Commander Ragnar looks at his companion Fuso.

"Okay Specialist Fuso. " He says as he leads Fuso back to his office. "What do you think of the questioning?"

"It went fairly well. He did admit he was from somewhere far away called Earth. I don't recall hearing of a place by that name." Fuso said. "Why didn't you ask where Earth was? "

"He said a place called Earth, not the referring tot he soil beneath our feet, nor to the Attribute."

He explains. "I don't think I recall and kingdom or cities by that name. However, the name is familiar."

"Well, I believe he's telling the truth. I didn't find anything suspicious during my questioning. His answers were factual and concise. Except when he said that Earth was gone. But the way how he said he can never go back is true." Fuso said.

"Okay, you concur that he was not lying about anything else?" Commander Ragnar asks as he sits down behind his desk.

"Yes sir. The seal I keep placed in the interrogation room is the Sensory Seal. It would never fail me if he told me a lie. It may not be a powerful Seal but it has never led me astray in my experience. It will tell me everything about the target whether or not they wish to tell me."

"Very well then." Commander Ragnar "However were you able to scan his system status?"

"Of course," Fuso replied. "His details were peculiar though. He has two types of magic available, Wind and water. Despite that, his level is only 3. That should be impossible."

"Hm, are you sure his level is only level 3?" Commander Ragnar asked. "That seems low for someone who lived for so long."

"I've seen worse levels before. Let us just say this one is particularly strange." Fuso answered.

"Pretty much all of his stats are low. he is 23 years old, by which most humans are between levels 7-10. Yet his stats show him to be only level 3. I would swear this man was born yesterday. " Fuso added.

"Were you able to identify any sort of spells that he has access to?" Commander Ragnar pressed on.

"Indeed sir, I scanned through his spell list. " Fuso said. "And there were two spells. The first one is Wind Clap which is an early to mid-level spell, the latter spell is a bit more concerning. It is called Raging Tempest. This is a high-level spell, usually reserved for the Mage class." Fuso explained

"What does that mean?" Commander Ragnar asked

Fuso sighed. "It means that this young man has access to a very dangerous spell. " Fuso answered. "It is a powerful weather manipulation spell. It is meant to summon winds and rainstorms at will. If cast in a large enough area it could cause massive damage."

Commander Ragnar was stunned. "You're kidding, right? Are you sure?"

"I'm certain. There is no mistaking the power of this spell. And the fact that he has access to a spell like this is terrifying." Fuso continues "However his low level may be a blessing in disguise. Given his low level and Mana Stat, he would likely pass out or die before he could create a storm that significant."

"So what do we do?" Commander Ragnar asked with concern.

"I say we leave it up to the Magic Sanctum, given the risk that this man by the name of Richard Bell possesses, it is best to let the Sanctum handle it," Fuso responded. "One additional piece of information I was able to leam from his system status"

"Go ahead." Commander Ragnar said.

"He has an enchanted shirt. And the enchantment is a very high-level one. The highest level of enchantment known to me."

"How do you know this?" Commander Ragnar asked.

"Because it has a Linguist Enchantment," Fuso explained. "It is an Alnathian, Ilonian, Drakish enchantment. "

Commander Ragnar was baffled. "Why would someone have that kind of enchantment?"

"Well, that's a good question. I have never seen anything like it before." Fuso admitted. "From what it appears he most likely doesn't speak Alnathian. Ilonian is the language of the dwarves to the north which is peculiar enough, but this other language is completely unknown to me."

"That is quite fascinating." Commander Ragnar said. "I believe we may have a good idea about this man named Richard. It seems to me, something happened that made it so he cannot go back to where he is from. Somehow he got a tunic that allowed him to speak our language as well as two others. Now he seems simply to be trying to survive. "

"Yes, it all makes sense now." Fuso agreed. "And as far as how to proceed, it appears to me that we should allow the Sanctum to deal with this situation. Let them sort through his identity, if they are indeed able to do so."

"Agreed." Commander Ragnar replied. "Thank you for your insight Fuso."

"No problem." Fuso said.

"As always your ability with figuring out people is flawless. You understand each person and their unique abilities better than anyone I've ever met."

"Thank you, Commander Ragnar," Fuso said.

