too. Trenn grunted and squirmed as he could feel her doing so.

Minus grinned, amused at the young human's discomfort.

Trenn of course tried to block her attempt, yet Minus was the creator of the link, thus easily stopped him. He tried to outright break the link... and she stopped that attempt as well.

Trenn stopped trying to break the link after that. Odd that he gave up without giving it his all. Did he think it's not worth the effort, or that he could try again later?

"Why did you do all this?" Trenn asked once more.

Minus thought to simply tell him why... just to see his reaction. Even now, there isn't any genuine hatred in his heart, just muted anger. Annoyance was the more prevalent emotion.

But no. Not yet.

Of course, that Shadow Warrior could ruin the fun by revealing everything sooner, if Trenn approached him correctly.

Normally, a Shadow Warrior eliminates anyone that uncovers their identity, but Minus had a feeling this 'Löwenjunges' would try to recruit Trenn instead. Likely seeing his value as a mage combatant.

"Rather than wonder about that, shouldn't you be more worried about that small town your mentor is in?" Minus said in amusement. "You didn't think this was the full force of the Coalition's army? Now that they took Schwanz, in their eyes, why wouldn't they continue to conquer the rest of the towns that act as a center belt of the eastern side of this region."

"Wait, what are you talking about!?" Trenn said in a panic.

"Did you not notice them on your way to Schwanz?" Minus said, coyly.

Of course Trenn didn't notice them. He was too focused on maintaining the speed spell and on reaching his destination as fast as possible.

Trenn kept asking for more information, more details, but Minus said nothing. Giving the boy silence.

Now, it was time to see what he'll do. How will he grow from this?

What do I do?

I'm tired. There's no fucking way I could make it to Ackerheim on time. Assuming Minus was telling the truth.

Verify from Löwenjunges. First that then everything else.

"Hey!" Löwenjunges called out as he came over to where I was. I pushed myself and stood up. "Good work out there. We barely had to do any work." He said with a relived smile.

A smile he lost as he saw the look on my face.

"Löwenjunges," I spoke. "Were these the main forces of the Coalition? Or was there another force? Is it possible that while you were dealing with them here, a part of their forces headed to Ackerheim?"

Löwenjunges had a small frown on his face for a second, before it went back to concern.

"Trenn, it's over. You did enough. We need to regroup and work with the survivors to see what we'll do now and—" Löwenjunges began to say as he looked toward the others from this assault returning after having finished off what was left of the Anti-Elf scum.

"Löwenjunges." I almost shouted. "Was that all of them? Old man Schroff is in Ackerheim. Is he going to be safe there?" I asked pointedly.

"..." Rather than a look of concern, Löwenjunges narrowed his eyes at me. A more cold calculation in his eyes. He relaxed and sighed after a moment, as if resigned so what will follow. "The Coalition had a banner of six hundred men when they attacked this city. A hundred broke off while the rest went on ahead." A cold pit struck my body and settled into my stomach. "We couldn't stop. We could barely hold on against fifty warriors and fifty mages."

"..."

"The mages bombarded the city, till they ran out of mana, and retreated to recouperate, while those that could still fight, well, you saw them, they were aiding the warriors in town before we dealt with them." He smiled. "Thanks to you."

I wasn't really all warm and fuzzy from his thanks, as I had a bigger problem in mind.

"...How the fuck did they get fifty mages? No, how many mages did they have in total that they could afford to leave fifty behind to take the city?" I asked in shock and astonishment at the resources and power the Anti-Coalition had. "Do mages grow on fucking trees and I didn't know!?"

Löwenjunges cracked a smile before a more regretful and serious look settled on his face.

"Our estimates are a two hundred total. With fifty dead, it would be a hundred and fifty." Löwenjunges said, and the number slammed onto my shoulders like the weight of the world. "The rest are a mix of warriors, archers and lancers, and maybe some priests but we couldn't be sure. None were spotted."

So definitely the Coalition had priests in reserves.

I wasn't stupid enough to think I can take a hundred and fifty mages of unknown varying strengths. The thirty three I took down and the eight in town were luck. A sneak attack the worked.

But a true head-on fight? I don't know how that would work.

"When I ran here I didn't notice any army." I pointed out.

"I'm guessing you came as soon as you heard about the attack?" Löwenjunges asked and I nodded. "Hmm, maybe they'll send a portion of the army back? Might have to prepare for that." He said to himself. "About what you said, if your army have mages, it's possible to move the army without being noticed." He finally answered me.

"How?" I ask with all the disbelief of someone telling me trees are naturally carnivores, and not elaborating.

"Cloaking spells."

...Okay, that makes sense.

I then stop at that thought as I consider what war would look like, when you can just field mages into battle. How much would things change?

Being used as the equivalent of cannons is an obvious one. But being used to bend light to hide large marches of soldiers, I didn't consider that.

You could probably even change the weather and kill crops for the opposition. Or make poison air and concentrate it onto a location.

I need to go back fast, but my tank is empty, I literally can't do anything big right now.

I looked down, fist clenched, frowning. How long does it take an army to get from here to Ackerheim?

An army walks slower than just two people traveling on their own right?

Maybe I can rest for a day and then head back quickly.

"Trenn." Löwenjunges bends down to look at me at eye level, one hand on my shoulder. Damn, he's still so tall, I thought I grew in this year. "Enough. Don't worry about all of this for now, let the adults... let me handle it, okay? You did enough, you need to rest."

"But Schroff—"

"Five hundred men, a hundred and fifty mages or not, it's gonna take them a while to get there. I'd give it..." Löwenjunges thought for a while, as he stood up and held his chin. "Eighteen to twenty days. Sixteen at the worst. It's been thirteen days, there's still plenty of time for you to get there. The old man taught you that speed movement spell, right?"

"Hmm," I nodded. Löwenjunges smiled and let a sigh in relief.

"Then you have nothing to worry about. Go get some food, find a bed and we'll talk in the morning." He said as he turned to address the other villagers now turned freedom fighters, as they were laughing, cheering and celebrating their victory, with some coming over to congratulate me, and hug me.

"What a nice celebration." Of course, Minus had to ruin it by speaking in my mind. "The Shadow Warrior's words are true, you can rest without worry." Ah, fuck, what bad news is she gonna bring now? "If it wasn't for the fact that, that arrogant noble leading the Anti-Elf," she snorted. "Coalition had been pushing his army, all in the hope of swiftly taking over all the lands, this side of the Schwanzbruch."

Schwanzbruch was the river right next to Schwanz City. On the map with the region looking like the tail end of the continent, people tend to call that river, 'The Dragon's Tail Crack'.

I wanted to reply, but I can't talk to myself with everyone around me. The group were now heading back to the city and I was with them.

I pushed my focus onto the link between me and Minus. I remembered how the Ancient Einsam used to put words, sounds and imagines in my mind. I don't think I can do that to a mage more experienced than me.

But sound at least should be possible. It's just wind vibrations.

"You make it sound like everything on the other side of the river has already been taken by the Coalition."

I immediately felt incredulity, shock and mirth right away from Minus's side of the link.

"...That's right. The other four regions are already divided with only the heart region still in contest. And this region? The Anfang region is all but under the Coalition's control. Only the towns and lands this side, east of the river, are left." Minus replied.

How the fuck did no one know this!? No, I'm a kid, no one would tell me anyways, but there should have been rumors while Schroff and I were visiting the towns!

...Unless this is all recent and was happening right now before anyone could react.

"How long until the Coalition army reaching Ackerheim?" I asked, hoping against hope that it's at least a day or something. Just enough time for me to regain my mana.

Fuck. Half a day is enough, or just—

"A little over, hmmm... Two hours."

Chapter Text

What Minus said rang in my mind like a bell and a judge's gavel at once.

A countdown that I can't—that I don't want to imagine had started.

Two hours till Ackerheim is besieged.

Two hours until Old Schroff is fighting. Because I know the old man, no matter how much he acts, no matter how much he tries to distance himself to things, to people he cares.

He grunted and grumbled while Flink was around, but he smiled and joked more while the Elf Archer was around. I wish I was better at making jokes.

What should I do?

What can I do?

What must I do?

The three questions rotated in my mind over and over again without an answer.

Because I wasn't answering them. I was just hoping for some answer to manifest from the ether.

Should I start preparing myself for mourning?

It was like my mind was tensing up for a rollercoaster that I experience emotionally, not physically. Yet later on you realize the emotions manifested as sensations in the body.

You're not suppose to lose people in a year.

It should be something like, losing an old uncle after not seeing them for a few months, telling yourself you'll visit them at some point, then one day learning that they've died and the funeral is the next day. It just comes as an expectant shock, with guilt an unwanted bonus.

Death was suppose to be from the companionship of time. Something in the distance that you can't do anything about, but can put out of your mind. Can revisit later. Or be a reason to cherish the bonds you already have.

"Trenn," Löwenjunges was there, kneeling in front of me, hands on my shoulders in a comforting way. Why is he doing that, and why does he look concerned now. The adults around us had also stopped, looking at me with sorrowful understanding. "Damn. I forgot that you're a kid." He said with a small, sad smile.

"Huh?" I blinked, then finally realized why they were all acting this way. My eyes were blurry, my cheeks were wet.

It's very likely that Schroff was going to die and I was never gonna see him again. The thought finally crystalized in my heart.

There was nothing I could do.

"What if I told you there's a way for you to get to the town your old mentor was in, in time?" Minus' words came like a devil's rope extended as a lifeline in a storm.

DON'T! Something inside me shouted.

"What do I do?" I said back, foolishly. "What do you want in return?" I remembered to say, as if that made my reaction smarter.

This is clearly a bad idea. Faustian idiocy. The voice telling me to stop was my logic. Plain and simple.

I knew accepting any bargain with her was wrong, but I guess that's why the devil was so convincing. Always winning in his deals. Because people's natures doesn't change.

Greek tragedies were about that too, weren't they?

"The battle is finally over, but it had costs us a heavy price. We must rest and gather out strength, but never forget what it took for us to survive. What the Coalition took from us." Löwenjunges began addressing the crowd. Standing up while holding my hand. I suddenly remembered that I was still just a kid in this life, and my tears fell harder.

Huh. I just realized we were in the city again, surrounded by building and all.

"For this first time? Nothing. Consider it me fulfilling a curiosity. If you impress me with what you can do with magic, to reach your mentor in time, then I'll consider this bargain fulfilled." Minus said.

"How exactly will you help me get there in time? And what would impress you? You're an elf. I assume older than I can imagine, I don't think there anything I can show you that would be impressive." I replied.

"Then be sure to be very creative then, young Trenn." Minus giggled. Which was odd. This communication wasn't like a telephone faithfully sending one's voice back and forth. You had to intentionally create your words with magic, so she intentionally sent me a giggle to hear. Weirdo. "As for how I will help? I'll replenish your mana."

A fired ignited in my chest, and I understood why hope was the last evil in pandora's box.

"Through the mana link you placed on me?" I asked, knowing I sounded a bit too eager.

"It won't be a simple thing I'm afraid." Minus said, sounding regretful, but I could feel the almost... that feel of a cat about to pounce and catch a mouse. I don't know why she's so focused on me. It definitely wasn't carnal, I don't feel any of that in her emotions. There was just this feel like I'm some kind of interesting puzzle she wanted to own/play with.

"What's the complication?" Because if it was that simple for people to share mana, it obviously would be a known practice.

"My mana isn't your mana. My mana is for my body, just as yours is for your own. If I infuse mana into your body, it will naturally be rejected, seen as an infection, and your body would react to it as such." She explained, and I waited for a punchline of all of this.

"So? What the solution?" Suddenly, I felt a feel of half-dread, half-vertigo. Like I instinctively knew the answer. My body will just have to get used to her mana, or something like that, right? But...

"There is a spell, a Curse actually, that can make it so your body can use my mana as simply as you use your own. Thus through the link I can replenish your mana quite easily whenever I want." She explained.

NO! REJECT IT! IT'S A TRAP! Instinct shouted.

"And what happens to my own mana? A living body naturally produces mana. If you use this method to kill me, it's really weird." I replied.

Minus laughed. As in, she sent it through the link.

"Ah, young Trenn, this is why I adore prodigies, you catch on quick. And no, of course I don't wish for your death." Minus said, but I... didn't understand her emotions when she said this. Like, it was a lie but it wasn't? Huh? "This method doesn't kill you. Directly."

"Joy." I deadpanned.

"Simply put, the moment your mana runs out, you'll have to seal your generation of it if you wish to survive, since for your body at that point, your mana will be seen as the infection and mine the normal default." Minus said, and the choice was laid to me.

My mind tried to come up with yeah to cheat this deal. To find a loophole, an immediately latched onto not depleting my mana.

But if that was simple, then she wouldn't have offered this deal wouldn't she?

What if it's like FGO with Paid and Free Quartz? You have to use the Free Quartz (My Mana) before using the Paid Quartz (Minus' Mana).

"How long would you keep my mana reserves full?" I asked, trying to see the good side of this.

"Oh, young Trenn, I'm not going to fix this situation for you. I will refill your reserves one time and that's it. From then on, you're on your own." I could feel the smirk on Minus' face, even if I can't see her.

This is crazy. I'm putting my life in needless danger for something I don't know if it will work or not! Logic dictated at me.

Immediately I felt guilty for wanting to throw away Schroff's life, thinking of it as "needless".

No, that's not what I thought but...

Even at a full tank, it would take three hours and ten to fifteen minutes to make it to Ackerheim, unless somehow we increased Jilwer's speed. Somehow! Logic argued once more.

We can't save Schroff. Realistically it's too late. I know that. Logic said in a quieter tone.

He's still alive. Schroff isn't dead yet. My heart argued back.

She's playing some sadistic game with your life. Logic said louder. Schroff is old. I have your whole life ahead of me. Do I really want to risk my whole mage journey for someone that won't be here for long? To either be a slave to an elf's whim (so you can't outlive her), and will need her mana to do anything, or... end my journey as a mage after saving Schroff, to retain my freedom...?

I thought out it. I really thought about it and I hate that my first instinctive answer was 'no'.

Magic to me was far more important.

And then once voice within me spoke far more clear that any logic, emotion or thought.

I imagined Schroff dying to the Coalition when I could have done something about it. Him died miles away, while I'm safe here in Schwanz knowing what will befall him, and the people of Ackerheim.

Is this the kind of person I want to be?

The question rang in my head, overpower any argument logically I could come up with.

I'm scared of messing up. Now if I got it wrong, I could lose magic forever, or my life. Or I might not even save Schroff or anyone.

I'm nine years old in this life.

If I do nothing, and live a long life... it will be a hellish life to carry genuine regret from right now till the day I die.

I can't help it. There's nothing I could have done. Right here and now, those statements would be lies.

I looked up to the sky, wondering how much faster it would be to do a fly up and drop. I would need a spell for air. Heiter could manage that for months (was it two months?), so I should be able to manage two hours of air, right?

I would have to have Jilwer on the whole time, and I would need a way to fly faster.

No. Maybe I don't need to fly. Just get through the distance. Slingshot?

I paused as I realized what I was doing. Thinking of way to do this whole thing already.

The reluctance was there. I don't want to end up depending on this stranger mad scientist elf lady for mana.

The fear was there. I don't want to fail and have to seal my own mana for good.

Yet I wasn't afraid to go through with this. I was worried for Schroff's life, but that worry lessened.

In my heart I already made my choice.

I smiled, letting out a single laugh. I'm an idiot.

Well, I have a great in-built excuse. I am a kid.

"Do it." This time, I replied out loud. I didn't shout, but Löwenjunges perked up and looked back at me in confusion and curiosity.

Especially since I let go of his hand and stood still.

"Did you say something?" Löwenjunges blinked at me, his eyes gleaming with worry and scheming. Likely catching on that something was odd. "Trenn?"

"Sorry, Löwenjunges." I smiled.

"Fremdfluss." Minus' words were cold. The mana that flowed through the link was cold.

My body started to feel warm. Fever warm.

"Trenn!" Löwenjunges called out, feeling my mana somehow refill in second. Or rather Minus' mana filling my reserves.

Obviously Löwenjunges would be familiar with her mana.

"I made a deal." I said as I saw his hand land on his sword's hilt.

"What? Trenn... what did you do?" Löwenjunges said, trying not to seem like he could switch to a combat stance.

"The noble leading that banner army... What was he called?" I said to Minus.

"Vizegraf Gierig." She replied, sounding like she was watching a stand up routine.

"Vizegraf Gierig, yeah him." I said to Löwenjunges who I suspect was starting to put the pieces together. "He pushed his army too much. They will be in Ackerheim in two hours." I said with a resigned smile. "I need to go there now. Schroff and the townsfolk are in danger."

"...How do you know this?" Löwenjunges asked, looking more relaxed, but I didn't think he was. He let go of his sword, but I feel it wouldn't have made a difference if he decided to attack.

I opened my mouth to answer, but then looked around at the people looking at us confused. People, some of whom, were part of the Elves Shield.

Accusing an elf of anything might be bad right now.

"Remember that story that told you, about that mage that I met?" I said. He nodded, realizing why I'm being vague. "Well, she kinda placed a link of me to be able to communicate. She was... worried about me." I said with a pause. I think Löwenjunges would have realized what I meant even without my shitty acting and implying.

"Why would she place such concern on you?" Löwenjunges asked.

I shrugged. "Dunno, maybe I'm cute."

Löwenjunges deadpanned at me. I could feel Minus' deadpanned at me.

Heh, worth it.

"I don't know." I said, non-jokingly this time. "I made a deal to get my mana refilled so I could make it there to help."

"Trenn, you don't know what you entangled yourself with. Please stop," Löwenjunges said, as he began walking toward me. "It's not too late. Let me help—"

"Sorry," I floated, as I cast the Flight Spell and the Speed Spell. "It's already too late. Take care of things here." I said succinctly, and blasted off before Löwenjunges could act or get a word in.

He had reached me in an instant, his hand about to grab my leg... and then didn't.

I think he also realized it was too late for me.

I flew upward into the sky till I was till I could easily see the whole city by looking down.

"Okay." I sighed. "Time to bullshit and make spells... and hope they work."

First the shield spell. I'm going to use Formed Spells, I didn't have time to split my focus.

I don't need it to make the barrier to be full power or survive a hit. I just need it to hold in air and not break from wind pressure.

The barrier loses some of it's thickness. It looks less like a ball made of hexagons, and more like a sphere with hexagons painted on it.

Okay, step one done.

I then focus on my faith in the Goddess, I focus on needing to breath, and let the magic guide itself into the oxygen spell to be generated inside the barrier sphere. Just like with the healing magic, I feel a kind smile look down upon me, as the spell locks in place. A cool wind passes by my face.

Step two done.

"Now, the actual flight." I look up to the dark night sky. The normal dread of seeing the void sky so big hit me. Then I noticed the stars. It wasn't so bad.

I shook my head. Time to focus.

I took all of my mana detection sphere, focused all of it to change it's shape for what I needed.

In the year since I trained with Schroff, my mana detection range went from 26 kilometers squared, I.E. 2.87 kilometers, to 103.72 kilometers squared. I.E. my radius was now twice what it was at 5.74 kilometers.

What is all this info need fore?

Because I took the area and volume of my mana detection, took all of that, and shaped it into a single line. A single line to extend my range as far as possible.

I could see anything else. I could sense anything else other than that single line.

Mana Detection: Line Mode.

It extended my range, allowing me to feel what was at a single point about 40 or so kilometers away. 40.5?

Point is I could feel the air 40 kilometers away at a single point.

And that was all I needed.

I should be able to see Ackerheim or maybe some landmarks of it, to eyeball my descent right?

If I'm fast enough maybe I could glide down?

Either way, this spell while experimental, would be far, far more easy.

It's basic high school science.

Magnets.

I imagined a ball of mana at the end of my mana detection. A ball of positive charge.

I imagined myself as the negative charge.

The spell formed as a line of mana between me and the mana ball at the edge of my detection range was forged.

The pull was instinctual. Positive and negative attracted.

However the pull was weakened by distance. Naturally.

So I strengthened the imaginary charge between me and the mana point.

The pull strengthened.

I kept focusing flying in place.

I kept increasing the charge, imaging the line between me and the mana point strengthen.

Again, and again, and again.

The pull became so strong I was fighting against it to stand in place.

Then I cast one last spell. Leichtstein, the spell to make things weigh less.

On myself.

And then canceled the flight spell.

"WOOOOOAH!" I screamed as I along with my barrier were shot into the sky.

The cloud was blown away as I passed by them.

The Magnet Slingshot Spell ended the moment I was launched. However I kept my focus on the same point in my mana detection as before, even as my range told me I could feel things much higher into the sky.

Noooo, thanks. I don't want to overshoot and fire myself into space.

I focused on that same point forty, well, now thirty eight kilometers away, and recast the Magnet Slingshot Spell.

Gonna need a name for it later on.

Once more I was pull and launched upward into the sky at insane speed.

I'm not even sure how Jilwer is affecting all of this, but I know that the world is blurring around me at an unbelievable rate.

The warm fever rose higher.

"Fascinating!" Minus said, almost startling me. "I thought I should tell you that this fever will increase for as long as your mana is still within your body."

So use up my mana so the curse finishes and my body changes to only using yours?

"Nah, fuck that!" I shouted back, and Minus laughed in turn.

Besides, as I cast the Magnet Slingshot Spell a few more times, I noticed the air grow much, much colder the higher up I went.

I was breathing more heavily now. Damn casting and upkeeping all these spells was hell of a work out.

But even with my internal temperature increasing, the cold wind was counteracting it, so all good.

At some point I felt a cone of air break around my barrier and I can to strengthen it as it started cracking.

Did I just fucking went sonic boom!?

I laughed with all my heart.

I cast the Magnet Slingshot Spell a few more multiple times. Eighteen total by my count.

Finally, I reached the mana point I marked and almost overshot it. I cast the flight spell immediately to stop myself and regain my barrings.

My vision was blurry. Weird, must be because I was so high up.

I look down at the world and...

"Wow." It really was so big, even from this high up. So beautiful.

And look! I could see a small little light made of multiple lights. I could tell Schwanz by the walls and river next to it. And right, no wait, east! From that was another collection of lights.

I saw another on lots of green land. No wait, I overshot, that's got to be Hochfeld.

So between those two was Ackerheim. I could focus with the hawkeye spell and I could see more details. Hills, valleys, large rock formations. Yeah, I got the place right!

Yes! Great!

My vision was getting dark, must be due to being so high up on the sky without a light source.

Time to glide down.

I felt lightheaded.

Why did my mana feel so sluggish? It felt so far away. Like I was grabbing air.

Air...

I heaved but didn't breath.

Wait, I didn't use up my oxygen right? No wait I still had the oxygen spell, it was... it was... did it fizzle out?

When... It was only minutes—

I eyes shut and refused to open.

All my spells fell apart like they were made of sand.

It was so cold.

Then it stopped bothering me as I fell into the sweet embrace of sleep.

===

AN: Changed "Viscount" to "Vizegraf", since apparently Graf turned out not to be someone's name but an actual rank "Count" but in German. Frickin Frieren.

Chapter Text

I flew as fast as I could across the storm of spells.

I swerved and dodged fireballs exploding, giving off heat and light so bright, even miles away, I still felt the phantom heat.

Barrel rolled and avoided a slow moving ball of lightning that appeared out of nowhere, exploded into a giant tesla ball grabbing and electrocuting anyone caught in its radius.

"Trenn! There's too many of them!" Schroff shouted flying on a broom like in Harry Potter next to me. For some reason his voice and words reminded me of the younglings about to be killed in Revenge of the Sith.

Something seemed off about that. Did Schroff know how to fly? A memory of us flying over the mountain with fish came to mind. Oh, yeah, right.

"Just try to hold on so we can get away!" I shouted over the wind and a tornado stood in the background, growing bigger and closer.

"We have to save them!" Schroff said, half turning back, as I saw the villagers from Ackerheim blow in freefall in the wind. Some were unable to control their trajectory, and others were able to fly on their own as expected.

"Later! We can come back later!" I tried to call out.

The tornado suddenly moved in rapid speed. It grew larger as it got closer and closer too fast for normal wind construct.

The air grew colder, harsher. I expected the air swirls to be sharp as razors.

I shouted for Schroff as he was devoured by the wind, and as it passed me by, I was flung around, feeling the freezing bite of the cold air, yet it didn't hurt beyond that.

I tried to control myself, my flight path. I called on flying magic, trying to save myself. No, I'll be fine. I tried to reach out to Schroff. He looked so small so far away as he was dragged to the smaller tornado within the colossal one that took us into itself.

Except this smaller tornado sudden turned black, as if the wind itself was becoming dark. Somehow without smoke or smog, just shadows as wind.

And from the smaller tornado emerged the shadowy figure, the being within the Death Tunnel. The Ancient Einsam extended its arm to grab and Schroff.

"SCHROFF!" I shouted. Fear emblazed in my heart as I tried to fly away.

With its free hand the Ancient Einsam extended its arm, hand open and fingers extended out like a spider's web. The strings far too thin but too numerous, making it seem like a bigger hand. Even one grabbing me would be the end.

As the strings making up the shadowy hand grew closer, they turned into translucent worms, trying to devour me in it's mouth that looked like a tunnel with jagged long, sharp rocks as teeth.

I needed to fly back, to kill it!

I grabbed my enchanted sword's sheath, placing it at my side like a katana. It weighed nothing.

With my other hand, I grabbed the hilt, focused my mana and drew my blade.

"Reelseiden!" I shouted.

Nothing happened. The wind didn't even move.

I sheathed the sword and tried to quick draw it again and again.

I barely saw wind scythe form. It was like trying to make a lake's water ripple by waving your hand at the surface.

The shadowy hand of worm strings drew near.

I gathered what I could of my mana, the heat inside me that burned in my veins. I focused it this time, condensed it and concentrated it.

Willing everything of this strike to cut the monster. Cut this world.

"REELSEIDEN!" I roared.

My eyes fluttered. It was so cold. The wind was harsh. When did I fly—

When did I get here? Where is here—

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKEUP!

My eyes fluttered open, as if fighting against a heavy mental weight.

I was falling.

And just like that, they spanned open to the waking world, even if I blinked a few times, not fully focused yet.

I was falling. Adrenaline shot through my nerves, electricity firing them up, heat was in my blood veins, as my brain clear, on fire and sleepy all at once. Thankfully the last bit was being erased away by the shit danger of the situation.

"Luftstieg!" I shouted, casting the Flight Magic without pausing. Yet the momentum was too much. I couldn't push against all the force pulling me down.

Fuck, the flight spell isn't gravity magic. I suspected that, yet that moment cemented it.

I could feel the force slamming me toward the ground. Fighting against it was herculean.

"I need... bleed momentum. Need to bleed momentum!" I called out. Shouting just to hear my voice and be sure I'm awake.

A memory struck into my mind like a lightning bolt. Of someone on a mountain cliff sliding themselves down on a carpet and flying by using the drag force. I think that's what it's called to glide on the wind.

No. Focus.

I using the flying spell to orient myself to face the ground head first. Easy so far. With mana detection I knew I was fourteen and a bit kilometers away from the ground. Thank fuck I didn't wake up later than this. Maybe.

"Phaitagurd!" I cast the barrier spell, except I made it into a single file sheet, and held onto the top edge.

Then along with flight magic, slowly, slowly, to capture the wind, I angle the barrier away from ninety degreed while riding the barrier like a flying carpet.

The wind hitting me from falling started push against the barrier. My descend slowed. Bit by bit I was gliding down at an angle, as more and more of the momentum died off and more and more I could control my own fall.

"Holy shit, I'm fucking Aladdinning it!" I laughed out from sheer shock.

I kept slowing speed the more the Flight Magic asserted itself on my movement, till somewhere at the twelve kilometer or so mark off the ground, I finally regained control completely.

I was back to flying under my own power, not that of nature.

"Fuck you! Take that gravity!" I cried out, running a hand through my hair, grabbing and pulling at it with my hand. With my other hand I put it in my mouth and bit on it, just to be sure the pain was real. That I was awake and alive.

"Bravo~." I heard Minus talking through our link, and even the sound of clapping.

"Right. You're still there." I sighed and as if with the sound of her voice, the presence of her magic link was suddenly obvious again to my senses. Not like it wasn't there, but I couldn't be arsed to focus on it with everything a minute ago.

"Of course I'm still here, young Trenn. I wouldn't miss your comical adventures for anything." Minus said with a smile in her voice.

"Glad, you're fucking entertained." I said with a huff, uncaring about being polite right now.

Minus giggled back.

With the rush finally dying down, I could somewhat be calm enough to think and plan and not react.

I was still ways away from Ackerheim. I don't know how much.

However, all the stunts I did burned through the mana Minus gave me by about a quarter.

Huh. No wonder my both doesn't feel as heated from the inside. Good. I can think again.

Doing the orbital fly and drop was dumb fucking idea.

But the magnet slingshot wasn't. I should have just done that from the start in a straight line.

Looking at the landmarks around me with the hawkeye sight spell I got the idea that I maybe covered a third of the way to Ackerheim.

"How long was I out?" I asked Minus.

"Not long. Only two or so minutes." Minus replied.

I blinked in surprise at that.

"Oh. Good." Shit. Falling from 40 km to 15 km in about two minutes? Fuck, gravity is bullshit. Or is that terminal velocity?

I shook my head. Same thing, and not isn't the time.

A quick mental review showed, it's been barely fifteen minutes since he left Schwanz. Maybe less. It took him what? Five? Ten minutes to reach 40 km skyward? No, less than ten minutes.

Okay, Magnet Slingshot Spell is better for travel than I thought. I'm pretty sure I broke the sound barrier.

...I can break the sound barrier. Using it with Jilwer, I don't need to worry at all about reaching Ackerheim. I don't need anything fancy, just straight up head there.

I adjusted my flying direction back to east toward the towns on the way to the mountain.

I'll probably have to zigzag once or twice to get Ackerheim right. But if I pass it, that means I've reached it, and could get back to it.

I used Mana Detection: Line Mode once more. I tilted the angle 10 degrees upward, and readied the spell.

Like before I cast the weight lessening spell on myself and the barrier for protection against wind resistance. Then I cast Jilwer as the world slowed around me. Slowed by an order of magnitude more than normal.

Wait. What? Why? By how much? When did the spell improve? Why?

No. Not now! Now's the time to head to Ackerheim. Magic discovery later.

I took a breath and let it out. Right, time to get going. I grabbed my—Minus' mana! I reminded myself.

I grabbed Minus' mana and prepared to cast my spells for another rapid flight toss, when a thought occurred to me.

"I need a name for this." I muttered to myself.

I cast the spell, watched it take shape as a mana point was formed at the end of my mana detection line.

The pull started to take hold. From the magic itself as I studied and read it possibility for names arrived. I grinned and picked from the dumbest ones.

"Schnellwurf." I cast the spell, and was launched forward.

This time I heard the sound barrier break, with the sonic boom around my Defensive Magic.

I yelled and shouted in excitement as I saw the world pass around me in a blur. Even with Jilwer's fastened perception, the world still looked like it moved on fast forward.

I kept the flying spell up. Not to help with flying, but to act as a force against gravity, just pushing down against the pull at bare minimum to keep me at the twelve kilometer height mark.

I think I'm going faster or at least further than I thought without losing momentum.

Awesome!

"WOOOOOOHHOOOOOO!"

Minus, The Witch POV:

Minus smiled as she watched Trenn repeat this insane travel method, under more control circumstances now.

How utterly surprising. To think he'd invent something to allow him to cross the distance, and do so, so quickly?

She didn't understand why he travelled upward first thought? Maybe the fever heat of her foreign mana was getting to him?

Truthfully, Trenn's use of magic, his instinct for it was almost... she knew he was human. And she was sure anyone who heard this comparison would have been insulted, but she meant it with her sincerest intend as a compliment.

Trenn's instinct toward magic was reminiscent to that of a demon.

Demons instinctively understood and commanded magic on a level, all sapient races have yet to unravel and understand. Flight Magic for example is still a mystery even to this day. It was just simply studied enough to be replicated for use of sapient races, but the inner details still elude humans to this day.

It was the same for this human boy. The way he approached and used magic was instinctively on a level she's never seen before. Watching that creativity come to life, due to sheer desire and necessity was a fascinating thing to watch.

Hmm, he should be able to make to that town in a few minutes based on his speed, and corrections he kept making to his flight path. I'd say... 10 minutes at most?

Minus out of curiosity turned her sight toward the town of Ackerheim, using her mana detection to extended far till it reached the town, and with Sight-Through Mana, she looked through it till she found's young Trenn's mentor.

Minus paused for a moment, surprised at this... well not surprised. This outcome was predictable as something likely in human conflict.

Now she wondered how young Trenn will react to this new dilemma.

How interesting.

I reached Ackerheim with over an hour, maybe even over an hour and a half to spare.

Pretty sure I might have passed over the invading army, but I was going too fast for them to react.

I almost passed by Ackerheim, but the closer I got, the easier it became to correct my trajectory, as the landmark became more and more familiar. Even more so when I could feel people with my mana detection.

Reaching town, I immediately searched for Schroff's mana signature, and flew over to him. The town's guard are gonna be pissed and run over to find me, after reporting me to the town's mayor, but I really didn't care right now.

Schroff was thankfully in our inn room, so he wasn't hard to find. I'm surprised that he stayed put but was thankful to it.

Yet something was odd. As I entered the building the climbed up the stairs to our room, I found an odd scene.

There were too many people there at the room's door.

There were owners of the inn. Mr. Gerwin, and his daughters, Lina and Mira. The girls were the first to notice me, and move first aside to let me walk in.

"Trenn..." Lina said with a sad tone. For a moment, my heart dropped as I expected the worst, but that doesn't make sense. I can sense Schroff in the room up ahead, and from his mana I know he's alive.

Although, looking closer...

"Seriously, kid, where have you been? Although, it's probably a good thing you weren't around." Mira facepalmed, grumbling to herself, sounding like her father.

"Hey, kid! Heard you went off to Schwanz. Did you make it there and back? No, that doesn't make sense. It's good that you turned around and came back though." A guy in this thirties spoke up, with a quick hurry in his tone, but it's normal for him. I'm not sure what his name was. Something with a 'K'. He was basically town's news spreader, or gossip monger. "It's old Schroff, Trenn. It's bad, it's pretty bad kid."

Basically a busybody, the town's fool. There's always that one annoying person in each town, and he's Ackerheim's.

"Kaspar, shut your damn useless mouth!" Said Mr. Gerwin through gritted teeth, shutting Kaspar—Right! His name was Kaspar. I don't think I'll remember it—down. Mr. Gerwin looked at me with more sympathetic eyes, before he sighed. He came over and took me by the shoulders, gently guiding me into the room. "Come on, Trenn. Just... brace yourself."

And like that I prepared for the worst. He's in a vegetable state isn't he?

I entered the room to see a guard already there, making me blink a few times.

"Hey, what's a kid doing here?" Asked the gruff guard, scowling about everything.

