Kayin was still unconscious as we flew through the sky. The sun was beginning to rise.
Today marks the start of our journey toward Tlauven, to find Stella and Ishla. I never once thought my peaceful life in this world would collapse in the blink of an eye. So much has happened, Gustav is off at war, Stella was heavily wounded, and now… I have no idea where any of them are.
As we approached the village, the sunlight washed over the fields of flowers.
Their colors bloomed with radiant vibrancy, swaying gently in the morning breeze.
I landed directly on the roof of Ar'ci's house and sat there for a moment. Watching the sun slowly envelop the entire village, I laid Kayin down beside me.
- I'm sorry, Kayin. We couldn't save your mother. It's all my fault... I overestimated my abilities. -
From below, Sting spotted us. He waved, then leapt onto the rooftop. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Kayin's injuries.
-- What happened?! -- he asked.
I told Sting everything every brutal detail.
He went silent… then tears welled in his eyes. He cried for Kayin, for the loss, for a boy who had now lost both his parents.
-- It seems like the boss of those bandits you mentioned is actually the chief of this village. Don't tell Ar'ci what happened he's one of her biggest clients. You know how that old hag is... she'd sell her own teeth for a handful of gold. That drug you found? Probably one of her recipes. -- Sting said.
-- Anyway, you should get ready. We're heading to Tlauven. --
Sting gently lifted Kayin into his arms, then jumped down from the roof to the ground.
I stayed behind, still sitting on the rooftop, trying to process everything.
I reached into my storage and pulled out the bottle of glowing liquid the drug. Uncorking it, I slowly poured the contents down from the roof.
The shimmering liquid dripped onto the ground below, catching the sunlight as it fell. It sparkled… briefly then soaked into the earth.
Then I jumped down from the roof and walked inside the house, finding Ar'ci and Sting already prepared.
-- We can't leave Kayin alone here. Let me carry him throughout the journey for now. -- Sting suggested.
-- Do your worst, boy. -- Ar'ci replied.
She turned to me and stared intensely. Without warning, she leaned in close sniffing me.
-- You stink like a demon.
-- Go get ready. Bring all your things, we're heading out now. Since there's an ongoing war, the caravan delivering goods from other villages to Tlauven got delayed. We have no choice but to walk our way there. -- Ar'ci said.
I can use flight magic so we can travel through the air. - I suggested
-- Flight magic...? That doesn't exist. Mages use wind elements to float, not fly. There's no such thing as true flight magic something flying out of nowhere breaks the laws of physics. Even if you use wind magic, you'll just drain your mana. Tlauven is miles away. -- Ar'ci replied.
- I'm not using wind magic. I'm going to use barrier magic. Since I can freely control my barriers with mana, we can float through the air. The barrier acts like a solid surface. If I place one under each of us, I can control our movement in any direction I choose. - I explained.
-- Interesting... Barrier magic is Tier 4 only a handful of mages can even use it. And you're saying you can freely control its shape and movement? That's close to a Tier 5-level barrier. -- Ar'ci said.
- Tier 5? - I asked
-- Yes. Magic is divided into ten tiers. Elemental spells form the basics they range from Tier 1 to Tier 4 depending on complexity. Rarer magic types like barrier, healing, and curses range from Tier 4 to Tier 6. Then you have summoning, dark, and light magic, usually ranked at Tier 6 to Tier 7.More advanced and catastrophic magic, world-changing stuff is Tier 8 to 10. These tiers were established by the first human magus, apprentice to the Elvian King. In recorded history, only two beings have ever cast Tier 10 magic: the Demon King and the Elvian King. Both were overflowing with life force they could use dark magic freely. Unlike you humans... who die instantly just attempting it. -- Ar'ci explained.
I summoned a small sphere of barrier magic and showed it to Ar'ci.
-- This is the barrier. Even if you can control it freely, it still feels like a Tier 4. This won't work. -- She touched it. The barrier crumpled instantly.
What happened? - I frowned.
