Ilya summoned an ethereal fluffy white fox, and with a silent order, she sent it forward to scout the path ahead. The creature glided over the forest bed and got lost in the bushes, leaving a white trail of residual mana. Ilya’s smile warmed my chest. The girl couldn't stop smiling despite the cold and the fatigue.
The hunt had been an absolute success. Ilya had gained a level, a title, and two skills. One level might not have been a significant advancement, but the title made up for it. [Giant Slayer] gave Ilya a sizable boost to her mana pool, increasing the number of times she could cast [Entangling Vines] and allowing her to summon stronger familiars with [Spirit Animal].
Instead of walking through the safe paths by the mountainside, Ilya took us back through the forest's heart. She led the way, using her Spirit Animal to scout ahead, while Risha walked by my side. The half-orc carried the boar over his shoulder. Despite Ilya’s reluctance to let Risha travel with us, I was glad we could take the boar whole.
The ethereal fox returned to Ilya’s side and jumped into her arms.
“Blockage ahead,” Ilya said.
“Should we make a detour?” Risha asked.
“No,” Ilya dryly replied.
A thick cluster of dead brambles blocked the path a hundred meters ahead. I looked at the scene without interfering as Ilya examined the blockage. The bramble wall was shorter to the east but would take us down a ravine covered in treacherous rocks. Finally, Ilya cast [Entangling Vines] and used them to flatten a path through the brambles. She turned around, seeking my approval, and I gave her the thumbs up. With a smile on her head, Ilya let the ethereal fox go and guided us through the newly formed path.
The System wasn’t as whimsical as I used to believe. Levels strengthened physical and magical capabilities, while practical experience, in the form of titles, improved one’s Class. Ilya wouldn’t have just to defeat monsters to become strong; she would have to cultivate her class through practice to maximize her effectiveness in combat.
The Title System wasn’t far from my beliefs about education. It rewarded creativity and hard work and, to a certain extent, deterred people from trusting solely on brute force.
Summoned vines kept the bramble cluster compacted to the ground. Ilya’s control over her mana was impressive. Her thornless vines formed an almost perfect path for us to walk.
“So, what’s the secret of infinite mana? Ilya shouldn’t be able to use so many spells in such a short time. When I got my Basic Class, I could barely cast [Bark Skin] for thirty seconds,” Risha whispered near my ear as he looked in awe at Ilya’s display of magic.
Not only was it effective, but also elegant and controlled, much like Ilya’s personality.
“We sacrifice a virgin every full moon and then drink their blood,” I replied.
Risha laughed. “Good to know I’m safe from your silly cult. Keep your secrets, though. I don’t really want them.”
I used to forget that in this world, people jealously guarded the secrets of their craft. Even on Earth, companies didn’t survive by broadcasting every secret they had to the world. There was a reason why industrial espionage was a thing. My mind wandered to the secrets of Mister Lowell’s recipe book.
I examined Risha’s expression. He seemed to be happy by merely looking at Ilya performing her skills. Despite Elincia’s warning, it was hard to suspect him.
“There’s no secret to infinite mana. Ilya is using her mana efficiently. You can improve mana efficiency by channeling mana without activating any skill. It takes practice,” I said.
The fact my mana pool had been huge from the start had desensitized me from the mana expenditure ordinary people experienced.
“Channeling mana without using skills? That’s weird,” Risha pointed out.
I understood his words. For the natives of this world, using skills was as natural as breathing. On the other hand, my exposure to the media in mine had established the idea of magic spells as something that had to be powered by a source of energy.
“Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and empty your mind. It will help you to visualize your mana pool,” I said.
“Emptying my mind isn’t my strong point, teach,” Risha grinned.
“I tremble at the thought of what Elincia and you put Mister Lowell through.”
Ilya was doing such a good job guiding us that I forgot I was supposed to look after her. I enjoyed trekking through the forest and chatting with Risha equally. Despite knowing each other for a few days, the conversation flowed seamlessly, as if we were old acquaintances.
“May I ask what Class you have?” I asked. Classes didn’t usually remain a secret as the rest of the contents of the Character Sheet, but asking felt a bit too inquisitive nonetheless.
“I’m a Lv.39 Defender. Damage output is not the best, but put me in the front line, and I’ll tank the monsters for you,” Risha replied.
Risha was no small fry.