"Leave him be. He's Schroff's apprentice, he should be here." Mr. Gerwin said back with a frown.

The guard just crossed his arms and looked at the only window in the room.

"Alarich, how bad is it?" Mr. Gerwin asked the town's herbalist, who ran the the local apothecary. He let go of me as he saw Schroff, looking discomforted by seeing the old hunter in his condition. No matter his attitude, Schroff was someone a lot of people knew and depended on, and thus someone a lot of people cared about, even if he didn't notice or seemingly care.

I couldn't focus on anyone talking once I saw Schroff for myself.

His face was pale, yet he was sweating while asleep. There was bandaged around his torso, yet I could see green lines, not fully spreading like veins under his skin, going around his chest, arms and neck.

"Green‑vein fever." The doctor, well, town equivalent said with a sigh of resignation. "I'm... sorry, I..." As he turned, he only now noticed me. "Trenn, my boy, I'm sorry you..." He began as he placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to be comforting. "I'm afraid, Schroff is gonna be with us for long. We should let him rest."

I looked at the guard who was looking back at me scowling, yet it wasn't irritation directed at me, but the situation. The people around me were all sorrowful and mournful and weren't explaining anything.

"What is it?" I finally spoke. "What happened? What's the cause? Is there a cure? If there isn't, why?" Whatever kindness could be found in my voice was long gone. Something cold snapped into my tone, making everyone be set on edge.

Even the guard looked at me surprised, like he was seeing someone he never thought was dangerous, suddenly appear so.

"It... It's poison—"

"I gathered that." I replied, cutting him off, as I almost snapped. "I don't need platitudes, I need answers."

"Boy, they're trying to be nice about your old man dying." The guard finally lost his patience

"Kolmar!" Mr. Gerwin shouted at the man.

"If the kid is his apprentice then he's in just as much danger." Kolmar the guard said back, no longer holding pleasantries. "He was attacked by an assassin. One of the damn Coalition rogues snuck into town and did the deed to any magic using fellas. That means, you're also in danger kid, and need to get out of here."

You know what? I liked this asshole. He got to the point.

"Thanks." I nodded to the guard, who looked at me strange at my reaction. "So he was poisoned." I addressed the herbalist. "You called it Green-vein fever. What is it? What's the problem with its cure?"

Alarich looked at me conflicted for a moment, before sighing and finally explain.

"The poison is called Verdant Bane. There is this plant that grows in damp caves called Frost-ivy. The milky sap of that vine is the main ingredient of that poison. A simple scratch of that vine can kill a person in a matter of hours, without them ever knowing why." Alarich sighed. "It starts with low fever, numb extremities, then..."

Schroff groaned. He let out a cough, making me almost think he was choking.

He blinked a few times as he took deep breaths, like he was drowning before.

Schroff looked around to see everyone before his eyes landed on me.

"You didn't get yourself killed. Good." He said, he like wasn't dying right now.

"Löwenjunges and everyone else managed to take care of things at Schwanz." I said quickly, looking at Kolmar and speaking directly at him to get his attention. "I rush over to here when I learned at the army attacking Schwanz left for here 13 days ago. They had left a small company of a hundred at Schwanz, but those are done with."

"Wait, what?!" Kolmar shouted as other cried out in surprise.

"The army coming here, from what the Elves Shields at Schwanz could gather are five hundred strong. Three hundred and fifty, a mix of Warriors, Archers and Lancer, and a hundred and fifty Mages."

"Oh Goddess..." One of the girls muttered.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!" Kaspar shouted as he ran out. Likely to shout out what he heard to anyone willing to listen.

"You sure about that kid. This isn't the time to—" The guard began.

"Yes. I am." I said with all the will of someone done with everyone's shit. "I flew over them on the way here. We have an hour before they reach us from the west gate. Maybe a little bit more."

The guard looking from me to the sword on my back. A realization came to him. The realization that he wasn't looking at a kid, but someone bloodied. And that likely explained why I seemed off to him. He nodded at me once, before turning Schroff.

"You heard your boy." Kolmar said.

"If he said it, it's true. Kid isn't a prankster." Schroff grunted. Kolmar held the old man's gaze, and nodded.

"Take care you old bastard." Kolmar said, about to head out.

"Ha! As if I need your luck, you little shit—GUH!" Schroff cried out. He suddenly started twitching, and his muscles contracted out of control. One hand held his chest, as if trying to grab his own heart. The other was stretched, frozen stiff.

He was wide eyed in pain, as his back arching like he was possessed. Schroff looked like he wanted to scream in pain, but his throat was locked up.

The girls screamed. I moved to try and grab him. Hold him so he doesn't hurt himself.

"No one touch him!" Alarich shouted, stopping me and Kolmar in our tracks. "Just wait and it will pass. Schorff, breathe. I know this is difficult but try and breathe. Focus on that."

Schroff pushed through the pain, through gritted teeth, as the muscle spams slowly lessened. Finally he could move both arms, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"You're gonna be alright?" Kolmar asked.

"Go do your fucking job, brat!" Schroff growled. Kolmar hesitantly smirked and walked out.

Mr. Gerwin seeing Schroff awake and... well-ish, took his daughters and left as well, to give us some privacy, giving Schroff a respectful nod on the way out, which the old man returned.

"Alarich..." Schroff sat up. Now the herbalist helped him, me as well. Alarich grabbed Schroff's arms, doing something that looked like a mix between a massage and what a chiropractor would do. "How long do I have left?"

"..." Alarich looked down, focusing on the arms in frustration.

"Alarich!" Schroff grabbed the herbalist's hands. "I'm getting seizures. I know what Green-vein fever is. How. Long?"

"This shit had stages." I growled out.

Alarich looked between me and Schroff, before sighing in surrender.

"Low fever in minutes after being poisoned. Numbness to follow. Muscles seizures in two hours. Fatal paralysis of the diaphragm can cause suffocation within six to eight  hours." Alarich explained. "That is the normal case for Verdant Bane if made from the Frost-ivy in its natural habitat. Given the relative slowness with you, Schroff, you had numbness after an hour. Now seizures six hours in..."

"I have a day." Schroff concluded.

My ears began to ring.

"Tomorrow at sunset." Alarich sighed. "That's the best I can give you."

"Treatment." I said, almost shouted. "Every poison has an antidote."

Alarich shook his head, while Schroff... laid back his head on the pillow.

"There is one." Alarich. "Shineglow Moss, but there are no caves around that hold them. The last batch I had were sold out last week. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Alarich. Frost-ivy isn't found in the wild. No one expects this." Schroff said.

"I should have—" Alarich began.

"Baaah!" Schroff shouted and waved him off. "Enough with shoulds. Be useful and get me a paper and pen."

Alarich nodded and started looking into his bag.

"Trenn," He turned his head to me. "I'm sorry, I couldn't teach you everything as much as you wanted." He looked ahead with a resigned smile. "Not as good as a keeper of my tribe's teachings as I should have been. Still so much to tell you. Well, I kept some notes in my room, under the wardrobe. Just move the whole thing, or ripe it off if you need to..."

Schroff began to ramble, and all I could focus on was the rage beating in my chest and pumping in my ears.

"Minus." I spoke to the elf mage. "Do you have a solution?"

"This time isn't going to be for free, nor would it come cheap." Minus replied.

"I accept." I replied right away.

"I might have you kill someone for me. Would you be willing to go that far?" She asked.

"If it's not someone I know or care about, then fine."

"I will not aid you directly nor will I solve your problems for you, young Trenn. I can however, provide you a chance."

"Good enough. Anything!"

"Hmm," Minus hummed in amusement. "I can work with that."

I felt something pass through the magical link and find purchase in me, like a hook in my soul.

I made sure not to show any reaction. It wasn't painful anyway, just very uncomfortable.

"Shineglow Moss, like the human potion-maker said, is found in damp caves. And since none are around, they are imported for the most part to this region. However," Minus began to explain. I could feel her smirk. "There is one place in which it should still naturally grow, in the mountains of Froststaub, there should be a tunnel that goes all the way through the mountain. There you will find it."

I remembered then the fluorescent moss found in the Death Tunnel. My eyes widened as I realized what I must do.

"Of course, from what I remember some powerful monster resides in that tunnel. An old Einsam that showed skill past what it's kin could demonstrate. It's age made it wise, so you should be careful against it." Minus said, and the hot and cool, of rage and fear danced in my belly and chest. "Of course, there's still that army coming you must worry about. However, I suppose if you bring the old human here to Hochfeld where I'm staying I could looking after him."

Even though Minus was speaking using the link, so she should sound clear as day, it felt like it was buffered by a wall.

"It's fine." I said, to both Schroff making him pause, and to Minus. "Please don't worry." I smiled at the old man. "I'll take care of everything. I'll be back."

"Eh, boy!" Schroff tried to call out, but I was already outside the door.

I stop thinking about this in complex terms. Things needed to die in order to save my mentor.

An assassin.

An army.

A monster.

Plain and simple. Find them. Kill them. Return before sunset tomorrow. The end.

Chapter Text

Finding from Mr. Gerwin that Kolmar was there when Schroff was ambushed was easy enough.

Same with finding the guard, as I already felt his mana signature and followed him.

"Kolmar." I called out.

"Huh? Kid," he acknowledged me with a nod. "Something happen? Schroff, okay?" He said with a glare, not aimed at me, but just the whole situation.

"He's sleeping." I said back to calm down his nerves that something bad might happen. He nodded, his shoulders relaxing slightly but still mostly tense. Mentally on duty. "I wanted to ask you, you saw the assassin, right?"

"Yeah, sneaky skinny bitch. Just sudden came out of nowhere, in the middle of the street, while Schroff was with me and the other guards on our way to the mayor's house to organize on what to do in case the Coalition tries to get here in a couple of days." He sighed with a growl. "From what you said, turns out we don't even have that."

"The assassin, you got a good look at her?" I asked, sure he probably had an idea on what she looked like. At least he should be able to point out what she was wearing.

If the attack was a few hours ago... No, that's stupid, anyone competent would just change clothes. But if I know a general look for her, that can narrow down the search when I look for people with above average mana levels compared to however old she looks.

"Kid, I get that you're pissed about old Schroff, but let it go. And hide that you're a mage of Schroff's apprentice. It seems the Coalition is sending these assassins to take out any mage in a town before their army reaches them. Meaning, you're a target too." Kolmar said, a rough edge in his tone, even while giving advice. "Besides, there was this weird thing about her where Schroff's magic stopped working when she got close. Your magic ain't gonna help you any better than it helped Schroff!" He said harshly, almost looking like he regret saying that for a second.

But I didn't care. He told me enough.

During the past months where I went to fight the Ancient Einsam in its tunnel, I learned a few things. My mental resistance and defense improved. As did my mana detection along with the use of the danger sensing spell.

I fought it almost everyday. Rope was always strengthened with magic, and I focused on that connection, to make sure that I always know the way out.

Yeah, in a sense I was playing with a monster outside of it's strike zone, but that didn't mean the battles weren't hard.

Most importantly, the one skill I improve on the most was mana reading. To tell what the ebbs and flow of mana were, their fluctuations and changes. All of that lead to me being able to read a magic I was exposed to long enough that I could copy it.

Not perfectly but good enough. I think, hope, with time this would be a more instantaneous ability.

I weaved my mana into a find thread, activated Jilwer, jumped (damn everyone being taller than me), and before Kolmar could react I tapped his forehead.

"W-what the hell, brat!?" Kolmar said out loud, frowning in annoyance.

The link formed, I couldn't control what I saw, or brought out. Not and I'm not sure if I wanted to practice this, but I primed the guard with the conversation we just had. So naturally the image of the assassin was up front in his mind.

"This is what she looked like, right?" I said, weaving my mana into an image of the woman.

"Oi! Wait, the hell?" Kolmar shouted thinking the assassin reappeared before taking her ghostly still appearance and realizing it's just a fake image. "By the Goddess, kid, how did you...?"

"Right. You recognize her. It's her?" I asked one last time to be sure before I hunted.

Red hair, a black cloak covering her black clothes. All made of hardened leather meant to work as light armor, rather than clothes against the cold. She had a round-ish face that had lost it's fat and innocence and brown eyes.

"Y-Yeah." Kolmar said. "Creepy mage shit." He said under his breath.

Another notable detail, the assassin wore necklace with a shining—

Oh.

That's how she shut down Schroff's magic when she ambushed him.

Hmm, okay then.

I cast mana detection with full sight through it.

Pétze, the Rogue POV:

The red haired assassin jumped from another building, finally landing on the streets below.

Evading the town guards was easy work that didn't require much effort. The problem is still the mission. She had managed to get all the mages found within Ackerheim. All are already incapacitated, and within a day dead.

She even managed to get the tribesman whom the Elves Shield had an eye on, according to the intelligence gathered by Vizegraf Gierig spies that masqueraded as merchants passing by these towns.

The problem was the tribesman apprentice. The boy was sadly gone, acting as a child wills, running off the moment he heard about Schwanz's fate. Pétze hoped it meant he escaped, or someone else in the Coalition's troops had gotten to him

She might be a rogue who did the dirty work of nobles, but that didn't meant she could always stomach killing children. But this world wasn't one for kindness, kids were going to die in this game between nobility, the rich and the elite that nothing could be done about it.

Elves. Demons. All were an excuse used by Vizegraf Gierig and his low ranked nobles supporting him to discount the royal family and their supporters. The royal family always had an unofficial wish to aid elves whenever they could, due to that old elf bitch who was supporting and training their knights.

Honestly, it was all so stupid. Yet in the end, it didn't matter to a 'lowly' thief turned rogue like her. She did the jobs as they came.

Pétze felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on ends. Someone used mana detection. As a rogue she trained extensively to sense when a mana was trying to sniff her out.

Yet she was suddenly faced with an odd problem. Mages generally are sensed as they use mana detection. Part of her Anti-Mage training was to use that habit to hunt them down, while appearing as something ignoble. She would lower her mana level to that of a mouse, a skill that she perfected faster than any of the other Coalition trained rogues.

It's why she was usually the vanguard sent out to towns ahead of time to scout, or more likely take care of any element that could cause trouble for the Coalition army.

Why can't I sense them?

That brought Pétze up short, and sent her instincts looking for danger into full alert.

A mage that can extend their mana detection over a whole town, while remaining hidden? How? Was there some old monster hidden in this town?

Could it be that the elf mage Vizegraf Gierig said they were hunting could be here in—

A streak of thin light zipped through the air, moving between in sharp zigzags between buildings, till it headed straight for her head.

Pétze tried to dodge, only noticing the thin sharp Zoltraak ray right when it was in her sight about to pierce her between her eyes. Yet she wasn't fast enough.

Then again she didn't need to be.

The brooch on her collar gleamed in the moonlight, as the magic spell disengaged and broke into nothing before the magic-nullifying crystal.

Pétze smirked at seeing a mages, proud magic power be vanquished before the crystal given to all the Coalition assassins.

She was about to run further into the town's shadows to hide, when she felt the air displace behind her with a wheeze.

She turned to see a sword thrown at her with blitzing speeds about to take her head.

Pétze ducked as the blade passed over her.

She tried to sense the mage that did this, her mana detection was one of the things she prided herself on, making her on of the best mage hunter around. All those proud mages were nothing before her, for she knew all their tricks—

She didn't sense him until saw him. Right there a two feet in front of her.

A boy younger than ten, blue hair, wide intensely focused blue eyes. She saw him mid-dash, arm pulled back for a punch.

Her last thought before he attack was how pitiful his efforts were. How pitiful his life was, as it was about to end at her hands. He was a young boy and no matter what magical strengthening he had, all of it would vanish the instant he was an inch away from her body.

The boy might have thought himself clever, but she didn't understand the mechanics of the crystal—

CRACK!

Pain.

Pétze could barely think. The boy punch forward, wind wrapping around his fist from some wind magic effect. Yet the wind didn't dispel. The crystal should have worked, she felt the magic spell giving the boy his speed vanish.

Yet even so all that force still hit her without lowering. How? If he had a body reinforcing spell it should have also shattered.

Pétze tried to move, spin with the momentum, react to start counterattacking.

...Ah.

She realized in horror that she can't move her body below her neck. She couldn't breath.

Her neck had broken. She was going to die shortly.

The woman rogue skipped across the ground from the sheer force of my hit. She flopped down on the ground as she came to a stop.

I extended a hand, and recalled my enchanted sword with a bit of telekinesis.

The assassin was down. I felt her neck break, yet the second the familiar heaviness of my sword returned to my hand, I cast Jilwer once more and was at her side in an instant.

The range of her magic-nullifying crystal seemed to be about an inch. Cool. I don't need to touch her.

Her eyes were wide as she saw me. Mouth trying to move and form words.

I didn't wait to see what she had to say, I stabbed her in the head.

The assassin laid dead in the middle of the street. I only now noticed people running and screaming around me.

"Trenn! Boy!" Kolmar as he and two other guard had reached me. "What the hell are you... Goddess." He muttered.

"Kid, put down that sword and—" Said one of the guards.

"That's the assassin that got to the mages, idiot." Kolmar shouted.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it." The other guard said as he went to inspect the corpse.

I pulled my blade out of her head, and stepped aside. While the guard examined her, I used her cloak to clean my sword.

The guard pulled out a badge with the symbol of the Anti-Elf Coalition on it. A sideway outline of an elf with an X over it. The outline looked suspiciously like Frieren. Brazen of these fucker to use the elf that was part of the Hero's Party as their rejection emblem.

"She's with the Coalition." The guard confirmed.

"Is she the only one?" As the other guard.

"No one else in town were hiding their mana like her, or had a brooch like this." I said as I grabbed and ripped the brooch with the crystal from her clothes.

I instantly felt my mana go... not out of wack, but sort of like it can't solidify anymore. Yet it flowed more easily. Interesting but not something to look at now.

"Kolmar." I said.

"Yeah, kid." He replied, addressing me with more focus and an undercurrent of wariness. "There aren't any assassins within the city. The army should be an hour away. You guy should focus on either evacuating everyone, and travel to Hochfeld, or wall up everything."

"Heh, kid, that's cute, but why the fuck are you acting like you're in charge." Said the first guard who tried to arrest me, or whatever middle age equivalent of it.

Kolmar dope slapped him.

"Trottel, he took out a fricking rogue all by himself. Shut it." Kolmar said.

Oh! They have a Trottel here too.

"Kid. Trenn." Kolmar said in a gentler tone. "You avenged old Schroff, you should go and stay with him. The mayor gave the order that we surrender to Coalition army. We're not an Elves Shield base, and we don't have the manpower nor the time to evacuate anyone." He said. "They won't slaughter simple civilians, their fight is with the Shields, not people."

"...That's hilarious if you believe that."

"Huh?" Kolmar was thrown off by my reply.

"Anyways, please give this to Schroff, or keep it with you till I return." I threw him the brooch and he caught it while looking at me confused. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be back in a few hours." I said as I started to fly up.

"Wha—Wait, kid, where are you going?" He called out.

Assassin killed. Next objective.

"Slaughter an army."

I blasted up into the night sky.

===

AN: Why yes, I did introduce a character with a picture just to kill her. :P

Chapter Text

"How did she sense me?" I wondered out loud. Yes, the assassin didn't have time to react once I planned and acted in Jilwer time, but the fact that she sensed me is still something to note. "Actually how do people not sense me in general when I use mana detection?"

I floated in the sky about three kilometers above. Using the Line Mode of mana detection I could see that at least the army still isn't close yet. Because they didn't enter Line Mode's range.

"It's because of your mana suppression." Minus unexpectedly answered.

"Hmm?" I made a noise, tilting my head as I was listening to someone next to me.

Hour. Hour, fifteen till the army arrives. I could attack far before then. The question was which way to go about it.

"When you try to sense someone with mana detection, they can instinctively sense you back. Some people develop that sense to actively use mana detection when they are being sensed. But due to your mana suppression your mana levels are too low for them to register and thus don't feel your mana detection. Your mana levels are below the threshold for them to sense someone is detecting them, and likely because their mana sensing isn't as refined as yours to tell something with 'seemingly' low levels of mana is trying to sense them." Minus explained. "It would be like noticing a fly around in a forest, are you going to pay it any attention? What about a frog? Those can be found in a forest too. But a cat? A dog? Or something bigger? That's something to pay attention to as it's unusual to find in a forest. And that's how a mage could detect someone seemingly suppressing their mana.

"But for you who always restrain their mana to unnatural levels, when you detect people so far away, of course they won't sense you. Who would have the instinct to notice an fly is sizing them up as a threat and see that in itself as a threat?"

"Right. You're detected when you use mana detection, but if you're mana is low, most won't even notice." So letting out no mana at all is the best way to try and spy on other mages. Of course that's not something I can manage yet. There will always be leakage, even if it's minute.

For a while I stayed quiet, trying to think on how to take on an army with minimal mana usages. I still have to make the trip to the Death Tunnel, get the Shineglow Moss and come back. Most definitely I'll have to take down the Ancient Einsam to manage that.

I have fourth-fifths of the tank still filled. Most of it Minus' mana. The mana fever is still a pain in the ass. Although... my own mana seems to have recovered a bit. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. It's faster than I'd have expected. Like this is what I'd recover resting focusing on recovering, yet I was running ragged doing everything I was doing. Weird.

"So, tell me, young Trenn, how will you face a whole army? I hope you're not thinking of some silly last stand for this whole affair." Minus asked.

"No." I said definitively, shaking my head. "It takes me and Schroff nine days on foot to make it from Schwanz to Ackerheim without using magic. I don't think a whole army can use speed movement magic, or have it applied to them all the time. The army should have taken double the time it takes a normal person to travel alone, due to logistics and everything." I said. "Sure, I'm making those numbers up, but I'm eyeballing it. Eighteen days for an army to cross that distance seems reasonable. Yet they are here in thirteen days. Their commander is pushing them too hard, they have to be tired by now."

"If you think that means they will rest in front of the town once they reach it, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they will most definitely push their advantage in order not to lose their morale and momentum." Minus said, amusement in her voice, while not saying my guesses were wrong.

I probably shouldn't trust or depend on her. It might be the fever talking, but I have a feeling that she wouldn't try to deceive me for now. I present a source of entertainment, and she still wants to cash on the deal she made with me.

"Minus," I hoped she's feeling generous enough to indulge me and tell me more about how an army with mages would operate. "Are magic-nullifying crystals are something that would be divide across all the army's mages?"

After all, having those crystals would ensure mages could fire spells on others, while being immune to enemy magic.

I felt strong mirth from Minus via the magic link.

"Minus?"

"Hahahahahaha, aaa, with how you act young Trenn, I forget sometimes that you're still a child." Minus giggled and laughed out loud.

I frowned, annoyed at the reaction, but wondering what was she talking about.

"What do you mean?"

"Young Trenn, do you think those crystals would work on enemy mages, and not the ones holding them?" Minus asked patiently. I could feel the smile on her face.

"...The mana fever is fucking up with my ability to think." My ears felt particularly hot.

"Sure it is." She said cheekily.

"Okay, I can ambush the mages without worry. Now all I need to worry about is any warrior that has one of those crystals." I pushed on from my mental lapse.

"They will likely only give them venerated and skillful knights." Minus said. "Conscripted peasants and those of lower noble birth wouldn't have such resource wasted on them."

I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god for nepotism." I said sincerely. Minus laughed.

Comfortable silence returned between us. I felt like... like I'm suppose to feel disgust or anger that this comfort exists. Like chatting with Minus was somehow something I can do casually without any underlying spite or hatred.

...No. This isn't important for now.

Army. Monster. Save Schroff.

Focus on other things later.

I needed to ration my mana reserves. All of it, Minus' and mine. Zoltraak before the mages could react, obviously. Maybe have it so that the beam becomes faster by focusing into into a smaller volume. Upping the speed by upping the penetration power? I mean, if it's piercing faster, it's going through the air faster. That roughly makes sense right.

But for everyone else?

As I flew forward, just enough to get the army in my range, while scanning them (hopefully) away from anyone's ability to notice. Also using Line Mode should hopefully mitigate anyone's chance to sense me due to how quick the line would move over them. And I was still suppressing my mana as much as I can through all of this. Well suppressing more than usual.

My usual reached a point where I can make myself seem like an experienced warrior for my age. At least given Minus' reaction, before she suspected me of hiding my mana levels.

So, for the army—Hmm?

One, two, three...

I clicked my tongue. Twenty seven.

Twenty seven people had magic-nullifying crystals. I could feel it with how my mana shifted in motion when I passed over them, similar to how it did when I held that assassin lady's crystal myself.

Of those twenty seven, five crystals seem to have the same effect as the assassin lady. Could those be other assassins? Hmm, gonna have to target them first to make sure they don't escape or react, or sneak up on me once the ambush starts.

The other twenty two, twenty gave my mana a stronger reaction. And the last two made me feel like I couldn't make spells no matter how I tired. My mana felt, how to explain it in water-term. Something that can't be grabbed, cupped or contained.

Superfluid. That's it.

With normal magic-nullifying crystal, like the assassin's, my mana felt too liquid-y. It was flowing too much. With the stronger ones like those twenty, it felt like a river that can't be easily tamed or stirred. With the last two, it was a superfluid, impossible to grasped, only directed.

Odd though. Those last two strongest crystals seem too close to each other. Was one person holding them? Why?

No. Not important.

So alright, no magical attacks. Not directly. But maybe something physical that isn't magical in origin? Like throwing a big rock with magic. Even if the spell is cancelled, it's still a big rock.

"Young Trenn." Minus spoke up.

"Yes?" Why does she seem eager about something?

"I have a proposition for you." Minus said, as I listened with attention. "I think I'd like to see what you'd do unencumbered by mana costs."

"And what do you want in return this time?" I asked with suspicion.

"Survive."

Ruhm Verfehlt, Defector Warrior POV:

Verfehlt, son of the house to Ruhm rode forward toward the next town. Their next conquest.

If he could quickly solidify the Coalition's control over the Anfang Region, then the Schildhain would be open to attack from two directions, with one being a place it never expect assault from.

There were five regions in the Southern Lands.

Eisenruh, the heart of the Southern Lands, and the biggest region that borders direction with the Central Lands.

Hintersturm, the south-westward end of the Principality.

Brückenmark and Schildhain, the central regions of the Southern Lands divided by the Stromfall River that divided those two regions.

And finally there was Anfang at the far southward far east end of the Principality. It bordered only Schildhain thus only accessible through it.

Verfehlt had went on a daring mission with the permission of the former Vizegarf—Herzog Gierig as he took to calling himself now.

Taking a banner of a thousand hundred men, having the mages hide them under the cover of their spells, while making sure the knights stayed far away from the mages. This was to ensure the knights' magic-nullifying crystals did not interfere with the mages' spells.

Coordinating everything was an annoyance and tiring, yet the results spoke to themselves. Steadily and with patience they marched across the tail end of Schildhain Region undetected, into Anfang.

From there, it was a straight swift gauntlet. They would attack one town after the next, leaving a hundred men behind to hold it once they were sure of victory, and continue on to the next. All for the sake of conquering the region before anyone noticed.

Anfang was ignored by the rest of the Southern Lands, and that's what made it perfect.

Once Anfang was taken, the Coalition could build a naval base in secret in the northern part of Anfang, and then along with their base in Brückenmark, they can launch a two-pronged attack upon the Schildhain Region, finally overwhelming it, and from there they could finally focus on their grand prize.

Eisenruh. Just a few years. A few short years. Less than a decade and they can overwhelm the Royal Family and the Elves Shields by attacking them from three sides. And finally the Principality would be theirs.

Verfehlt knew that Gierig was slimy. An opportunist who would bow to whenever the wind blew. Yet, he was the only direction Verfehlt had to save the Principality till a better solution showed itself.

He didn't know how or from where did Gierig's newfound funds and resources came from. Even if he was embezzling the Principality's taxes for years by misreporting his earnings, he couldn't have amassed that much wealth as to fund the Coalition all these years.

Verfehlt added that as another conspiracy he would get to the bottom of.

For now he focused on the task at hand. He was running his army ragged, but they can rest after taking the next town.

The Coalition for all their fervor was slowly but steadily losing this fight. The Royal Family were holding the line due to the rich magic-nullifying crystal vein they build the capital on top of.

The Royal Family's power came from their secret knowledge to mining the magic-nullifying crystal successfully. And through it, the principal knight family of Ruhm acted as the Royal Family's sword and shield.

Verfehlt's family.

Which he had to turn his back on and oppose once he discovered the truth.

They don't know. They couldn't understand that they, the Ruhm House, that everyone, even the Royal Family were tricked by that elf. All this time, centuries stringed like puppets by her actions.

How could he not do everything to oppose her, even if it meant joining and leading an idiotic despicable movement like the Anti-Elf Coalition?

"Something's off." A feminine voice spoke at Verfehlt's side. A female rogue on horseback riding next to him. They were both riding their horses in the middle of the army. "I think we're being spied on through mana detection, Captain."

"Lauer, I told you not to call me that when in public." Verfehlt chastised his friend and bodyguard who followed him even into this crazy endeavor.

"Ah, apologies 'your grace.'" Lauer, the black haired rogue and childhood friend of Verfehlt, said back to him. Her voice was monotone-ish, yet one could almost hear the teasing quality in it. "No one is around, close enough to hear us, in case you're worried."

At the moment Verfehlt had his magic disguise on. An amulet given to him by Herzog Gierig that allowed Verfehlt to assue the Herzog's form.

Throughout this expedition he would interchange his looks, to either motivate and keep morale up by pretending to be the Herzog, or return to himself and actually lead the army.

The idea was that should this venture failed, it could cause rumors to circulate about the Herzog's death causing the Elves Shield and the Royal Family to act recklessly, only for the "return" of the Herzog to devastate them.

Or should their army be discovered, the Elves Shield forces in Schildhain would mistaken him for the real Herzog and rush over to try and take him out, thus leaving themselves open to the Coalition forces in Brückenmark.

Regardless, right now due to how hard he was pushing the army, he wanted to show the troops that their "leader", Herzog Gierig was right with them in the thick of it.

"You sensed something? Where?" He said with some urgency, ready to switch looks and return to his true image and act as a knight against as need be.

"Far to the east of us. Twenty kilometers." Lauer said, eyes narrowed in that direction, voice no longer playful. "It was something too small that I'd normally dismiss it, but I'm sure it was sensing us, which means it's a Mage with mana detection."

To sense something that far away and that small, Lauer was the most exceptional Rogue within the current banner by a mile. Then again she grew up with Verfehlt, with access to resources of the Ruhm House, allowing her talent as a rogue to flourish.

"Mage, singular?" Someone unaffiliated with the upcoming town, or someone idiotic.

"Yes. Given the size of their mana, likely an apprentice trying to hide their mana level." Lauer frowned. "But if they can sense us from that far away then... then it doesn't add up. What kind of mage apprentice could sense us from twenty kilometers away? And be able to suppress his mana on top of it?"

"Are you sure you're sensing a mage and not that Stille that passed us by a few times?" Verfehlt offered as an explanation.

"And as I told you 'your grace'," a chuckle passed between them. "Whatever that was, that wasn't a Stille, they don't live..." Lauer paused as she sensed fluctuation in that far away mana. Then her instincts screamed. "WATCH OUT!"

Lauer threw Verfehlt's crystal shield to him and readied her vambrace made of magic-nullifying crystals.

Beaming of energy rained down upon the army, faster than anyone could blink. The rays where thin and focused specifically on the mages, many who didn't sense the assault in time.

Yet no one had time to react. Just as shouts of pain and death started, the Coalition army was bombarded by trees smashing down upon them followed by the crack of thunder.

Chapter Text

There was a moment.

Through the heat across my forehead, cheeks, jaw—just head in general from the mana fever, and the multiple spells I was juggling.

Through it all there was a moment.

A single moment where I thought if I should stop.

I can just go to Ackerheim, take Schroff, carry him and run away to our cabin in the mountain. Go face the Ancient Einsam, get the Shineglow Moss and give it to Minus to make the antidote out of.

I don't have to go through with this.

Before me stands an army. Around me are dozens of floating trees, cut from the forest near Ackerheim Town.

The army were about twenty kilometers out. Not twenty kilometers from Ackerheim, twenty kilometers from me. I flew closer to get better aim.

All trees were floating on their side, aimed like spears about to be launched. Schnellwurf, the Magnet Slingshot Spell was attached to every single tree, with one positive mana point charge at the tree, and the negative mana point charge at one of the people in the army with a magic-nullifying crystal.

Fucking disspell that, bitch.

Heh. The whole thing reminded me of that one time Flink literally just grabbed a tree by placing a palm on it, sinking his fingers into it, and ripping the whole thing out of the ground. With one arm.

Then his whole bow, magically opened up and extended into a larger bow, upon which he nocked the whole tree and fired it at the frosty mountain. The tree is stuck there to this day, at least last time, me, Schroff and Flink crossed over the mountain it was still there at the peak. I laughed at remembering that.

I focused on the present.

I swept through the army with a more through mana detection, this time shaping it as a cone to cover things quickly. On each mage (anyone with active and above average mana levels), I marked with a mana signal derived off the mana signal Minus placed on me. This one just a mark, rather than the tether of a magic link.

158 Mages.

22 Warriors, plus 5 Assassins with a magic-nullifying crystal.

335 soldiers of varying Classes.

All innocent people.

No. All people. Just people.

Just people... fighting for what they believe.

Just people who were conscripted.

Just people who didn't want to be here.

Just people who were tricked.

Just people who were confused.

Just people going with the flow.

Some might be kids.

Some might be old people trying to spar those younger from war.

Some might have had no choice. Joining for food, or resources, anything to take them from an awful life, and be given a chance for something anything better in life.

These are human beings—No. Rather for this world, these are living sapient beings. Thinking and feeling living beings like me. I'm about to kill them.

And...

I don't care.

My resolve solidified.

They were an obstacles to saving Schroff. They will be removed.

First the mages.

Targets were set. One hundred and fifty eight Offensive Magic spells formed and ready. Formed Spells.

My brain feels warm from the mana fever. But my mind feels cold.

There's no need to imagine. I know the spell inside and out. Willpower isn't infinite. It's a finite resource (for now). Thus spells are made and set in the Formed set way.

The energy of the killing spell condenses and is ready.

A faint memory of Fern practicing this spell, trying to perfect casting over a long distance while maintaining its power comes to mind.

The thought of that being a problem seem ludicrous to me right now.

Shooting from 5 km away and for the spell to reach the target isn't a challenge. It's a Certainty.

"Zoltraak."

98 Mages.

63 Mages.

46 Mages.

19 Mages.

4 Mages.

A Dutiful Mage POV:

He was one of the elevated mages of the Anti-Elf Coalition. This mage had travelled long with this comrades, upholding the cloaking magic, helping the army with logistics and even fighting against those elf worshiping zealots.

The mage felt a sense of elation as they were an hour away from the next town. Soon they would take it, free those people from the obsessiveness of the Elves Shields and they subjugation of humans.

Following that would be two more major towns and the region is theirs.

