Several long minutes of awkward silence passed while the man looked at Rayne with curiosity before he cleared his throat. Unlike [Geomancer] Stonecutter, the man’s robes were not simple earthtone garments. Instead, they were embroidered with shining thread that seemed to illuminate intermittently as he shifted. The robe itself was black, causing the silver and yellow accents to stand out in sharp contrast.
“I’m sorry for being abrupt earlier. I am [High Mage] Elon Storm, representative of [Viscount] Manahel in the kingdom of Grant. Can you tell me about yourself and how you ended up here?”
Rayne was surprised at the change in the man’s demeanor. Though he tried to seem approachable, the underlying tension had not fully dissipated. She wondered how much she should tell him about herself. Clearly, she was no longer in her home kingdom.
From her studies, she knew that the Grant kingdom neighbored the kingdom of her birth to the west, though she was unclear about the actual distance between the village she’d grown up in and the border. Considering how long it took to travel the distance, it was likely quite far.
Her being in a new kingdom might even be a good thing, considering the actions of her local [Baron]. Still, it wouldn’t do any good to voice her assumptions regarding his actions. Making her decision, Rayne explained her background, the meeting with the [Baron], the conversation she overheard enroute to the capital, and her capture.
She kept the details to a minimum but answered honestly when the [High Mage] asked about her class and spells. After a bit of consideration, Rayne also mentioned the additional spell she’d learned while covertly practicing her spells during the long journey.
[High Mage] Storm’s eyebrows lifted as she spoke, especially when she mentioned creating her own healing spell.
“So, you have no formal training in magic but managed to qualify for a [Mage] class based on your own studies,” he said slowly. “Then, you not only obtained a healing spell as one of your initial spells, which is very rare by the way, but you also managed to modify the spell to create a new healing spell on your own, with no guidance or assistance.”
It sounded about right, though she didn’t see what the big deal was. Did nobody experiment with their spells here?
When she simply nodded, [High Mage] Storm made a strange noise and withdrew from the conversation. Rayne didn’t mind, she had enough to think about from their short exchange. Knowing that healing spells were somewhat rare gave her a bit of confidence about the future.
When they arrived at the [High Mage]’s manor, he gave instructions to the man who greeted the carriage before abruptly departing. The [Majordomo] introduced himself and guided the two new arrivals inside the residence.
While the new maid was led deeper into the home, Rayne was taken to a private room where a bath was being prepared. She sighed in relief, not bothered by the implication at all. Having experienced life in a modern world, Rayne hated being unclean for any length of time.
She was grateful that the servants left her alone to bathe since it also gave her the opportunity to retrieve the spatial ring from the folds of her ruined dress. She didn’t dare leave it sewn in since the dress would most likely find its way into an incinerator shortly, given its condition.
Rayne fiddled with the shimmering ring for a few moments as she considered where she could hide it as she soaked in the warm water. The ring was much too large for her tiny fingers, but she slipped it on anyway out of curiosity.
When she sent a thread of mana into the ring to look through the items, the ring immediately pulsed and shrank down to fit. Rayne couldn’t help but to giggle a bit at the overt magic.
Sure, she knew there was magic in this world. She had even interacted with it a bit since the world used magic instead of electricity to do things like cook and store food. Even so, this was the first time she’d used something that was clearly magical.
She still had a smile on her face when a female [Servant] knocked lightly on the door before entering with a small pile of clothes. Rayne quickly dressed in the provided dress and robe, both of which were white with small red accents.
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She wondered if the colors correlated to her spells, which would make a certain level of sense for identifying specialties. Still, it was a bit odd that the [Servants] were able to procure appropriately sized and colored robes so quickly.
When the female [Servant] returned, Rayne asked how they managed such a feat and the [Servant] blushed shyly. “I… I have a skill for sewing. The Master left instructions. There is a meal prepared for you as well.”