Elincia was Lv.24 when I first met her. Considering they were around the same age, Risha should’ve been busy fighting for the past seven years to reach such a high level. As Elincia had said, the soft cap at Lv.20 was brutal, so reaching Lv. 39 at such a young age was no easy feat.
“Acting as a human shield doesn’t sound like the safest job at the Farlands,” I pointed out.
“I spent my first paycheck buying booze for the Healer Corps. That might have played a role in my survival,” Risha replied, half joking. The dark side of the story didn’t pass unnoticed to me; in the Farlands, soldiers died waiting for medical attention.
“Is it as bad as they say?” I asked.
Suddenly, Risha dropped his festive mood.
“I’m the only one alive from my original squad, and we were lucky to enlist at the start of the campaign. We fought near the border of the Farlands the first year. We used to watch the flanks, where there’s not a lot of action expected. You can do the math,” Risha explained.
Joining the army as a low-level novice was a race against time. The generals weren’t as stupid to immediately send kids to the front line. They grouped them and sent them to the flanks to work as scouts. A novice would have one or two months to reach Lv.20, killing low-level monsters before being sent deep to the front line, where things were exponentially more dangerous to under-level soldiers. The ‘good’ part was that the more time a soldier survived, the better the chances were to remain alive.
“The grace periods became shorter as we went deeper into the Farlands. We need the manpower to keep the path open as the vanguard advances. New recruits get, at most, a couple of weeks to level up,” Risha explained with a grave expression. “Not a good place to be as a low-level combatant, but at the same time, we are so close, we can’t stop now.”
A shiver ran down my spine as I imagined the old Ilya, under-leveled and under-classed, deep into the Farlands. My dark thoughts quickly vanished by the picture of Ilya trying to channel enough mana to summon a second Spirit Animal. My [Mana Mastery] told me the skill used a sizable amount of mana to function correctly, and Ilya already had her Spirit Fox running around.
I silently thanked the System for giving Ilya a good Class.
“I owe you, Robert. For helping Elincia and keeping the orphanage afloat,” Risha said as he looked at the girl with a yearning smile. “Ask me anything, and I’ll do it. I'll accept it if you want me to keep me away from the orphanage.”
I bit my tongue. I was torn between Elincia’s warnings and my personal opinion about Risha. Maybe Elincia was right, and Risha was manipulating me to gain my friendship, or maybe Elincia was wrong, and Risha left to make money for the orphanage. What was best for Elincia and the kids wasn’t an answer I had yet, and I didn’t want to burn down bridges until I had a complete picture of the situation.
“I’ll keep it in mind,” I replied, and Risha breathed a sigh of relief.
By noon, we reached the southern side of the valley. With Ilya guiding us through the forest and Risha carrying the Iceshard boar carcass, we made it to the mountain path ahead of schedule. We stumbled upon a lone Sentinel that waved at us after Risha drew their attention with a powerful whistle, but other than that, our journey was uneventful.
We climbed the mountain path and covered the distance between the mountains and the army’s camp outside the city walls at a good pace. We would arrive at the orphanage well before nightfall. As we crossed the defensive perimeter around the army’s camp, the soldiers looked at our catch with greedy eyes.
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I had underestimated Risha’s charisma.
It took us an hour to traverse a hundred meters of paved road because Risha stopped to chit-chat with literally half the camp. The half-orc knew everyone by name, from recruits seeking advice to fellow veterans looking to brag about their earnings and even sergeants and captains just stopping to say hello. Everyone seemed to want a moment to greet Risha. Even a couple of lady friends, an attractive human Blacksmith, and a snakefolk Healer with more scars than scales stopped to catch on.
“We are old friends,” Risha stammered after the snakefolk Healer kissed both his cheeks goodbye.
[Awareness] told me he was lying.
“I guess you have to pay for expedited treatment,” I replied with a wide grin.
Risha gave me the ‘not in front of the kids’ look, but Ilya was more interested in the skeeths than Risha’s romantic life. Despite my jokes, my intuition told me Risha wasn’t so cherished strictly because of his charisma. An Lv.39 Defender should’ve saved the lives of half the campament during seven years of service.