This whole endeavor was a brilliant plan by his grace, Herzog Gierig and they were blessed to have had this rebellious spirit rouse them up into fighting the invisible chains of servitude and dependence elves had wrapped around humanity for long.

The mage, even with all he felt, showed nothing on his face. Just stark focused determination.

His skills in magic, how quickly he can cast spells and instincts were always praise worthy among his peers.

It would also be why he's one of the few who felt it. A change in the air. An odd tingle, a shiver running up his spine.

He had felt it enough times through the battlefields and this march to recognize it.

Killing intent.

He summoned up his mana, and readied himself to cast Defensive Magic and be able to react to any sudden danger.

"Huh? What the matter? You sense something?" Asked one of his comrades.

"Nothing," he replied. "Just this odd feeling of—"

"GAAAAAH!"

He saw his friend be shot and pierced through by a very rope width beam. A Zoltraak that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Immediately mage cast Phaitagurd without a second thought.

He looked around in panic, wondering where the attack came form—

Dozens.

Hundreds of small and precise Offensive Magic spells were raining on them.

Most mages didn't have time to process the assault. Some tried to dodge only for the beam to immediately change direction and home in on them.

All of it happened simultaneously in a second

And for those like him, with instinct and luck enough to get their magic barrier up in time?

Crack!

Pain.

A small hole shattered in the barrier. Before the mage could react, or even be cognizant of what happened, he was shot through.

A hole where his throat was.

Like all other mages in the Coalition army seeking to strike fast and take the Anfang Region, he was slain where he marched and died before he could even understand what was happening.

The moment I fired the Offensive Magic, I fired the trees at the warriors with the magic-nullifying crystals.

There would be no pause nor mercy.

"Schnellwurf."

1 Assassin.

5 Warriors with a magic-nullifying crystal.

78 soldiers.

A Disillusioned Knight POV:

He was a knight of the Anti-Elf Coalition. He had always wanted to be an adventurer, a hero, like the great Himmel of their current era.

He had been born during the Age of Peace, where no more fighting was left.

He was from a prominent noble family in the Southern Lands. He trained on the path of the Warrior Class, even if the future seemed to have no need of it.

And then came the Elf & Freedom Discourse. That's what his family and peers called it. The fight for academic discussions that split the country apart.

The boy grew into a man. A Warrior.

And the Warrior became a Knight.

A knight who served and defended his noble family, who stood up for the righteous cause of freedom.

At least that's how it seemed in the beginning.

After the third village he sacked following the banner of Lord Verfehlt, the Enlightened Knight—for he broke free of his family under the royal crown and oppose them to fight for justice—the knight began to wonder, where are the elves this whole fight was about.

They are so few in numbers that, would they even have heard of the wars in the Southern Lands fought for them or against them?

At this point, the knight wished for nothing more than the fighting to end.

He trained harder, strengthened his body, sharpened his swordsmanship, all for the sake of peace. To return back to those halcyon days were boredom was his greatest adversary.

The knight vowed to grow stronger so as to end the fighting. The moment they finish with the Anfang Region, he would head Eisenruh Region, right into the capital of the Principality and no matter the hardship, he'd do anything fight in any battle so that finally—

Rays of light fell upon the army. He heard the cries of pain and death.

The knight reacted instantly, arming himself with his sword, and raising his shield. Yes he was gifted a magic-nullifying crystal brooch by his liege, Lord Verfehlt, and had no fear of magic.

Yet if the enemy mages are attacking then soon enough their solider—

The knight felt something coming fast from up above.

And the last thing he saw was a giant piece of lumber with a cone of air around it.

It hit him. Darkness took him. He heard the crack of thunder then no more.

Ruhm Verfehlt, Defector Warrior POV:

It all happened in an instant. Lauer warning was the only reason Ruhm Verfehlt still lived.

His horse was blown into a gore of meat as the supersonic tree slammed into Verfehlt. Only his shield, made of the highest quality of magic-nullifying crystal with it's mythical durability saved his life.

Yet, even then, it took all his strength and training to react, guard and tank the full power of that attack.

Lauer with all her swiftness managed to survive as well. Jumping from her horse, that only the shockwaves hit her, carrying her away.

Verfehlt looked back to see his beloved mount reduced to a carcass. Flesh that was ripped and torn apart by sheer force.

He couldn't even take a moment to process, let along mourn one of his oldest companions, as around him was a scene from hell.

Verfehlt had been in battle before. He had seen battlefield after the fighting was done many times, and it was always a gruesome scene.

But then?

This was nauseating.

Soldiers that he trained. Comrades that he travelled with, fought next to, shared meals with, all torn apart, crushed or smashed into a pulp like they were nothing.

"DAMN YOU—!" He began to shout. Began to look at the direction of the attack—coming for a north-east direction—and was about to mount an attack, even if he has to run on his own feet.

Lauer began to shout something, only to jump and somersault over an arrow that was aimed at her.

Archer!?

Verfehlt moved to save his beloved friend. By the time he reached her she had dodged three more arrows, one she had to use her crystal vambrace to deflect.

Verfehlt stood in front of her, shield up, blocking the flying arrows that he now could tell were coated in shaped mana, meaning a spell. A spell that broke into nothing the moment it came without three meters of his shield, yet it's force still stung him.

Yet by his count the attack only lasted ten arrows before instantly stopping.

And the screams started again.

Verfehlt and Lauer looked around them to see arrows falling down and even homing in on any person they missed.

"T-This isn't a battle." Whomever was attacking them was targeting even single individual soldier. "This is a slaughter."

The vile enemy must hold a demon's heart. For there are no mercy in their actions. Verfehlt thought in despair, and he ran toward one of the soldier that survived the first onslaught.

Hoping to save someone, anyone! Just one person.

Lauer grabbed his arm and pulled him back as a significantly faster arrow almost pierced his neck.

The solider died from another magic arrow right as Verfehlt was pulled back.

The archers attacking them were targeting everyone simultaneously.

"Lauer!" He shouted in rage and despair. "Where are they?"

"Verfehlt, we need to get out of here. The Shields clearly had a secret base here, deep in the heart of Anfang we didn't know about." Lauer tried to tell him, urgency in her every word.

"How could the scouts miss this? Your Rogues are the best of the best. Invisible, unseen and swift." He said, not looking at Lauer, high on alert for the next attack as he stood back to back with his childhood friend.

"The one that went this time is Pétze. She is," she paused, scowling in anger of. "One of the less disciplined Rogues I had. Excellent in everything else, but tends to spend more time than needed in her reconnaissance and assassination missions under the excuse of being thorough. I sent her this time as we all but were guaranteed to secure the Anfang Region when we were already so successful and deep into its territory."

Verfehlt gritted his teeth as it seemed like every worst possible scenario occurred all at once. The Devil's Joker coming for them all, even with the blasted Demon King himself being dead.

Joke of the Demon King, the jest that anything that could go wrong would do so.

"Lauer," Verfehlt spoke. "Some of the horses survived. I see a few running in circles. On my count we—"

"They're coming." Lauer spoke with dread.

"How many?" Verfehlt immediately called out.

"...One."

"What?" Verfehlt muttered in horror as he turned and stood side by side with his friend.

Verfehlt felt something coming toward me. Lauer tried to call out a warning, but he already had his shield up.

His instincts told him it was something moving faster than sound like the trees.

But no. When the attack hit him, the force was much greater than the launched trees. Verfehlt couldn't believe his eyes was he was pushed and his feet were dragged through the earth for who know how many meters.

The one who attacked Verfehlt, held a very familiar legendary sword. A sword Verfehlt only read about in books about famous and mythical swords.

Ewiglast, the Eternal Burden, and it was in the hand of his opponent... a child?

After the initial Zoltraak and tree assault, there four mages and eighty three soldiers and one assassin. Six were with magic-nullifying crystals, two of which had those high quality crystals.

The high quality crystals were with a warrior and an assassin. So those are the strongest? Neat combo.

Welp, good thing I got a bow and a quiver of arrows from the guards' garrison. Along with a handful of spears just in case.

The bow and arrow quiver I wore till I needed to use them. However I also had some extra arrows floating around me just in case.

Alright, initial attack done. Now for the clean up.

This time I flew toward the army. I kept my mana still suppressed, but to the point where I'm not actively thinking or focusing on it. So I must have felt like a normal teenage warrior, or apprentice mage. I don't know the specifics and didn't care to ponder.

Another sweep with mana detection and mana marking on everything. Then I got my bow in one arm, and drew an arrow.

Zoltraak covered the arrow, then I placed Wurfspeer on top of that for precision and to improve aim and to guide the arrow after firing it. Also the effect of Wurfspeer mixed with Zoltraak to add some extra piercing power.

Jilwer still on, everything in slow motion. I fired the arrow at the first targets are the warriors with the magic-nullifying crystals, then at four mages still alive. No, I still see you there under that cloaking spell and suppressed mana. Gotta try harder than that in your next life.

The warriors and mages were struck. The mages all died before they could react. Of the warriors with the crystals four died. The two with the highest quality crystals still survived.

Huh, must be the elite of this army.

Whatever. I'll get to them later then.

I targeted everyone else. One by one I shot the soldiers down, even those running away, even those escaping. Might as well leave no survivors to tell the Coalition to come back with reinforcement.

I kept going till I was out of arrows and had to use some of the spears.

Finally I was done, and only two were left. I dropped and bow. I had no more arrows, so it's burden now. Not like this is the one Flink made for me.

For who knows how many times I lamented that I kept it back home.

I had five spears left. Alright then.

I readied Schnellwurf, a curious thought in my head. Yes, I can't used spells on the crystal bearers, but about the preparations of a spell around them?

I used full-sight mana detection to get a look at the last two opponent. With my mana detection in the shape of a cone, it was easy to survey all the battlefield.

Hmm, the assassin's crystals were a vambrace. So it's actually two pieces rather than one, but because they are so close the null zone around them seemed like one. Gonna have to work to improve my mana detection on that.

And the warrior looked like a typical knight with a shield made of the crystal.

Like seriously stereotypical knight. Blond hair, blue eyes, shining armor, white cape. Bro, you think you're a hero or something?

Anyways, I placed the negative mana point behind the warrior, five meters away.

Alright so far so good.

Now the mana line and... Ooooh!?

It worked!

I can feel the magnetic charge between the negative mana point and my body which is the positive mana point. The mana line was charged and starting to pull at me.

I grinned. Alright then.

I did the same with the spear and made the point for them to target be behind the assassin girl. Zoltraak and Wurfspeer on the spears for accuracy and penetrative power. ...Phrasing.

Actually fuck her, I don't care.

Everything's ready.

I drew my enchanted sword. With my mana strengthening I had 7 minutes and 57 seconds before the enchantment adjusts and makes the sword unwieldy for life battle again.

Now...

"Schnellwurf."

The world zoomed around me, a sonic boom behind me.

The landscape speed up on fast forward as I ate kilometers in movement.

With Adlerblick, the hawk-sight spell on, I could see the unaware enemies coming quickly in full view.

Only a kilometer away did their instinct flare and they began to react.

Half a kilometer I kept my focus on the assassin not the warrior. My enchanted sword was still held to my side next to me for the opening swing.

300 meters. The assassin tried to move to push the warrior away or shield him. The warrior was putting his shield in place to block me.

190 meters—I fired the spears. The assassin only now noticing them.

She blocked two with her crystal vambraces. One got her in the guts and went through her. There were two one aimed high at the same place of the ones she blocked, her chest. One hit her left arm vambrace, the repeated strike force dislocating her arm and breaking her guard. The last spear struck her chest on the left side.

I was in range of the warrior now, and swing the enchanted blade.

BANG!

The sheer clash of opposing forces, destructive force and unbreakable shield, roared loudly to the world.

And I pushed him back, trying to make him break his guard and lose his footing. The warrior, well, knight was strong, I'll give him that.

Even while being dragged for who know how long across the battlefield, even with all the force that must be straining his arms, he held his crystal shield.

How admirable. How annoying.

"Y-You...!" He coughed and muttered. "Who?" He looked at me like he couldn't believe his eyes.

Then again, I was a child who killed his army.

"I'm the exterminator, ant."

Because compared to the Ancient Einsam I was fighting afterwards, that's all this knight was to me.

Chapter Text

To my annoyance, the shield didn't break from the force of my supersonic strike, even with everything else.

There was crack, so I at least managed that.

"...You're just a child—"

I stepped back and swung upward. The sword struck the knight's shield again, his arm leaning away from all the punishment it forced to endure. I slashed from his open side.

Annoyingly Jilwer is off, as I was in range of the stupid crystal shield.

The knight finally got his sword out and met my blow.

Only I never paused or slowed, I'm working on a time limit here. 7 minutes and 3 seconds till my enchanted sword is unusable.

We clashed, again and again, the knight is overwhelming me with experience and skill, but the sheer strength of my attacks are staggering him whenever our blades strike, and my speed is keeping up with him.

All the while I also kept an eye on the assassin with mana detection. She wasn't dead. She was injured but not out of the fight. I waited for her to make her move, so I can get both of them.

Yes, I can't form or cast spells within three meters of either of their—the Warrior's or the Assassin's—magic-nullifying crystals.

But my mana detection is spherical, and I can cast a spell in any spatial point in it.

I can cast a spell originating from deep within the earth, and let its physical effect take them both out.

People tend to lower their guard the moment victory seems in their grasp. So I'm going to let these two elite fighters think they're going to win, because even the strongest or most skilled would let their guard down when they are most assured of their safety.

And one is most safe in victory.

"Where did you get that sword from? Why do you have Ewiglast?" The knight shouted, and I ignored him.

So my enchanted sword turned out to have a name? Neat. Ewiglast, huh. Cool name.

Anyways, as me and the knight exchanged blows, due to not actively using spells but just mana control, I realized something.

"The Shields have trained children to do their dirty work now? All for those filthy elves!? Stop child! You don't have to continue being a monster!" The knight kept yapping.

My own mana had refilled up back to a third of my reserves. Huh? How? Since when and why?

The knight after clashing blades and locking then swung his other arm to shield bash me.

I jump-dashed back. He instantly was on me with another sword slash that I met.

Oh, quick one, wasn't he? Not wanting me outside the three meter range of his crystal shield.

Okay then. I kept parrying and weaving out of the way of the knight's strikes.

Actually some of his strikes were missing by a wide margin. Like swinging a dozen inches away from me. I first thought he was planning something, but no, he just kept missing at times.

Ah! Got it. I forgot how small I was. Flink did mention I was too small of a target for a close-quarter combat, but then immediately adjusted. I didn't think much about it because I just assumed that would be normal for skilled warriors that I'd face.

The knight is adjusting to fighting someone as nimble as me at my size.

Time to throw him off.

It took a few moments—in which I met, parried or dodge the knights sword slashes—using full mana sight to find swords lying around.

"Verfehlt! That child is of the Froststaub mountain tribe!" The assassin lying on the ground shouted in desperation.

I took control of three nearby telekinetically, they weren't in anyone's hand, or entangled in something. I floated them a bit off ground and aimed them. Negative charge mana point behind the knight. I overcharged and mana line between the positive and negative points as much as I could.

The knight, Ver-something, look at me with wide-eyes.

"The Shields got to them? And this is what a child can do?" He said in horror.

"Schnellwurf." I said back.

BOOM!

CLANK!

I'm impressed, the first shot, the knight managed to block with his shield.

BOOM!

CLANK!

Second shot also blocked but his lost his sword, or dropped it as he used both hands to hold the shield.

BOOM!

CLUNGK!

"ARGH!" The knight cried out.

Okay, that is just bullshit. That sword shot was to his back. Yes, it hit the armor but that armor must be fucking enchanted or something.

Okay, then, finding more swords. Those further away took a while to angle right.

The assassin jumping from where she was lying when my back was to her. She moved fast. Like a quarter of my speed in Jilwer.

How the fuck is she still moving with a stab to the heart—She diverted it? She diverted the spear at the last moment to avoid her heart. And she's just moving fine with a hole in her stomach.

Sure, why not? Of fucking course she's still in fighting shape. I'm dealing with shounen characters.

Oh well, contingency plan then.

I used all my mana strengthening, sending a burst of mana to my legs in the instant I jump back. The burst of extra speed pushes me past the three meter range.

The knight disk throws his shield at me.

Huh. Wow.

Okay, I'm impressed.

I sword my enchanted sword—Ewiglast, I should try to remember that name, it sounds cool—at the shield, the two items smashing together in the middle between me and the knight.

The assassin has a spear, one of the ones I shot her with aimed at my back. I'm not in range of her crystal vambraces yet.

And I'm in contact with the ground. I remembered the spell I used to destroy the Coalition encampment outside of Schwanz. I memorized that compound spell and now know it as it's own distinct magic.

"Flammenbruch." I cast upon the earth while making a barrier around me.

The ground for a mile in diameter with me as a center point turned orange with heat.

"LAU—" The knight tried to shout.

His voice was lost as the world turned to light and heat.

The explosion engulfed us, the whole area. From within my barrier I saw the world turn to fire as I flew up into the sky.

There was smoke and heat left by the spell. I had gotten better at using wind in a Non-Formed Spell way. So with an effort of will and thought, imaging telekinesis and air on a large scale, I swung my arm and pushed the smoke away.

I saw the knight at his assassin's side. Her body was more or less a burned husk. He cradled her, holding some green glowing amulet above her.

Huh, she was alive. Barely. Her flesh was melted with bones showing in a lot of places. Her body was... huh, okay. Her body was fixing itself.

Guess, that amulet is a healing item. Is that why he survived?

Still her body's healing was... too slow. I could feel the mana in her dwindling faster than it she could make. Her life force was leaving her.

"Ver..." She tried to say.

"No, no, no." The knight said. His armor was smoking. He took off his gauntlet and gloves. His skin was also melted in places, but mostly red like a lobster. He handled the blast better than she did. "Lauer, no, you... you can, you're going to be okay." He said desperately. Sorrow and pain already in his voice.

I grabbed Ewiglast with my telekinesis and launched it quickly back at myself to catch it.

"Verfehlt," Lauer spoke. "Sorry for... failing, my... lo..."

"No! Never. You have never failed. You've been the one true constant at my side. Don't leave me." Verfehlt cried out.

"Ver...fehlt... I've always..." Her face did the approximate of a smile as with her last strength, she raised an arm and caressed his face. "Live."

She said her last word and her arm fell. Her eyes stayed open, staring at nothing.

The amulet dimmed and shut its glow as there was nothing to heal. Or it ran out of power, as the knight should still need more healing.

Silence filled the battlefield, only the cracking of fires nearby served as ambience.

The knight growled through gritted teeth. His head tilted to the side like he wanted to turn to face me, but stopped halfway through the motion.

"Why?" He said through his teeth. "Why are you fighting us? We are trying to free this land from the invisible gripping hands of the elves. Has the Froststaub mountain tribe fell to their witchery as well? To their rhetoric and dogma disguised as 'wise' advice?" He hissed.

I recalled something Flink said to me. That if I'm fighting a warrior and he was on his last leg, that I must finish him quickly.

"A Warrior's last stand is a dangerous thing." Flink had said.

That even if they can't consciously use mana, they have subconsciously and through condition trained their mana and body to work together. And thus by tapping into their last reserve of strength in the face of death they can remove the limiters on their body. And also on how much their mana can empower them without damaging themselves.

Basically magical hysterical strength.

The knight laid his friend or lover down, and stood up. He had a second sword I noticed now. Shorter but still undrawn.

I held my sword in front of me, preparing for battle. Yet my enemy at least deserved an answer.

"There is no tribe." I said. "There's just me."

He blinked. Looking at me incomprehensively.

"'Just you'," he repeated in disbelief. "Then why—"

I've had enough.

"Don't try to find a reason." I just said, shutting him up. "Don't try to rationalize this. Don't make a story, or a narrative for these events. They won't satisfy you or be enough. I will fight you to defend my home and loved ones. You will fight me for opposing your ambitions and defending or avenging your loved ones.

"There is no need for any other fancy reasons. You will try to kill me and I will try to kill you. That is all."

I gave my final statement, and that shut him up. The knight's eyes hardened once more. He gave a small nod of acknowledgement and drew his sword.

I thought about how to slay him now. I mentally observed my environment with mana detection full sight to catalogue where other weapons were, where his crystal shield was—

The knight moved dashing at me with renewed fervor, but he didn't have his shield this time. Which means I can use Jilwer.

I slashed at his head faster than he could blink.

CLASH!

I blinked as he met my blow in equal speed and strength.

He pushed back, and swung his blade, again and again our sword clashing fast and hard enough to make sparks, to ring loudly as to deafen everything else.

Then in a surprise move as we locked swords, the knight threw an upper cut at me. I easily tanked the blow with my forearm, only to get a kick in the stomach.

I was launched back from him. Quickly orienting myself, for the next attack, the knight launched himself at his crystal shield that he was pushing us towards.

I moved toward him to stop him, only for him to throw his sword at my head like a bullet. I moved my head in time, getting a scar on my cheek.

I fired Zoltraak at the knight. His armor tanked the hits, cracking with every Offensive Magic hitting him.

The next Zoltraak dispersed as the knight reached his crystal shield, and he picked up a sword nearby that was a more full length one. Close to the knight's original sword in height.

I telekinetically grabbed swords, spears aimed them and fired them at him with Schnellwurf.

Sonic booms echoed with the knight tanking every fired blade from the front with his shield, and every hit from the back or side kept causing his armor to crack, or some did manage to pierce him, but he just kept going.

This is gonna be more difficult than I thought. And I still had the Ancient Einsam—

Why am I engaging this knight in a sword fight? When did this become a duel?

With Jilwer one I could think faster. I could focus it to speed up my thoughts even more, even if it doesn't increase my movement speed.

Why am I bothering with this? I don't owe this knight a clean death or an honorable fight.

Also I noticed that my own mana reserves have filled up to half now, even while using only Minus' mana.

I got a theory on how this might be possible. Her Curse might be a blessing I didn't expect. I don't think even she expected this, but the idea needs to be shelved till after the knight, Verfehlt, is dead.

As if sensing my thoughts, or plans, the knight began to disk threw his shield once more.

Before his arm could complete the motion, I cast Schnellwurf on myself targeting to launch straight up.

Two sonic booms echoed, and from my place in the sky a kilometer up I was surprised to see that Verfehlt threw his shield with the speed of a bullet. I had to use Flight Magic to abruptly stop my launch and kill the momentum. It felt like my body was hit with undersea pressure all over.

Not doing that again till I'm stronger, or have a spell to cancel inertia.

"COME BACK DOWN! FACE ME!" Verfehlt shouted.

I could fire Zoltraak over and over again, or Schnellwurf other weapons at him, but I feel like he won't fall down until it's something definitive.

I have more experience with air and oxygen now, given my stint trying to make oxygen for that first magnet slingshot test flight.

My entire mana detection range as a sphere, is five point seven kilometer radius. But I don't need to what I plan for that whole area. One kilometer was enough.

I spread my arms to each side of me. I formed a mental shell around a kilometer under me with Verfehlt as a center point. From that shell I imagined and willed air to be drained out.

The knight may have felt that I was doing a large scale spell, but not what it was.

He ran, reached and grabbed his shield holding it in front of him, facing me.

Yes, the spell didn't affect the three meters he was in.

But nature abhors a vacuum. And so eventually the air around him started to thin as it dispersed into a airless area.

"STOP... Coward... no..."

The knight grew weaker and weaker. He dashed, trying to outrun the range of the spell. I kept the vacuum shell around him, moving along side him.

He couldn't run fast enough to escape my spell. And all that movement just used up his breath and strength faster and faster.

Eventually the knight collapsed, falling to the ground.

He crawled until he couldn't anymore.

I kept the spell up for ten minutes. Minus' mana was dropping rapidly till it was a quarter the size of my full reserves.

This might be too much but I wasn't taking chances. In fact!

I grabbed Ewiglast as I floated directly above the knight. I covered the sword with Zoltraak and held it like a guillotine over Verfehlt's body.

The sword was growing heavier and heavier. I dropped it with Wurfspeer cast on it as well, and telekinetically sped up and guided the fall of the sword.

Ewiglast slammed into the ground kicked up dirt as it sliced through Verfehlt's head sending it flying away from his body.

"Alright, good. He's dead for sure." I sighed as I released the spell and floated down.

I landed next to Verfehlt's decapitated body, threw Ewiglast back into my hand with a telekinetic pull, then set the body and head on fire.

Might as well be thorough.

I did the same for the body of his assassin lover-slash-friend-slash-subordinate person.

The world was quiet with death. Even the fire ran out of energy and died. Only smoke and the spell of dead bodies was left.

"Brutal." Minus said to me.

"War isn't suppose to be pretty." I said back as I flew up to the sky again.

Minus' approving laugh through the magic link didn't fill me pride.

I readied myself to fly toward the Froststaub mountains, toward the Death Tunnel.

One last enemy to deal with.

Chapter Text

Floating atop the battlefield I gave the whole area one last surveying look, using full sight mana detection, before shutting it off to normal mana detection. I was starting to get a headache.

Everyone's mana levels were gone as they didn't have the life force to generate any. Meaning, thankfully, hopefully, everyone was dead, Dave.

I flew away from the battlefield to the direction of Ackerheim, as I was lost in thought. How do I get the Shineglow Moss from the Death Tunnel?

Yeah, I saw them scattered throughout the tunnel lighting it up, but they were too deep.

Hmm... there were some closer to the exit from the other side. Maybe if I flew over the mountain, find the other hole of the Death Tunnel I could get in, get the moss and get out without having to fight the Ancient Einsam. Should be possible, right?

I should have enough time to do that. Exterminating the army took less than an hour, for the whole thing. The part the took the most time was fighting that knight and assassin.

Alright, it's not even dawn yet. Time for that experiment.

I went down to the ground, landing on some grass away from anything, not even animals were around me. Good. I can concentrate and see if my suspicion was true, without something interrupting me.

"I thought you were in a hurry?" Minus questioning tone came through the link.

"Something I just have to check." I said as I closed my eyes, passively letting my mana detection stay on, but not focusing on it, only on myself, on my own body and magic.

Jilwer.

I used only Minus' mana while casting the spell. I let my body speed up while observing it.

!!!

I couldn't help the grin forming on my face.

Just like I thought, my mana reserves were refilling before my eyes, in real time at a much accelerated rate.

This is just my theory, but based on what I'm seeing Jilwer normally speeds up everything about my body, physically and spiritual, which can probably account for why I can do things faster even if they don't have to do with physics. This includes not only my metabolism (gonna have to check how this deals with poison, and if I can get poison resistance out of it), but also my magic biology.

Like how fast I refill my mana reserve.

Of course I never noticed before because, well, very obviously the cost of casting Jilwer and up keeping it, was greater than the sped up mana renewel. That's not counting all the spells I use in conjunction with Jilwer.

But here, using Jilwer only and with someone else's mana? Welp, I got outright fast mana regeneration.

"T-This..."

I blinked as I forgot about Minus. Huh, noticing it now, she was also giving me mana, bit by bit so I'd keep refilling my own reserves without overwhelming me. Didn't even notice her doing that till now.

What I did notice and very obviously was the emotions I could feel from the link.

"Young Trenn, this... do you know what this is? What you're done? Discovered!?"

I elation I felt from her, the sheer giddiness was like that of a little girl.

There was just a feeling of pure euphoria sprouting from Minus. I mean, I'm glad she's happy but why's she acting like this is that much of a big deal? Isn't she centuries or millennia years old? I can't be the only person to discover a quick mana refuel method.

"Mana Regeneration?" I asked.

Minus giggled and laughed. For quiet a while too.

I waited a few minutes till she calmed down. Once she regained her breath, she spoke again.

"Thank you." The sheer sincerity in her words freaked me out a bit. Was me helping her, in whatever I did, a good thing or a bad thing?

It sounded like I helped her unlock the last piece of a puzzle to something or other.

"You're welcome?" I said questioning once again.

Minus laughed once more.

"You do not know how revolutionary what your actions just were, young Trenn. But do know that they are most definitely worthy of praise." Minus said, gratitude pouring from the link.

Oh. Cool.

"I can not wait till I have you studying under me."

Aaaaand we're back to stranger danger territory once again.

"...Cool." I said back lamely.

It took a whole hour for my reserves to fully refill from the half fill they were at.

Good to know. Now it was finally time to head to Froststaub mountains.

Four Schnellwurf and about half an hour later, I was floating in the sky looking at the exit of the Death Tunnel overlooking the South-Eastern Sea.

Schnellwurf was one hell of an overpowered travel method. An almost two months trip (of normal walking) shrunk down to half an hour. Fuck yeah.

Only an eighth of my mana was used. Schnellwurf was economical as hell. And even that amount of mana was regenerated quickly thanks to Minus feeling pretty damn generous for whatever I helped her discover.

I looked at the exit, entrance—Whatever, opening of the Death Tunnel in front of me with none too little worry and trepidation.

There is no rope anchored to a wood post on this side. I'd have to get in and out quickly without the Einsam noticing me.

Just get the Shineglow Moss and get out.

...Having mana detection on will have the Ancient Einsam detect me instantly. In order to avoid it sensing me, I need to have my own mana suppressed to the absolute.

I can do it. Zero mana emission.

But I'd have to stay still. Move like a fucking snail.

But it is possible. I can do it.

If it doesn't sense me. If it doesn't know I'm there, I can get in and out without it even knowing. It can only exist in one location. It can't be everywhere in the tunnel.

I took a deep breath and let it out. I'm freaking myself out. I need to calm down.

Review the list of spells that can help in this situation. I knew quite a bit so far, even if I didn't have the chance to use them, or didn't see the need or preference for them.

If there is one thing I can say about old Schroff's mountain folk spells that they are were designed to ensure survival for many situations. That was the point of them, beyond hunting and growing crops.

No, well, one could argue that's also for the sake of survival.

I slowly floated down from the side of the tunnel's entrance, just in case the damn monster was looking out.

I lowered my mana as possible, then I was on the cliff of the Death Tunnel, back to the wall next to the entrance.

I killed my mana emission. I took a breath.

Okay, so far so good. I need to get the timing for spellcasting absolutely right.

First things first.

Schattenschritt.

I summoned just the necessary amount of mana for the spell and instantly cast it.

My presence seemed to dim. My shadow seemed darker, like it was climbing up at me, lengthening in any place there wasn't direct light. With the cloudy sky, I was starting to look like a living shadow.

The spell for temporarily concealing myself in darkness worked as intended.

Adlerblick. The spell for hawk eyesight.

Totemseele. Layered over it, I cast a spell that temporarily grants the qualities of an animal. According to Schroff, usually it's just speed and strength. You'd have to study an animal, or beat it down, and sit next to it, synchronizing with it's life, mana and body to learn how to call on the quality you want for when you use this spell.

I invoked the direwolves I fought while living and travelling upon this mountain.

They may not be the stealthiest—and that might be a preference rather than an ability issue—but they were the best at tracking their prey. Even if they weren't that strong, their senses are top notch, so it should help in noticing anything amiss. Hopefully.

That way, I can catch anything off before the illusions begin.

Finally, Geisterjagd.

This was a spell that reveals traces of recent movement, footprints, scents, any type of trail. It is a spell cast on myself and my senses, rather than the environment. Which means, the Einsam wouldn't detect mana on the surroundings.

I thought about trying Erdgeistflüstern for extra measures. A spell to communicate with the spirit of mountains, rivers, the land, etc.

However, the spell was a crapshoot for me. All I got was a map of the surroundings, which I could already do with full mana sight.

Yeah, I could feel vague emotions from the surroundings, making me able to tell if animals or people passed through and area recently, or get a feelings of death if some predators hunted a prey, but overall, the spell didn't work as advertised for me. Or maybe I'm just not compatible with it.

I tried it on the mountain here near the Death Tunnel once. There was the feeling of death and decay as expected. Lots of forgotten fears. But there was this feeling of, how to describe it, like an old woman watching over things. Like a sense of amusement, fascination with the world and deadly focus.

It was most definitely the Ancient Einsam fucking with me somehow. I didn't bother using Erdgeistflüstern after that.

I took another deep breath, and released it. Mana complete suppression go.

Alright. Let's do this.

I turned my head and lean in to look into the Death Tunnel. It was dark with points of bright light that was the Shineglow Moss.

There was a patch twenty feet the tunnel's mouth.

I could hear the Einsam in there. It was... breathing? A steady breath. It was a sleep?

My eyes widened, a small smile coming to my face. Lucky me.

Slowly, every so slowly I took a step inside.

My pupils dilated as I fully entered the tunnel. I could hear the Einsam loudly with my enhanced senses, as it's breath reverberated off the walls.

There. Far into the depth of the tunnel, about half way in the length of the tunnel was the monster. I could see the Ancient Einsam with its back to me. It was sitting on a large rock. The shape of its shoulder rising and falling the smallest bit.

19 feet to the moss.

I took a step further, crouched, quiet. Even my breathing was shallow, trying not to let even a decibel of sound.

17 feet to the moss.

The Einsam didn't move. It's position didn't change.

15 feet to the moss.

The ground was thankfully mostly even, and more importantly solid. No fragile or crumbling stone to crack under my weight, when stepping on them.

13 feet to the moss.

I kept the Einsam in my sight. Yes, with my enhanced senses I should be able to sense the instant it wakes up, or moves.

I couldn't afford to put my hopes on "shoulds".

11 feet to the moss.

The wind came from behind me. The sound of the ocean waves crashing against the shore, or calmly hitting the beach's sand, echoed behind me. And with it, the ocean wind came, making a whistling noise as it passed through the cave.

9 feet to the moss.

I froze. For one heart stopping moment, I worried that the "noise" of the ocean would be too loud and wake up the Einsam. I'd have to rocket myself out of the tunnel instantly if that's the cave.

But what if this is normal? It lives here. It had lived here for millennia—allegedly—so doesn't it makes sense that the natural sounds are just background noise to it. Stuff it heard so many times, and go used to so much it doesn't notice or focus on anymore?

5 feet to the moss.

Well. Shit.

There are sharp uneven rocks as part of the ground.

I could walk over them but would they break? Make a cracking sound?

Wait no. I'm overthinking this. There's a very easy solution.

I cast Luftstieg, and rose up in the air, just a few inches above the ground, enough to not be touched by the uneven terrain.

Leichtstein.

Then I cast the spell to make things weigh less on myself and waited.

The ocean wind came whistling, and like a feather I was blown inward into the tunnel.

-1 feet away from the moss!

I stopped!

I canceled Leichtstein and forced myself to stay suspended in mid-air.

Was the mana I emitted in my sudden actions felt?

I snapped my head to the Einsam and it was still just as it was in place. Still moving it's shoulders lightly up and down, still consistently breathing. Still asleep.

My hands were on my mouth and nose, focusing on not letting out a peep while my heart thundered in my ears.

God, fighting the damn thing was better than this.

For one single moment, the traitorous thought of just casting some quick and overpowered Zoltraak came to mind. Just kill the damn thing right here and now quickly, and never have to worry about it again.