With a nod, Rayne followed the woman. “You did a lovely job with the clothing. It fits perfectly. Thank you.”
The [Servant] flushed once again but said nothing as she led Rayne into a room containing a small table. As soon as she sat, plates loaded with a variety of options were placed before her. There were several different cuts of meats with flavorful sauces and gravies, fresh fruits, slices of various cheeses, and a handful of different cooked vegetables, along with fresh bread that was still steaming.
It was more than she would be able to eat in five meals, and for a moment she was a disappointed that her ring didn’t have stasis. With a chuckle, she began eating.
Everything was so good that she nearly cried in happiness. It had been so long since she ate well. Most of the time she’d spent in captivity she was given scraps, so fresh food was a welcome change.
When she finished, she was hit with a wave of exhaustion. Though she wanted to explore the manor, especially if there was a library she could peruse, she asked to be shown to a room so she could nap. The stress of the prior three weeks had finally broken, leaving her in need of a mental reset.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t given nearly as much time to nap as she’d hoped. After what seemed like only minutes, Rayne was woken by a light knock on the door and summoned to the carriage waiting in front of the manor.
She followed a bit reluctantly, though she was still grateful for the short rest she’d been given. [High Mage] Storm was in the carriage waiting for her and smiled as she climbed inside.
“[Viscount] Manahel was happy to hear there was a new [Mage] with healing spells in the county, though he was upset to hear about the circumstances that brought you here. He wanted me to assure you that you will be valued and respected within our kingdom, and you need not worry about any unsavory business occurring as it appears to have before,” he said with a smile before his face became more serious. “Unfortunately, there is little we can do about the situation in our neighboring kingdom. It would be for the best that your prior liege does not find out about your location for a while to avoid potential conflict.”
“I understand. It is safer for my family if they do not know where I am,” she said sadly.
[High Mage] Storm frowned and shook his head. “For now, at least. Let’s get you settled here and we can readdress potential options after some time has passed. A carefully worded letter could serve to soothe any worries without drawing undue attention. I will discuss it with the [Priest] when we get to the temple.”
The mention of going to the temple made her breath catch a bit. Aside from her school being located near the local temple, she did not have a positive feeling toward temples. The limited exposure to the [Priest] she’d met before had not left a good impression.
Seeing her discomfort, [High Mage] Storm began explaining the temple of the God of Healing and its purpose in helping those in need. Apparently, the city she was now in housed several temples dedicated to various members of the local pantheon. Since she had healing spells, she had been tentatively accepted by the Temple of the Healer.
There was no mention of her having to become a [Priestess] or worship the god over the temple, though she remained a bit skeptical. According to the [High Mage], [Healers] taught at the Temple of the Healer had the strongest, most effective healing spells available, even if they later left to become [Adventurers] or for other reasons.
Her other discomfort came from the knowledge that members of the pantheon were physical beings in this world, unlike what she’d been taught during her life on Earth. Apparently, gods and goddesses would sometimes show up in person to interact with their followers. Rayne was unsure how to feel about that, unsure if their physical bodies made them seem more or less like deities.
When they arrived at the temple, she was surprised to find it was much simpler and more functional than what she expected. There were also several individuals waiting at the entrance for them to arrive, each with a look of excitement.
At first, Rayne was confused about what everyone was so excited about, until she realized that the people gathered were there for her. When she stepped out of the carriage, several people surrounded her, eager to say hello and welcome her to the temple. She was gently guided forward, away from where the [High Mage] had stepped aside to speak with one of the [Priests].
When she crossed the threshold under the archway of the temple, she felt a sudden rush of energy. The people surrounding her immediately fell silent and dropped to their knees. Rayne looked around in confusion, seeing no reason for the odd behavior aside from an older gentleman in pure white robes who stepped into the room.
Unsure how to respond, Rayne was about to go to her knees to avoid offense when the man spoke, throwing her into a bit of a panic.
“An incarnator, huh?”