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 broom, 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 mine 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 is 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.
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 end 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.
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."
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 ways to cheat this deal. To find a loophole, and 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.
Spoiler: Theme Music: Time to Be Decisive
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 couldn't see anything else. I couldn't 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 acted 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—
My 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.
===
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 body 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.