Except how many times did I think I killed it, only to turn out that it tricked me and survived.

That thing's senses for mana and attacks on it were insane. Hell, I tried sniping it from outside the tunnel a few times, and still it didn't work. Worse, I might have entered without the rope tied to me, if it hadn't been for Flink shooting an arrow to where I was warning me.

And right now I was inside the tunnel. Without the rope.

Okay.

Okay, okay, okay.

Focus on the task.

I looked at the moss from my peripheral vision, still keeping all my focus on the damn monster.

I reached out and grabbed some.

You know that feeling when you shaking someone's hand and get shocked from static electricity.

I just felt that, but the magical version. There was a spasm from my mana interacting with something.

My eyes widened. I gathered my mana for a Schnellwurf, pointing myself out of the cave, all while watching and waiting for the Ancient Einsam's reaction.

What did I touch? Did I touch some magical item? Maybe another of those mana tendrils the Einsam acts with?

Yet... the Einsam didn't move. Nothing changed about it's posture or behavior.

I glanced at the Shineglow Moss for a second. Yep, it's the damn stuff I need, and nothing seems off about it.

I looked back and the Einsam was still the same.

I fucking hate this horror movie shit.

Jilwer.

I grabbed a handle. Four times, stuffing them in my travel bag, and cast Schnellwurf out of the cave.

A sonic boom echoed and I rocketed out of the damn Death Tunnel, out running the fucking Einsam!

"WOOOHOOO!" I cried out at the open skies, and I flew up to head back to Ackehiem—

CRASH!

The sky was gone. The lights were dimmed.

I was still in the Death Tunnel having smacked face first into the ceiling.

I looked around in panic.

Blood drained from my face. Heart thundered ever louder, and as the ringing in my ears drowned out any sound.

The Ancient Einsam was there, standing on the ground a dozen or so meters away from me. It's laugh a scratching horrifying sound, like a cat trying to mimic human laughter.

Floating above its hand were Shineglow Moss. I looked at my back to see some missing. Except what I had in my back was just some dirt.

I looked back to see the Shineglow Moss held by the Einsam get stripped of it's illusion to show dirt in the shape of the moss.

"Oh you motherfucker!"

"Ḩ̶͂a̶̺̅h̶̺͑ḁ̵̈́h̶̲̿ả̸̠h̸͈͠a̶̦͒h̶̜̎ã̴̝!̴̬͐"

===

Minus: One day. I've literally known this child for literally one day and he already unlocked the path to unlimited mana for me. I fuckin love this kid. This kid is mine!

Also obligatory boss fight. Trenn wasn't escaping it. :(

Chapter Text

"I'm not here to fight you." I said. Futilely. Stupidly. Yet hoping still. "Not this time. I want the plant." This thing was intelligent. Enough to scheme, to understand threats or sarcasm. "Just that and I'll go. You'll never even see me in your territory every again."

I said, on the complete absolute and ridiculous chance that this can work. That the monster would accept having one less enemy in the world. It can understand sincerity right?

"I'm trying to save someone. I can't afford to waste time." I said, summoning my mana openly.

Making mental barriers that are cutting it's mana links to me, only to have the barrier penetrated, or miss some of the link, or some turn out not real. So I'm in the constant familiar battle of reinforcing and rebuilding my mental barrier.

It laughed. Roared in merriment.

Amusement that sounded like dying men.

...Yeah. It understood sincerity alright, and it just made it bellow out in laughter at such acts. At asking for clemency when at it's mercy.

I drew my sword. Yeah, I shouldn't have expected anything else.

The Ancient Einsam stepped to the side, and gestured like a performer for me to leave. I smiled and said "thank you, kindly."

Neither of us bought it.

I walked toward the Einsam and the exit, charging up a Schnellwurf. Thank god the last one I used wasn't at full power, or that body first smash to the ceiling would have been way worst. Good thing I'm durable I guess.

This time though, I readied a Defensive Magic barrier to appear at any moment. Given the location I'm in and how far the exits look (either one), I think I'm deep enough that I might be close to the middle of the tunnel.

Shit, this is far deeper that I ever went in this place. The security rope only went 30 meters.

No time to slow down. No time to pause and plan.

I act.

Schnellwurf.

I rocket immediately leaving from where I was standing.

Away from the Einsam, moving backwards, letting the magnetic mana rope pull me back. My sword was drawn and held in front of me as I twist to face away from the monster, barrier up—

CRASH!

My barrier slammed into the ground.

...What?

I wasn't surprised at being tricked into hitting the wrong direction. The Einsam would make me think I'm moving toward the exit, when I was actually moving deeper into the tunnel.

That was normal. That was expected.

The Einsam could mess with what I see. It constantly had to remake, or refine the illusion in real time as I fought with my mental barrier, its mana tendrils trying to touch my mind.

Up was up. Down was down. Right was right and left was left.

Point is, my internal balance was always right, it's just information about the external world that could be wrong.

I was aiming directly at a path. Even if I was wrong, I'd have slammed into a wall or something.

But I slammed into the ground. Not even at an angle, so I'm still moving forward, but straight down, digging into the floor a little.

How?

I jump up, flying straight up to get some distance. The tunnel is wide, so it's a few dozen meters to the ceiling. Need space from the monster, as it can't fly—

I bring my arms up, as I feel the Einsam coming right at me.

No, I was moving to parallel to the ground, going right at it. It was swiping it's claws at me.

Senses and instincts of a direwolf shout at me, and I ducked while jumping forward.

I felt the the sharp claws of the Einsam pass over where my head was.

I rolled on the ground and righted myself instantly, turning to face the monster. Although it likely wasn't actually where I was looking but elsewhere.

Jilwer.

That wasn't my main problem right now though. My thought sped up as I contemplated the horrifying realization that this thing can mess with my spatial senses.

How? Since when?

Was it the repeated exposes from fighting it? Is it something else?

...The rope and wooden posts didn't just serve as a way to get out of the tunnels despite the Einsam's illusion. They were an actual anchor somehow, to not get lost.

The Einsam could trick what I see, hear, taste or smell, and sometimes touch.

But my own internal balance and how my body is positioned in space, that it couldn't touch before.

Meaning I can't fly. Can't leave the ground, or I won't know up from down, or where I'm going.

Due to my faster thinking, I was starting to cut off and hut down the Einsam's mental tendrils faster and faster. Slowly my senses were showing more and more of the reality around me.

It was like some bits of the ground, air or light from the tunnel's holes were breaking into mist. The exit extended further away showing I was deeper than I thought.

The Einsam won't stop its relentless mental intrusions, but it now focused on just casting illusions externally. It's mana covered the tunnel like a sea, and so it used the "water" to paint the world as it wished.

It was walking closer. It's position whether it was a little to the right, or to the left, further away or closer, I can't tell. Just that it was heading towards me.

I stood up and walked toward the wall of the tunnel. Eye on the monster, while my eyes was on the monster. However I was ignoring my sight. All my focus was on my mana detection.

The Ancient Einsam could trick all my senses, even my magical ones, but fuck it, I'll just keep trying and tire this fucker out if I have to.

I still can't tell how it can trick my full sight mana detection. I can tell when it's using mana to paint the world, so how can still slip things past my notice.

Only option is to over power whatever spell I can to be sure I used it. But that would just tire me out faster.

Wait, I've been walking for a while now. The wall wasn't that far away.

I glanced to the side to check the distance.

That was a mistake.

Because I soon as I focused in front of me, the Einsam was right there. Two feet from me.

"PHAITAGURD!"

The magic barrier shined into existence with a powerful hum and heavy energy.

And not a moment too soon, as the Einsam's claws slammed into him. From the side. By an arm swinging from right in front of him.

The Einsam didn't use a trick for this attack.

It laughed.

Fucker thinks it's so funny for throwing in an attack that's completely straight forward without an illusion every once in a while.

I crashed into the wall and the barrier cracked. Objective complete I suppose.

"You look like you're having trouble there, Train." 'Rein' said from next to me. She was crouching on the ground into a ball, arms hugging her knees, head resting on said knees, as she looked at me with a cutesy smile. "Although, not as much trouble as me and the other kids burned in the orphanage."

Then 'Rein' started to burn, as fire appear and climb upon her, as her skin began to char and melt.

I had to push down the instinct to feel horror or sorrow. My mind knows this is fake. I know this isn't real, and that Rein is long dead. Yet somehow the fucking Einsam's illusions make it so that I perceive its magic as real, even when I know it isn't.

I pushed those emotions away and stood up, burying my arm into the wall.

"You know this is all your fault, right?" 'Lässig' spoke to me this time from behind. I glanced back, before I could stop. His body was covered in third degree burns, and a lot of bones were showing. "You just had to leave, didn't you? Schwanz was just too small for the great Trenn. You couldn't wait, could you?"

I prepared a Schnellwurf. It didn't matter what direction, as long as the mana line was parallel to the ground. A mana pulse exploded out of me, and I got the feedback of being in the middle of the Death Tunnel.

The wood post and rope were very visible to my full mana sight. I guess that's due to my familiarity with them.

The ground, walls, ceiling, wooden post and rope were clear to me. Everything else, even distance seem to twist and change within the painted sea of that was the Einsam's mana that covered everything.

Doesn't matter. I can see the exit you sunnvabitch. Everything else isn't a distraction. I'm gonna have to find another way to get the Shineglow Moss once I'm outta here.

"Hmm, quite the predicament you found yourself in, young Trenn." Minus' spoke to me, and for a moment I wasn't sure if it was really her or another illusion. "I wonder, how will you get out of it?"

Of course, I could feel her mana link sending me her voice. It was like a lighthouse in a storm. Might be useful for this situation, but I no longer need it.

Because I already had my answer.

I cast a skin-tight Phaitagurd on myself, as well as body strengthening to the highest level.

"Like this!" I shouted back and fired the magnet slingshot spell launching myself toward the exit.

I was dragging my arm through rock like it was heavy mud. The barrier over my arm was cracking and reforming from how much energy I was putting in it.

In a few seconds I would cross the distance, and fly out of the tunnel. Be safe. Figure out a new plan.

The barrier cracked faster and faster then broke.

I gritted my teeth as my arm was now digging through the rock and stone. My body was hardened and strengthen by my mana that I could withstand it, this pressure and pain.

A few more seconds. Just a few more seconds.

I was starting to leave a trail of red on the tunnel wall, as the skin started to get shredded.

Hold. Hold. I need to be in constant contact to not lose my spatial senses and internal balance.

Almost. Almost. There—

CRASH!

I slammed into something.

I was disoriented, my nose was broken. Bleeding. Arm hurt.

Not sure if red arm is from cuts and blood or muscles showing from peeled skin.

My full mana sight was telling me I was tether—No. A tentacle had latched onto me. It was a limb that was physical. Not just mana, but actual flesh, as much as a monster would have.

The instant I noticed it, it detached from me.

The next instant something moved through the tentacle. Like a bulge or ball inside of a hose.

I didn't have time to react, only notice. The ball move through the tentacle as fast as I did with my Schnellwurf spell.

All in one instant, the ball, no, core arrived. Then the moment it transferred through the tentacle, the Einsam was there next to me.

I didn't have time to process. Just the tentacle letting go then movement, a blink of an eye later and the monster was next to me.

I jumped back, pain rippled across my body. I focused on healing magic, hoping to quickly be able to fight, while conjuring another barrier.

Yet miraculously it wasn't needed. The Ancient Einsam wasn't focused on me.

It was focused on what I crashed into.

A barrier.

A magic barrier that somehow I never noticed till now. In all the months I came here and fought this thing I didn't notice it. I wasn't embarrassed so much as angry that I missed something like that.

Except now that I notice it, I noticed... that it felt like the mountain. Like those times I gave Erdgeistflüstern—the spell to communicate with the spirit of mountains, rivers, the land, etc—a shot, the feeling of that amused old woman came from this barrier.

The whole thing was so interwoven with the mountain that I couldn't have sensed it, because it was part, no, it was the whole mountain.

Someone cast a magic spell making it part of the whole mountain. How in the fuck?

And right away, my mind jump to something.

To the memory of the first time I entered the Death Tunnel. To something "Schroff" said.

"...My father used to tell me about this tunnel when I was young and curious." Schroff began. "He told me that this Einsam existed since the time of his grandfather, and his grandfather before him. It simply settled here in this tunnel, feasting on travelers, before being sealed to only this tunnel by a traveling mage."

It wasn't Scroff of course, just the Einsam using an illusion of my mentor.

But that means...!

I looked to the Einsam, as it slammed a hand on the barrier only for it's limb to be repelled and burned.

The Einsam r̶o̴a̴r̷e̸d̴. Mainly in anger with small bits of pain. The "sea" of monster mana covered the Einsam's arm and the damaged was washed away.

I wasn't sure if it was covering the damaged to its arm with an illusion, if the damaged was an illusion all along, or it just healed itself with its abundance of mana.

All I knew was that it was angry. I guess it saw my spell and thought it could use me to escape?

But then when it moved and teleported... no, reformed it's body around its core... was that something it could already do.

Cold fear spread into my body from my guts.

Or did it learn to do that form me? No, right? If it can break down and reform its body around its core, that must be a skill it knew all along... but transferring its body from place to place, maybe it could do that before, but what if it wasn't as fast before?

I didn't have time to contemplate this for long as the Einsam with bared teeth turned to me.

I dashed back deeper into the tunnel, eyes still on the monster.

"Oh no, you're not taking your anger out on me, bitch!" I dozens of Zoltraaks were fired, filling up every place in the direction in front of me.

Even if it can move it's core surely destroying it's body hard enough still affects it, right?

Explosion and dust filled the area were the Einsam was. I felt the spell hit something. I am sure of it.

Only one of the monster's mental tendrils was left (which means there are probably three more I can't sense), so it can't trick me with too many things.

As I was firing the mana "sea" was pulled back to in front of the monster, proving my guess that I was actually hitting something now. Maybe something vital.

Enough to threaten the monster.

I couldn't help the grin at finally getting a lucky break.

Then when the dust cleared...

"Oh, this is some bull shit." I shouted.

In front of the Einsam were three figures. They looked shadowy, ethereal like they weren't real.

The first looked like a mage. It held a staff making a purple magic barrier, it looked unrefined. Like just a solid wall of mana, rather than something with the concept of dispelling magical attack. It looked like something before Phaitagurd was created.

The mage ghost was wearing black robes covering it from head to toe. It vaguely looked female. There was no face, just a shining point of mana.

The second was a giant with an axe. The pinnacle of a warrior. Armored arms and legs, chest bare like a barbarian, and head covered with a hood and a red scarf.

The giant's face seem to be made of shadows, and what flesh was visible was deathly pale, like a zombie. Or again, a ghost.

The third seem to have the most mana poured into it, as it was rolling off of it in waves.

It was a knight, a swordsman. It looked less like a person and more like armor held together with mana and malice.

"L̶̠̄e̴̹͠t̴̯́'̴̦̿s̵̛̱ ̷̟͆p̶̙̔l̶̥̿a̷̰͝ỷ̶̭?̴̟̎"The Einsam was laughing.

"Minus." I finally said. "Can you please help me out of this?" I called on my last line of aid.

If this thing can do what I think it can do. If the Ancient Einsam can recreate copies of its victims then I'm screwed. No wonder no one could kill it, even if they could overcome its illusions.

I have no idea how accurate it can recreate the skill of its devoured victims, but knowing my luck thus far? Probably with complete accuracy.

"How fascinating." Minus said. An air of curiosity about her, and not at all concern about my impending doom. "To think a mere Einsam could evolve to such level. I've never even considered that gain abilities comparable to those of a Spiegel. Hmm, it likely can't recreate those facsimile to be a prefect recreation of the originals, since even if it could read memories, storing that information could be a challenging task for it, since it has to do so quickly before devouring its victims, and before being killed by them."

"Okay, that is all fascinating, but could you please like, I dunno, use our link to teleport me out of here?" I asked desperately as the three ghosts began walking toward me.

"No." Minus said plainly. I could feel the smirk in her voice.

"...No because you can't?" I asked. Even though it won't change anything about this situation, I kinda hoped it wasn't because—

"No because I won't." She said.

I stopped in my tracks, letting out a sigh of annoyance and disappointment.

"Young Trenn, I am not a friend, an ally or a mentor, I am simply an acquaintance with whom you share an interest in magic. I found your actions intriguing so I facilitated them. But this? This a result of your own prerogative. I wouldn't dare be the one to undo it. This is your life and I only wish to spectate."

Right. Minus isn't a friend. Just an old elf who finds me interesting.

"And if I said I accept being your student?" I asked.

"Then my first lesson is for you to survive." Minus said back, her tone almost cheeky.

I gritted my teeth, almost wanting to curse, but that would accomplish nothing.

"Can you give me any help? Any hint, please?" I begged.

"Very well," Minus chuckled. "Your mana is you. Why are you letting that leech gain entrance?"

That didn't help. It didn't give ma an "ah ha!" moment, or for that information to click something in my head, and give me new insight to work with.

What did I expect?

Minus is someone I literally just met today. Hell, her presence might have been the cause for the Elves Shield to attack Schwanz, how could I have forgotten that!?

Why am I looking for sympathy and companionship from a stranger? Fuck!

...You know what?

"Fuck this." I said as I unleashed the hold I have on my mana, and for a moment I felt all the monster's mental tendrils span from the pressure of my full mana surging forward.

"What...?" Minus' voice sounded surprised, as I felt amazement, intrigue and joy from her.

I pushed all that aside and focused on my next spell.

Among all the mountain folk spells Schroff taught me, this one was something of an ace. The secret spell of those who live and rule the mountains.

It was a spell to connect to the mountain, to call upon its heart and cause it to shake. It would throw off enemies, unbalance trespassers, intimidate invaders, and at the extreme?

It could cause an earthquake that would send an avalanche of rock and snow upon coming armies.

"Alright, here's how we going to do this!" I called out, and the three specters and the phantom monster paused in curiosity at my tone. "Roses are red, illusions against me won't prosper." I began my mana swirling at me as I began to cast this high level spell for the first time. "With this spell I call down," I held my arms in front of me, my mana gathered upon my frame then into a giant shining ball in my hands. "This very Frost Mountain, ERDRUF!"

The slammed the ball of mana into the ground, and it sent a ripple wave in every direction; the walls, floors, soon into the very mountain itself.

And in response, the mountain began to shake.

===

AN: Trenn doesn't know how to rhyme. :(

Chapter Text

The energy of the Erdruf rippled out and exponentially enveloped the mountain.

As the energy passed through the rock and stone, it shook the material, creating a resonance that send that material to vibrate.

Given that I used the full strength of the spell (something that Schroff warned against) I expected that I'd have a small window to dash through the Death Tunnel, or if not, try and break through the stone.

What I didn't expect was for the spell to abruptly and immediately end, with the earthquake ending, as if a hand grasped the mountain and forced it to stay still.

The spell was cancelled. I didn't do it.

There was only one explanation in my mind.

The Einsam roared in pure frustrated rage.

Okay, make that two explanation.

One, the Ancient Einsam somehow tricked me and revealed a whole new ability, which is to make me think I cast a spell when I didn't.

Except that's impossible because I'm aware of my own mana. Everyone who uses magic is aware of their own mana. The feeling of mana being depleted from a spell being cast, and from a mana exercise or technique are viscerally distinct.

Mana depleted from mana exercise, is like water being poured from a kettle. It's gradual and can surprise beginners who don't notice how long they've been practicing, thus how much mana they used.

Mana depleted from a spell cast, is like someone taking chunks out of cotton candy. Or something that you can take pieces out of. It's very obvious.

And since I didn't miscast, there's only one other explanation.

Number two, the mountain cancelled the spell. Or rather the sealing spell encompassing it.

Given how pissed off the Einsam was, I'm gonna go with that one. Honestly, I think that's the first time it emoted like that with authenticity. Guess it was hoping to hitch a ride out on me. Too bad for it.

And too bad for me, that the sealing spell doesn't distinguish. If the Einsam's mana is connected to me, it won't let me out.

But why didn't that happen before? Of is it because I crossed the threshold of the sealing spell, and outside of it the Einsam was limited in how much mana it could cling onto me?

All those questions were forced to be put aside as the three phantoms moved in sync and attacked.

The Phantom Knight dashed at me with a side slash. Ewiglast instantly was in my hands, diagonal block and his sword slammed and continued off to the side, sparks flaring out from the impact and grinding between the swords.

In that time the Phantom Warrior came from above, having jumped over the knight to get to me.

Time slowed. Right knight and warrior combo, so that the mage would target me where ever direction I escape to.

I noticed some more mental strings by the Einsam, and proceeded to cut them off.

Hmm? Is it making them too slow? I'm cutting them off faster than it can make them.

Is Jilwer improving to the point that my thoughts are too fast for the illusion monster?

I jumped to the side a Zoltraak ready ready for all three phantoms. Except I was also moving slowly. My mind was faster than my body.

My mana was also depleting a lot more than usual when I use Jilwer. Is that because I'm using it in two distinct ways at the same time, normal body speed and accelerated thoughts?

No time to philosophize. Or is it self-analyze?

Regardless, I fired the three Zoltraaks, one forward at the knight, one up at the warrior, one to the right that curved and headed to the mage, while I dashed left.

As I moved away from the warrior's attack path, I fired another Zoltraak at the mage, the warrior crashed where I once was, hitting nothing, and suddenly I sensed it.

All my danger sensing from spells (direwolf senses) and skill tingled up and gave me a vague picture of close danger. An attack coming close, I just didn't know where.

Arggefahr. I cast the danger sensing spell on instinct.

And immediately duck at the attack coming from... my right?

A concussive blast hit my barrier from behind, letting me know the Phantom Mage in front of me was an illusion and it was behind me.

But the bigger deal was realizing the knight was much faster than I thought, as it managed to rotate its body, swinging the great sword swiftly enough that I felt the wind slash slice through the air after the blade missed me, and hit the far wall.

No. Wind blade was made from the concentration of mana in the phantom sword and swing.

Regardless, I had to move!

The Phantom Knight moved jumped to the side, just so the Phantom Warrior would have an opening at me.

Except that was all a diversion for the Phantom Mage to attack me from behind. Turns out, the one in front was an illusion, from what I started to see.

I easily jumped over the warrior's side swing, and outright over him, twisted and fired Offensive Magic at both the mage and under me.

The mage gathered the wind, to make a wall of solid air. The warrior slammed into the ground from the force of my Zoltraak. Not dead though.

Well, no. They're all people that likely died to the Einsam, but rather the body didn't dissipate.

I dashed to the mage before they can switch from defense to offense.

The knight ran after me. The phantom was fast, able to cross the distance, but that's when I acted.

I grinned as I acted like I was going to cast mass Zoltraaks at the mage, only break my dash, dig my heels in the ground, as I invoked a barrier around me.

With a twist, I spun facing the knight, firing all the Offensive Magic I readied—

In the Phantom Knight's place was the Phantom Warrior. Axe raised, held by both hands.

My eyes widened. The Zoltraaks crashed into the warrior's body but he was an unrelenting wall. He didn't stop. The axe came down.

Ewiglast came up.

CLANK!

BOOM!

I was standing in a crater, my knees buckled and slammed into the ground.

Heavy. That was the first thought in my head.

The sheer force shattered the ground under me, yet I pushed against the axe with my sword, supposed it, one hand on the handle and another against the flat side of the blade.

He's strong but shouldn't I be able to push against this? It's just a mana construct at the end, not a real person with muscles, bones and mana.

The Phantom Warrior pushed down with his axe at me. I could see the knight dashing at me, fast even with my sped-up thinking, and the mage was preparing a spell.

So I did the first thing that came to mind. I cast Zoltraak and improvised it.

I made the spell move along the sword and a few casting points in front of me.

Then fired them all. From near my elbows magic circles appeared and fired. The edge of Ewiglast glowed white, then blasted forward, making it look like a white blade slashed, fired from a stationary position.

It superficially harmed the Phantom Warrior, but more importantly, it made it take a step back. That was all that I needed to dash to the side and place the warrior between myself and the knight.

The Phantom Mage fired multiple spears of ice and fire. It felt like the air of the cage was both freezing and making my throat dry. Magic that was overwhelming and awe-inspiring.

Wait, why did I think that? This shit is basic.

I slashed the warrior. The blade to the side not digging deep enough, but with my strength and the weight enchant of my sword, it was enough force to launched the warrior toward the knight.

While the knight evaded and maneuvered around the warrior, I spammed the magic barrier to appear in front of coming magic attacks, detonating them and then letting the barrier fall. It conserved some of my mana, but I was depleting it fast. Still over 80%, but that's not reassuring given everything.

The knight finally reached me, and I responded, dashing around and meeting his sword blows with my own.

The Phantom Knight was faster than me, more skilled than me. Ever blow exchanged drew me closer to defeat.

No, I'm matching him!

Then the warrior arrived and every blow I had to dodge or either I would be pancaked and slaughtered. Merely having that axe pass by me, injured me with the wind following the blade.

No. I withstood his strength and can overcome him!

The Phantom Mage was a better mage than me. More versatile.

I don't care.

The Phantom Warrior was vastly stronger than me. A direct blow would be death.

No it won't. I survived.

The Phantom Knight was faster than me. Even with Jilwer and accelerated thinking all I could see was a blur that took everything to react to—

THIS. IS. WRONG.

Chapter Text

Perception illusion.

I've experienced it many times already at this point. It wasn't just about tricking me to confuse distance or direction.

It's also how the Einsam is able to make an illusion hit me emotionally even when I know it's not real.

I thought I'd get used to it. The feeling of guilt of killing my "friends" in an illusion usually goes away when I leave the Death Tunnel, only to return fresh the next time I experience it.

It turns out that wasn't all there was to it.

Looks like it can also affect things I never expected, or assumed it can't affect.

Like my belief in my own actual ability compared to my opponents.

How? I've already cut off all of its mental links ...right? Unless... there's something I'm not seeing.

It was time to look into myself once more. There has to be something I'm missing.

I needed space. Time to search and think.

Yet, I wouldn't be able to. I'm not fast enough. Or strong enough. Or—

The doubt started once more.

So I stopped thinking and fell back to the oldest strategy known to man.

Fuck it, we ball.

Literally. I made a magic barrier and added a new property to it.

Rubber.

I may not have got the feeling and mindset to cancel inertia, but I can make my magic barriers bounce.

Then I cast a Schnellwurf with one point being myself and the other being the Einsam.

I charged the mana rope to the max.

And let it pull.

I passed over the Einsam's head. A sonic boom followed.

I didn't miss. I hit an illusion. The Einsam was hit by the wind of my passing.

Because the Einsam had to dodge.

I had my full mana sight on. I noticed it.

I said before the Einsam's mana filling the tunnel like a sea "painting" the world. Within that painted sea was a slightly denser colors in the form of the Einsam. And within it an even denser still sphere. The monster's core.

I caught the monster off guard from how bullshit insanely fast my magnet slingshot spell was. That gave me the chance to see that disparity. That gave me the chance to start seeing its weaknesses.

The Defensive Magic slammed into the sealing barrier of the mountain and bounce back up into the middle of the tunnel.

Somehow my mind was working even faster with Jilwer, the faster I was moving under the effect of Schnellwurf.

I readied another Schnellwurf, one point always me, the other a wall angled to ping pong onto another enemy.

It was like those billiard games with the pool assist that shows you the path your ball would take. I will it for my eyes to see, less a spell and more a mana technique.

A path that I could take based on physics trajectory.

I waited till just as my barrier hit the wall to fire Schnellwurf again.

A path I made real.

My bouncing barrier sphere hit the ceiling. Then another wall.

Then the ground in front of the Phantom Mage before it could react.

None of the illusions-come-to-life phantoms could react sans the knight.

The Phantom Knight managed to get to us, me and the mage. Not to attack me, but to pull the mage back.

I grinned.

I targeted another Schnellwurf. This time at the warrior.

But not before firing another spell. Right here, in front of the two phantoms.

Literally arm's length away from me.

"Flammenbruch."

The ground glowed and I targeted only the surface so as not to activate the mountain's sealing barrier.

Explosion of fire blazed out, hitting the ceiling and filling the tunnel, right as I fired the Schnellwurf.

The force of the explosion and my magnet slingshot spell fired me at many times faster than sound.

I held Ewiglast at ready, moving at speeds that pushed my body to the brink of blacking out from the acceleration.

I pulled back my magic barrier from a sphere to a wall behind me.

I swing my sword.

The Phantom Warrior only had time to bring his axe up.

I sliced through the weapon and the Phantom Warrior's head, breaking the mana construct and sending the memory of this warrior back to death.

Barrier fully back up as a sphere again as I was still going forward.

Three phantoms destroyed. The fired was pushed from the Einsam by its energy. It's body looked different for a second. I only caught that it was singed before it reformed to its normal dark form.

Were those illusions, or was it putting an illusion over its injured form?

It had a snarl on its face as it let out a growl. Actual anger.

Heh. Regardless the tables are starting to turn.

I cast Schnellwurf.

Another illusion showed up in my path. Blass, one of the older kids in the orphanage.

"Wai—" 'He' shouted before splattering into gore over the barrier, from how fast I was moving.

I ignored him and every other kid that 'appeared' in my path. I focused only on the concentrated mass with in the Einsam's mana. I targeted its core.

The Einsam dodged, moving the core as swiftly as I do with my magnet slingshot spell, but with more control over it's body, as if inertia didn't apply to it.

Thank god. That meant that it didn't learn it from me. Hopefully.

Odds are this made it looked like it teleported to those lucky few adventurers that got close to killing it. Damn that must have sucked for them.

The Einsam roared in annoyance at me, its mana moving in waves now. The 'sea' that filled the tunnel was now turbulent.

And dozens upon dozens of phantoms of fallen adventurers formed between me and the Einsam. Even the ones I defeated returned!

Shit. Although I noticed that their mana concentration was much higher than the others. Guess they were elite units and these are just grunt meant to fill up numbers.

Still though, Murphy can you lay off my ass and not take everything I say as a challenge?!

I cast Schnellwurf once more, bouncing off the walls, the ground, up to the ceiling—

The Phantom Knight appeared upside down, materializing from the ceiling and slashed down, or rather upward at me.

I was bounce right to the Phantom Warrior who used his axe to try and stop me in place, slamming and pushing my barrier ball into the ground.

Then the ground rose up under the command of the revived Phantom Mage to capture my barrier and started to form earth spikes to pierce it from multiple directions.

My mana levels are now at 50% from all the crazy shit I was doing and all the Schnellwurf I cast back to back.

I can't fight forever and I still need energy for the trip back

"Minus, any chance you can refill my mana again?" I just shamelessly asked.

"Hahahahahaha!" Minus laughed back. "No." She said plainly. I should have expected it. I did expected it and yet hoped... "You have entered this situation willingly, young Trenn. It should be within your capability to get out." She said. "Although, you still need the moss to cure your mentor's poison."

I grimaced at the reminder. I didn't even have time to think about the moss. I'm not even sure if I grab one it would be real.

"I'll be waiting for you in Ackerheim." She said with her tone some bit of finality. Like anything I ask her after this will be ignored.

I grunted in thanks. There were no other words needed, I guess.

Beat the monster, get the plant, get back. I focused on the present situation.

The first revived Phantom Knight was an illusion, and the Einsam can form the phantoms at any location in the tunnel.

Motherfucker! I really, really fucking hate fighting illusionists.

And how the hell did he sneak a mental thread at me?! No. Wait, he didn't. That was an external illusion.

I fired Schnellwurf empowering the barrier on one side more, and shatter the earth hold and spikes. A question still in my mind as I thought of a different strategy.

But how did he make me think the phantom was real—

The Phantom Knight at the ceiling disappeared. Broken into mana particles and immediately reformed in front of me and slammed me back to the warrior whose axe had magical winds empowering and sharpening it, courtesy of the mage.

I enforced the barrier at where the axe will hit.

Crack.

Me and my barrier were stopped in place. The axe embedded in it and not moving further. The Phantom Warrior struggled to dislodge the axe, then held it in place. And the mage raised the earth again and grabbed my barrier, trying to crush it.

Some phantom soldier, adventures and even peasants jumped on the barrier banging on it with whatever weapon they had.

Dammit, how did this happen!? I growled before realization hit me.

The first Phantom Knight was real, yes, but the moment I wasn't paying attention to it, the Einsam dispelled it and reformed it at the ceiling, while keeping an illusion of it on the ground.

Making me think the Phantom Knight was still there by manipulating perception.

Again. I fucking. Hate. Illusionist.

Screw this. Flammenbruch seems to work, I'll just blow the shit outta this whole place.

I began casting the fire spell.

Only for the Phantom Mage to cast some kind of counterspell. A rippled of energy went throughout the ground equal to my Flammenbruch, disrupting it and destroying it. The spell broke before it could take effect.

And the mana of the spell was also wasted. Gone.

The Ancient Einsam laughed. The phantoms laughed with it. A choir of mocking ghosts.

Anger pulsed hotly in my chest. More than I remember feeling before. Part of it is probably another push by the perception illusion, making the situation seem like something I should be more pissed off at.

For a moment I thought about saying fuck it and just give Reelseiden a shot here and now.

...No. Mentally I'm in the worst place to try and create the spell. I don't want to make it nerfed to hell and back, since I'm fighting something that can literally fuck up how I see the world.

What if the spell worked as intended and I only saw it doing a very weak effect? That belief will fuck up the spell.

Yet, thinking about Reelseiden immediately made me think about it's original user from the anime.

Übel.

The psychopathic hot chick for the armpit fetishists.

And while her character is something many would go shout 'WAIFU' for, it another trait of hers that is now ringing in my mind.

Empathic mimicking.

Or whatever the formal term for it was. Übel had the ability to learn other people's spells by understanding the caster's character and personality.

She did it by instinct.

I wondered if I can do it intentionally.

I didn't pause or give the Einsam or his phantom army the chance to do something more.

I draw the spell shape for the basic fireball spell I knew, modified it's shape and cast it.

The spell worked by igniting the air. So I ignited the air around the barrier and burst it outward.

It blasted the phantoms back sans the Phantom Warrior, and the Phantom Mages spikes. The spikes were weakened by got reinforced immediately.

Then I dropped the barrier.

The axe continued its swing. the spikes elongated.

I trained with an Elf Archer. With my enhancements, body strengthening, Jilwer and other spells I could dodge those attacked with my eyes closed.

Instead as I dashed forward, the axe missing me, jumping and moving through the spike in half-parkour and half-flight, I focused on the mana sea around me.

The mana of the Einsam saturating the Death Tunnel. It was trying to grab at me, to affect me. It constantly did while I'm in the tunnel.

I let my mana burst out of me like a continuous wave. Like I was a determined blot of ink ruining the painting.

And made my mana grab at the sea around me, and pull it in me.

The Einsam shrieked in confusion. startled by the action, as it seemed like I was letting it into me. Making its illusions easier to inject.

But no. I was the one injecting the Einsam's mana I grabbed. I imagined a filter and sifted its mana through it.