Half an hour later, Risha had brushed off the last of his acquaintances, and we finally crossed the city walls. Farcrest remained the same as when we left. Carts of goods supplied the military camp, while merchants and vendors filled the main street, hoping to empty the soldier’s pockets. As we walked, [Awareness] informed me a ‘Red Light’ district had formed near the city's northern gate. Several taverns, gambling saloons, and potion stores that weren’t there a month earlier had appeared overnight.
The Northern District was experiencing some sort of economic revival. It made sense, considering this was the first time most soldiers visited a ‘big’ city since they enlisted. At least the Marquis's plans were coming to fruition; lots of coin would find its way to his coffers.
“Well, I don’t want to show up at the orphanage without Elincia’s approval, so I’ll leave now,” Risha said, putting the frozen boar down. “I’ll let you know if the investigation gets somewhere.”
“I’ll see you around,” I replied.
“Tell me which is your bedroom so we can have a couple of stealthy beers one of these nights,” Risha winked at me. Then he turned to Ilya. “I’m glad you got your dream Class, Ilya, but remember. Skill alone is not enough to survive in the Farlands. Find good friends. They are better than the sharpest sword and the strongest bow.”
Ilya sighed like only a pissed teenager could; Risha’s advice hadn’t amused her. “Try harder. Mister Clarke already told me that and phrased it more convincingly.”
Risha stiffed a smile and waved before returning to the camp. After a moment, Ilya and I were left alone with a hundred-kilo frozen boar carcass in the middle of the street.
“Didn’t you tell me you trusted Risha?” I said, grabbing the boar. It was heavier than I expected, so I had to put my mana to work to keep it on my shoulders. I felt my vertebrae compressing.
“I have to be twice as wary around Risha because I trust him,” Ilya replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
It didn’t make sense to me.
“The System should’ve given you the ‘paranoid’ trait,” I sighed.
Ilya rolled her eyes.
Still, I gave Ilya the benefit of the doubt. Risha’s advice had a different meaning if I assumed the words were directed at me. ‘I can be a useful friend to the orphanage if you want me to be’. He should know the orphanage was in great need of allies.
“Let’s move before my spine breaks in half.”
* * *
Ily and I crossed the iron fence and went around the mansion to enter through the backdoor. Despite being the afternoon class hours, Firana played with the little kids in the backyard while Zaon and Wolf hammered down a new chicken coop. Elincia and Ginz were nowhere to be found.
The little kids rushed toward us as soon as we entered the backyard. They stopped a meter away, watching in awe as I put the boar down. My body was sore after carrying the frozen carcass for a few hundred meters. I needed Elincia to rub my shoulders with some salve.
As the first impression vanished, the kids swarmed Ilya with questions.
“Did you find the Sacred Potato?!” Nokti jumped forward.
“No, we were too busy fighting an Iceshard Matriarch,” Ilya replied, full of herself.
Several ‘wows' and ‘woahs' flew around as Ilya told a detailed retelling of the fight against the rabid beast. She skipped the parts featuring Risha. The little kids shuddered in fear when Ilya told them about the destructive energy beam and jumped in bliss when she described the Cooldown Bow’s powerful shot. Ash couldn’t help but voice his skepticism, which was quickly received by a ‘What do you know about the Farlands?’ by Shu.
Firana was the most amazed, by far. She eyed Ilya as if it was the first time she saw a gnome. It was hard to tell if Ilya and Firana were friends now, but I hoped the extra attention softened Ilya’s defenses.
While Ilya answered questions, Firana and I grabbed the boar and dragged it inside the kitchen.
“Where’s Elincia?” I asked.
“In her bedroom. Miss Nasiah and Captain Kiln came to visit; they locked themselves in the bedroom and expelled us all,” Firana replied with a hint of bitterness.
I did a mental review of the orphanage’s finances. As far as I remember, we had no pending business with Miss Nasiah. And she wasn’t the kind of person who visited an orphanage for the pleasure of seeing kids running around. Something important must’ve happened in my absence.
“I’ll go check on them,” I said.
“I’ll go get the kids off Ilya,” Firana replied.
I suspected Firana’s intentions weren’t entirely selfless. She probably wanted to ask questions herself. If my inner calendar wasn’t wrong, Firana was a few days away from turning fifteen herself.
We parted ways. As I crossed the manor with long strides, my concerns grew; a visit from Miss Nasia was unheard of, and Captain Kiln should be in the Great Hall attending her captain duties. Something terrible must’ve happened. The sooner I could get back to work, the better.
