"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 microorganisms 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 protein makes new tissue, as oxygen and nutrients 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 swore 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?!"
"Will the Shields hold? Are the elf haters coming 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 an Elves Shield presence means 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 was traveling and 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.
===
It was like walking into one of the nightmares constructed by the Ancient Einsam.
Spoiler: Current Schwanz
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 even when awake, it causes me to be 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 soldiers holding out in hastily cobbled 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 its 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 mastered.
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 its 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 meters behind 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 singled out a lone mage to try this on just in case.
Okay. Focus, cast on just his coat, no 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 when 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.Last edited: Jun 22, 2025 Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:Isebas, Sasha1, Ryurei and 1,357 othersSilver W. KingJun 20, 2025Reader modeNewAdd bookmark Threadmarks Jason WuConnoisseur.Jun 20, 2025Add bookmark#1,293Ayo you're back. Good vacation?
Thanks for the chapter
Spoiler: ElfussyLast edited: Jun 20, 2025 Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:frooglestien, BEARiiKADE, TempestOreo and 238 othersPowergoatI trust you know where the happy button is?Jun 20, 2025Add bookmark#1,294Silver W. King said:As for those of the Coalition? Let them come. They'll die all the same.As long as he blames the Elf Shields at least somewhat as well and doesn't join them, this is a good ending. Like Quote ReplyReport Reactions:frooglestien, Oriks, Collectors and 168 othersErebos_03_I trust you know where the happy button is?Jun 20, 2025Add bookmark#1,295Is he subconsciously blending his mana behind the world mana so that everybody just feels (if anything) it instead of the MCs?