It was a long shot. Maybe Übel doesn't do it like this. Maybe this way isn't correct.

But I didn't stop. I didn't hesitate. I didn't think.

I grinded and sifted the Einsam's mana making the filter discard everything about the mana other than information. Intention.

The phantoms attacked, headed by the Phantom Knight. I focused on the knight while grabbing the Einsam's mana.

And then...

Deja vu.

That was the only feeling for what I experienced next.

Deja vu mixed with out of body experience.

I swerved out of the diagonally upward slash. I spun replicating the upward slash taking off the knight's head.

Before the body could crumble, I was onto the next phantom.

Direct thrust, wind gathered onto Ewiglast. The phantom was pierced through like paper. Upward slash to finish it, spin take out the next three phantoms lunging at me.

The Phantom Warrior reached me, axe swinging from the side.

I reverse gripped, holding my sword with both hands pointing it down.

CLANK!

I never noticed how my body strengthen changed. Denser mana yet moving more fluid, faster through my body.

I stopped his slash dead, a shockwave rippled out. I spun moving forward into the warrior's personal space, pushing the axe away, while drawing him in, from his committed stance.

My mana moved instinctively, surging minutely, as I stepped forward. I punched and it was like my mana went off like a bomb on impact.

My fist, my arm burst through the Phantom warrior's torso.

I felt my fist make contact with bone. His spine.

I grabbed it and ripped it out. The mana construct shattered.

Plasma fired like a beam was coming at me.

I formed a spinning pyramid shield in front of me. The beam hit it dead center and the beams flew in different directions hitting tens upon tens of phantoms nearby.

I felt the phantoms coming from behind. I pointed back and fired a cloud of lightning. Once the lightning hit one phantom, it jump from one to the next.

There wasn't really knowledge in my head. More like... the dream of information. A feeling of what I knew could be done, as if I did it before to the point of instinct.

Yet I didn't know the mechanics of what I was doing. Felt like, that even thinking about it, would erase this erase this trance and ability I was going through.

I only had feelings, and I wanted to add my own signature into what's happening.

A spear of earth fired from ground next to me at the Phantom Mage.

It made the spinning pyramid shield. I coated the earth spike with Zoltraak. My spear broke through the pyramid barrier, spiking through the mage and break its mana construct body.

I summoned some of the rock from the ground, transformed them into a clear crystals, then spun them around me. The crystals gathered light and fired them as they spun.

Once the spell ended I dashed at the nearest of the phantoms left, slashing and cutting without pause or mercy.

An elation in the flow I was going through swam through my body.

The Einsam came at me. It's core body was so clear now. As if those flow state showed me what I was too busy being serious and strung up to notice, while semi-relaxed like this.

Or maybe it's because I was drawing in and breaking its mana it couldn't hide itself efficiently as it did before.

The Ancient Einsam slashed at me with it's claws. I swung Ewiglast and cut off it's arm. It's real arm, given it's scream.

The Phantom Mage was back and my full mana sight showed me it was formed behind the Einsam to hide it as it readied its spell.

I jumped back, a Zoltraak at ready as I extended and arm forward—

The Einsam lunged with its other arm.

Its other arm grew and elongated, bulking up as it reaching out to me.

It was nothing but another illusion so I would focus on evading and not firing my spell.

I fired the Zoltraak.

The Einsam hand engulfed my head and everything turned dark.

Ḭ̸̴̸̶̵͝ ̸̴̸̸̸̰͑s̵̷̵̷̸͎̏u̴̶̷̴̸̧͒ñ̶̸̸̷̸̠k̶̷̷̷̴̥̕ ̸̷̶̸̷̗̊í̴̶̶̷̸̞ṋ̸̶̴̸̵͗t̵̴̸̵̵̐͜o̷̴̶̴̸̞͌ ̴̴̸̵̵̲̀m̷̶̴̸̴͙̉ý̸̴̷̸̷̡ ̴̸̶̷̴̯́m̴̴̶̸̷̧͒i̴̵̷̸̶̳̇ǹ̶̴̶̷̵͈d̵̵̶̵̵̬́.̴̷̵̴̷̫̃ ̴̶̸̴̶̪̈

Then sight returned as the Einsam was breaking up into mana particles. My last magic attack hit.

I took a large gulp of air. My breathing was the loudest thing I could hear followed by the distant sound of waves from the sea.

I placed a hand on my chest, my heart was beating insanely fast. I looked around, focused with mana detection to see the monster was still around. If this was a trick.

Nothing.

So far at least. Another minute and still nothing, even with all my focused searching.

I didn't let down my guard, but I finally went and grabbed my bag that fell at some point, plucked a handful of Shineglow Moss and slammed them into the bag.

I floated up, readied Schnellwurf, and blasted out of the tunnel.

I had cast Phaitagurd and flew up to the sky.

Nothing happened.

"Okay." I nodded to myself. "Hahahaha, okay, okay, okay then." I started laughing, relief pouring through my veins like a drug. "WOOOOW!" I shouted in pure joy. "I WOOON!"

I coughed from crying out for so long.

"Time to get back." I said, angled myself in the correct direction and blasted off.

I don't remember how long it took to make it back to Ackerheim. It almost felt like no time at all.

I quickly went to the inn Schroff was at. Minus was there, congratulating me and all. I felt happy? at the praise, before she took the moss to make the antidote.

Schroff woke up fine and thanked me.

We talked for a long while. About what happened, about the losses in Schwanz. About the future and what we should do.

Eventually my mentor felt tired and I left him so he can get some rest.

I looked around in the inn for Minus but she was nowhere to be seen. I thought to look for her with mana detection but let it go for now.

I left the inn to just find some place to sit and calm down from everything.

"Trenn?" A... familiar voice I hadn't expected called out. I looked behind me to see the matron of the Calm Orphanage.

"Ms. Gütig?" I blinked unable to believe my eyes. She looked... honestly she looked like shit. Like someone whose been through hell.

She was alive. Alive and... maybe that was enough.

"I knew it. I knew it, at least you, you..." She broke down, fell to her knees and started crying. I immediately was by her side.

"Hey, hey! Ms. Gütig. You're okay, you're okay." I said, rubbing her back and helping her up.

"You're alive. You're alive, at least one of them lived. One of the children," she sobbed some more.

I helped her to a bench and got her some water.

"T-Thank you." She said after drinking it and drying her eyes with her sleeves. "I'm sorry, I must seem to terrible. Just breaking down like that."

"It's understandable, Ms. Gütig, given everything." I said, slowly moving and sitting next to her. I placed a hand on her back, moving it in circles to comfort the old matron.

At first I couldn't believe my eyes, but much to my guilt I felt glad someone survived.

"You, you don't understand, Trenn. It was, it was horrible." She started to say, but I felt she might spiral into crying again if she continued.

"There was nothing you could have done," I said. "It was all the Anti-Elf Coalition's fault. They are the monsters in this."

"Those monsters were slain. From what the townspeople told me." Ms. Gütig said as she looked forward.

I looked and blinked in surprise as I just noticed people were moving about in a celebratory manner. Joking, cheering and merriment. There was quiet cheerful laughing echoing in the streets.

I never noticed as I didn't pay attention to it. I guess it was always there in the background.

"Yeah..." I said, not really sure what to say.

"If only I could have done something. I couldn't even avenge them, someone else had to do it." Ms. Gütig lamented, looking down hauntingly.

"...I did it." I felt myself push the words out. Just somehow wanting to comfort her. "I destroyed that army. Slayed it down to the last man."

Ms. Gütig looked at me shocked. An look of understanding came to her for a moment, before sadness took over once more.

"...I see." She said.

"You... don't seem glad." I said.

"It doesn't change what I did." Ms. Gütig said, making me frown.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"...How do you think I'm alive, Trenn?" She asked looking at me, and before I could answer she continued. "I left them." Ms. Gütig cried again, quieter this time and looked down. "I only cared about saving myself and ran away."

Anger rose up in me. I wanted to shout at her. Even punch her for acting like that...

But what good would it do? Everyone was already dead.

"It was an army." I finally said after a long quiet moment. "There was nothing you could have done. You being alive is miracle enough. The only repentance you can do is remembering them and doing better."

"...Is that what you will tell yourself from now on?" Ms. Gütig asked, and I felt a pit of ice in my stomach.

"What?"

"You said you destroyed that army. You have all that power," she turned to me, her face full of anguish and hatred. "So why didn't arrive earlier?"

I leaned away from her, as I half turned to face her while seated on the bench.

"Ms. Gütig, I didn't know, there was nothing I could have done!" I said, for some reason I felt too defensive.

"But if you care you'd have been there earlier." She said, and before I could interrupt, her next words stopped my reply in my throat. "You always hated being in the orphanage surrounded by others. You hated helping out even while you did it as fast as possible." Ms. Gütig spoke, tone losing it's intensity, almost crying. "Why did you want to leave so badly?"

===

AN: Next chapter should be the climax. *Fingers crossed* Hopefully.

Chapter Text

"I... I don't—" I tried to say, to explain, justify, anything, but Ms. Gütig wouldn't let me.

"You thought you hide it, but you looked so disgusted that first few times I asked you to look after little Rein. As if the thought of someone asking you for help was so horrendous."

An ache bloomed within my chest. I looked away.

"I don't... remember that." I said that, but I felt that would be something I would have done.

Might be something I'd have done once or twice before realizing this life would be like the last, and just quickly put on the blank mask.

Take task. Do task. Do everything before emotions register or processed. Accept disruptions are gonna be the norm again.

I wanted to leave right away.

"You grew out of it." Ms. Gütig said. "Or rather you hide it better. I learned not to ask you for anything too new or different than you already did. Looking after Rein is something you were used to, since she clung to you like a duckling. The younger kids liked being quiet around you. But those your age or older, you hated being around, or being drawn to their games." She let out one lone sad chuckle. I tried to imitate her but couldn't muster up the energy. "Helping move heavy things around, was okay. Getting eggs or milking the goats was not." She continued almost clinically. "It took a while before I understood it, as Mr. Löwenjunges explained it to me. You liked tasks that helped you move and work your body, but not something menial. Even then, you always treated my voice like it was something dreadful."

Because requests followed afterwards.

"Sorry. I... didn't realize I had that effect... that my attitude was that bad." I said. The words heavy, the guilt and annoyance weighing me down.

Part of me wanted to shout, 'why the hell are you asking for help from a child?'

Another, the more mature one calmly said, 'You are smart, you are capable, she's old and overwhelmed. Was a little help too much to ask?'

I hated that voice of mine. I hated how reasonable it sounded. It was the same voice I had in my past life.

I don't even know why I hate it anymore. Just that it appearing means frustrated misery for whatever situation in front of me, if I'm not the one resolving it, fixing it, acting on it, then it was my fault.

"I always knew you'd leave the orphanage as soon as you could. I just never expected it to be so fast. Was magic worth it? Was it everything you imagined?" Ms. Gütig asked.

"...Yes."

"I'm happy for you." Ms. Gütig said it almost resigned. A tone that tried to sound happy for the other person, but failed. "Truly, I just... wish you had the power to have been there."

"I could have." The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

My eyes widened in horror. Why did I open my mouth? Why did I start and say that?

"..." Ms. Gütig looked at me with an equally horrified look.

"I... That's how I reached the city yesterday." All that happened had been one day? "Jilwer, it's... one of the spells I learned. A travel spell to move fast." Shut up. Shut up. Stop trying to justify yourself. "I could have before but... I didn't because... I didn't... I didn't expect." What words could excuse my inaction, the destruction that fell upon Schwanz. "I'm sorry."

The words felt empty. Hollow.

Worthless.

I expected anger from the matron then. A shout. A scolding. Something intense and violent.

I expected it. Maybe even wished for it. I was fine with that.

I heard a quiet wail. A sob.

My heart dropped. I looked to the side to see face in her hands as tears and crying came from her, that she tried to stifle.

I reached out, wanting to comfort her, to hug her. To just make her pain stop.

To make her stop.

I flinched away at the last moment. What right did I have to try and make her feel not so bad? To try and tell her not to be sad or despair?

I wish she would stop. I wish today would end.

I want to go to sleep and forget today.

I want to run. I wan to go away.

I can run. I have Jilwer. I can move.

...I stay in my seat. I am grabbing the wood of the bench and looking down. I hear the wood creek and realize that, in this life I'm strong enough that I could break it with my bare hands. I don't even need magic to do it.

An instant of happiness at remembering this accomplishment. A wave of guilt, shame and self-loathing fall upon me and drown everything out.

This almost doesn't real. Like a horrible nightmare—

"Old Gütig? Trenn?" A voice spoke out and hope burned in my chest.

Gütig crying stumbled in the middle, like she couldn't quite process if she did hear that voice or didn't.

I looked up and felt my heart hollow, a moment before relief poured in. Like I couldn't quite yet let belief sink in to what I'm seeing.

"Y-You're here!? You're okay!" Lässig exclaimed, holding a little girl's hand.

Holding Rein's hand.

"Lässig! Rein! My dear boy and girl!" Matron Gütig shot up and ran toward them, falling to her knees and grabbing them in her arms. Hugging and kissing their heads. They hugged her back. Her wailing turned to crying in joy.

I ran toward them, only for my mind to remind me at the last second. Do I even deserve this? Do I have the right to hug them and tell them I'm glad they're okay?

I stood to the side of them, unsure. Ms. Gütig looked to the side at me, her expression told me she was unsure whether to glare in contempt, or extend a hand in pity and sympathy and compassion.

The choice was taken from us by Rein.

"Trenn!" Rein broke from them and latched onto me.

I just reacted. I kneeled down and hugged her. My face growing warm and tears just spilled out.

"You're okay." My words poured out without rhyme, reason or thought. "You're okay. You're okay. I'm so sorry. You're okay. Happy birthday, I'm sorry I wasn't there. You're okay."

I stopped thinking. Just glad that something good happened. That me not being there, didn't cost everyone, everything.

I̴̶̵s̸̵̸ ̴̵̵i̴̴̷t̵̸̷ ̴̴̸r̷̴̴e̴̵̸a̸̵̸l̴̷̶l̴̵̴y̸̷̴ ̷̴̴t̶̶̵h̷̴̵a̶̸̴t̷̷̸ ̵̶̶e̴̸̶a̶̸̶s̴̸̴y̵̵̵?̵̵̸ ̴̸̵A̸̷̷m̸̵̴ ̷̸̴I̷̷̸ ̴̶̸r̶̶̷e̷̴̴a̷̶̵l̸̵̶l̶̵̵y̶̵̴ ̴̵̸t̴̵̸h̴̸̵a̴̶̷t̷̴̴ ̶̴̸l̷̷̷u̷̷̴c̴̵̶k̷̵̸y?̸̷̶ ̸̴̴I̵̸̶s̴̴̸n̸̴̶'̴̷̷t̷̴̷ ̷̶̸t̷̵̷h̴̷̴i̷̵̶s̷̵̸ ̵̵̵t̴̴̸o̴̸̴o̸̷̶ ̴̷̴g̴̴̸o̵̶̵o̷̷̵d̸̸̴ ̵̸̸o̸̴̵f̶̸̶ ̶̵̴a̸̴̸ ̵̸̷f̴̸̶o̷̷̵r̷̸̴t̷̵̷u̸̷̴n̸̵̶e̴̶̶?̶̷̸ ̶̶̸I̴̸̵s̶̷̸ ̸̵̷t̷̵̸h̷̷̵i̸̴̷s̵̸̴ ̷̵̶l̴̶̸o̷̴̵g̶̴̴i̵̴̷c̶̸̸a̵̸̴l̷̵̸?̵̴̴

Another pair of arms hugged me.

"I'm so glad you're okay, kid." Lässig spoke, his body warm and comforting to feel. A reassurance that he was alive.

A hand was on my shoulder. I looked up to see the matron smiling at me, as if beginning to forgive me.

Maybe. Just maybe not all was lost and what happened could be healed?

Time passes?

Time passes and the Calm Orphanage was remade. Now in Ackerheim. Turns out Lässig and Rein weren't the only ones who survived. A few others made it too.

My roommates lucky enough. Rot, Nervös and Ungeduld, along with a few others. Zorn, Ruf, Klien. Maybe Mut?

I don't remember all the names.

There were even more kids now. Dozens. Close to a hundred.

Rein stays at my side always now.

And... and my magic training. Schroff...

"I don't think I can be your teacher anymore."

"Wha... what do you mean?"

"Trenn, I'm old. I don't think I can use magic as I used to. The poison made sure of that. Dont' worry though, I have already taught you all I know. You're a smart kid, I'm sure you'll be fine.

And as for Minus...

I stared at Minus' back, trepidation beating in my chest.

"So you made your choice?" Minus said with an odd finality. It wasn't like I said I won't see her again, or not be her student. Just... not at the moment.

"Y-Yeah." I said looking down, not even able to stare at her back, like I'm not worthy to do so anymore. "Schroff said he taught me all he could, so I'm not under a different master, but! They need me here." I forced myself to look up. "It's only for a few years! Not a lot for you, you know. Once the orphanage is able to stand on it's own, I'll come find you and—"

I met Minus' eyes and they were black. Like pools of void.

A blink and they were normal eyes again. For an instant it felt like seeing the infinite and it was disappointed in me.

"Drive." She finally said.

"Huh?" I blinked, confused at her words.

"The drive for magic, for more. That curiosity and will pushing you ever forward. That drive that I always saw in you is gone." Minus said like a judge delivering a verdict.

"I..." Without realizing I took a step back from her.

"I will give you once last chance. Leave this town now. Come with me here and now and start your journey. Or stay and know we'll never meet again." Minus ultimatum slammed down upon me.

My heart was beating loudly in my heart. I could feel its vibrations. Ringing was constantly firing in my ears. So loud that it deafened everything else.

My guilt and obligations warred with the possibilities of what could be. Of what my obligation was telling me to throw away.

The right thing to do was to stay. To tell Minus that I have a life of my own, a responsibility here and now. That she can't impose such a choice on me, when other lives depend on me.

W̸̶̶̶̸̴̷h̵̶̸̸̴̴̷e̴̵̷̸̴̴̵r̷̵̴̷̴̸̵e̴̴̴̶̶̷̵ ̴̵̵̷̴̸̷h̶̸̷̵̸̷̷a̶̶̷̵̶̸̶v̶̴̴̴̴̵̵e̴̵̷̵̷̴̸ ̶̷̵̵̸̵̵I̵̴̶̶̴̸̶ ̸̴̴̷̷̴̴h̴̴̸̵̷̸̶e̷̶̷̷̷̶̴a̶̶̸̴̵̸̶r̷̶̶̴̸̷̷d̵̶̶̴̴̶̴ ̴̸̴̴̸̷̸t̷̴̴̴̶̸̷h̵̵̷̶̵̸̵e̷̸̷̶̶̶̸s̵̴̴̴̶̴̸e̶̵̶̸̸̷̷ ̸̸̴̵̷̴̸w̸̴̷̷̸̶̶o̸̵̶̸̶̵̵r̷̶̷̴̴̸̴d̷̴̷̷̸̵̶s̵̶̶̴̸̵̷ ̶̵̸̸̸̸̵b̷̵̶̷̵̸̸e̸̴̷̵̴̵̶f̷̵̷̵̴̶̷o̸̶̷̷̸̵̸r̴̵̵̴̸̵̸e̷̴̵̶̴̶̸?̷̴̴̶̸̵̵ ̶̶̸̵̷̶̵T̴̸̷̶̷̴̵h̴̸̸̶̷̸̴e̵̵̸̴̴̸̴s̵̶̵̸̵̶̵e̸̷̸̶̷̵̶ ̸̸̷̵̴̶̴w̴̵̸̷̴̸̸o̴̴̸̷̴̶̷r̸̶̴̸̴̵̵d̵̷̸̵̶̴̷s̸̴̵̶̸̷̴ ̸̶̵̸̵̸̸I̷̶̴̸̷̶̵'̵̸̸̷̴̵̴m̵̷̵̵̷̶̴ ̸̶̸̷̷̴̵t̶̵̴̶̴̷̷e̸̶̶̶̸̶̴l̷̵̸̷̴̴̶l̷̸̴̵̷̵̸i̵̴̵̷̵̶̵n̶̶̷̵̶̷̴g̷̷̸̴̴̴̴ ̷̷̸̶̸̴̷m̴̷̴̵̴̶̴y̶̵̵̵̷̷̶s̸̶̷̴̴̷̶e̴̷̷̵̵̷̸l̸̶̸̴̷̶̷f̵̵̸̸̶̵̸.̵̸̵̵̶̶̶ ̸̵̶̵̵̵̷

"Trenn!" Rein called out to me.

I looked back to see her running toward me. There were other kids with her. I couldn't focus on them. They were unimportant—

No, they were. That type of thinking is what lead me to almost losing everything before.

"Come on! Ms. Ms. Gu-Ten says they're making duck tonight. She said there's enough for the whole place, and enough rice too!" Rein said excitedly as she grabbed my arm. She pulled me a step with her, as I wasn't focused on standing still.

The other kids were latching on me too as an older brother. Like puppies gathering around someone they feel safe around.

I̸̴̸ ̴̸̴d̵̸̵e̶̵̵s̸̸̸p̸̴̸i̵̴̸s̶̶̶e̸̴̴d̵̵̶ ̸̵̷i̵̷̸t̴̸̴.̷̸̶ ̷̸̶

"W-Wait a minute, Rein, I'm just talking to..." I began to say, as I looked back to see Minus giving me one last look before turning and walking away.

"Trenn! Come on or we'll miss all the chicken wings." Rein said.

One of the other kids said it would be 'duck wings' not chicken, and then the kids devolved into an argument that it all means the same, because they should have gotten what she meant.

Slowly I found myself walking with Rein and the kids, finding it too late to say anything now.

It would look bad.

It would hurt their feelings.

It would make me look bad and Minus probably wouldn't want such an indecisive student anyways.

I left with the kids toward the home I could imagine, and left behind the unknown future I couldn't.

I could still use magic of course. I had to keep up my practice.

But...

Not as much as I used to.

New patch of kids. Children and infants. Refugees from Schwanz.

The Anti-Elf Coalition apparently returned and detonated an experimental alchemic bomb. A mix to spells and enchantment that made the city unviable, unlivable.

Those that survived were scared. Adults became unable to use mana.

Those young had it worse. They gained hypersensitivity to it.

It... hurt those kids to feel mana brush against them.

I was the one assigned most to babysit them. I was close to their age. I was responsible. I was the one they felt comfortable with. Safe with.

Rein always wanted to play with me. She was one of those who suffered from the alchemy bomb, suffered mana hypersensitivity.

I... couldn't practice my body strengthening. Not even my mana sensing.

She wants to play with me. Wants to spend time with me. Wants to not lose me again.

I want that too but...

"Aaaaah!" Rein cried out, flinching away from me.

"Sorry!" I said, cutting off my mana channeling training.

"I-It hurts." Rein cried in a small voice.

"Sorry, I thought I limited it. I didn't think that could even be sensed." I said quickly. I had suppressed my mana. Suppressed it to nil. Doing that while using other mana techniques like mana detection, or body strengthening, or adjusting the strengthening to act like Jilwer, it was tough, it was challenging, it was fascinating when I managed to make headway but...

"Trenn! What did you do? Didn't I tell you not to practice magic around the kids. I thought you were more responsible than that!" The Matron cried out as she came to us.

"It, it's fine! It doesn't hurt that much." Rein quickly said, hiding her hand behind her back.

The Matron quickly grabbed Rein's arm to see her hand. The skin was reddened, bursting with hives from the reaction to mana.

"See! See what you did! Why Trenn? Can't you do that stuff later?" The Matron begged, disappointment underlying anger in her voice.

"I-I didn't meant to. It shouldn't have happened." It literally shouldn't. I don't understand. What was there for the sensitivity to catch onto. To react to.

"Trenn, please! There's too much work and I can't have the children getting sick. Especially not because of you."

It's not my fucking fault! Why are you depending on me and not someone else?!

I wanted to shout. I wanted to tell her to screw off, but I just looked down and took the scolding and the lecture. I'm used to this.

N̷̸̵o̵̶̷t̶̷̸ ̶̷̵i̸̴̶n̷̴̸ ̸̷̵t̵̶̸h̸̶̵i̵̴̶s̶̶̸ ̸̶̵l̷̸̴i̵̵̵f̶̷̴e̷̶̸ ̴̷̷I̵̶̷'̵̴̴m̷̶̸ ̶̵̷n̴̶̵o̷̴̶t̴̶̶!̵̷̶

"I-It's okay!" Rein spoke up after a while. "It doesn't hurt! Really!" She said, which just made the Matron more upset but also made her hold her tongue.

Rein always comes to hang out with me, even when I don't have chore. Like she's afraid I'll be gone, or lost somewhere.

Even in those moments when I'm free so I can practice magic, she comes to find me.

And now I'm being scolded because of her.

I hated Rein for a moment because of this.

And immediately guilt and self-hatred slammed into me from within. I'm the adult here. I'm the one responsible. Why am I blaming a child for wanting to hang out with someone she cares about, someone she loves?

I don't deserve this empathy. I am scum for thinking like this.

Even after the Matron left due to chores than anything, even when the mood to play was ruined, Rein still wanted to hang out with me.

I felt annoyed and hated myself even more for feeling that way.

Rein deserves better. I should be better. Why am I like this?

Another day passes. It's been... weeks? Months?

The days by, each one a copy of the other. Sometimes I'm not sure what day of the week it is. They all blend in like one giant goop of time.

The misery and dullness set in with my life being a cycle of work in the orphanage or looking after the kids. The older ones are also pulling their weight. They praise me for helping out. For being so mature.

I like it. I hate it too. Being praised for something I don't want.

It feels like I'm losing time. Like there's so much I want to do, and that list is growing ever bigger, yet it gets crushed by the list of duties I have to carry out.

The world feels dull. I'm always thinking of what I have to do next. A constant pressure that never ends. The world feels less real everyday from how much I'm living in anxiety of the future.

It never ends.

Even now with my free time, all I can think about is the dread of going back to the orphanage. I can't bail. Only a shitty person would abandon their family, the people who care about them, and want them around. I don't even know why they want me around.

It feels too much sometimes.

S̵̴̶̸̷̴̸O̷̷̷̷̴̶̸M̷̸̸̴̸̷̵E̶̷̶̶̴̵̸B̶̴̷̸̷̷̵O̶̷̶̸̴̴̶D̶̷̶̶̴̷̴Y̴̴̸̸̸̴̷ ̴̵̸̵̴̷̸H̶̶̸̴̸̷̷E̷̷̸̶̶̵̵L̷̸̴̸̷̴̴P̶̵̸̸̵̵̴ ̷̴̶̷̶̵̸M̵̵̷̸̴̴̶E̶̷̶̶̴̸̵,̸̶̶̵̵̸̵ ̵̴̸̵̴̶̷P̸̸̶̴̴̶̵L̴̷̶̸̴̶̷E̶̸̶̴̴̸̷A̶̸̶̶̶̶̵S̵̴̴̴̸̶̵E̷̶̸̷̶̷̸!̸̶̴̵̷̴̴

"Boy, are you constipated or something?" A voice cracks through all my thought.

A voice that that sounded too distinct, unlike the wall of sound from the townspeople or the kids I look after, this felt too sharp, too firm.

I looked up to see a woman sitting by the side of the road on a small fence of stone. I didn't even notice her during my walk around town. I didn't even notice how the area I was in wasn't as noisy with people as usual.

The woman had long vibrant orange hair, styled into a thick braid. Her blue-green eyes seemed to look at me with amused curiosity.

"Huh?" I said back. It wasn't really because of her question (I wasn't constipated, just deep in thought), but rather looking at this woman... the colors of her hair, eyes, clothes... it all seemed too vibrant.

As if she was too real for this world.

"Why does a brat like you looks like they have the world on their shoulders?" She asked again, that amusement shining in her tone.

"What are you talking about?" I asked deflecting.

"Come here." She said casually, yet her voice and tone were strong. Like my listening to her was inevitable. "Sit, sit." She patted the place next to her. "Boys your age shouldn't have the miserable look in their eyes. You should wait a few years till you're married first or something. Or having to meet a king after having fucked his daughter, then you can look that dreadful."

"...The fuck kinda advice is that!? And one to give to a kid no less!"

"Ahahaha!" She laughed, her voice somehow braking through some filter on how this interaction should have gone. "Finally dropped that polite mask. Good, good." The Orange Woman grinned.

Chapter Text

"Being polite is normal." I said stiffly as I sat next to the Orange Woman.

The annoying thing was, I couldn't help but want to relax in her presence. Like I had to intentionally try to be rigid and annoyed.

"True, but not at the expense at torturing yourself." She replied in a casual playful tone.

"What are you talking about?" I said back, almost flinching at her words.

"I've seen you around carrying logs and rock for the orphanage or making deliveries. You sure you're okay?" She asked, tilting her head.

Wait, did she think?

"I'm fine." I said reflexively. "I mean, I'm strong and I'm a mage, so those jobs are nothing to me." I clarified in a calmer tone.

"Oh? A mage?" Her eyes shined in interest. "What's your favorite spell?"

"Huh?"

"Your favorite spell. Come on now, surely you can think of one." She teased.

"...Jilwer." I said letting out a sigh, the anxiety knot in my chest loosening somewhat. "A spell to move and travel quickly." I unconsciously smiled. I was surprised at finding someone to talk magic with. "Although I'm aiming for another spell in the future."

"Oh? What is it?" Interest colored her tone.

"Reelseiden. I know it's probably considered an ordinary cutting spell, but technically it's a spell that can cut almost anything." I looked forward, almost in daydream at something I currently can't believe to be real. "But one day I'll turn it into a spell that can cut anything."

"How inspiring," The Orange Woman laughed. Not in mocking or teasing, but in that odd encouraging way an adult listens to a child's dream, and thinks it might be possible for them, and that realization unexpectedly brings them joy or hope about the future. "So why don't you do so?"

"Huh?" I stared back at her, blinking in confusion.

"I've seen you around, but I've hardly seen you practice or use magic. Not even just to play around and have fun with it." She said, not judgingly, but observing a fact.

"I..." I look away, down towards the ground. "A lot of the kids at the orphanage are survivors of what happened in Schwanz. Many of them suffer from mana hypersensitivity. It would cause them pain or for their skin to break out into hives at the slightest interaction with foreign mana."

"Hmm, I see." She said, nodding. "Then why not just use mana under the threshold of their sensitivity?"

"Huh?" I blinked at her confused.

"Like this."

And then with such casual ease, the Orange Woman conjured a golf-sized fireball in her palm.

She did it so naturally, like one picking up a pebble from the ground.

More than the spellcasting done wordlessly, more than the ease she exuded in using magic, it was the fact that I couldn't sense the spell right in front of me.

"..." My mouth opened and closed a few times. "How?" I said with narrowed eyes. I even extended a hand near the flames, and yeah, there was heat.

I focused and cast a spell that gathers moisture in the air to make water. I made a drop and let it fall on the fireball.

The water drop evaporated with a hiss. I could hear it and feel the steam for how little it lasted.

"...No way." I said, leaning back down in my seat. "How are you doing that? You're not suppressing your mana, I would have been able to tell."

"There is a lot to the art of restricting your mana. Show me how you do it." She replied.

I closed down on my mana to the limit, showing zero emission.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive." The Orange Woman nodded with approval in her eyes and smile. "However while that is an excellent show of control, it's a complete brute force of the technique."

"What do you mean? That's how you suppress mana. The ultimate goal is for no modicum of mana to be visible." I said back.

"For an assassin or if you need to hide, yes." She nodded, a laughed held back. "But for a mage and to interact with other in day to day life, or to trick enemy mages, you need to make them think you're normal or below their level." She began to explain. "Showing no mana at all, while other mages can see you is foolish, because it would be obvious you're hiding it. Thus making you more suspicious. It's why it's best to only show ten percent of your overall mana and keep that consistent with your growth."

"O...kay. I'm following so far." I said with a slow nod.

"Now the more important part, the reason why your mana affects those kids when you use magic, is because it's your mana." She said.

"..." I narrowed my eyes at her, lips pursed. My thoughts running a mile a minute trying to get the implication.

For some reason I just couldn't quite get it. Like when you know something you can't remember, and you know you can't remember it, so its on the tip of your tongue.

"Tell me," the Orange Woman smiled with elderly patience. "Why would the kids mana sensitivity trigger form magic being preformed, and not by anything else? Everything has mana after all, every living being does, including the kids themselves."

My eyes widened. Why didn't I think of this before? There was a fog in my mind. A fog from tiredness, but I still should have thought of this.

"It doesn't trigger either when my mana is at rest so..." I began to say.

"It stands to reason that it's them brushing off against foreign mana, as well against mana moving faster than theirs that causes the hypersensitivity reaction." Orange Woman finished for me.

"So then, if I could copy the mana of nature, like the surroundings..." I held my chin, thinking on how this could get done.

"Like how a chameleon changes colors, or how a butterfly disappears when standing still in a field of flowers." The Orange Woman said approvingly.

"I need to match the frequency of my mana to that of the environment." My eyes widened before looking at the Orange Woman. She tilted her head at my expression. "Like, make it the same harmony of music naturally playing in the background."

Her eyes lit up as did her smile.

"Correct. Good job." She nodded.

"I'd need to practice..." I paused grimaced at the fact that I'm back to the same problem.

"Hmm? Something the matter?"

"I... can't practice." The words felt hollow on my tongue. "I have... a lot of work in the orphanage. The kids are there. The ones with mana hypersensitivity. They... like hanging out with me for some reason and I can't just... I don't have time." The excuses felt like swallowing ash. I hated the words and hated myself for saying them.

For a long while there was silence. I almost thought the Orange Woman left from how quiet things got.

Yet I could still sense her next to me. I wasn't sure if that made me happy or dread some condemnation or disappointment that was to come from her. I don't even know why her opinion should matter when I literally just met her.

...Right, because she's the first person in what felt like forever that I could talk with, about magic.

"Huh, so that's the weight your carrying." She said first, making me blink. It felt like I imagined those words. "Tell me something, boy. Do you love magic?" She gently asked.

"Hmm?" I blinked and glanced at her with one eye, not full turning my head to face her.

"Well?" She asked. The question hurried, yet her tone patient.

I looked back down.

"...It doesn't feel like it these days."

"Do you know that time isn't real?" She said out of the blue.

"Huh?!" I snapped out of my thoughts, sitting up straight as I fully turned my head to look at her.

I mean she's not wrong, but that's not a concept people get.

But also, huh?!

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked at the non-sequitur.

"Oh! So you're familiar with it." She nodded to herself.

"K-Kinda?" I said, tilting my head. Unconsciously I half turned to face her, one leg placed on the stone fence. "It's a something we made to make sense of," I waved my hand at nothing. "Events, the order of them happening."

"Correct." She nodded, smiling. "Simply put, our view of the world, or life, is limited, so we made time to make sense of it." She said looking to the sky. "If that's the case, then whether we think we have a lot or not enough time, is entirely in our head."