"Just make sure to record all of your findings for the Inquisitor to look at when he or she gets here."

"Of course, I will get right on it," Fuso said being dismissed.

As Specialist Fuso left the office, Commander Ragnar sat there thinking about the enigma that was Richard. As far as he knew the man was in the village for only a few days. He questioned the smith by the name of Kai'illan as well as the survivors of the battle. They never said anything negative about this man. Kai'illan said he came to this village with no money.

Richard did not beg for money but for work for money. Not a common beggar. However, this reinforces the notion that Richard might be a refugee. He came into the village without so much as a knife to his name. Just the clothing on his back. During the fight, he tried to use a dagger. His attempt at knife fighting was terrible at best.

Yet he defended himself with such ferocity that he held off the attackers eventually killing half of them. He might not have skill or level on his side. If anything he was probably the weakest adult human he ever met that wasn't a cripple. But he fought like an animal. Likely used his magic when he was cornered and desperate.

Commander Ragnar then remembered that this man spoke three languages fluently using the enchanted shirt. One that even Specialist Fuso did not know. Not just any man could learn that many tongues. That shirt was borderline priceless. The number of diplomats that would want to be able to speak Ilonian without having to study it. As well as the other languages were equally valuable.

Ragnars decided that they did their duty and gathered enough information about him to help in Richard's case with the Inquisitor.

_____________________________

Inquisitor Doldan was finishing up his business within the city of Aroden when had been tasked with investigating the possible activities of an unregistered magic user in the Village of Findrel.

He was headed directly to that village now.

He knew nothing of the location of the village and it wasn't in any of the maps he possessed. He was unsure if there was a reason why he didn't know of the village or if it simply hadn't been mapped yet. It was important however to resolve the matter of the unknown magic user.

It was rare for someone to be able to manipulate magic without being trained in it. This person had likely traveled from a place that lacked proper training facilities. The Inquisitor needed to find this person before they caused any trouble.

It was a 4-day carriage ride from Aroden to where Findrel was supposed to be. Despite not having the village on the map, the details of the location of the village were very specific in the orders relayed to him. They were all vague and only gave him the general area where Findrel should be located.

His carriage was very simple and sleek, painted black without any embellishments. It was pulled by two black horses. It had a large wooden box attached to the front. Inside the box was his gear. His magic tools, books, and some equipment he brought along in case he needed something during the journey.

Escorting him was a contingent of 50 highly skilled mages of the Magic Sanctum. Their mounts were equally as impressive. The steeds were the pride of the Order. Powerful dark green beasts with deep red eyes. Each was adorned in a harness that held a variety of magical items, each one specialized for different purposes.

The Inquisitor was dressed in full plate armor, but he still had his hood pulled back so that people might recognize him. He wore a black cloak over the armor and had his silver hair tied into a tail behind him. His face was hidden by a mask crafted from bone.

Once they reached their destination, some of the Inquisitor's guards separated them from the rest of the convoy. They were going to escort him through the village alone while the rest began to set up camp outside of the Village of Findrel.

The village of Findrel was rather decent-sized. It was constructed around a central plaza, which was surrounded by various stores and shops. At the center of the square stood the village hall and a fountain in the middle. The fountain was carved out of simple stone. In the square was a statue of the current king.

There were several houses built around the outskirts of the plaza. Most of these appeared to be residences. There were also a few inns and taverns. The streets between the buildings were cobblestone, and the entire village was lit by lanterns hung from the walls of every building.

They passed through the gates of the village and made their way toward the town healer where this man supposedly had recovered at.

At the request of one of the Inquisitor's guards, a local was ordered to guide the lot to the healer.

As they entered the healer's clinic, they saw a young woman tending to the wounded. She was wearing a white gown with a small apron covering most of her body. Her long brown hair was tied into a ponytail.

She looked up when she heard the group enter and smiled warmly at them. "Welcome! I am the healer here. What can I do for you?"

"I have been sent to investigate the claim of an unregistered magic user in the village." Inquisitor Doldan said in a deep voice.

"Are you talking about Richard?"

"That is correct. According to my report, he was injured in a fight with some bandits and was recovering here. Is he still here?"

The healer shook her head. "I am sorry but one of the village guards took him somewhere."

The inquisitor frowned. "What did he say?"