I opened the bedroom door to find Elincia standing on a stool dressed in light white while Ginz and Nasiah measured her. Captain Kiln stood beside the bed, examining a pile of dresses. None of them noticed my presence.
“Hey! I’m alive,” I greeted, watching the strange scene unfolding before my eyes.
Elincia gave me a pleading look, but Nasiah quickly forced her to look forward.
“The groom finally arrived!” Captain Kiln replied in a festive tone.
“Don’t listen to her,” Elincia said before Nasiah silenced her.
I turned to Ginz, asking for answers.
“Hey, Rob! Good news. You are kindly invited to a party at the Great Hall. We are preparing your lovely companion,” Ginz said, just to turn around and glance at my muddy self with terror. “You better go bathe before Izabeka dunks you into the well.”
Nasiah burst out laughing, and Elincia’s face reddened.
“I have removed the filth off two generations of Kilns. One dirty Scholar isn’t going to be a rival to my power-scrubbing,” Captain Kiln said, flexing her arm. [Awareness] couldn't tell if she was joking, but it let me know my chances of keeping my skin intact after a Kiln’s [Power-Scrubbing] would be slim.
Elincia and I exchanged a worried glance—at least the pile of dresses made sense.
A moment later, Ginz and Nasiah finished taking Elincia’s measurements, and the girl jumped from the stool to my arms like a cat seeking shelter from a sticky-fingered toddler. Judging by the reddened skin on her chest and arms, she must’ve been subject to Kiln’s power-scrubbing.
“How did the hunt go?” Elincia nervously asked.
At this point in our relationship, I knew I had to remove the band-aid in one go.
“Ilya did great. We killed an Iceshard Matriarch, and Ilya hunted down an Iceshard Boar. It's in the kitchen right now,” I said. The effectiveness of the Cooldown Bow was greater than I had expected, but again, with magic or not, monsters were still made of flesh and bone.
Everyone looked at me with mouths agape—everyone except Captain Kiln.
“Called it, pay up,” she said as she extended her hand, and Ginz and Nasiah begrudgingly deposited a silver coin each. Then Izabeka noticed my inquiring eyes. “What? I knew you would go over the top.”
“Someone was in danger! We didn’t go around looking for a Matriarch to pick a fight with,” I tried to defend my honor as a teacher.
“You infected Ilya’s brain with your recklessness,” Captain Kiln replied, tucking the silver coins inside her pouch before Ginz or Nasiah could demand them back.
As the discussion about the deal's fine print erupted, I dragged Elincia outside the bedroom. I grabbed Elincia by the waist and hugged her tightly. Despite being away for three days, I missed her.
“Busy day, uh?”
“You smell awful,” she replied, hugging me nonetheless. “Now tell me everything about the trip. With details”
We moved the conversation to the kitchen. Ilya was skinning the boar while the kids observed the process in silence. The boar was completely thawed despite being rock-frozen minutes ago. I assumed Ilya had used another of Mister Lowell’s miraculous potions.
“How do you even bring that thing back? Not even Wolf should be able to cross the northern valley in a single day with that on his shoulder,” Elincia said, approaching the kitchen counter and examining the carcass with expert eyes.
“I summoned a Mage Hand that carried it for me?” I replied, knowing my lie was flimsy as a straw house.
“Was that ‘mage hand’ a friendly half-orc named Risha, by any chance?” Elincia raised an eyebrow.
Ilya looked over her shoulder. “They are besties now.”
“Come on, Ilya! I thought I was your favorite teacher!” I jokingly said.
“Mister Clarke will always be my favorite teacher and my second most favorite caretaker,” Ilya replied smugly, just to move her focus back to Elincia. “Risha was fighting the Matriarch, so I decided to jump in. I got a title and two skills.”
More ‘wows' and ‘woahs' flew around.
Elincia grabbed my hand and leaned against my shoulder.
“I love how you always want to see the good in people,” she said, poking my sides.
The ‘wows’ and ‘woahs’ were quickly replaced by ‘ewws’ and ‘ughs’. Viridian was more pragmatic and simply covered his ears with his hands. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Shu gawked at us with interest. Seeing our signs of affection were not well received, I decided to change the topic.
“So what’s this about a party we’re going to?” I asked.