I looked aside. I got what she was saying.

If I cared enough, I'd make the time somehow.

"It's not that simple." The excuse came rushing out. An old filthy habit reasserting itself. "I'm... busy these days." My eyes narrowed at nothing. A flash of anger beating in my chest that I pushed down. Another old habit returning. "I'm always busy."

It's like I'm back in my old life.

"You look angry." She lightly commented.

"I'm not!" I said quickly, before shaking my head. "I'm not. I can manage. It's just everyone is busy with the orphanage being remade, all the kids that need to be looked after from the Coalition's battle. Everyone needs to do their part." I tried to sound as neutral as possible saying that.

"And you feel like you're forced to do more than everyone?" She said.

I looked up, facing the Orange Woman. She looked back with a raised eyebrow. A curious look that held no condemnation.

I looked away.

"Come on," she chuckled. "We're just two strangers. It's not like we're gonna meet again. I'm heading out to that town those Coalition guys or whatever they're called, attacked to check it out. Think of me as just someone to vent at and forget."

"I..." I stopped. My mind went blank.

Fuck it.

"I could have been there earlier." I finally said, half admitting my sin and half growling in frustration. "With Jilwer, I could have... I could have visit Schwanz earlier. I could have been there before the attack happened. I could have stopped it, or did something, anything." The heat in my chest spread at my words. I felt heated, yet lightened. "I told the matron that. The words just came out. Since then... the matron hates me. She does everything to take my time away from me. I can't use magic at all because of her. Because of everyone I'm responsible for. It's just... it's not my fault! I couldn't have known!" I held back from shout. Only by just a bit.

I found myself breathing heavily even though I didn't shout.

I took deeper breaths to calm down. Throughout it all the Orange Lady didn't say anything. I glanced at her, and her eyes didn't change. Didn't hold any pity or condemnation.

Just quiet acceptance.

"You're right, you couldn't have." She finally said.

My breathing hitched. It felt... like a relief that she said that. Yet there was guilt behind that relief. Like I shouldn't have had someone acknowledge my pain. Like that would enable me to act like some victim that never taken accountability of my actions.

"Of course, if she is acting based on that misplaced anger then she's not much of an adult, and you shouldn't bother with her anymore." She continued. I listened calmly, trying not to feel down that she's coming around to defend the matron. It was the logical, right thing after all. I'm just a kid, obviously, maybe I got it wrong. "But I have seen that Calm Orphanage place while walking around." She said with a smile.

That was a surprise to learn. I don't think I've seen her around. I would have remembered she's pretty distinct.

When would you have had the time? I thought to myself with a frown.

"Everyone always looks so busy. The older kids are carrying lumber and wood around, working with other people, like builders and carpenters. Seen them expanding the side of the building, making room or working that small farm you guys have."

I looked down. Guilty starting to set in. Right, that was happening, wasn't it. I mean, I did see Lässig and other so busy.

I'm up in my own head again. Being a selfish little shit.

"That old matron seems to be on top of things. Bit too noisy though. Should let the professionals just do their jobs rather than be a mother hen on them. Or rather be a mother hen on those who need it." The Orange Woman said, and I couldn't help a little snort of agreement that came out of me. "Besides, if you're capable enough, you can just leave whenever you want, right?"

I small smile settled on my lips that I didn't want to drop or be ashamed of.

"Yeah..." I didn't know what else to say. "But... don't I have a responsibility to everyone there? They'd be... disappointed. Sad or angry if I just disappeared." The argument sounded rehearsed. "It's selfish to just care about your own life."

"...You know," the Orange Woman continued, getting my attention again. "The way you're acting, the stress you're under, it's like you've dealt with it before but became free of it, and now because it is back it became so agonizing to handle."

I blinked at that. Hearing her words... it's as if something so obvious only became apparent to me, because someone else put it into words.

I...

"Welp, I have to get going soon." She said, standing up and dusting her robes.

"I see," I said neutrally, managing the tone this time. This was expected after all. I shouldn't be disappointed. Even if I wanted to spend more time with her.

"But you know," she added with a knowing smile I didn't understand. "I think you do love magic. So time will appear for your to practice again."

I blinked, taken aback by how sure she was of her assertion.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Tell me, where does knowledge come from?" She asked, once more, another question out of the blue.

"Books?" I said. Her expression said that wasn't the right answer. "Studying? Just experimenting and finding things out?" I shrugged. "Observing the world?" I said, as that seemed like the most 'out there' answer, that sounded posh and philosophical enough.

"Love." She finally answer.

"Say what now?" I said, incredulous.

"Love begets curiosity. Curiosity begets passion. Passion begets observation and effort. And that begets knowledge." Her words... they felt warm. Seeming to settle in my chest like candlelight coming home. "And when it comes to magic," she smiled like she was telling me a secret that should be obvious. "To love magic is to love the world, and come to know it."

"'It'... being magic or the world?" I asked. She smiled and winked at me. Her way of telling me to figure it out. Or that it's both. I'm not sure. "But," I sighed. "I just told you why I can't practice or have time." I shook my head. "Even if I wanted to, I can't even use mana detection to start to start learning what I need to do, since even that bings the damn hypersensitivity."

The Orange Lady blinked at me in surprise. The first time she showed that expression.

"Why'd mana detection trigger their sensitivity?" Almost as soon as she asked the question, she seemed to get the answer. "Do you..." She snorted, trying not to smile. "Boy, do you use mana in order to detect mana? Like a bat's sonar?"

"Yeah? That seems basic. The body releases mana and that let me see and interact with the world's mana."

She laughed. Full belly, wholehearted laugh.

"Ha ha ha, hilarious. I'm very funny I know." I deadpanned, grumbling. "What am I missing? What's so funny?"

"Boy," she began once her breath was back under her control. "How do your ears work? Do they let out sound that comes back for you to hear?"

I froze. The simple words slapping all my presumptions in my face.

"Why would you need a technique to detect mana? Just let it be, feel it, accept it and through that sense it." She said purely, simply. "The mana of the world is the world, so let the world in."

I stopped listening. That feeling, that instinct when something just clicked in my head and I wanted to try it more than anything ignited.

I closed my eyes. I shut everything out. All thoughts left.

Some like responsibility, guilt or anxiety tried to hold on. I focused on this feeling more, as I delved into my own body, my own mana.

That's right. I never needed a technique to sense my own mana, I just could. So why would the world's mana be different?

Yes, I used the idea of 'fish can't sense the water it swims in' before. But now that I got a sense of the world mana, now that I felt it and know the different between it and my own, like knowing the feeling of my own skin and the clothes I wore, why would I need a technique to sense both.

Just focus and... it's there.

Once more the world opened up in my mind, letting me see it, hear it, tastes, touch it. Like having used full sight mana detection but... it's like having driven a car with the hand break on this whole time. Why did I make things harder on myself?

I felt the town, I felt the movement of the people. Not in the same way as when I used my own, I guess I'd call it 'active mana detection'.

Focusing now I noticed, before the body naturally produced mana, bits break off that are so small they might as well be considered fumes. These fumes exist in till a certain range before they break down, dissolve into the environment. That was how my mana detection worked before. My range was just how long and how strong those mana particles can exist outside my body.

I think that's how instinctively all mages learn mana detection.

But this way, the way the Orange Lady showed me (I really need to ask her name), there wasn't a need to do it like that.

It's like being in the center of a domed football stadium. It large sure and has a lot of space, but then you go outside and you can see the vast sky, the earth and building stretching as far as the eye can see.

The world was so vast I almost got lost in it, I could focus, feeling something pulling at my attention. So far away beyond the town, land, forests, valleys, there was another town, a massive wall of black, purple colored mana—

Something sharped pricked my mind.

"Woah," I flinched, feeling like a shock went through my nervous system. Like when suddenly you feel like you're going to fall in a dream. The fuck was that?

"Careful." The Orange Lady's hand was on my shoulder, steadying me. "It's like looking down from the top of a large building, don't let the call of gravity make you fall." She stepped back.

"Right," I took a deep breath. "Thanks."

"But if you can keep your sense of self through that, like seeing at the horizon, you'll start to find your limit." She continued. "Well, it was nice meeting you, boy. I better get going."

"Yeah," I said with a quieter voice.

"Heh, I'm sure I'll see you around," she chuckled and rubbed my hair, at seeing my reaction. I pouted and looked away, but didn't stop her. She turned to leave before stopping after a few steps. "Although, I don't think you should worry if or when you'll be able to practice magic and be a mage."

"How so?" I said back.

"Because," she turned her head and smile. "Love pulls you to what you want. If it's true and strong enough, it can become your destiny. And you, boy, I can tell." She gave a enchanting grin. "You love magic, don't you?"

Wind passed by our forms, whistling as it travelled this area. A warmth entered my heart, I hadn't felt in so long. Seemed like it was forever ago.

My mind cycled through my memories. Snapshots of wonder and curiosity of when I first learned that I could do magic.

From the day I was born I could sense it.

My mana surged within me. Like an electrical current wanting to burst outward once again.

With how violent my mana was moving, it would hurt Rein and the other kids. With a breath let out, I calmed it down, putting it back under control.

No. I tried to match my mana to my surrounding. Let it move at that same pace, at the same feel. Like making dye match the color of the water it was in.

"Not bad," the words were whispered, barely heard by me.

I looked up to see the Orange Lady further away, having walked while I was in my thoughts and mana.

"Hey!" I called out, making her pause. There's still so many questions I wanted to ask, so many things I wanted to say, but I settled on: "You didn't say what your favorite spell is!"

I saw her grin and open her mouth,

"It makes a field of flowers." She spoke.

And suddenly something that was at the back of my mind, at the tip of my tongue, came to the forefront.

Orange hair. Large braid. Toga. Flower field spell.

I drew air, about to shout her name.

"Trenn!" Rein's voice called out to me. I looked back to see her running at me with a large cheerful smile as she usually does when meeting me. "Where were you? Come on, let's play!" She said grabbing my hand.

"Right, it's just..." I looked back only to see the lady was gone.

"Where you talking to someone?" Rein asked.

"Y... Yeah." I said, letting out a half-laugh like a made man.

I think I was talking to the ghost of fucking Flamme! I thought in complete disbelief as I walked with Rein hand in hand.

"Trenn?" Rein spoke.

"Yeah?" I tilted my head at her.

"Tonight I'm sleeping in your bed." She said, Rein would use the excuse nightmares to sleep next to me. It was cute and everything, but it also felt like another time slot to practice magic in secret taken from me. "After everyone's asleep, I'll stay so you can practice magic without it making rashes appear. That way the Ms. Gu-ten can't complain about you using magic!" Rein said in a whispered tone, like sharing a secret.

I blinked in surprised, taken aback by Rein's offer.

"Why?"

"I noticed you were sad a lot lately from not using magic. So I wanna help." Rein said in a low tone.

My shoulders relaxed. I found my breathing coming easier, as a smile came to me.

"Thank, Rein." I used my other hand to headpat her.

Rein raised her head, smiling adorably and proudly.

Chapter Text

Time continued to pass. Things... became better somewhat.

The rooms being constructed for the new kids were finished. The matron got worker for the farm, volunteers from town that wanted to help. The oldest kids would join them.

The rest of the older kids took over looking after the younger ones. The older ones saw it as a break, an easy job. It... relieved a lot of the pressure on me. They thanked me a lot for being so dependable so far.

Looking at the orphanage living situation from a further away point of view, perhaps I was stuck in my own head too much.

As much as it hurt to admit that.

I even had more free time to practice magic again. More than that, because of Rein's help, I could even used magic around the kids without them breaking into hives. Thankfully Flamme's (seriously, what the fuck?) advise had started me off a lot in that direction, so thankfully Rein wasn't hurt. And I trained, moving my mana so, so damn slowly that I didn't cause her hypersensitivity to trigger, except once by mistake.

Seeing her in pain, but trying to keep quiet, once as one too many times. I didn't fail again after that, and she was happier for it, since she loved watching me do cast spells.

But in all that time, Flamme's words, her question stuck in my mind. Because once it was spoken the unconscious thoughts were visible, and I couldn't forget or ignore them.

"The way you're acting, the stress you're under, it's like you've dealt with it before but became free of it, and now because it is back it became so agonizing to handle."

I've never been under stress in being in the orphanage before, of having chores, or being depended on.

In this life that is.

But not in my previous life.

"Remember, [Trenn], you're the man of the house. And the real man looks after everyone else, alright."

"Yesh, momma!"

I remembered smiling at that, because being the one depended on is what heroes and knights are.

I was the youngest of my siblings. The single boy in the house.

"Hey [Trenn], wanna help me you? My friends are waiting for me, can you take over my chores?"

"Umm..."

I had wanted to play with the ball in the backyard.

"Come on, good boys help help out their families. And wanna know something I never told anyone? You're the most responsible person I know."

"OK!"

The first lesson I was inundated with, was that you're only good if you're helpful. You're only loved if you're useful.

I didn't learn this with words, but with actions.

"Aww, that's a pretty picture. You're gonna be an artist when you grow up, [Trenn]."

"Maybe." I smiled at that. Praise for a hobby I picked up. Something I was slowly but surely getting better at—

"Come on, [Eldest Sister], don't put stuff like that in his head. Just leave a fun hobby to be a fun hobby." Said [Older Sister].

...Yeah. It was just a hobby. Not work. But... she didn't have to say it in that tone.

I didn't learn this with words, but with actions.

"You want to get into arts school? Come on, [Trenn], stop joking. You need to study for a real job to support this family."

"But—"

"It can be a fun side thing, but it can't be your main income. You need something serious. Besides, do you really see yourself being good enough to make money for your drawings?"

"..."

"[Trenn], that wasn't a rhetorical question."

"...No, mom."

And that's how it was. My time was never my own. My life was not my own.

"[Trenn] I said get a job." My mom said firmly.

"This is a job. It can be a job. It's so easy now to be able to make money from art, that even someone above average can make it into a steady paycheck?"

"Uh huh, how is that?"

"There's this website and—"

"[Trenn] those are a scam. I thought I raised you to be smarter than that."

"It works! It's a real thing. If I can just show you...!" I expected her to keep refusing.

"Okay, then show me." Somehow that didn't feel reassuring. I explained to her as best as I could on how the process can work, but... "How much do the best artist can make on this?"

"Well..." I showed her the best paid ones.

"[Trenn], honey, be honest. Is your drawing as good as that?"

"No, but with time and practice—"

"Time that you don't have, dear. Maybe as something extra that can help, but this doesn't come before an actual steady job. I can't just freeload you till you get good and famous enough to make money from this. And things like this can fall apart at any moment in the future. [Trenn], please be reasonable. Think about me and your sisters. Your uncle [---]," I don't remember... want to remember any of their names. "Is trying to send his kids to college and is asking us for help too? We have too many obligations, [Trenn]."

"..." Who is this 'we'? And immediately I feel like a douche in my own mind, and the guilt comes.

"[Trenn]?"

"...Fine. Yeah, you're right."

"Hey [Trenn], we're out of groceries. Can you go to [Eldest Sister]'s house to get some. I already called her to order some stuff, so it just needs to be picked up."

"...Why did you tell me earlier so I'd prepare?"

Why do you keep surprising me with chores? Can't you give me time to mentally reschedule things?

"What? You're still looking for a job, aren't you? Did you have something planned?"

"I... I was gonna spend today to draw. I wanna get back into it."

"You said that last month. Did you do anything in that time? Can you please stop guilt tripping me every time I ask you for a favor!"

"Okay, fine! I'm going!"

"Sooo? How are things between you and [Girlfriend]?" Asked [Eldest Sister]

She reminds me of you. It's dreadful.

"...It's fine. Going great."

"Is something wrong with her?"

"No, no. There's nothing. Honest."

She feels draining to be around.

"You know [Girlfriend] is a serious person. You finally got that managerial job, so she knows you're a stable person, but if you want this to work out, you can't be wishy-washy with her."

"I know." I tried to say firmly so the conversation would end.

"I meant proposing to her. It's been two years now."

"We'll see."

"Are you just saying things so I'll stop talking?!"

"..."

"Fine. Do whatever you want. You want to ruin the good things in your life, go ahead."

[Girlfriend] became [Wife] three months later.

"Wow, the opening today was great. [Eldest Sister] actually has an art gallery. Someone else in our family is an artist. Who could have seen the day?" My mom said with cheer as I was driving us back home.

"Guess artistic talent runs in your family, huh, [Trenn]?" [Wife] said with a laugh.

"Haha, yeah." I smiled. I laughed.

...I wasn't bitter.

"Everything okay?" [Wife] asked.

"Just focusing on the road."

I was happy for my sister. Really.

...I just wonder why she's living the life I wish I had. Why I didn't stick with drawing longer?

"Oh wow, you're still drawing?" [Wife] asked years later.

"Yeah."

"...It's nice."

"It's not good yet, I know." I smiled back.

"Are you going to come for the Parent-Teacher Conference?"

The only right answer is to say 'yes'.

I sometimes wish a catastrophe happens at work so I'd say 'no'.

"Yes."

"I understand if you don't want to come."

"No, I can." I nodded.

I needed lie better. I need to stop letting my disappointment at losing time show.

Years pass and my mom dies.

"[Trenn], can you get our cousins for the airport?" My [Older Sister] asks while we're home for the wake.

"What about their son? Doesn't he have a car? Or shouldn't they just get a taxi?"

"We can't let them get a taxi when we're here!" She hissed in whisper anger. "He's already here and he came without a car, I'm not gonna tell him to go home and get his car, and we're not gonna let them spend money."

"Why don't you or [Eldest Sister] go?!" I whispered back.

"We have to be here for the guests! And you don't like talking to people anyways. And even—"

"Fine! Fine. Don't shout, I'm going."

"..." She glared as I left, and I hated the guilt in my heart for how I acted.

My job involved telling a lot of people were to go.

And people were fucking dumb, so I had to drive around and go to warehouses myself to make sure there were no fuck ups.

The phone ringing after hours, or on weekends was the worst.

"Hey [Trenn] we need your help."

"The greatest thing about you, [Trenn], is that you care."

Dread and emotional death by a thousand rings.

All answered with a tight smile. All true feelings stay locked inside.

The worst thing to do or be is a burden after all.

It seemed like in a blink of an eye I aged and was in a hospital bed.

My skin looks so wrinkled.

I could hear the beeping of the monitor. There was that tube in from of my nose to help me breath. Sometimes I forget its there. Those are nice moments.

I wonder if I lived a good life. I wasn't a bad person. I did what others needed. I helped.

...I was alone. No one visited me after the first few days. Guess I'm finally no use to anyone.

Thank god.

At least no more babysitting for my sisters' kids.

I've been here a week. I was bored.

I wished I could draw. Wish I could watch more anime.

God I have so many projects started. And none finished.

I wish I had more time. Or that I just spent it better.

"Dad, I didn't know you drew."

"I dabble."

"Can you teach me?"

"...Sure."

Time was stolen again. But I think I was happy this time.

I never finished a single project in the end. None felt right.

My daughter didn't get into drawing either. But they were nice moments.

I think I remembered it like that.

...I hope it was like that.

I was sitting on the couch. TV was off. My reflect looked old. I had white-gray hair.

The house was quiet. My side at least.

My kids lived on their own. They haven't visited in years.

My wife was with some of her friends in the living room, other side of the house.

I felt some peace.

My phone rang. Dread came.

It was [Older Sister]'s number.

Click.

"Hey [Trenn], I know this is last minute but can you—"

I was old. I felt tired. Drained.

"No."

And throw the phone out the open window.

I chuckled to myself.

My wife came barreling and shouting a few minutes later. Guess my sister called her.

I don't remember what happened next. I don't remember if I got angry or not.

I remember the words though.

"You should be happy to have people in your life. People who depend on you, that means you're important to them."

"What if I want to be left alone? What if I want for people to stop hampering me and throwing their problems on me, like I'm the fucking garbage man."

"So you can do what? What do you do with your time? Draw? You know you're never going to. What's the point now? Stop being selfish!"

"You know what? For fucking once I wish I could be."

"Oh stop taking that pity tone, like you never were. You always look like someone pulled your teeth out when anyone asks you for help or to do something."

"I still do them in the end!"

"And you make me feel like shit for asking!"

"Then stop asking if it bothers you that much!" I snapped. For what felt like the first and last time in forever.

"Why are you always like this?" She sniffs, she tears up. "Why do you act so bitter? What could you possibly be angry about?"

"I just want to rest." I defaulted.

I wanted to feel like my life matter to myself. Like I wasn't just some mule for others to dump things on.

Like I could chose what I do with my time. Yet I waste it rather than actually do the things I like or finish any of the art projects I started.

How pathetic. I hate others for stealing my time, then I hate myself for wasting it. And ultimately...

I just make myself and those around me miserable.

I wish I could just be happy so I can be happy around them. So they'd be quiet. So they'd stop bothering me.

Or I wish I was just a better person, that can care about them without conditions.

I wish I could change.

"Oh, because I'm so noisy to be around, is that it? You know, if I wasn't around, you'd be dead in a week you old bastard."

"Ha! ...You're wrong." There were way more swear words, cutting words, damning words I wanted to say, but ultimately held back.

"You act like you can't stand people, but you're the one who needs others more than anyone.

"But fine! I'm leaving for [---]," she said some friend's name I can't remember. "You know where I am to apologize!"

I hate the guilt for making her feel bad. I hate myself for causing this mess. I have nothing to complain about. I have no right to.

And I hate how god proved her right. I died a few (days?) days later.

Just sitting on a couch. I fell asleep and don't remember waking up.

And I remember death coming some indeterminate time after.

I started a new life and stopped thinking on the last one.

I stopped thinking about it but... it stayed in the back of my mind, didn't it?

You act like you can't stand people, but you're the one who needs others more than anyone.

I hated when people told me to do something. I hated when people told me my problems.

Like they were giving me my condemnations from on high, and I couldn't rebuttal. Didn't know how to rebuttal.

Worse... maybe a part of me thought they were right. Maybe objectively they were, and I hated and feared that.

Because it meant everyone was in the right, and I stubbornly, stupidly pushed away their words out of pride.

Pride.

I always thought I was the humble one. The struggling, quietly, nobly suffering one. I was the one people always depended on in the end, aren't I? Even if I didn't want them to.

I was the punching bag. The easily exploitable idiot. The one everyone walks over to easily get to their goals.

But... what if I was wrong? What if they really did need my help, and me being difficult made them feel bad? What if everyone else also had a life as heavy and full of pressure as my own, and they're dealing with it as best they could?

What if I was not really suffering, that I was just making things hard on myself when I shouldn't?

Maybe I'm just a bad person.

That was the crux of it.

I hated being forced to be a good person. Like I was tricked into it. My goodwill taken and used against me.

...Then I felt bad for feeling this way, and in order to atone I never acted to respect my own time. Even if I hated others for using it, and hated myself for hating them.

Ultimately it was all my fault. I never set boundaries.

And if I did I was a bad person for doing so.

It was a cycle I couldn't escape.

Is it any wonder I abhorred to see it repeated in this life? For my second chance to be a repeat of my first life?

Even subconsciously, even if I never noticed, I wanted nothing to be the same as last time.

I didn't want friends my age. I didn't want duties. I didn't want expectations. I didn't want...

Kids died. My hometown razed. Neighbors, old folk, people that smiled and were happy to see me. Give me gifts and want nothing in return.

They didn't expect me to save them. They didn't ask me to save them.

Yet they died. Murdered. Painfully.

There was nothing I could do. I couldn't have known. I have no reason to take responsibility this time.

So why do I want to? Is this masochism? Some indoctrination from my past life? A lifetime of being told to be responsible for others making me feel like this, when I try to break away from that lifestyle?

I'm not responsible. Saving my hometown was not my duty. I'm free in this life.

...So why does it yet still bother me that they died?

Because...

Because—!

I̶ ̸w̶a̸n̸t̴e̴d̶ ̶c̴o̸n̸t̵r̴o̵l̴.̸ ̸

̸̴O̶f̸ ̶m̴y̶ ̶t̵i̵m̸e̶,̴ ̷o̵f̷ ̴m̴y̷ ̸a̷t̸t̸e̷n̸t̶i̶o̷n̶,̷ ̷o̶f̶ ̶m̶y̴ ̷b̷o̵n̶d̸s̸.̴ ̶

̶̸I̴ ̶w̴a̴n̵t̸e̵d̸ ̵i̷t̵.̴ ̵F̷o̶r̴ ̶o̷n̴c̴e̶.̷ ̵T̸o̸ ̸b̵e̶ ̵m̴y̷ ̶c̷h̵o̵i̶c̴e̵.̶ ̵

̴̴A̸n̵d̵ ̴I̵ ̴w̵a̷n̸t̸e̷d̴ ̵n̷o̷t̷ ̶t̵o̶ ̶f̶e̴e̷l̶ ̵g̶u̵i̶l̵t̷y̶ ̴o̴v̷e̵r̷ ̶t̶h̵a̶t̴.̶

"Love pulls you to what you want. If it's true and strong enough, it can become your destiny. And you, boy, I can tell." She gave a enchanting grin. "You love magic, don't you?"

Time passed. I don't know time anymore. I just know time passed.

There was peace for a while.

Walking through Ackerheim things are busy. People going places, making a living, traveling, selling, buying. The noise of everyday life seems... quaint.

"Trenn," Rein said excitedly, holding my hand as we walked around town. "Do you think you can take me flying now?" She said in a hushed voice, even though there was no need.

"Maybe." I could help but smile at her encouraging nature. "I haven't gotten it down yet for spells. Give me a bit of time, soon I'll take you to the sky."

"Awesome!" She grinned, a bounce in her step, as she almost dragged me forward as we walked.

Mana techniques, like the body strengthening and the like I could now do without any of the kids breaking into hives. None of the adults or mages felt it when I used magic either.

Although the matron had been giving me suspicious looks for a while. As if me not seeming so down and no magic happening was odd. But she then seemed fine. Guess as long as the kids' hypersensitivity wasn't triggered, then it was fine.

For spells, it's still a delicate thing but I think I can do it. I wonder how I can train this skill further though after I have it down.

Did Serie sense Land in his home due to her power, or her experience? If it's the latter then it's a skill that can be further improved upon. If it's just power, I'd be more limited.

Hmm, can I turn the techniques I used into their own spells? What would mana detection as an actual spell look like—

From the corner of a nearby house, the building's shadow glitched.

My head snapped to the right, looking at the house and its shadow.

"Trenn?" Rein said in quiet confusion.

It looks normal. There wasn't anything unusual about the house, but... this has been happening for a while now.

Wait. Was it? I don't... think so. I don't remember. But...

Every time I make a new breath through in my magic training. Every time I theorize about something, it's like...

T̵̘̓h̴̖̥̾̎e̶͖͚͐ ̶̻̑w̶̪͇̓̿ö̶̤́r̵̨̆͜l̷̰̔d̷̘̊ ̷͈̘̀͝g̵̞͎͐l̵̜͕͑i̷̻͂̌t̷̖̏c̷̨̯̀h̶͕̺̍̍e̴̫̟̓d̸̗̓.̴̙̾ ̶̗̬́

The static noise filled me.

Not something I heard. Or that it loudly suddenly blasted my ears.

I could feel the sound of static filling my body, like it was going through me.

"Trenn!" Rein's voice centered me again.

"Huh?" I blinked and looked down to her. "Sorry, I was lost in thought. What were we talking about?"

Since when does she call me 'Trenn'... No, Rein's six. She's old enough to pronounce it correctly. ...I kinda miss her calling me 'Train'. Also kinda regret I didn't see her transition to getting my name right. Guess I'm nostalgic for some reason.

"Adults are scared." She said in a worried tone.

"Huh?" I blinked at the odd sudden change.

"Look!" She pointed, as I looked up to see people looking worried toward the town square. Something happened.

"Monsters!" I heard the distant shout of someone running. A person ran into the town square, sweating and panting. "Monsters! Made of shadows and darkness. They're coming from Schwanz's direction!"

"Where are they?" Someone asked.

"How many are they?" Another asked.

The messenger finally had his breathing back.

"Hundreds. Thousands." He looked up with despair in his eyes. "It's a stampede. They're—"

There was a loud crash. A shout from the gate guards calling for more soldiers. Monsters' roar echoed out.

They sounded... weird. Like an animal's roar through digital filter.

"They're already here! Run! Hide!" The new carrier shouted.

I picked Rein in my arm and cast Jilwer with its aura suppressed.

"Trenn?" Rein said in a worried tone.

"Hang on, okay." I said and rushed off.

The town blurred around me. I saw the streets littered with people. The guards were shouting something about magic, but I didn't focus on it.

Wait, why am I using the streets?

I shook my head and jumped up to the roof of buildings around me.

Upon seeing the town from an elevated position I began to see the chaos in full.

The monsters did looks like living shadows. Solid shadows in the shape of people and animals. Some even looked like monster's I've once fought and slain.

They reminded me of the Ancient Einsam's Phantoms, but more solid.

One of the shadow monsters, a dog-like beast, jumped on an unlucky man that didn't manage to run away. Unlike what I expected a wild monster to do, and just rip into the man, the shadow monster sniffed the man first.

Then it jumped off him and moved on.

Huh?

Only for another man with a wooden plank—was that the carpenter?—to come smashing the piece of wood, over the monster's head.

The shadow monster this time, jumped onto the carpenter, sniffed him then ripped his throat and chest out.

Then the carpenter was engulfed in darkness, becoming another shadow monster.

I almost tripped upon seeing that. The fuck!?

As I was running to the orphanage I noticed more of his behavior. The shadow monster don't actively attack people till they're attacked first. But without exception they sniff everyone they find.

They're looking for something. I realized.

I rooftop hopped, zipping past the town. I heard a screech overhead.

I looked up to see an eagle shadow monster. It dived bombed at me.

I broke my stride, to stop in place. The eagle crashed into the roof to where I would have stepped.

It's head came out of the hole, only to for me to blast it with a Zoltraak. I heard scraping, and looked to the side to see one of the more canine shadow monster climbing up the roof. The moment it saw me, it howled calling others to it.

I blasted its head off too and rush out of there. Or at least I tried.

The shadow dog let go of the ledge to fall down. But that's not what threw me off. It's that it seemed to move in fast forward.

It moved like something with Jilwer cast on them.

The fuck?!

I rushed to the orphanage, dodging shadow monsters along the way, staying out of their sight as much as I could.

Once the building was in sight, I slowed and jumped down to ground level. The shadow monsters seem to follow mages somehow.

Near the orphanage I saw one of the shadow monsters. A gorilla.

There was another mage that headed to the orphanage. He noticed the gorilla sniffing the air. The mage was Achtsam, one of the mages that came to live in Ackerheim these past... months?

Not important.

What was, was that the moment he prepared a Zoltraak to take out the shadow gorilla, the monster froze and turned, zeroed in on him. Achtsam was discovered .

They react to magic but not mana? Except no, they react to mana too. They just couldn't sense mine.

The shadow gorilla lunged, it moved with Jilwer and cast Feuerball from its arms. Feuerball, a basic fire spell that launches, exactly as its name, fireballs at a target.

"Trenn!" Rein hugged me tight, not wanting to see the violence that's about to happen.

"Hang on," I said, getting a coin out of my pocket, imbuing it with mana and threw it high in the air.

The shadow gorilla broke from it's assault to look up. Only to look down to at the Zoltraak coming at it's face.

The shadow gorilla to sacrifice an arm to block it. Then it leaned to the side to avoid Achtsam's Zoltraak and lunge at him as he was closer.

That's when I cast Schnellwurf on the reinforced coin. I superheated the coin with Gluthalt, a spell meant for lighting campfire, or keeping campfire going strong, but using it on an object just heats it from the inside.

I let the mana line between the shadow gorilla and coin magnetize, and then let the coin shoot forward.

Even with the monster in a Jilwer enhanced speed state (somehow) it couldn't react fast enough to the super sonic blazing coin that went right through its head.

It froze in place. Then dissolve back into shadow and nothing.

"Trenn! Holy shit, kid, you're alive. That spellcasting, it was..." Achtsam seemed to ramble. Happy to see us, but also frazzled.

"Achtsam," I acknowledged with a nod. "Were you heading here? Is everyone okay?"

"I..." Whatever he had to say, was interrupted by a whine from Rein.

"Rein?" I looked down to see her skin had reddened. It was very light, but proof that my mana affected her, even if at the lightest bit. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Dammit, I haven't mastered my mana control yet. "I'm sorry."

"I-It's fine. It doesn't hurt." She smiled back at me. At my frown she quickly added. "Really! It's just itchy though."

"Don't scratch at it." I said back.

"Wow, holding onto you and that's all the reaction she had." Achtsam said under his breath. "Anyways," he shook his head. "I came to make sure the kids here are okay, also to warn you." He said seriously to me. We both heard another roar closer by. "Let's talk more inside, but Trenn." He met my gaze with a serious one. "Any magic you have on, drop it. Keep you mana as concealed as possible."

I raised an eyebrow but nodded all the same.

I wasn't casting any spells, it was all mana techniques. I think I have an idea of what he wanted to tell me.

"These shadow monsters react to magic., to active mana of any kind." Achtsam explained.

Yep. Just as I thought.

"What are we gonna do?" Matron asked. It was just me, Achtsam, Lässig, the matron and some of the older kids in the background.

Rein stayed by my side, sitting next to me, holding lightly onto my shirt. She said she didn't want to be alone, so I let her stay.

"You have to stay here, we don't understand the behaviors of these new monsters completely but, there are some patterns." Achtsam began to explain. "They seem to react to active mana. Meaning magic spells. They smell and then don't attack, but if you attack them they attack you, and if they slay you..." Achtsam looked pale at the thought. "Best to not think about it." He shook his head. "They don't seem to go after people after sniffing them, but there are two exceptions." Oh? That's new information. "Mages is one type they take away somewhere, even if they don't fight... and children."

A chill went down my spine. There was this odd feeling in my gut.

This feels contrived. It was a silly thought. A narcissistic thought. That this was another situation for the world to make me stop using magic.

"No. Please tell me it not what you're saying."

"Shit! These things eat kids?" Lässig grimaced as he rubbed his hair in anxiousness, even pulling on it at time.

"We don't know that for sure, just as we don't know what they do with the mages they took. All of the kids don't have their mana active, so it might be something else."

"Is it the mana hypersensitivity?" Asked the matron, zeroing in on that subject.

"...Maybe. We can't be sure. They do come from Schwanz's direction, but we don't know if there's a connection." Achtsam reluctantly said. "If they are beings or a phenomena caused by the Coalition's last attack, we don't know what those beast would want with survivors affected by the magic bomb."

But that was just my depressive self-spiraling. Things changed. Things got better after my talk with Flamme. It wasn't the world out to get me, people were just living their lives and there were circumstances happening.

Yet once again... My teeth grinded inside my mouth.

"Trenn," Rein whispered. I felt her hand take mind and hold it for comfort. I glanced at her and realized... she was trying to comfort me, not seeking to feel safe by holding my hand.

