Chapter 4 – Home Base

As the night unfolded, dawn came. The group, having spent the night with satisfaction, woke up with renewed energy as they prepared to set out for the next leg of their journey.

“Let’s get ready everyone, we will reach our destination in half a day,” Pyra announced.

“I have to say, I’m envious of these drakes that you have.” She added, her admiration spilling out.

“Yeah, I was pretty lucky on how I got them.” Cain confidently said.

As the group finalized their arrangement, Pyra asked, “We still have quite a long way before we part. Care to tell me what you went through these four months you were gone?”

Cain chuckled, and with a theatrical flair, he said, “I will tell you about the great story of Cain Nocturne’s adventure!”. He jumped up the big saddle on top of Demi and held his hand out towards Pyra. “I’ll give you a ride, milady.”

Pyra reached for his hand and gracefully mounted the drake. The saddle is big enough to support multiple people since drakes are strong enough to carry them.

‘Since when has his hands become so big? It's full of calluses and scars…’

The three other mages sat with Ally, not willing to disturb the two geniuses’ time. The drakes began to move, its powerful strides covering the ground effortlessly. As the drakes carried them forward, Cain began to tell the tale of his journey.

The morning sun cast a warm temperature upon the party. Winding through the fields of wildflowers and grass that swayed gently in the breeze. The footsteps of the drakes reverberated on the smooth known path toward civilization.

“The demons are getting active,” Cain introduced a new subject.

Cain continued, “I recently ran to a guild filled with succubus. They were stationed near the border, far enough to not get caught.”

“They manipulated all the men and had all of them under their curvaceous control.” He jokingly said.

Pyra paused at this news. “Suspicious,” She said with a serious look.

“I know,” Cain replied. “If there was a budding guild filled with demons infiltrating our borders, and no one knew how they grew and how they kept taking people, there is only one reason to how.”

“There is a demon among us…” she said with a slight fury from her eyes.

“Not even that, they still had a plan of retreat when I finished one of their branches. That’s my plan when I get back to my guild.” Cain added.

“This is treason amongst the kingdoms,” She contemplated the implications of such matters. The shield that is protecting Astera's kingdom has been infiltrated by a demon.

She continued. “We are in the dark about crucial matters. All I know about demons is that they wreak havoc, hate humans, and only move when it is advantageous to them.”

Cain leaned in, his voice lowering. “More information about the Authorities and demons are held tight between the upper echelons of the kingdoms. Only practitioners from the Ascended rank are aware of the inner workings of Gehenna, and it's not easy to uncover the truth.”

“Ascended huh? The fifth rank title Magus and above,” Pyra pondered. “Do you think we can reach that level of power?”

“If our guild master reached the sixth rank ‘Archmagus’ then I can do it as well,” Cain said in a cocky tone.

Pyra shaking her head said, “Well if you say you can do it, then I will do it as well, my lovely knight.” She quipped. “So, care to tell me how you got that pretty apprentice of yours?”

Cain replied, “Just as you heard from her. She was in an auction, sold as a slave since her parents lost to gambling. I tried to get more information from that demon, but he killed himself right away.”

He continued. “I was lucky, I found the two drakes chained up. When I freed them, they willingly submitted to me with a mana bond, and Ally? I liked her personality, and as you can see, she displays as much craziness as me.” He laughed with his chest out.

“In all seriousness though, she had the same element as me. Since there’s rarely any lighting element out there, I wanted to at least train her properly on the path of a practitioner.”

“Never thought you would be a hero type.” She smirked.

“Ah, don’t get me started, I’m just realistic, okay? R.E.A.L.I.S.T.I.C!” Cain said with passion.

Cain continued to retell his adventures to Pyra, inserting some jokes here and there. As the hours passed by in a flash, they reached a small city called Lune which is in between Avalon and Tillvale. This city serves more as a trade route and serves as a resting place for mercenaries. It is directly controlled by the empire of Astera itself.

The bustling city emerged in the distance; strong walls dedicated to protecting the neighboring townspeople. The party approached the city gates, where guards in distinctive armour of the empire stood vigilant, not phased by the two large drakes that were approaching.

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Cain took out a circular badge hanging from his neck that showed the Chaosfall Guild symbol. Crafted with attention to detail, the badge features a sleek metal finish that gives a premium appearance. The background is filled with details that make the badge have depth and a richer composite. At the center of the badge, proudly displayed two intricately designed swords, pierced through the sockets of a fearsome demon skull in a cross formation.

After confirming the legitimacy of the badge, the knights saluted. Feet together, back straight, right hand over the left chest while the left hand is poised at the side, the knights showed discipline and strength. Letting them pass through the gates.

“Thanks, keep it up.” Cain nodded while going through the passage.

After some time…

“Hey,” One of the guards spoke to his comrade. “Did you see his rank?”

“No…” the other guard replied. “It might be the Spellblade since he looked young, he is also from Chaosfall Guild.”

“Cain Spellblade? Didn’t he go missing? He is eighteen, right? Adept Minor rank at that!” the guard said in surprise.

“Chaosfall Guild hid a monster. Do you think the empire knows? Adept minor rank at that age is crazy to me. That is immeasurable talent, he will definitely become an Ascended.”

Inside the city, the atmosphere buzzed with activity. Merchants peddled their wares, guild members trained in open squares, and the scent of various cuisines wafted through the air. As the group made their way through the city, Cain said, "We shall part ways here.”

“Take care, okay?” Pyra replied.