"Supposedly the Commander of the Village guard wanted to speak to Richard."

The inquisitor sighed. "Well then, do you have any information on where this Richard person has been staying in town?"

The healer thought for a moment before answering. "Honestly no, I have no clue. However, you could probably ask the smith by the name of Ka'illan."

The inquisitor nodded. "Thank you. Would you be able to direct me to where he might be in the village?"

"Sure thing! Let's see... He lives on the eastern side of the village not far from the gate there. His smithy is hard to miss. Supposedly Richard was going to get a job working under Ka'illan. Besides that, I don't know much about him. I'm sure someone else does though."

The inquisitor thanked the healer and left the clinic. When he exited, he found two Inquisitors standing next to each other staring at him.

"Commander Doldan, we are ready to go," one of them said.

The inquisitor turned his attention away from the building and addressed the other Inquisitors. "Let us go. We need to investigate a smithy owned by an individual by the name of Kai'illan near the East Gate."

He followed after the pair as they proceeded further into the village until they came across a wooden sign hanging above a small building.

It read 'Ka'illan Forge'.

A large, burly Lizardfolk male stood outside in front of the forge. He wore thick leather gloves, heavy work pants, and a black shirt. All around him were barrels filled with various metals and ore. Several different tools hung from hooks on the wall in between the various barrels, including hammers, tongs, picks, drills, and chisels.

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"Good day, sir. Do you own this place?"

The Lizardman glanced over at the inquisitors and replied, "Yes, yes I do. And who might you be?"

"My name is Inquisitor Doldan. We have come from the capital to investigate a rumor of a magic user within the village. Have you seen anyone acting suspicious recently?"

"Not that I know of."

The inquisitor looked at the dark green-scaled smith. He never had issues with Lizardfolk. Many citizens of Alnathia either didn't like those lizards or simply didn't trust them but they were loyal to the Kingdom. After all, without the mercy of the Kingdom, they would probably have nowhere to live. In the eyes of the law, generally, the lizardmen were law-abiding citizens.

However, it was difficult to tell if this Lizardman truly meant what he said or just trying to play dumb.

"Are you Ka'illan?" the inquisitor asked.

"I am. What can I help you with?"

The inquisitor showed the Lizardman his badge. "We have reason to believe that a person named Richard is involved in some type of illegal activity. We have reason to believe that he has been using unlawful magic."

Kai'illan's expression changed when he saw the badge. "You are talking about the boy, are you? My apologies, I haven't heard anything about any such thing."

"The healer mentioned something about how Richard Bell was supposed to be working for you at your smithy."

"Oh, well... I guess you could say that. But since the first day I saw him, I haven't seen him. I offered him a job here and he seemed to be very interested. He came to the village with no money to his name. He wanted to try to work for me for some money."

"Have you ever suspected him of being a mage?"

"Nope, not one bit. Never even thought about it. Why do you ask?"

"Because if he is, he may be in serious legal trouble."

The inquisitor looked at the other two Inquisitors.

"He is a good boy, young. Rather weaker than I expected but he is a good person from what I can tell. Please don't do anything too extreme to the man." Ka'illan said.

"Well, there is no proof yet so we can't do anything right now but we will keep a close eye on him. Are you sure that he is gone?"

Ka'illan nodded.

" Did he leave any items at your shop?"

"Nothing, he didn't have anything aside from the clothing on his back when I first saw him."

"OK. Well, thank you for your cooperation."

"No worries, I hope you are gentle with him." The Lizardman said as he bowed slightly.

"Okay now to head to the Garrison and meet with the Commander by the name of Ragnar."

Inquisitor Doldan said to the two men following him.

_____________________________________

They had arrived at the garrison. The gates were open and they entered. They went into the main building where they found the commander of the garrison. He was a tall and broad human dressed in armor. His blonde hair was cut short above his ears.

"Ah, you must be here for me," he said.

"Yes sir, my name is Inquisitor Doldan, the two Inquisitors next to me are Inquisitor Albrech and Inquisitor Malgus. We are here regarding the man in your custody by the name of Richard."

"Ah, yes, Richard Bell. He is currently being confined right now with the Magic Binding Shackles as I was ordered."

"We would like to speak with him."

