The sun filled the room and woke Nova up. What awaited Nova’s crusty eyes was the sight of Primeveire’s body sprawled on the floor. Her legs were on top of the bed covered by a blanket while her upper body laid asleep on the cold, wooden floor. The bed was a bit too small to support Primeveire’s tall body, and she was a rather rowdy sleeper. Nova giggled and debated whether she should let her be or wake her up and risk angering a woman suffering from hangover. She chose the former. Much to Nova’s dismay, she had to wash her laundry by hand and had to ask the assistance of the owner’s wife on where to dry her clothes. Hopefully, Edmund had cleaning and drying spells because doing laundry with no washing machine and a dryer to help her was hell. After freshening up, she went downstairs to the main room for breakfast. The tavern was empty, save for Finvarra who’s staring at the bulletin board placed near the entrance.
“Good morning.” She greeted.
“Mhm.” If Finvarra noticed that he couldn’t understand her words, he ignored her anyway in favor of looking at the board. The board has various commissions ranging from finding a missing horse to asking who kept terrorizing the geese. All very normal town stuff that doesn’t catch his interest. He was staring at a request for killing the bugbear who has recently allied with the goblins from the forest. They were ambushing and raiding both travelers and merchants alike in the main road, disrupting the flow of business the town has on the northern side of the state. He decided to take it, after all, earning a few gold while traveling was the adventuring life.
Nova turned her attention to the board, then realized she doesn’t speak or read their language and Edmund’s still asleep. Finvarra took the commission and went to the bar to ask about it.
“Hello?” He called out. A stout man came out, wiping a mug with a somewhat clean rag. Nova recognizes him as the barkeep from the other night, and the owner of this inn. When the man saw sight of Nova, his brows immediately knitted to a frown.
“What is it?” He placed the mug down.
“This bugbear menace you have, has it been taken care of yet?” Finvarra showed him the piece of paper to which the man looked at.
“Ah. I take it that you’ve finished dealing with that tower then?” The owner asked.
“Yes. Researchers from the guild and the academy will be taking care of the rest.”
“Good, good to hear. That tower’s creepy, but I guess we have to live with it now. No monsters appearing from that one?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
The man sighed in relief then gestured towards the paper Finvarra’s holding. “That bugbear’s a hardy one. Our townsguards managed to injure it, but it keeps using the goblins to distract ‘em and escape. If you kill that annoyance, you’ll have the entire town’s thanks. Drinks will be free for one night.” The frown receded and was in turn replaced by curiosity. Adventurers are an uncommon variety in this little town they have after all, and elves are even rarer.
“We’ll do what we can.” He folded the paper and placed it in the pocket of his coat. “For now, I’d like to ask what you have for breakfast.”
“Beans. Eggs. Bread. Potatoes. The usual. But ah! We are proud of our fresh fish. An adventurer like you needs to have a hearty meal, eh?”
“Very well. We’ll have that then. Coffee too please.”
“Two plates of breakfast coming right up then! If you’ll excuse me.” The man dipped his head and returned to the kitchen.
Finvarra chose the same table they had last night and Nova sat across from him. Unlike his sister who had the air of casual sophistication, Finvarra seemed more uptight. Even in the morning, he wore a black vest over a striped , grey button shirt. Still, the material looked sleek while the buttons and other little details were made of gold. His sense of fashion veered towards subtlety and function, while his sister proudly wore her jewelries and was more fashion forward. Despite their nonchalance, they carried the air of elegance and style.
Nova opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t know what to say, and even if she did, he wouldn’t understand it. Instead she mimed scratching a paper with a pen. A few seconds passed as he just stared at her, then gave Nova his quill and notebook. Nova tried to tell him that the ink bottle was missing but he just waved his hand towards the quill in her hand. With an empty page, she moved her hand and began to draw. The quill was magically enchanted to never run out of ink, impressive but also the least thing she’s amazed of. She gave the paper to Finvarra, and on the paper was a cutely drawn Edmund and Primeveire asleep on their beds, a clock whose hands are positioned at 8 o’clock, and a question mark.