Cain chuckled and gave her a light smile. He saw the mage party turn their backs and continue their journey to their guild.

“Alright, let’s go to Avalon,” Cain spoke to Ally.

Cain and Ally navigated through the bustling streets, his path leading him toward the city's gates. The sounds of the city gradually faded behind him as they approached the exit, leaving behind the lively city for a quieter atmosphere.

On their journey to Avalon, Ally asked Cain a question while riding their drakes beside each other. “My Lord, who exactly are you?”

“Oh? Interested about me now?” Cain jokingly said.

“I didn’t want to offend you, my lord,” Ally responded in a sincere tone. “Why would I, a mere slave ask who my saviour is? I might be joking sometimes based on how I speak, but I am serious when I say that I am willing to serve you as whatever you want. Be it a maid or your sword, my life is yours to have. If you want me to die for you, I will not hesitate.” Ally said seriously.

Cain surprised at her dedication, “Relax, what I did before was just a whim. To destroy the demons that were plaguing our borders.”

“Even then, it does not change the fact that you gave me another life,” Ally said solemnly. “I will get strong so I can stand beside you.”

Cain chuckled; a warm expression showed on his face. ‘This girl is not even an adult, but circumstances forced her to mature. Is this what it feels like to have a little sister?’ he thought.

He smiled. “I appreciate your loyalty. I promise to take care of you by giving you good food.”

Cain continued, “Now, as the best master, I shall give you a brief introduction to what we are,” as Cain continued, Ally became more attentive to the information that she had been curious about for the past two weeks being an apprentice of this powerful Spellblade.

“Chaosfall Guild and Lunaris Guild are stationed in the province of Mescua southwest of Astera Kingdom. Chaosfall Guild is responsible for the upper region of Mescua, residing in the city of Avalon, while Lunaris Guild is responsible for the bottom region, residing in the city of Tillvale. Both Guild’s sworn objective is to protect the kingdom from the chaos beasts. We serve as the first shield and spear of Astera.”

“If you were fit to be a mage, I would have given you over Pyra’s group. Their guild is mage-focused and they would certainly appreciate it since mages are rare. There is at least one mage in five hundred practitioners.”

Ally nodded, and asked, “When will I be officially trained, my lord?”

Cain pondered.

‘Training… I need to settle the demons that are in our borders. I also need to register Ally as my apprentice. There is also the fact that I need answers about the dreams I am getting.’

“I will formally train you after I register you to the guild. No promises though since I might be assigned a task.” Cain told Ally with a hint of excitement.

After some time of travelling, they laid eyes on Avalon. A busy city made specifically for defences. It is filled with warriors, bowmen, knights, assassins, tanks, and all kinds of body practitioners with some mages mixed in. Walls towering high, a testament to the constant threat they face from the Chaos Beasts.

As they approached the mechanical gate, the stationed guards grew surprised.

“Is that lord Cain!”

“You’re right! Where did he get a drake?” Another guard spoke.

Cain and Ally reached the gates on top of Demi and Draggy, guards of the same rank as Ally stood tall.

“Good to have you back! Lord Cain!”

“Glory to our Spellblade!” Another guard chimed in.

The Drakes footsteps did not falter. Demi and Draggy’s eyes curved upwards, a sign of contentment. Even the drakes look like it is enjoying the glorified welcome of the stationed guards.

Cain sat comfortably on top of Demi. The surroundings were filled with people with all kinds of professions. Some people were peddlers and farmers, while some people were armed with weapons. As Cain continued to parade himself into the city, mortals and practitioners alike started to recognize him.

“Cain Spellblade has returned?” An Apprentice rank knight exclaimed. A middle-aged practitioner who had likely served the guild well for a long time.

“Cain? Who is that?” a curious young boy asked, with innocence in his eyes.

“Well, let me tell you haha!” The man put on a teacher-like expression with a sense of smugness and pride as if bringing knowledge to the ignorant kid was his best day.

“You have not been here long so let me tell you. Cain Nocturne is one of the twelve Adept Minor ranks of Chaosfall Guild, the one who is responsible for our city. He is the youngest in our province to reach Adept Minor at only the age of eighteen!” His excitement infected those eavesdropping, drawing more attention.

“Really?!” The young man gasped in surprise, his eyes shining brightly.

Cain reaching this threshold that some people can dream of made him an incredible figure worthy of admiration.

“I also heard he has immense talent. Not only that, but his main weapon is also the halberd! Very unorthodox but he makes it look easy!” Another figure stepped in to join the conversation, adding more intrigue to the crowd.

“It's true. I was part of the battle of Hagen and he led us like a true commander. He might look kind and approachable right now, but we soldiers who worked with him know that he is domineering and demands respect. He is scary.” a soldier added more context about Cain, offering a glimpse into Cain’s complex character.

As the discussion about Cain continued, the eyes of the people turned to the person beside him, also mounted on a drake.

“That lady, I have never seen her before,” murmurs from the crows began to circulate.

“Did lord Cain get a wife?” One lady said out loud.

“Are you dumb, She looks more like an apprentice to me,” another lady quipped.

“She’s very cute!” As the crowd started yapping, more information was shared about the world of practitioners and gossip about Cain’s earlier years.

It was not that long before they dispersed and went away to go back to their respective lives.

“I did not know that my lord is a very famous person” Ally looked in awe.

“Let's visit the guild first. We have to make you an official guild member!” Cain said with excitement as he continued to move forward towards the guild hall, leaving the crowd to their own lives.