"Sure thing. I hope it was fine, but one of my men and I did a preliminary questioning of Richard before you arrived."

"Is there anything you can share?"

"Just a few things. This Richard Bell has recently came to the village only a few days ago. His level, stats, and magic proficiency are all quite low. He also seems to have no combat training at all."

"Was he wearing any enchanted items?"

"Yes, a tunic with a Linguist Enchantment"

"What type of enchantment was it?"

"A type of Language Immersion. It lets him understand a few languages including Alnathian."

"How many languages does the enchantment cover?"

"Three. Ilonian, Drakish, and Alnathian."

"Alright. Did he cause any damage to the village or any people with his magic?"

"He did manage to kill bandits with his magic."

"Did he have any weapons at his disposal?"

"No, just the clothing he was wearing at the time. From what I understand he borrowed a dagger from one of my men when they encountered the bandits"

"I see"

"However he did not have any weapons on him at the time of his arrest."

"Did you get any further details about this man?"

"Well, while we questioned him, he told us he was from someplace called Earth."

"That is indeed strange. He meant the place, not the Attribute?" Doldan asked.

"Yeah, so far it seems like it. One of my officers was there using a Sensory Seal to make sure he wasn't lying."

"You mean the one that can read emotions?"

"Yes"

"Alright, well if he is telling the truth, then our case is likely solved. But if not... Well, let's see how he acts once he meets us."

The inquisitors were escorted through the building until they reached the cell. They entered the room where Richard sat in the middle of the small room.

"Richard Bell?" Doldan asked as he remembered the full name given to him by Commander Ragnar.

"Yes."

"My name is Inquistor Doldan. My colleagues and I are here to ask you a few questions about your recent actions and violation of Magic Law"

***********

I was sitting in the chair. When a man in full armor and wearing a black coat came into the room. I saw grey hair tied up. He had the face of someone who had lived for a long time. He seemed to be a bit over 50 years old but still looked pretty young. He gave an aura of dominance. He was someone not to be trifled with.

"Richard Bell?" He asks me.

"Yes"

"My name is Inquistor Doldan. My colleagues and I are here to ask you a few questions about your recent actions and violation of Magic Law" he told me.

"Yes," I said again.

"Well, firstly, what is your name?"

"My name is Richard Bell"

"Why did you use magic in public? You should never do that, especially without a permit"

"I was trying to defend myself against the bandits. I didn't want to die" I explained.

"We have heard that you were involved in a bandit attack. However, that doesn't explain why you haven't registered with Magic Sanctum."

"I didn't know I needed a permit!" I argued back. "It was the first time I've ever done anything like that!"

"So, how did you learn magic?"

"I just imagined using magic. I was told I might be able to use magic," I told him.

"How did you learn this?"

"The system told me."

He took out his notebook and started writing something down.

"Interesting. So you didn't know how it worked, but when you tried to use it, the system told you how to use it?" He asked me.

"No. The system just explained to me about the 4 Magical Attributes."

"Alright, so what are they?"

"Wind, water, fire, and earth."

"So, when did you discover your access to the Magic Attributes?" Doldan asked

I felt like I was being compelled to tell the truth, despite having no intention of lying. According to Ragnar, these Inquisitors would decide if I left this chamber.

"I discovered I had the Wind Attribute a few days ago. I thought it was a fluke at first, but during the bandit attack, I got desperate when everyone else was down and I was the last one. I didn't want to die so I used what little I knew about the Wind Attribute to protect myself." I said.

"What happened then?"

"I am told that the bandits were dead. I felt weak and eventually got carried to the healer in town."

After my explanation, Doldan looked at the other Inquisitors who were standing behind him. They exchanged glances for a moment before nodding.

"Are you going to let me go or not?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, no, you will need to answer some more questions" Doldan replied.

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

"Firstly, can we see your stats? We'd like to check them."

"Sure, but isn't that sound a bit invasive?" I asked nervously.

"Of course it does, but we must find out more about your capabilities. It could help us determine if you are telling the truth."

"How do I show you my stats?" I asked.

"When you pull up your system status, will it be revealed for others to view," he replied.

I complied pulling up my system status. I saw the Inquisitors looking over the information on the screen.