-- Lower-tier magic has no effect on me. I've made myself immune to anything below Tier 5. Try an elemental spell. --
I conjured a fireball and launched it at her. It vanished before it reached her body.
-- See? One-meter radius of full immunity. --
How is that even possible? -
-- That's a secret… HAHAHAHA! Unless you've got a thousand gold in hand. -- She burst out laughing, her twisted face growing more terrifying by the second.
This old hag... as if she actually eats gold.
Then Ar'ci casually tossed a gold coin into her mouth and started chewing.
Hold on... is she literally eating gold...?
Sting looked at me with a weird expression on his face.
-- Okay, let's stop the chitchat and start carrying my things. Time to walk. -- Ar'ci commanded.
We all stepped outside. Sting was about to carry Kayin, but I decided to use my barrier to lift both him and our luggage instead. Ar'ci then pulled out a strange-looking orb and threw it on the ground. Suddenly, a massive tortoise materialized its back fitted with a soft saddle and a huge wooden umbrella. She hopped onto its back without a word.
-- Just follow this tortoise. We're heading west. I'm gonna take my nap. --
This old hag… why not just put your luggage on that huge-ass tortoise of yours?
I created floating barriers under Sting and myself so we could fly and follow the tortoise from above. It worked, but I knew this wouldn't last forever.
Even though barrier magic consumes less mana than wind magic, keeping it active for a long journey would still drain me.
As we neared the edge of the village, I glanced back one more time from a distance.I knew nothing about this place, but I hoped those flowers would continue to bloom… eternally.
Sting seemed to have fallen asleep too.This bastard...
The road stretched toward the mountains. A few villagers passed us on the way, staring in disbelief.To them, it must have looked like we were floating.
My barrier is usually invisible unless I increase its density but that would cost far more mana, and thick barriers are harder to control.
So from their point of view, we were just hovering through the sky like ghosts.
Ar'ci started to stir. She looked up at me and Sting as we floated overhead.
-- Well, well… I thought I was the only one who could relax on this journey. -- she said with a smirk.
- I'm literally controlling this barrier. Do you think that's relaxing? - I replied.
-- You're quite a mage, boy. You remind me of Enchu. A talented kid, not quite as powerful as you, but he knew things that, frankly, shouldn't even exist in this world. When I asked where he came from, he said he was from "the land of the rising sun." The boy had a few screws loose but he was brilliant in both magic and physical combat. I taught him a few techniques not fighting, but tool-making and potion crafting. He was a fast learner, though a little arrogant. At age 14, he joined the hero's party to fight the Demon King…But in the end, the whole party was wiped out. Only he survived. --
So this old hag really knew Uncle Enchu...
-- Demons are relentless creatures. Even if they act human, they're nothing but greedy bastards. They'll trample over everything. You know, I'm not really a half-orc. I'm just a dwarf,but I grew up in an orc clan. Back then, I was naive. When the demons attacked our clan, they wiped out every last orc. They almost got me too. With no other choice, I drank from the Cursed Blood Well. That water regenerated my body. Healed all my wounds in an instant. But the orc's blood mixed with mine... and changed me. Before I knew it, I started to look like them. Still, I always tell people my parents were half-orc and half-dwarf. Makes the story more interesting. --
- What's the point in telling me all this? - I asked.
-- Nothing. Just let an old woman talk, your ungrateful piece of shit! -- she shouted. -- Isn't it fun to hear an interesting story? Life gets boring when you've been alive for over five hundred years. The only things that still excite me are good stories and good books. I've already outlived most of the humans I ever knew. And soon... you'll die too. But I'll still be here alive for another five hundred years. --
I hope I do. - I whispered into the wind.
-- I've seen many demons... and humans... in my lifetime. Most creatures emit an aura tied to their race distinct, easy to read. But you? You're neither demon nor human. Your light although close to a human's is different. Makes me wonder... are you a demon pretending to be human? But honestly, I do care less, as long as you've got gold to pay, I'm not asking questions. --
Enchu said something similar once.
As if he knew I didn't really belong in this world…
As if he knew I had been resurrected...