Heh. Fuck, I'm pathetic. I need a little kid to cheer me up, because my pissed off at myself and the world.

"It's gonna be okay," I whispered back.

"Trenn?" The matron spoke up. Apparently I wasn't as quiet as I thought.

"We lead them away, right." I said looking to Achtsam. "That's the plan, right? What left of the mages around, we fly up and have them chase after us out of town."

"Trenn, no, you can't!" The Matron said, a hick-up in her voice, her eyes watered. "You need to stay here, where it's safe. You-You can't go out there and fight." Ms. Gütig said. My expression fell. A look of quiet annoyance came to me. For some reason I didn't even bother to hide it. "Look, I... I know what I said before, but that was wrong. I'm sorry. You're just a kid, you shouldn't have to fight." She said. "Please. Stay here, stay safe. You... you don't need to sacrifice yourself for the people you care about."

"...What?" I blinked. The words not register.

"She's saying we care about you, kid. So of course we wouldn't want you to get hurt." Lässig clarified with a huff and a smirk.

Other kids added their bits, agreeing, saying they don't want me to get hurt. That I did enough. That they can see my efforts and appreciate it.

And I...

I...

I felt enraged.

I don't get it. This doesn't make logical sense. Why would their sincere words make me angry? They're saying that they care, so why am I pissed of?

"Trenn," Mrs. Gütig spoke up, upon seeing me quiet yet not looking joyous at her words. "What's the matter?"

Your concern feels like chains. My eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, even if I tried to hide my emotions.

The thought came. Bursting. Unraveling. Raging through, out of the depth of my mind. And this time I didn't push that thought down or away.

I stood up, about to head out regardless of what anyone said.

A howl echoed nearby. The group flinched, postures frozen, as they looked away at the walls as if they might see the monsters through them. Achtsam likely could, if he can sense mana without letting his own out.

I began walking away.

"Trenn?! Where are you going?" Mrs. Gütig said in a shout whisper.

"Hey, Trenn, you alright, kid?" Lässig asked.

Looking back at my life, this life I mean, I think I'm beginning to understand myself.

I fell in love with magic because it was wondrous.

I wanted to leave everything behind to pursue that passion, so nothing tries chains down, as I chose the path of my life.

No friends, no home, no duties.

In a sick, twisted way, I was glad to be an orphan in this life.

That way I could choose my own family.

"Even if I hadn't found a teacher, even if I achieved nothing, I still would have left once I turned eighteen. You know that, right?" I whispered.

"Trenn... what are you saying?" Lässig said in shock. The matron seemed lost for words.

I turned to the side, looking back at everyone in the orphanage. The older kids, the matron, Achtsam, even Rein.

Sans the latter, there maybe some fondness, but the last few months made the resentment overshadow any of it present.

It wasn't fair to them. They were just people living in a harsh world and threw responsibility on someone they saw as capable.

But I'm tired of being fair.

"Trenn...?" Rein spoke.

But Rein... somehow, for some reason, the bond I shared with her grew very fast after that initial annoyance. I couldn't see her as a burden, as someone draining me of my emotional recharge, no matter how clingy she got.

Maybe... because when I went to leave, she didn't try to force me to stay. Not really. Not with any real effort.

I always wondered why she was happy to be around me, even when I sat in silence. Maybe that's why it wasn't draining, the time I spend with her. Maybe that's why I didn't resent her.

And right now... I dreaded what she would say.

Because I didn't want to come to hate Rein.

It was stupid, it was wrong and immature of me to put that type of pressure on a child, even if I'm not telling her any of these thoughts. Because again, it was too complex, thoughts that were too much to even articulate to another person, let alone a child.

Yet...

"Are you going on an adventure to save the day?" Rein asked.

My eyes widened in surprise. This girl... in her own way, was more mature and perceptive than even I was.

T̵h̴e̶ ̴w̷o̵r̷l̶d̷ ̴g̴l̷i̴t̵c̴h̶e̶d̸ ̵a̴g̸a̸i̷n̷.̸ ̸

I let out a breath. A feeling of relief in my chest. The bond didn't become a chain.

A question that gave me an out. That cracked open the door for me, telling me I could come back, should I choose to.

It was like every other chains here was breaking, but this one didn't become a chain.

"Yeah." I chuckled.

Then, in the most hilariously cheesy way possible.

"Go get them then!" Rein gave me thumbs up as she cheerfully grinned.

"I will." I grinned and gave a thumbs up back. I walk out the door.

"Rein! What are you say? Child please be quiet as they adults speak." Mrs. Gütig went to say, but the decision had already been made. "Trenn, wait! Come back! Trenn!" Her voice kept getting louder.

"Trenn!" Achtsam called out after me, coming out of the building as well. "Don't be reckless. At least come back inside so we could stra—"

I let go of my mana restrain, actively letting it flow and even channeling it strongly as I used it for body strengthening.

The town went quiet. All the shadow monsters sensed me. I could sense them too. They froze and turned in my direction, even ignoring other mages, or people they were fighting.

"Trenn, you... that mana level...?" Achtsam blinked at me in shock and disbelief.

"Adios." I gave a two-finger salute and launched into the sky.

Something was off. I thought as I evaded another speedster bird, while flying vaguely in Schwanz's direction.

I had already felt it when this whole shadow monsters situation began. When the monsters used Jilwer—No. Spells that I knew.

Be if the hunting folk spells I learned from Schroff, or the ones I invented.

Gütig words and general demeanor and actions may have pushed my buttons, but it was definitely the tigers using fucking Schnellwurf that had me thinking someone was wrong with... everything.

The weirdest thing was when one of the shadow hawks caught me. It started trying to pull at me. Like I was something it needed to carry away.

I noticed all the shadow monsters leaving Ackerheim once I flew out of the town's walls. They left everything behind. I was their target.

But why?

And even when I kills them, they didn't retaliate. Not really. They would grab me, manhandle me, but they were trying to take me somewhere. But they never actively tried to hurt me.

They wanted me to go to Schwanz.

Why though? It's why I was more or less flying in that direction. I was also curious, but... I also remember the dome, a massive wall of black, purple colored mana covering a town.

It was Schwanz cover in mana... mana that felt similar to the Ancient Einsam.

I landed on the ground, a road in front of me that would lead eventually to Schwanz.

The shadow monsters gathered around me. Rather than acting like how you'd expect monsters to be, growling, snarling etc. They seem docile.

One of them, a giant dog came forward, and leaned down, gently taking my hand into its mouth and tugged at me. It was telling me to go with it, to head to Schwanz.

It became odd once I realized it but I never once felt fear toward the shadow monsters. Even against the weakest monster, I still felt my guard going up, ready for the fight.

But here... nothing. Just tranquility.

I walked forward. I patting the shadow dog's head, it let go of my hand.

The shadow monsters moved in unison around me. Almost like they were shielding me.

At the edge of my senses, I felt mage signatures. It was the mages of Ackerheim. I think maybe even more from other towns... which didn't make any sense. When would they have time to travel and get here?

They were coming to where I was as a group. Using mana to see faraway, I could see they looked determined, talking about rescuing me.

Right, time to avoid that whole situation.

I flew into the sky once more, and cast Schnellwurf.

Over and over I slingshoted myself toward Schwanz. The journey felt shorter than I remembered. Because I was thinking more on my destination.

Because... it was like imaging the place brought it closer. Which didn't make sense.

Yet as I saw the domed town and flew near it, I saw a figure I never expected to see. A woman with orange hair fashion in a large braid.

"Flamme!" I exclaimed as I landed near her.

"Heya, boy." She waved a hand. "So, you finally came here."

"What are you doing here? Actually I have way more questions than that but starting with the first, what? How are you here? Are you... actually Flamme?" I blabbered, words just falling out of my mouth.

She just smiled and crossed her arms, waiting for me to stop talking and catch my breath.

"You know what to do here?" She half turned to look at the mana dome, before looking back at me.

"I..." I looked at the dome and felt hesitant. I feeling felt artificial.

No. Am I confusing something? I am hesitant. There was no thought in anything I did today. I just went on instinct. I might have ruined my relationship with the matron and the orphanage. I acted impulsively, selfishly, just like in my past life. Yet...

"Heh," Flamme gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. "Honestly, how does anyone fall for that Einsam's tricks? It's so simple to beat."

"Einsam...?" The thoughts and emotions related to that monster came bursting into my mind. The life or death battle I had with it, the emotional highs, and the insight into mana and magic.

It was hell of a struggle that I could have never imagined and... and...

"I'm in an illusion, aren't I?" I said the words, not really believing them. Maybe not wanting to believe them. No. It can't be. "I've been living for months in Ackerheim. I've been through a lot since then and..." Yet the more I thought, the more these odd consistencies popped up.

How the hell would the Anti-Coalition get their hands on the equivalent of a nuke? Why would they use it on such a city like Schwanz and not the capital of the the Principality.

Magic radiation acting, or causing mana hypersensitivity? How? Why?

Matron Gütig suddenly acting like a combination of people from my past life? How? Why? Thinking about it objectively, she never acted like that. Maybe... I secretly felt like that from her, but I know she isn't like that. She's nothing like those people.

...Rein calling me 'Trenn' instead of 'Train'.

"Welp, congratulations on realizing it. Better late than never." Flamme commented.

A deep ache opened in my chest. A wound reopened. The loss was real after all. Everyone is gone...

I still have to save Schroff. Focus on the mission.

It was all I could hold onto right now.

"Okay, this is... This is a lot." I said, digesting everything. "So I'm still fighting the Einsam but how..." I gestured to Flamme, the world, myself, just not sure how to explain properly my thought. "How am I not dead? How did months pass and... everything?"

"The mind works a lot faster than the body. It's why in dream you can live lifetimes before realizing it was a dream." She replied.

"Right," I nodded, lost in thought. "Right. So brain working a lot faster and all that, make plausible enough world, yadda, yadda, yadda. And I guess everyone is just part of my subconscious since my mind made them, or what I think I know about them, and that's the closest representation."

"You're quick." She nodded.

"Okay, I guess I know what 'Gütig' represented, but what about Rein? Or you?" I asked.

"I'm guess 'Rein' was just the part of you trying to save yourself." Flamme said.

My lips twitched and settled on a smile. I looked aside, feeling my eyes get teary. I let out a shuddered breath. A familiar ache recalled, yet an odd warmth.

I guess I did care about her. Grief is proof you cared, you loved, right?

"And you?" I looked back at her after composing myself.

"The representation of the sealing spell keeping the Einsam within the mountain." Flamme? said.

"...What?" I blinked. Once, twice. There's no fucking way I heard that right.

"I'm Flamme. Or rather the small part of her, the will left behind within the sealing spell." Flamme explained.

"Fucking excuse me?!" My jaw dropped. "How, just, what? That spell must have been cast a thousand years ago. Even if that was remotely possible how are you still around?" I cried out.

Flamme laughed out loud, looking up, hand held over her mouth.

"Honestly, Trenn, you need to use your imagination more." She composed herself and continued. "You need to imagine beyond the limits of what you think is possible. What are spells made of? A spell formula, yes, but you also need imagination to shape it, and willpower, some cognitive will, to actively will the spell to be cast." Flamme said. "Your mana is you."

Her words felt like a gong rung in my head.

"What?"

"Mana comes from the soul. Obviously that means it's you. It's a part of you. And when you place it into spell, when you cast a spell, you are putting a part of yourself into the magic." Flamme smiled. "Meaning a part of who you are, your will, your faith, your resolve, your being is put into every spell you cast." Wind flew around her, the light of the sun behind her making her look like an ethereal goddess. "That's why magic is so beautiful."

...No wonder Serie and Frieren continue to simp for her even after a thousand years.

"Hehehahaha! Thank you." Flamme chuckled and smiled at me.

"...I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did."

"Okay," I turned and looked directly at the mana dome, not focusing on anything else. "I'm gonna go back to my life and death battle now." My ears were burning red.

Flamme's laughter was musical.

I started walking to the mana dome.

"Trenn," Flamme called out making me pause. "Give your mana the properties of flame."

"Huh?" I blinked at the seeming non-sequitur.

"Like this." Flamme summoned her mana and... it's color changed, looking and acting like fire. Yet... it was just her mana. Not a spell being cast.

"How...?"

"Imagine beyond what you think is possible." She repeated slowly. "If the Einsam is using the same principle of 'your mana being you' to send its illusions through it's many microscopically thin tendrils. If it has enough mana threads to make it seem like you're within a sea of mana in its range, then you don't need to cut off every single one. Just burn the whole thing to the ground."

"Burn—? Wait. Microscopic tendrils?" My eyes widened. "Fuck, no wonder I could never manage to cut them all off." I scowled to myself. "I was in its sea of mana and not realizing that means I was drowning." I sighed, before a thought came to mind. "Wait, if its mana was like a sea from how ubiquitous it was, then burning it won't work. You can't burn water if you're inside it in the middle of the ocean."

"You can't burn a sea with that attitude for sure." Flamme shrugged.

"Say what?" I blinked in surprise, thrown off.

Flamme laughed again, but after regaining her breath she gave me a more serious look, even if she was still smiling.

"Trenn," she began. "I saw into you in the time you spent here. I know. Your goal, mastery of Reelseiden is possible, but you really should stop delaying." She giggled. "I know telling you this is useless, you want to do things your own way, at your own pace. So I just wanted to tell you, once you feel the time is right, don't make excuses. Don't hesitate. Cast your magic with absolute faith and determination."

My expression grew serious as I took her words to heart. I nodded and turned back ready for whatever lies within the mana dome.

'Even Flamme was failure'? Serie, what fucking crack cocaine were you on?

I shook my head at how absurd everything was.

"And Trenn?" Flamme called one last time. "When you meet my master, tell her I enjoyed learning from her."

Looking back, I nodded and reciprocate her fond smile. "I will."

"And do tell her that she should relax. Preferably by getting her laid."

I tripped and fell on my face.

"You have my approval by the way. Just give her a grave wound or cut off a limb and she'll instantly be open to the idea of a date."

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOUR MASTER!?"

"It would just be a flesh wound."

The mana wall wasn't even worth talking about.

Yes, it was a bit of a struggle to push through it at first. Then with some time and practice I replicated Flamme's flame-like mana and pushed through.

Having elf-taming Flamme herself there made the process much easier with her pointers.

What I found inside was...

It was Schwanz. The town just as I remember it. Before the Coalition. Before the fire and destruction.

Yet the world within the dome was distinct, absent of color.

Everything was in black and white.

It was more surreal than anything I could remember. Like an active body derealization experience, except I was too aware of it, if that makes sense.

I knew where to go. A gut feeling, but maybe the only logical place for me to go.

I went to the Calm Orphanage.

The building was whole, exactly as I remember it before I first left.

And in front of it was the last thing I expected to see.

Rein.

The only being right now in color.

I had so many thoughts swirling in my head.

It felt unfair. That she was gone for real. That all the time I spent with her this time was fake. That I couldn't make up for it. Couldn't apologize.

Couldn't be the big brother she wanted.

"Are you here to stop me?" I asked. It wouldn't make sense for a part of subconscious mind that tried to help me, save me during this illusion to now want to hurt me.

But then, I am a self-destructive person.

"Do you want me to?" She asked, a calm maturity in her tone that felt at odd with the Rein I knew. "I could tell you that this world? The one outside? For your brain, it doesn't matter which is real. If it's good enough it will believe it." Rein said, yet opposite to her words, it didn't sound like she was trying to convince me. "If you belief? Then this world can become real."

"But I will know it's not." I replied.

"Does it matter?" Rein tilted her head. "Everyone's experience is subjective. You can make yourself forget and... it will all be real." She looked at me with hope and resignation. Just playing devil's advocate for the hell of it. "You can live a life where you never lose anyone. Where every bond you make is your choice and isn't one that hurts you."

"..." For a single instant temptation came. But just as easily, the bitterness of such a cowardly choice erased that temptation.

"You won't, huh?" Rein gave a scoffed laugh. "You want control over everything. Your life, your destiny, your relationships. But you also want them to be real. People really are paradoxes."

I laughed. "Now I believe you're part of my subconscious. You're pretentious enough."

Rein laughed out loud and I laughed with her.

As we both calmed down, a feeling of finality came over us. We both knew what decision I made. What I already chose even before coming here. Before even knowing this whole world was an illusion.

"I guess this is goodbye." Rein said, smiling up at me with teary eyes.

"I..." There's so much I wanted to say. But there was no point. This isn't the real Rein anyways. There's no point...

"Train?"

My breath hitched at hearing that familiar name. Tears filled my eyes.

"I really will miss you." Rein said, smiling with tears running down her cheeks.

I really, really... hate goodbyes.

"Rein!" I hugged her, my chest heaving as I began crying. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." And everything I wished to say poured out. "I should have visited earlier. I should have played with you more. I should have realized that this new life was different. That I didn't have to treat everyone like I expected them to start exploiting me."

"Dummy, dummy, dummy," Rein cried back, grabbing onto me with every ounce of strength in her small arms.

"I should have realized that I cared, that I wanted this bond, that I wanted us to be family. I'm so... so sorry you died before you could know all of this. I'm sorry that I was too late. That I couldn't save you. That I didn't realize I wanted a younger sister. That I couldn't be the older brother you wanted. I'm sorry, I was so slow. I realized it too late."

Rein cries echoed in the silent black and white world.

We cried until all tears dried up and all words were spoken.

We cried... and finally let go.

It was the most painful thing I ever had to do.

I walked away from Rein and stood before the door of the orphanage. Even though it was the same, somehow it felt bigger than I remember.

"Rein," I spoke up, still facing the door, feeling Rein far behind me. "This question... probably isn't something 'you' can answer, but I wanted to ask it all the same, even if I don't get an answer."

"Yes, Train?"

"Why did you like hanging out with me? Out of everyone in the orphanage, but someone grumpy like me?"

I didn't expect an answer. After all, how can some imaginary Rein know what the real one would say.

"Because I liked watching your adventures."

I blinked at the confusing answer. Because it was not something I could imagine saying to myself.

I looked back and Rein was gone.

The answer didn't make sense, but I felt an odd calm all the same.

Right. Of course.

I took a deep breath and put my hands on the wooden doors.

Time to face the music.

I pushed the doors open.

First there was darkness.

Everywhere. In front of me, behind me, around me, under me in every direction.

The door I came from was gone.

Then the darkness started to take shape, be distinct.

It was something big. Something giant. Another being other than myself.

Two glowing orbs of light came to be. No, they opened up. Eyes the illuminated the surrounding nothingness.

I was floating in an empty vastness before a titan made of smoke and shadows, yet burning internally with light.

I should be scared. Terrified.

Yet once more my instincts told me I was safe.

I leaned my head to the right to see more of the titan's features... and it copied me.

I leaned my head to the left and it did the same.

I looked down at my left hand and it copied me too.

I contemplated if I moved my right hand, would then hand I was floating above of, drop me?

"You're... me?"

It... growled? The voice sounded like a mix of a purr and stomach grumbling in hunger.

I suddenly knew. Maybe because this place is somewhat my subconscious or built off of it, but I knew that the titan was potential, my instincts. My hunger & curiosity.

Or as Flamme called it, my love. What lead me to magic.

But I also felt more within the titan. It was made of all the knowledge I devoured from the Einsam. Information that I couldn't yet process but stayed within me.

"So you are me." I said more firmly, more confident.

It's pleased grunt echoed the void.

I took a deep breath and released it.

"Right." I closed my eyes and centered myself. There was no need to complicate this further. I opened my eyes and faced myself. "Break's over. Time to kill a monster.

"I'm guessing that since this world is made up of my own mind, even realizing that it's fake I can't so easily get out and it's not so simple as opening my eyes." I mused. The titan stayed silent. "Welp, guess it's time to finally do it." I grinned. "It should be a good training attempt for the real thing. And as for mana?" I focused my mana sense. On distance, on feel, on the world and felt it. An opening. A node. A link to something external, to another source of mana.

The mana link to Minus.

"I think it's time for Minus to pay some rent." I said with resolved reborn and reaffirmed. "If I can't even cut a fake world, then forget about the real one, am I right?"

The titan was quiet and still.

Then it smiled.

"̶W̸e̵l̴c̷o̷m̶e̷ ̴h̷o̴m̶e̶.̸"̴

"To be lucky enough to witness mages of the future era, of the Era of Humans." Flamme mused to herself. Even if she was only a remnant will, a small shard born of a role, she could still appreciate this unexpected encounter.

An encounter that will never be replicated again.

"Haaaa, I really am grateful for this world." She let out a breath and smiled.

"To still be able to experience such sights, magic is truly wonderful." Flamme sighed and smiled. "Now Trenn, how will you escape this illusionary world? You're gonna need more than just realizing it's an illusion to manage that."

Flamme waited with bated excitement.

The mana dome was sucked inward, breaking and dissolved as energy for the owner of this world.

Then a giant pillar of mana exploded forward, moving like a tentacle toward the sun—No. Toward a hole in the sky. To another world of energy and power.

And dragged it back toward Schwanz slamming all that power into the city and absorbed by the fledging legendary mage in the making.

"REELSEIDEN!"

A cry echoed in the false realm.

And Flamme laughed jubilant as she saw the 'world', starting from the sky, be cut in half.

Chapter Text

Ancient Einsam POV:

It was a monster of regrets. It's earliest memory was of a man falling down a cliff.

The Einsam was not sure what was that a memory of.

Was that its first victim, running after the image of a loved one?

Was that its first illusion, a trick image, used to making someone else run after them and fall to their death?

Or perhaps that memory was from its first prey, from the first time it connected a tether to another human?

Or was that man falling down the cliff perhaps...?

All it known was longing. A longing for what? It didn't know, didn't understand. A nostalgia without a past to connect to, thus it was only a painful want.

Thus its instinct was to find a human, someone that can understand this pain, someone that can share it.

Someone that can be consumed by loss... till they tasted the sweetest.

The longing ache and hunger were one and the same for the Einsam. To long was to hunger. To eat was to have closure.

The Einsam was particular more talented than others of its kind. It devoured all kinds of humans. From knights to farmers, from elders to children, and many, many more.

No one was sure why Einsam's hunted humans exclusively. Sure they can try to trick and eat other sapient races, but they prefer humans.

One reason was because humans are numerous. Mostly though? It's because feel deeply, mourn deeply.

Long lived races tended to develop a stronger heart, growing more callous to sorrow from age. They learn to get used to it, so even if it hurts, it fades with time.

Humans however have short lives. Eventual lives. Fast lives.

They die so quickly and leave behind a well of sorrow.

A well of meals. A simple reminder and the well becomes sweet as honey.

As said, the Einsam was more than others of its kind. So talented that the forest is hunted in eventually became a place no human would venture.

What few and ignorant humans stumbled upon its forest, the Einsam easily ate. A quick look into their mind, and it brings up a loved one, a respected one, even a feared one. The humans tended to either run to the illusion or run away from it. They all end up in the Einsam's mouth, or fall down a trap and end up eaten by the monster all the same.

The Einsam could have spent all of its time in its forest without a need to leave. It doesn't need to consume humans, just as any other monster doesn't need to devour people either. It can sustain itself on mana gifted by the living world alone.

Yet the Einsam wanted to eat. It preferred to eat. For to eat was to have closure. To eat was to end the longing.

And so, this particular Einsam had something that no other of its kind had. All monsters had wants for sustenance, such was their nature.

But this Einsam had desire.

And due to having desire, it did something other Einsams do no do, until forced to by a stronger predator.

It left its forest.

It ventured beyond its territory, it tricked, it ate.

And then it moved on.

That's what made it terrifying. It had no territory that it locked itself in.

It wandered and through that it grew.

It ate adventuring parties. It would go inside a village at the dead of night, eat humans in one of their mini-constructed lair, and disappeared. It ventured into one of a caravans' traveling carts and vanished with the occupants.

Many lands weren't safe, but then again due to its traveling nature, and the dangers of the world, no one would even know of this Einsam.

If someone dies or disappears, it could be for any number of reasons, as long as their was no repeat of the incident within an area. If a pattern is not established, then there was nothing to look for.

The more humans it ate, the more it wanted more.

The Einsam didn't know more of what, only that it wanted more.

Eventually a pattern of its activities emerged, simply because stories of this Einsam spread around enough for people to form a pattern to identify it.

A Wandering Einsam.

There was a consequence to its new actions. Once stories circulated, more people became cautious of it, but also stronger adventurers would arrive to where the Einsam was suspected or sighted much quicker.

Thus the more danger the Einsam faced. Yet the more danger it faced, the more it survived and ate... the more it evolved.

It's ability to read into its victims mind became more thorough, more controlled, rather than instinctively bring up the image of the most prominent person in its victim's memories.

Then the images themselves. At first see-through and obvious, breaking from a hand weaving through them. Even if the image never dispersed just reforming, or allowing the prey to go through the illusion into a trap, or the Einsam's mouth and claws. The image became more solid, more tangible, and thus another claw to take down the prey.

Then it learned how to bring more than one image, then several... then make images not of people from the victims' memories, but of places, of sounds, of touch.

On and on the Einsam grew. It was becoming more. Changing from a mere ghost bringer of regret and sorrow to something else.

Becoming something that ruled image and perception and soon thought itself. It was becoming more, a higher being, ego was starting to form. Horn slowly growing to crown its head.

Time passed and the Einsam hunted, played and ate. So, so, many seasons.

And through it all?

The Einsam would laugh at all the prey that came to challenge it. Meals that sought it out, delivered right to it. Human really were the stupidest yet most convenient food. Rather than scatter and run like any natural prey, they went and fought the predators.

The swordsman with a thin long blade rather than a normal one. He was skilled, perceptive, the fastest foe the Einsam faced. An illusion of a home gone, and a loved one wanting to reunite and he fell to the Einsam's claws.

A rogue with a poisoned metal string. It was a satisfying game of cat and mouse, if the Einsam was even within the same floor of the manor they fought in. Giant old human lair can be hazardous all on their own.

That mage so sure of her spell of sky noise and flashes, of her lightning spells, she never noticed she aimed her magic at her party. The horror of seeing what she's done made her frozen in place without the Einsam doing anything.

A warrior so sure of his strength. Drowning him was the simplest of meal preparations.

Mages were favorite for the Einsam. Or any adventurer that mastered their craft, as their mana was more dense, more complex, giving a unique taste. Mages were better for quantity and on a rare occasion quantity and quality.

Then, naturally as its abilities progressed it reached the point of recalling the mana of its prey, able to bring back their memories to use for itself without an anchor, a prey to draw the illusions from. No, it made itself the anchor. It remembered the memorable prey and so it made them part of its illusions forever more, for when it needed to fight much stronger foe/preys.

Soon enough, and with enough mage foes, both fought and studied once eaten, the Einsam could manipulate its own mana, to use for ways beyond its natural ability.

Then the Einsam reached the point of controlling it's own mana, that it could control its own core. The flesh started to matter less, as long as its core was intact.

And then?

Soon, soon, soon, soon it would finally take that last step and—

Orange Mage.

A old woman. A mage with hair like a greying sun.

An Orange Mage that the Einsam thought would be another prey, another meal. Elder humans might be dangerous, holding a lot of tricks, but they tasted the best with their mana refined after a lifetime of magic use.

The Orange Mage... treated the Einsam as prey.

Its illusions were torn down easily. Laughably easily, like the Orange Mage didn't see them. Even the solid illusions melted when near the Orange Mage.

The Einsam couldn't trick the Orange Mage at all, couldn't overpower her, couldn't even touch her mind or mana.

The Orange Mage, Flamme simply burned all.

And thus the Einsam remembered terror.

It ran. It ran with every fiber of its being. It used every trick, every technique, everything it knew over the course of its massive lifespan.

All it needed was time. Humans, old one specially all perished to time.

It just needed to wait this mage, this Flamme's life out. Just wait for her to die and then—

"My aren't a persistent bug."

No.

No, no, no, no, nononononono—! SHE COULDN'T HAVE FOLLOWED IT TO THE ENDS OF THE LAND! SHE COULDN'T HAVE FOUND IT!

"Ooof, my back hurts. Not as young as I used to be. I guess I can't just chase demons, or monsters in this case, across the continent like I used to."

Wait? Could it be? Was this its chance? Was Flamme finally weakened? Yes, yes, yes! It can win, it can lure it deeper into this tunnel and trap her. Kill her. Devour her.

"And, you're an annoying little bug. Going inside that tunnel could end up as a death sentence for me if I'm not careful."

The Einsam expected her to come after it though. Mages were prideful. When they are sure they can win despite the odds, that's when they make their gravest mistakes. That's when they let their guard down.

"Buuut on the other hand, this place is far away from any civilization. Yeah, I don't feel like dealing with this anymore."

The Einsam was confused on what Flamme was talking about.

Then it witness magic on a scale it couldn't comprehend. A magic that enveloped the mountain of the tunnel the Einsam hide in.

Magic that sealed and anchored the Einsam within the tunnel for as long as the mountain stood.

"Yep, that should keep you locked here for a few hundred years. Well, given that it will leech off your own mana, it till be till you die, you annoying phantom."

It didn't make sense. It was too grand for a monster to understand. It was too monumental a feat for it to grasp.

Why couldn't it ever trick Flamme? How did Flamme kept finding it? Why did all of its mana burn within the presence of Flamme?

"While this isn't a permanent solution, I have faith someone in the future will come along and put an end to you."

Anger. Anguish. Despair.

For the first time in its life the Einsam felt thought emotions.

It's own intelligence meant that it understood those concepts, that it experience those emotions as its own, rather than viewing them through its victims.

It raged, it battered against the seal, it bashed the tunnel walls, even attempted to dig through them. All for naught.

It couldn't leave. It couldn't escape. The Einsam was finally trapped for good.

The only momentary pleasure it had was when some idiot human stumbled into it's hunting ground, it's prison.

And so it lived. It waited It felt it's progress crash into a halt, its growth stagnate. It couldn't hunt, it couldn't grow.

The meals were parsley, for it became known that the tunnel it was imprisoned in housed it. Only rarely could it trick a meal into its prison. Only rarely was it lucky for food to stumble into its den.

It hungered. It longed. The ache grew more than it ever felt in its life.

That's why it savored every meal even more. They were sacred to it. The Einsam had to make sure each meal, for as few as there were over the decades, or century at times, would be as exquisite as possible.

And then a day came were a Blue Whelp arrived to its den.

At first the Einsam treated the Blue Whelp like any meal. It played with him, scared him. It didn't expect to actually eat the boy, as the wooden post and length rope placed their by Flamme made it clear of what the range of the tunnel's safety, before entering the monster's sealed area.

And with the seal siphoning the Einsam's mana drop by drop, it had to conserve what mana it did have. In all these years it didn't have to exert much effort for the rare prey it did capture. Mostly because those humans were so stupid, they outright ignored the signs of danger, and the rope that would ensure their safety.

Sometimes the Einsam did get lucky in tricking people to letting go of the rope while they're within the tunnel, within it's mana's grasp. That luck got less and less as more humans learned of its lair prison, and thus learned to avoid it, or how to safely for their sake navigate it. Simply by not entering it, or using the rope to pull themselves back to safety.

Those the avoided becoming a meal to the Einsam were usually scared enough to never returned even near the tunnel, having learned their lesson and valuing their lives.

The Blue Whelp didn't seem like a normal human. The boy actively returned, a while later, and starting coming into the tunnel (rope tied around him and all) to actively fight the Einsam.

The boy wasn't... what was the word? An animal who's instincts were fried. An animal who's clinging to life was gone.

The Einsam learned words, language from all the people it consumed over the millennia, thus only one presented itself to describe the boy aptly.

Mad.

The Blue Whelp was mad.

He would face the Einsam near everyday, regardless of the illusions spun, regardless of all the death, horror, fear or even with emotions renewed to be felt all over again, the boy kept to face the Einsam.

The Blue Whelp was relentless, almost like...

No. The boy was simply idiotic and lucky.

Lucky that he never let go of the rope. Lucky to have that elf covering him, using arrows of wind so thin and so silent that the Einsam only notice them at the last minute. When the Einsam would finally manage to get the boy fall to one of his more solid illusion, or land a true blow, not a false one, a silent wind arrow appear to knock the Einsam's fang away.

The Einsam wasn't even sure if the boy knew this. He never seemed to react as if he did.

Worse though, was the constant battles. The boy kept facing the Einsam day by day, that mana the Einsam had kept dwindling faster and faster and not getting replenished as there was no meal yet.

If only it could get the boy, his mana felt odd. A quantity larger than what a child should have. A mana reserves of an adult. The Einsam felt this prey could replenish all the mana it had spend. More than that, all that fighting was pushing the Einsam, even if it didn't want to.

It might even be able to evolve, truly, finally. But the boy would never become prey with all those safeguards in place. With that elf looking after him.

If only the child could act as his age.

...And then finally he did.

The Einsam was overjoyed. The Blue Whelp acted as a whelp does and entered the tunnel with false bravado thinking surviving so long was a sign of his strength.

The Blue Whelp came from the other end of the tunnel, the one without security. He thought he as so clever. Humans always think they're the first figured some secret out, when really, it's always been tried before. Even the first time a human tried that, they couldn't trick the Einsam. It's senses were too sharp from living in the isolation of the tunnel. A bug's steps were audible for the monster, even a worm could be smelled.

The Blue Whelp came for the glowing moss, likely hoping for a cure to poison. Sadly the those cold vines whse poison those moss cures, were burned centuries ago, but another mage, who wanted to at least remove one of the Einsam's weapons to hunt its meals. Or that it threw at travelers that successfully escaped it.

The whelp didn't know that all the real moss was in the center of the tunnel, hidden behind a rock by the Einsam. It made many false copies of the moss just in case some desperate traveler or adventurer came for it, they'd be trapped inside the Einsam's lair, shortly to become another meal.

The boy didn't even have his guardian elf this time. The Einsam was overjoyed, it would finally have its meal. It could finally...

The Blue Whelp wasn't an easy prey to chew. The boy wouldn't stop moving, wouldn't stop fighting. The boy smiled at danger.

The boy's self-preservation instincts were broken. Mad, he truly was.

But worse, the Einsam began to feel something it never felt for a very long time. Warriness.

The Blue Whelp was a mage, usually a good thing, more mana made for a better meal. But more than that, the Blue Whelp was a warrior too, how the Einsam didn't understand.

The Blue Whelp was fast. Terrifyingly for the Einsam, the boy actually could keep up with the Einsam's movement. The true Einsam, the movement of its own core that it could displace as long as there was a place with its own mana, it could send its core to. Thus it could survive anything. Most never even perceived it's true self, even as they managed to stubbornly hold out to reach its body. It's core would be gone, leaving just a strong shell behind.

It was a pain to rebuild the shell, but that was better than dying.

Yet the boy could move as fast as the Einsam's core.

Then bit by bit, terrifyingly fast, the Blue Whelp began to perceive the Einsam. Perceive its true form, its true location.

The Einsam spent more and more of its mana, or its precious resources to entrap, to hunt down this damnable child. Yet the Blue Whelp kept preserving, kept surviving, kept growing stronger.