─ Name: Richard Bell

─ Age: 23

─ Race: Human

─ Level: 3

─ Class: Unassigned

─ Skills:

─ (Common)Novice Smithing 1/20

─ (Common)Novice Daggers: 0/20

─ (Rare )Novice Stamina Burnout resistance 5/20

─ Magic attributes:

─ Wind

─ Water

─ Magical Proficiency:

─ Wind: Novice

─ Water: Unproficient

─ Spells:

─ Raging Tempest

─ Wind Clap

─ Health: 75

─ Stamina: 75

─ Mana: 218

─ Stat Points: 0

─ Strength: 10

─ Dexterity: 9

─ Intelligence: 18

─ Wisdom: 5

─ Agility: 14

─ Luck: 8

─ Willpower: 15

Appearance:

─ Skin: Pale complexion, reddish hair

─ Eyes: Blue

─ Hair Color: Ginger

─ Clothing: Light brown leather cloak, faded white tunic (Unidentified0), leather belt, brown trousers, light brown stockings, brown leather boots.

─ Equipment:

─ Tunic:

─ Enchanted: Enchantment of the Linguist -Alnathian, Ilonian, Drakish

─ Durability 45/50

I noticed that all of the Inquisitors were looking at it.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Yes, well, we have seen many of these reports before, but yours are slightly different."

"What do you mean?"

"Your stats are extremely low for an adult human."

"Really?" I asked. "I honestly don't know what my level should be."

"We would have to compare it to someone else of your race to verify, but most humans tend to have higher levels than this."

"Why?" I asked.

"I am not sure why your level is low. One would expect someone your age to be at least level 5 at the lowest." said one of the Inquisitors beside Doldan.

"Well, I did get my first 2 levels after the fight with the bandits." I state" When I arrived in Findrel I was only level 1."

"You got your first two levels after your fight? Curious, very curious." that particular Inquisitor said.

"Okay enough about your magic Richard Bell. Where are you from? I take it you are not a local?"

"No," I say. "I'm actually from a faraway place called Earth."

"Earth?" Doldan questions. "Where is that?"

I am unsure how to reply. I doubt you could get there from here. Regardless of what direction you go, I doubt you'd be able to get there.

"It's a place that is very far from here. I wouldn't know how to describe where it is compared to here." I finally respond.

"I see. So this place called Earth, I assume that is where your home is?" Doldan asks.

"That's right."

"And you were born there?"

"Yes?"

"Interesting. This may help us find out more about you. Let me ask some other questions then."

"Sure," I say.

"Why are you here in Findrel?" he says.

"I came here because I thought it was safer than sleeping in the woods or somewhere else. I don't know what it is like at night so I was worried there might be dangerous creatures out there. Plus I was hungry." I tell him.

"How long ago did you arrive?"

"Like I said a few days ago."

"Did you come alone?"

I nod. "Yes."

"Do you have any family members?"

"Not anymore," I say hoping I don't cry thinking of my sister again.

"What happened to them?"

"They died," I answer.

"So they passed away recently?"

"Yeah," I reply.

"Do you have a profession?"

"Nope. Not yet anyway. Was hoping to work for the smith named Ka'illan. He mentioned he might be able to train me. I felt like that smithing was a good way to make income."

"I see. You didn't want to do anything else?"

"No."

"Have you ever been convicted of a crime?"

"No." I answer."But I guess since I wasn't registered with the Magic Sanctum and used magic, I guess the counts as a crime."

He nods. "Yes, but not in your case anyway. You seem to be a rather inexperienced magic user. I do not believe you had any intention of committing the crime, nor have you had a chance to register with the Magic Sanctum. Since you are not from this Kingdom, you may be unaware of its laws."

"I wasn't aware of any of the laws. " I tell him. "I just know the common sense ones about no murder and no stealing."

"And those are common sense rules?"

"Yeah, I mean they should be," I tell him.

"Do you agree with them?"

"Yes. I think everyone should follow them."

"You sound like you are very reasonable," Doldan said. "I feel like I can judge your character well enough to know you are not a threat to this country or her people. You will be released from confinement. However, you will be required to register with the Magic Sanctum. As for your punishment, I will reduce your fines to 20 silver."

"Thank you, Inquisitor," I say. I had no idea how I would be able to pay that much money.

"Oh, one last thing. The good news is I can register you myself."