More and more of its powers had to be utilized. More and more of its secrets had to be unveiled.

The Blue Whelp kept surviving. The Blue Whelp devoured its mana!

The Einsam got desperate as the boy kept coming, till finally, finally, finally!

It captured him.

Lured him in close, making him think he could land that decisive blow, and that's when the Einsam used its last and ultimate master illusion.

It needed to touch the prey's head, and it would be able to make them fall within their own mind. Let their mind create a false illusion world. The Einsam provided the mana, but their mind provided everything else.

After all, doesn't every living being wish for its own paradise and hell?

Every prey that fell for the ultimate illusion was as good as dead, even if the Einsam didn't eat them, they'd never wake up again.

The ultimate illusion made the prey perfect, for they would never wake or fight again. The Einsam could thus savor them.

The Einsam felt a mana link from the boy, and followed it to another elf far away from it's prison. A strong elf. The Einsam couldn't deal with it now, but it could at least sneak through that link to see what knowledge it can use against the boy, to keep him within that dream world.

Unnoticed by the Einsam nor the Elf Great Mage, two motes of mana belonging to neither swept in, sneaking into the illusion. One came from the Einsam's sealing, and another came from within Minus.

It brought the annoyingly fighty child to its embrace, it was going to enjoy this meal.

The Einsam dismissed his strongest armor to reveal its true face, opened its true mouth to start taking a bite and...

Grrrr.

The boy somehow had his mana empowering his body up, even while unconscious. The Einsam tried to guide the illusionary world so the boy would drop his spells and power, yet it never seems to work for long.

The Blue Whelp kept fight in his own way.

The Einsam decided to just bite down and forcibly tear the boy flesh bit by bit if it had to.

This it opened its mouth once more and bit down.

An explosion of mana rocketed through the Blue Whelp's frame, a feeling of sharpness passed though the Einsam's mouth from the inside, through it's face and eyes, and hit the tunnel's ceiling.

The Einsam cried out in real pain as it jumped back. That attack got close to its core, too close!

The Einsam roared in anger, in pain and fury at the boy's last ditch effort and—

"Ȟ̵͙A̸̭̎ ̸̼̈́H̴̗͠Ą̴̐ ̷̜̌Ĥ̴̢Ä̸̹́ ̶͎͑H̸̛̫A̶͓̐ ̷̛̜H̷̫̾A̶̹͂ ̴͓̂H̸̺͝Ä̵͙́ ̷̹́H̴̱̆A̴̢̾ ̴̟̓H̸͜͝A̵̯͗ ̵̰̒H̵͝ͅÄ̶̗́ ̸̛͉H̷̺͘A̷̩̐ ̶̦͗H̸̜̆À̵͈!̸̬̎" The Blue Whelp laughed.

...What? The boy laughed, a sound like the Einsam's own. Yet worse. More. Not the various echoes of the dead that the Einsam used to scare its preys. It was a laugh that grated on the sound itself.

Of course the monster couldn't comprehend the sound. For the sound of digital shredding had never existed in this world.

Then music and song played. The Einsam didn't understand why the boy made his mana do that. There was no music wielder. Bard. The boy wasn't a bard, nor was their a bard around.

Yet music dreadfully played.

The boy stumbled into standing, his head tilted to the side and down, a wide deranged smile on his face.

The Einsam understood. It lived long enough to understand the nuance.

The Blue Whelp was mocking him. The mana kept swirling and growing around the boy. Violently and steadily spun around him.

The Einsam growled in fury, it gathered it's mana once more and retook his armored form.

It was an amalgamation of all the phantoms it made in its life. An armor of memories that empowered it by all the skills of all the prey it slaughtered in its life.

Even if the Blue Whelp somehow broke through its ultimate illusion, it was now too weak to fight the Einsam in its best form—

The mana that exploded from the Blue Whelp's frame was colossal. More than the boy's own.

In fact, the mana didn't feel like the boy's own, but that Elf linked to him. The mana burst outward like a dome, an explosion expanding, till it covered the mountain.

No.

The mana formed a dome that solidified and immediately started shrinking swiftly.

An old fear echoed like a whisper.

The mana passed into the mountain, through, dirt, sand and rock.

And captured every single mote of mana the Einsam had left around. The Einsam's vision began to shrink.

It could no longer see through the mountain.

It could no longer see the outside roads.

It could no longer see except what's within the tunnel.

And that area was shrinking even more by that dome of mana.

The Einsam's mana struck it, but more so, the monster focused on striking the Blue Whelp. Get into his mind once more. It would be so easy, as it paved the path from repeated doing so, and knows how to do so subtly.

The boy could never snip his millions of mana tendrils.

The wave of the monster's mana fell upon the boy like a crawling sea.

And it all burned.

The Einsam froze in place.

The Blue Whelped mana burned. It burned anything that got close to it. No links for illusions could be made.

Burned. Just. Like. Hers.

"̸I̷.̴"̴ The Blue Whelp grinned.

Nonononononononono.

̵"̸S̴e̴e̷.̸"̸ The Blue Whelp spoke.

He's not her. He's not her. He's not her.

̵"̵Y̸o̷u̴.̴"̴ And his voice echoed in the Einsam's mind.

The discarded sword suddenly blasted from from its place and flew to the boy's hand. He grabbed it and that weak lightning of mages burst off and around him. The electricity stuck to the walls and ground filling the air.

The Einsam recognized that spell, it was one a mage used to direct rocks and launch them at the monster at high speeds. Too bad they were never aimed at it.

The Blue Whelp was suddenly in front of the Einsam, slashing down. The monster brought it's bulky arms up on instinct but the burning blade cut through the body, muscles, mana and all, almost grazing the Einsam's core.

It needed to run.

It needed to run. It needed to run. It needed to run.

The Blue Whelp had Flamme's flames!

The Einsam jumped back, summoning phantoms, launching countless mana arrows of its own, make illusions over the terrain.

The electric field acted on the boy. He simply zipped to the side, left, right over and over again, dodging all the projectile attacks, while strolling toward the Einsam.

When the phantoms lunged upon him, he weaved between their attacks, cutting them down with a familiar ease of the swordsmans and warriors the Einsam had tricked and felled in his life.

The Blue Whelps eyes never left the monster, the smile never changed either.

The Einsam slammed into the barrer and hissed, jumping back as its body burn.

Wait, the seal? When did it reach it? When did it forget it was there? The Einsam thought with horror.

Suddenly a heavy blow slammed into its back, a kick from the body, strong enough to make the monster smack back into the barrier, and bounce off of it, burning and sizzling.

Only for the boy to be there when the Einsam rebounded, and uppercut it. The monster left the air break as it smashed into the ceiling and feel down.

The Einsam didn't have time to process this. All the illusions, solid or not were gone. His phantoms were undone and for some reason weren't coming back.

What was happening? It could only think, an instant since it fell from that last blow to the ceiling.

"̴G̵e̵t̴.̵ ̶U̷p̸.̷"̶

The Einsam looked up wide eyed, only to get a kick that launched it so far back, through rock pillars, grazing the walls till it felt a different air around it.

The Einsam couldn't believe its eyes. Somehow, somehow it was thrown all the way out of the tunnel. He looked at the blue sky with manic glee.

IT WAS FREE—

̸"̶W̸a̸k̶e̵.̸ ̷U̸p̷.̵"̵

A fist enveloped it's world, its view and smashed into its face, rocketing it into a hole in the ground.

The Einsam was stunned for a moment. It couldn't believe what happened. It took a second to process it as the boy calmly walked toward it enchanted sword in hand.

It had been tricked. It fell for an illusion. Perception and memory affected to forget the seal momentary, and to believe the sky it saw was real.

The Einsam stood up and roared. In rage. In terror.

The Blue Whelp turned its own power against it? Impossible.

Impossible. Impossible. Impossible.

It's pride wouldn't allow it to accept that.

The Einsam roared and lunged forward. It mutated its body to elongate it and change it as it pleased. The final layer of control it held, to manipulated its body made of mana particles as it pleased.

No matter what the Blue Whelp tried, eventually it will overwhelm him. Even his his seemingly new endless mana, he will mentally break eventually. He had to, from channeling all that power, all the remnant wills of those phantoms in the Einsam's mana it absorbed.

The Blue Whelp dashed forward, and almost as if he saw the Einsam's next move before it made it, he slashed off the other limbs coming at him, then the Einsam's chest, before spinning and cutting off the elongated limb that circled around to him.

That slash on the Einsam's body once more came close to its core.

The Einsam summoned the memories of the warriors its ate, and this time used them himself, while changing the environment. Even if it can't affect the boy's mind, it can affect the surrounding, and it's not like it can't make solid ground to remove later, so the boy would stumble and misstep.

The Blue Whelp through any illusion, parried the Einsam's blows, diagonally from the left, from below upper slash right, and any other attack. The boy had the strength to block and parry all the monster slashes naturally, but that was fine, it was luring him toward a foot hole in the ground.

The Blue Whelp stepped on what looked like solid ground, which it was for a moment. Then the ground disappeared.

The Einsam lunged with glee, only to get a slash that cut off its head. The monster was shock, confused, and as it reformed it's head, it saw that the boy's leg stood on air. He was casting the flight spell all along.

The monster roared in frustration, as it kept attacking with everything it had. Phantoms it summoned would breakdown from the fiery mana in the air. The dome the boy made was filled with it.

Voices, shapes, illusions of people the Einsam saw and knew within the boy's mind, knew how important they were were placed in his path. The boy didn't so much as acknowledge them, almost like he couldn't see them even.

It tried to attack through that avenue only to be cut down once more.

Over and over any attempt, any method of attack it tried, they all failed.

More than that, more frustrating, more enraging, more despairing was that each slash upon the Einsam's body got close to its core.

Over and over again. Close but never cutting it down. It was a deliberate chose.

The Einsam screamed in wroth over the realization. That the boy was toying with it. Like it was the prey in this whole hunt.

It never even noticed that it's true body, the actual base it used and core inhabited was revealed, as it was striped of any mana armor, layer by layer through the Blue Whelps attacks.

In response to it's final cry, it got a sword imbedded through its skull. The force launched the monster off its feet that it smacked back into a wall.

A wall that was burning it.

No! The seal's barrier.

The Blue Whelp was in front of it. It didn't even see him move. He just observed it.

The Einsam played dead.

It's final card as it slowly dissolved its body. It would have to hide its core elsewhere and remake its body later on once the boy left. It couldn't beat him. Survival was its priority.

The boy tilted his head like he was seeing a particularly funny play.

He pulled his hand back.

"Are you ready?" The Blue Whelp said.

The Einsam didn't understand what the boy meant, or what he was trying to accomplish. If he whaled upon the Einsam's 'corpse', it will do nothing in order to sell the act.

The mana dome the boy had made earlier contracted like the last bit of air in a ballon.

And now that mana became a form-fitting a barrier over the Einsam's body. All its mana trapped within it. All its mana, its core, its self in one single place.

Fear gripped the monster's heart true.

The Einsam felt mana line link up all over its body. The same spell the boy used to move around, as fast as the monster's core.

Then Blue Whelp launched a punch. Air broke.

The boy roared. He punched over and over and over. His mana breaking, burning, shattering, dispersing the Einsam's own body and mana piece by piece.

Pain beyond pain was inflicted upon the monster. And this time couldn't run, it couldn't hide, it couldn't even dull or escape the pain.

C-Crack.

It heard it. The Einsam felt it and hope bloom in it's core.

The seal was breaking.

Crack.

Its legs were gone. Its arms were gone. Its head was gone. Its torso was slowly, stubbornly holding out, where its core was hiding, as it waited for the thousand year old barrier to finally break down.

If it could just hold on—

CRACK!

The Flamme's barrier shattered. It's torso was gone, but the Einsam was elated all the same as it now finally, after a thousand years had it's chance at free—

The Blue Whelp's hand thrust forward before the core could so much as twitch and grasped it.

The Einsam's hope died.

The Blue Whelp, Trenn slammed the core into the ground.

And then ran, fly while grinding the monster's core into the floor.

"IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT?" He roared.

The Einsam tried to reinforce the last piece of itself, tried to stay alive, to survive.

Trenn in his rage was heading toward the exit on the other side of the tunnel that opened to the sea. The opening Trenn tried to sneak from.

The Einsam's core was durable, it could withstand the pure force of Trenn dragging it through the ground long enough.

Only for the Einsam's being to freeze as it heard laughter.

"THIS IS WHAT YOU'LL FUCKING GET!"

Laughter it hadn't heard in a thousand years. Laughter that couldn't exist anymore.

The ground burned with familiar mana. The mana of the seal.

'What kind of mage uses their fists? Is this what the mages of their era are like?' The Einsam heard Flamme's laughter.

The Einsam realized with horror that the seal didn't break, not completely. It changed itself.

Altered its form due to Trenn trapping all the Einsam's mana within its core, and now, the whole tunnel acted as Flamme's barrier to burn the ensure the core's finally annihilation.

That wasn't right. That wasn't fair.

Flamme's surely dead by time, why was she burning it now beyond the veil of death.

Trenn wasn't satisfied dragging the core through the ground, he fly across the tunnel in a circle, up the walls, the ceiling down to the ground, like a drill's path. He dragged the shredding the core across the whole tunnel.

"YOU MOTHER! FUCKING! SHIT!"

It was close. The exit was right there. It could see the light.

The Einsam died, crumbling to dust, to mana particle.

The last sight it had was walls of it's tunnel, its prison lit by the unseen sky and sun.

The last thing it heard was Flamme's laughter and Trenn's roar, before it vanished away forever.

Chapter Text

The monster's core grinded into nothing long before I reached the end of the tunnel. And when it was gone I sent a wave of fire to get rid of anything left behind just in case.

My hand was red and bloody as I looked at it in the end. The skin was shredded and peeled back in some places. The muscles of my shoulders, biceps and forearms felt like they were burning. Shoulder blades and back muscles hurt a bit too.

I put my mind out of the pain in my limbs right now, as I was focusing on something else.

Looking at my hands, my body, there was a grey smoky fire enveloping me. A cold physical aura. It was the remnant of the Einsam's mana I absorbed and filtered.

Yes, none of the Einsam's self was within this mana, just information.

But that information was, well, the phantoms it had used against me.

Does this count as me hosting ghosts? I wondered.

The first thought in my head was what to do about this mana. It's origin was the Einsam sure, but it had nothing of its will or anything resembling that. There was this feel to the mana of nostalgia, regret and now, relief.

I started to let it go, let it evaporate form my body.

For a moment I had the thought to hold onto it. I won it by conquest and I think eventually I could assimilate this mana completely and with it the knowledge and skills I originally absorbed it for.

I shook my head. No, that sounds like a process and a half. The work of a lifetime and I will just be chained to this self-forced quest for who knows how much of my life till I master this power.

I'm not putting anymore chains on myself. I began this life free and I will continue to live it as I wish, not by what's forced upon me to deal with, if I don't want to.

I could almost feel gratitude that wasn't my own, but it felt too much like an imagination of my mind. Like something I told myself to feel good about myself.

"Now how to go about this?" I muttered.

I let go of Rein, letting go of thousands of adventurers' skill, knowledge and instincts should be much easier.

But what's the proper way? Doing it like how I used Jilwer to refill my mana levels with Minus' mana feels... disrespectful. Like this mana is something sacred that should be treated with a bit more reverence.

Speaking of Minus I can't feel the mana link curse to her anymore. Yes, the hook she has in my soul due to the bargain of me doing something for her, in return for her help is still there.

But, the mana link curse, that would send her mana to me that would turn me to only be able to use her mana should I exhaust mine (making my body reject my own mana)? That was gone.

Weird but not something to focus on for now.

"How to do this?" I thought out loud.

Well, the goddess should give them passage to the afterlife, so a holy spell?

I only know one healing spell though...

"Praying is about faith, isn't it?" I said to myself.

Standing here outside the tunnel, on the edge of a cliff, facing the sea crashing on the walls below. There was a path to the side that lead down to the beach. They sky was brightening with the light of the morning. The sun rose maybe an hour or so ago. The sky was cloudy.

Did that fucker's illusion messed with my perception of time as well? That shitty Einsam seemed to have human-level intelligence enact cruelty and reveled in it, so probably.

I clicked my tongue, then shook my head. Not important for now. I still have time.

Hands open flat, brought my hands and pressed them together.

The universal gesture of prayer.

I called upon the mana within me. Mine, intertwined with the ghostly mana, guiding it to the spell structure of the Healing Spell.

Hey, Goddess? Can you accept them into the afterlife? Help them? If they are... something that can be helped?

I didn't have Certainty that this would work. I was really waving in the dark here.

Once the Healing Spell was finished I didn't cast it on myself. There was just this ball of energy in front of me, since I created the spell structure outside. I didn't know what else to do.

I just had a vague idea and Faith.

The clouds parted. I felt a smile caress my cheek, which was a warm and odd feeling because it wasn't me smiling.

There was a beam of sunlight engulfing me. Not focused but just clouds oddly parting. Viewing it from far away, the whole scene might be a natural coincidence.

The apparitions that appeared around me dispelled that notion. The ghostly vestige of all kinds filled my view. Adventurers, warriors, mages, priests, archers, lancers, rogues, normal people, people of all kinds.

Victims of a thousand years slain before their time by one monster. Looking at all these ghosts, it felt unfair that the Einsam managed to live and survive for so long.

Yet at the head of this ghostly parade were the three strongest phantoms I faced, summoned by the monster. They looked content. The Ghost Warrior grunted and nodded. I think he grunted, they didn't make a sound. The Ghost Swordsman brought his hands together as I did and bowed. And the Ghost Mage tipped his wizard hat at me. Huh, he didn't have that before.

"Good job, Boyo."

I startled at the sudden voice, and looked behind me.

"Flamme!" My eyes widened, as I felt a smile grow on my face.

"You did it good." She walked forward, ghostly hand patted my head, as she passed by me to join the other ghosts. "I marked the plants you wanted back in the tunnel." She said with her back to me.

"Huh?" Not the most eloquent reply, but I was mentally tired. Sue me.

"You still have stuff to do, don't you?" She turned back smiling, as golden light flared around and within every ghost. "Live a long life, Trenn. With as little regrets as you can manage." Flamme grinned cheekily. "And if you can, do help my dense student get to Ende once she starts her journey."

"Y-Yeah," I said back, finally found my voice. I felt a calming warmth in my chest from everything, this meeting, this goodbye and all. Then I realized what she just asked me. "Hey, wait and minute—!" One by one, very quickly like smoke going out in a wave, the ghost vanished in small flash and shine of gold.

The sunbeam was the only thing left and slowly it dimmed as the clouds closed once more.

I stood in silence for a while, only the sound of waves soothing me in the background.

"She knows? Did she read my memories?" I said to myself. I suppose it shouldn't be surprising given everything.

I went back into the tunnel, flying at high speed. The place was big so I needed to search it quickly, and...

I found a literally neon yellow glowing rock. It was very obvious in the relatively dark tunnel.

Also the giant neon yellow arrow was pointing at it with a caption 'SHINEGLOW MOSS BEHIND THIS ROCK!'.

"Thanks, Flamme. Really couldn't have figured that out." I deadpanned.

The rock glowing and arrows were clearly magic spells of some sort, but I didn't have time to sit down and study or memorize them.

I moved the rock to see a massive amount of the moss. Enough that even if I fill my bag and carried some I couldn't take them all.

On the back of the rock that, now lost its glow, I found the formula for a spell titled 'Flora Lifeforce Detection Spell'.

"I don't have paper and pen on me." I said mostly to myself as I clicked my mouth.

The giant arrow changed to another caption: 'MEMORIZE IT, NUMBNUTS!'

"...That was a timed trigger." I realized after a moment by observing the spell array. "She literally expected me for complain about not being able to write this down, and actively wrote that message." I blink in disbelief as this. "What the fuck—She's sassing me from beyond the grave."

There was no audio spell. There were no other spells cast or happening, just the neon messages left. I could have sworn I heard mocking laughter.

Frieren, your master is mean.

I went to gather the Shineglow Moss and fly out of the Death Tunnel.

It's only when I was about to cast Schnellwurf to fast travel back to Ackerheim that I realized my mana reserves were back to a 100%.

The Goddess gave me a refill. ...Holy shit. I was frozen, just floating in the air, at that realization. Okay processing that and everything else later on.

I cast Schnellwurf and went on my way.

Chapter Text

Minus, The Witch POV:

Minus was in silent contemplation. What she was feeling right now...

How many years? She wondered. How many centuries has it been since I've experienced genuine, unadulterated fear?

The fact that she was having this thought was in its own way hilarious to Minus. That as soon as she attained the Divine Gift of Precognition, she had been experiencing one surprising and, or shocking experience after another.

Upon gaining the Divine Gift she had almost died. Critically injured with a cursed wound. The irony of her, a mage specializing in curses, being cursed was not lost on her.

Then immediately afterwards she met the man fated to kill her. Except he was still a boy.

The boy meant to kill her healed her.

Naturally she observed him, followed his actions with a scholar's curiosity.

But then...

Battle awakened him. The more pressure placed upon him, the more he grow. In mere hours he reached heights that would take other mages years to reach.

And as she watched his battles, only giving him enough help to be able to continue, she discovered things that left her puzzled.

Above everything was his mana levels. The boy, Trenn, was nine years old according to those who knew him. According to a spell she knew that told how long someone's been alive.

And yet... Trenn had the mana level of a mage who lived and practiced magic for a nearly century. The mana levels of a human who should be an elder toward the end of their life.

That's what allowed him to cast that large-scale spell fire spell, even before she offered him her curse. What allowed him to cast the travel spell for so long. To constantly practice mana techniques all hours of the day.

How does a simply human boy have that amount of mana? How was he never discovered before by mages of the Elves Shield?

"Minus," Trenn spoke from his chair next to the old archer's, Schroff's bed. "Thanks. For coming here ahead of time. Having you around really helped in case Mr. Alarich couldn't manage things."

They were at Gerwin's inn in Ackerheim. Minus stood at the window looking like she was staring at the ongoings of the town and people. In truth she was sending her vision to something else far away.

"The town's herbalist had things well in hand." Minus waved the boy off, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. She hardly expended any effort. "I trusted that you'd succeed so I came ahead of time. I figured I might as well halt the progression of the poison, lest unexpected complications arise and erase your hard work."

"...So there's a spell that can do that too." Trenn said in a low tone, yet she heard him all the same. As soon as Schroff's health was confirmed, Trenn collapsed on the first chair he could find. His eyes were downcast staring at the floor in contemplation all the while. "If I had been thinking straight I'd have thought to heal him with Goddess Magic." He said, bitterness directed at himself.

"It's a good thing you did not." Minus spoke. She felt Trenn slowly look up at her. She didn't turn to him. Her sight was upon a piece of land between the town they were in and Schwanz. Along the direct path between the habitats there is now a chasm. Not a large one, but significant that travelers will have to go around it, make a small bridge over it, or higher a mage to fill that dug out patch of earth again.

It was caused by Trenn. Minus is sure he doesn't know this. It occurred when he was asleep and falling from the sky.

He used it then when he lost consciousness, didn't he? That 'Reelseiden' spell he spoke of. Minus dismissed the spell as a unique but simple attack spell. Part of the reason why she kept an eye on the boy was to see him use that spell and pick up its components, to see how it worked.

But what if it wasn't a spell? But some kind of Divine Gift as well. He didn't cast a spell or call its name. He just automatically unleashed it before he woke up. Yet Minus couldn't sense a Divine Gift within Trenn.

Was that due to her already having one, stolen as it might be. Or was it something else?

Maybe that 'Reelseiden' spell is some instinctive magic Trenn holds even if he never used it. Maybe didn't even know it or its name, but the seer girl, Rein told him.

"Magical poisons tend to exacerbate when the wrong spell is used upon them. May tend to absorb the user's mana to propagate or quicken their effect." Minus explained. "That's why it is better to use the correct antidote potion, or be a skilled Priest with the correct healing or general cleansing spell."

Rein. That was a whole other jug of scorpions.

"I see," Trenn let out a sigh, a small smile gracing his face. "I guess it was lucky then however thing worked out." The frown returned. "Well, lucky this time, but I can't afford to rely on luck like this next time. I was too hotheaded, so many better, calmer options that I should have considered first. Next time, if ever there is a situation like this again, I'll do better."

"Yes." Minus finally moved, turning her head a bit to give Trenn a side-eye, before looking back out the window. "Lucky indeed."

Lucky. That truly was the definitive thing wasn't it.

Trenn was lucky.

Lucky to have been born in a place at the far end of the continent, were no one could find his talent and shape him from a young age.

Lucky to be in a city where either side of this silly civil war had the resources nor competence to discover his magical talents.

Lucky to have focused first and foremost on mana suppression as his main magical training.

More than that, when did Trenn start sensing mana? A year ago? Two? When he was four or five? ...Even younger?

When did his magical gift show itself? And more than that, what inspired him to train like he did, to have that discipline.

No. Remember their first conversation, his love for magic was just that strong. No wonder he threw himself into using it as much as possible, as he did.

Above all though... Trenn was lucky to be living in the same orphanage as a girl with the Divine Gift of Precognition.

Here's a question Minus didn't consider before: How old was Rein?

She was a six year old girl when Minus met her.

But how old is someone who can see the future actually?

While Minus only had the Divine Gift for a few days, she could spend hours staring at the possibilities of the future. She also noticed a minute efficiency in using the gift, the more she used it. Such as 1 minute looking into the future, equated to 59.998 seconds in real time.

Odds are with enough practice she would be able to look at hours of future sight, with only seconds passing in real time.

So what of the girl born with such ability?

How far into the future did Rein see? How far, how long did she live in her visions, while only being six years old in her physical body?

Surely all of Rein's visions ended with her meeting Minus, didn't they? She couldn't have planned for anything beyond that, didn't she?

And yet... that battle with the aged Einsam.

A monster that, if nothing else, proved the theory that all monster eventually can evolve into demons with enough time and mana. All of them simply never lived that long to succeed. Dragons as a race having reached an intermediary state, and were simply one evolution away from demonhood.

The Einsam facing it was a terrifying experience for Trenn.

But also one for Minus.

The Great Mage knew there were things in this world that could be a threat to it, if she wasn't careful.

She knew that.

But even knowing that didn't prepare her for a monster, that managed to block her attempts of subtly freeing Trenn from the illusions he saw in battle, or outright blocking her from interfering in the illusionary world, only act as an observer. The Einsam had the gall to actually reach into Minus' mind to learn how to copy her mannerisms so that when the Illusion Minus left Trenn behind, he wouldn't suspect a thing.

But the Einsam's actions were only momentarily frightening, and simply frustrating and annoying afterwards.

The truly scary thing was... Rein had left a portion of her mana within her Divine Gift. A portion of mana so well hidden, Minus, a Great Mage didn't detect it, until it activated to leave her through the mana link curse, once the illusionary world for Trenn was made.

Did Rein also train as a mage? Could Rein have trained in secret with Trenn? Minus didn't sense that from Rein when she met her.

What if... Rein simply taught herself through her Divine Gift? What if Rein could act out what future she desires through her gift, even if she didn't have the skill herself?

Like someone picking up a lyre for the first time in their life, and hitting all the right notes on the first try out of sheer luck.

What would you call suck luck, such series of coincidences?

A miracle.

For some reason Minus instinctively knew she couldn't replicate such a feat. Might not ever be able to.

That such a feat of knowing exactly what actions were needed to bring about the future of Trenn, not only surviving, winning, as well as overcoming the guilt of not saving his hometown, Rein could do that alone due to her skill with her Divine Gift.

Minus acknowledge the girl, the Seer of Anfang as worthy opponent, even if she will likely never see her again.

But then there was her second opponent. The boy sitting just a few feet away from her.

In an act that stupefied Minus, in the depth of his illusionary world, after everything he was confronted with, took control of the Fremdfluss curse.

Minus isn't sure that Trenn realized what he did was impossible.

The caster of the curse has complete control of it. Control of how much mana is passed through, and even control over the recipient's mana to some degree. After all, this particular curse needs a willing recipient to be cast, and by accepting the recipient is seeding that control to the caster.

Yet Trenn did what Minus couldn't imagine. Overriding her will and taking her own mana from her.

She was stunned for a moment, which is what allowed Trenn to use her mana, funneling it through his body into his magic spells immediately. Weirdly enough in less than a day, his body already adapted to hosting her mana somewhat, so channeling all that mass quantity of foreign mana didn't cripple this body.

Minus' intense curiosity was the only reason she saw that battle through to the end.

And immediately afterwards she cut off the connection, dispelling the curse herself. Her heart had been thundering in her chest afterwards.

It shouldn't have been possible for Trenn to hurt Minus, with that act of taking some of her mana through the link. Her mana levels dwarf anything Trenn could hold.

And yet, because Trenn did the impossible, because he override how her curse was meant to work, a seed of doubt entered Minus' mind.

What if.

What if he actually managed to absorb all of her mana from the get go? What if somehow he reversed how the curse worked?

What if. What if. What if.

All due to the machinations of Rein.

"When T-Train gets strong enough and gets slicey-slice, h-he'll beat you! A-And then you'll never hurt anyone ever again!"

Minus remember the last words of her interaction with the seer. She had dismissed it as childish bravado. A 'scary' last word hurled at the 'mean witch'.

But what if the words were prophetic? What if they were an ominous threat?

But Trenn already knows Reelseiden. Minus thought.

He already cast it, not once but twice.

Yet in both times it wasn't in the 'real' world. Once in a dream, and once in an illusion within his mind.

Minus wasn't an expert in Mind Magics. She hadn't seen the spell structure for Reelseiden because it wasn't cast in the real physical world, the two times it was cast.

It felt like she was being baited like a fish. Again and again Minus saw hints of the instrument of her death, yet never how it was implemented. Only the aftereffects.

The ever present question of 'had Rein planned all this' chained Minus' train of thought.

Trenn almost, might have killed her. Accidently, without even realizing it. If the threat of him absorbing all her mana in one go was real.

Again, Minus was back to 'what if'.

She huffed in amusement and shook her head, realizing she was likely doing the same thing as a boy, ruminating on actions taken, if for different reasons.

No. Minus ultimately decided. It matters not how long Rein used her future sight, how skilled she was with her gift. I am a mage that lived over one thousand, eight hundred years. The machinations of a six year old seer, no matter how gifted won't overcome me.

No matter how intricate Rein's plans were, the girl no longer had her Divine Gift. If she was still alive, she's have to act and live without depending on it.

As for Trenn... Minus looked at him with her senses, rather than her eyes. It's like tasting the most skillfully made wine perfect over a life time. It can all so easily be addicting and wine can easily become poison. I need to distance myself.

And like that Minus turned around, headed to the door.

"You're leaving?" Trenn asked, as he blinked and noticed where she was going.

"I believe I've stayed here long enough. I do have my own research to venture into." Minus smiled at the boy. "I have aided you as I said I would. I will see you again once you're ready for my tutelage, and don't forget I still have one more favor you owe me."

"Ah," Trenn blinked as he remember the deal connected to his soul between them. "That. I hope it's something I can actually do." He chuckled.

"Based on everything I've seen of you, I do believe you will be able to slay Plus in due time." Minus nodded.

"'Plus'?" Trenn blinked, scrunching up his expression in cute confusion. "Wait, are you serious, that's actually her name?!"

"Yes," Minus nodded again, ever maintaining her amused smile. "She's a Warrior, an elf of near peerless might who..." She paused, tilting her head with a sly smile. "Well, its not important right now. When we meet again, I might tell you about her then."

Minus moved to leave once more.

"You're not gonna leave a mark on me this time?" Trenn asked with some amusement.

Minus paused and turned her head to him with equal amusement on her face.

"Not this time." She did leave a mana mark. More hidden this time. On his mentor, Schroff. It was meant to alert her to his passing. She wasn't being morbid. He was old for a human and likely had less than a decade to live. Basically a blink of an eye for her. "The anchor from the contract magic is enough. I'll come find you later." That magic contract also tells her Trenn's location at all times, so she didn't need anything beyond that.

When he moves away from Anfang or lives away from Frost Mountain, she'll know it was time to take him under her wing, and that was if she didn't scry him with other means.

Or return after ten years to check on him if nothing changes.

"Later, Minus." Trenn smiled and waved at her.

After she left, the other occupant in the room spoke.

"Trenn, did you just call her 'Minus'?" Schroff coughed and sat up.

"Oh! Hey old man, you're awake!" Trenn smiled widely.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, thanks to you, brat." Schroff waved him off. "More importantly, was that the Great Mage, Minus? And where you just casually talking to her?"

"...Great Mage? What's that?"

===x===

???????, the Wandering Old Warrior POV:

A year after the surprise attack by the Anti-Elf Coalition, where its army was slaughter down to the man, that saw an old dwarf make his way through Anfang on the orders of his superior.

Both the Anti-Elf Coalition and the Elves Shield had sent spies to find out what happened. There were conflicting accounts, and a lot of folks just outright refused to speak of that night.

However after a lot of times, the piece of information that the spies managed to get back to their camps was one none believed. A child supposedly suffered the loss of his family due to the Coalition's passing and pillaging of their hometown that he used his magic to destroy the army.

This information was dismissed, or logically recategorized to being that the army had run into a demon, that just happened to be small and look like a child. That was a more understanding explanation.

Thus a stronger segment of the Elves Shield was dispatched to Anfang to secure it from any demons present, while the Anti-Elf Coalition left the region alone so as not to lose any more forces to said demons.

That was the official story of both sides. Odds are the Shields are looking for the mage responsible to recruit him, while the Coalition would send rogue to find this army killer mage, if he exists, and assassinate him.

The old dwarf however knew the truth.

It wasn't a demon. It was a mage. And it was a child.

As he came up on a large cabin in his mountain hick, the old dwarf knew he reached his destination.

His quarry was even here to greet him, having sensed him long before he arrived.

"Hello there, are you lost?" The boy, the army slayer mage, Trenn asked.

"What makes you think I'm lost?" Came the gruff voice, softened with age.

"This place isn't exactly easy for visitors to reach. Either you know the path from one of the town's folk, or you stumbled here, and well..." Trenn tilted his head with a childish sly smile. "I'm trying to be polite here."

"Yeah, I am looking for this place." The old dwarf nodded, causing Trenn to gain a calmer more serious expression.

"My name is Wehrlos," said the old dwarf. "Your old friend, Löwenjunges, sent me." He gave a sardonic grin. "Said you needed a combat teacher, cause he saw you fight like shit."

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CHILDHOOD ARC END

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AN: Aaaaaand that's a wrap. Next chapter will take place three years from now when Trenn is 13 years old.

Also to everyone that wants to read ahead, please do not join Patreon yet.

There are currently no extra chapters for Fear Not the Elf. Just wait a week for me to fill it up again, so you'd have something worth your money. The only thing on Patreon now I think is a PJO SI - Son of Koalemos chapter, but I don't think it's meaty enough to warrant joining patreon for. The main character's POV isn't even shown yet.