"What?" I ask surprised.

"Well, the bad news is that because of how poorly trained you are, you'll need to learn everything from scratch. So, while you won't have to pay for the training you will be without an income until you can complete it."

"Okay. I understand. Is there a way to get some kind of stipend?"

"No."

"Do I have to begin training today?" I ask.

"Well, technically yes. But you do have the option of waiting a few days if you wish. As I understand you have no money. Now you have a fine to also pay."

"How do I register?"

"I simply need to return to the Sanctum and add your details to our records. It is a simple matter."

"Is it possible to remain in Findrel for a while before I head to the Sanctum? I want to try to make some money before I go there?"

Doldan looks at me for a moment. "Normally, I would require you to leave immediately. But given your circumstances we could allow you to remain in the Village for a period. However, you will not be permitted to practice or utilize your magic in any way."

"Thank you Inquisitor Doldan." I said, "I would bow but I'm kind of chained up."

"Inquisitor Albrech would you be so kind as to remove his shackles?" Doldan asked the Inquisitor on his right.

Albrech nods walking over to me. He removes my chains.

"Thank you Inquestor Albrech." I say.

"It was no problem. Now then Richard, you may remain in Findrel for 4 weeks. During this time you may continue working at your current occupation. However, you must refrain from practicing magic, after that 4 weeks someone from the Sanctum will come to retrieve you and escort you to the capital city of Talden."

"That sounds fair enough," I say. "I don't know how I will get the money for the fine, but if I do how do I get it to you?"

"Since you likely do not have the funds now, I will ask for Commander Ragnar to handle your payments. You should receive a letter within a week informing you of what you owe. If you still cannot pay, the commander will arrange a payment plan for you."

"Sounds good. Can I go now?"

"Yes, you may. Thank you for your cooperation, Richard. We shall see you soon."

__________________

After seeing Richard off, Doldan spoke to Inquisitor Malgus.

"He seems incompetent, but he has potential. I think we can use him."

Malgus nodded.

"However during his time staying here in Findrel, I would like you to keep an eye on him. If he becomes a problem. You know what to do." giving an order to Inquisitor Malgus.

Malgus saluted.

"Understood sir."

As Malgus left Commander Ragnar came up to speak to Inquisitor Doldan.

"So what was the outcome of the questioning? Did you find anything useful?"

"No." Doldan sighed. "However he does not seem to be an immediate threat. He may have a couple of spells but he is far too weak to be a real threat."

"We'll just have to wait and see."

"He told you he was from Earth correct?" Doldan added.

"Indeed. He claimed that he came from somewhere far away called Earth. It sounds familiar but I cannot place where I heard that word used as a place."

"Well, that is probably because most of the people in this world don't even know what Earth is."

"And do you know what it is?"

"Yes. I know a little about it but not much. Only legends of course. I've never seen any proof that Earth exists."

"Then perhaps Richard is lying."

"No, he is not lying." Doldan shook his head. "He did come from there. I can feel it in my bones."

"Interesting. I suppose we will just have to see what happens. You released him, did you give him a fine?"

"Of course. But since he will likely need time to raise the funds, we decided to let him stay in the village until he can pay the fines. I'm sure he'll do just fine."

"How much were his fines?" the Commander asked

"Twenty silver pieces," Doldan answered. "Which is quite a lot."

"Hmmm..." the commander thought for a moment. "You know among the bandits that he killed, there was the bandit leader. The bounty on the bandit leader was 15 silver coins. I believe I may be able to use that to reduce the fines due."

"I'd appreciate it if you could," Doldan said with a smile. "But why would you want to help someone like him? "

"Simple even if he did use unlawful magic, his actions did save some good people. If he had done nothing, those bandits would have slaughtered five people. Not including himself. I think he should be rewarded for his actions."

"Fair enough." Doldan nodded. "Sounds like he will not be a troublemaker."

"That's what I hope," Ragnar stated

"I will be leaving for the capital first thing in the morning. I am leaving Inquisitor Malgus to keep an eye on Richard for the time being.

"Thank you, sir!" Commander Ragnar said, "I hope you enjoy your stay in Findrel for the time being."

Inquisitor Doldan left the Garrison with Inquisitor Albrech in tow.