Finvarra shrugged and gave her the notepad back. She didn’t know what else to ask, so for the next few minutes, she jotted down a few words and drew cute caricatures of what transpired yesterday. She giggled but didn’t write anything mean about them. If they have a spell to translate whatever she says, they also have a spell to translate what she writes. After a short while, the food arrived and they both began to eat. Nova enjoyed the warm, freshly cooked fish and potato salad. The soft fish melting inside her mouth along with the mushy and savory potatoes with eggs immensely satisfied both her taste buds and empty stomach. The roast sandwich she had last night was alright, but it was this delectable breakfast that eased her concern of isekai bland food that most cooking manga protagonists seemed to suffer. Of course, she had chalked it up to eastern artists’ lack of knowledge regarding western medieval history, even so, she couldn’t help but worry. If you count frying eggs and hotdogs as cooking, then yes she knows how to cook. Anything else needs to be googled.
“Finn. New girl.” Primeveire, despite her drunken state from last night and currently nursing a hangover, appeared impeccable. She sat down beside Nova and saw her drawings. “Huh. Not too shabby.”
Nova washed down her meal with coffee and scooted a bit away from Primeveire.
“So. Anything for me? That looks delicious.” She said, eyeing Finvarra’s still unfinished food. Curiously, the man was a slow eater, chewing his food carefully and sipping his coffee in a laid-back manner.
“You’re up earlier than I expected. I thought you’d sleep in, so I only asked for two meals.”
“Eh. That’s okay.” Primeveire shrugged and went to the bar, calling out the owner. She ordered the same as they did and went back to their table.
“I took the liberty of taking up a commission. A bugbear has been causing trouble to the townsfolk.” Finvarra started.
“How much is the pay?”
“100 silver coins. Also a night of free drinks here.”
“Not a bad deal. Where is this bugbear located?” Finvarra gave her the paper, and she gave a nod of approval.
“We’ll be staying here for one more day and returning to the city. You’ve already reported our success to the guild, and the only thing left to do is retrieve our remuneration.”
“Yes.” Primeveire turned to Nova who was busy drawing then leaned close to her brother. “Do we truly have to take her?”
“What other choice do we have? You can talk normally. She won’t understand a thing since Edmund’s still asleep.”
“Ah.” Primeveire leaned back. “We know that she is no vampire, but that doesn’t mean she is completely safe. Gods know what she is. I don’t buy the whole being transported thing. There’s a high possibility that it was an illusion. Still, even with all my skepticism, I can’t sense any malice on her and she doesn’t strike me as the type to be well, evil.”
“That I agree with. It’s dangerous to let her loose when we don’t even know what she truly is. It’s better to keep her close. To where we can monitor her better.”
Primeveire nodded. Her breakfast came, and the twins talked a bit more. Nova just kept to herself, feeling out of place. Some travelers and townsfolk swung by the tavern to drink, eat, but no one stayed for too long. Nova’s artistic talent isn’t that grand as drawing was mostly a hobby of hers, but people-sighting was a way to alleviate the boredom. Without her phone or a book in hand, the long time of doing nothing but waiting was making her feel uneasy. It was almost noon and Edmund still hadn't woken up. Nova asked the twins about him, but they told her it was a normal occurrence. If it weren’t for the fact that she’s in a whole different world traveling with strangers, she might have slept in too.
Edmund finally came down, yawning and rubbing his eyes. His eyes scanned around the room and found them on the same spot last night. He looked at their table and sighed. “Ugh. Figured you wouldn’t have ordered me food.”
“Get your own or wake up earlier.” Primeveire retorted.
Edmund shrugged and ordered brunch. He sat next to Finvarra and slid a ring across the table to Nova. She grabbed it and gave him a questioning look.
“Put it on.” He said, then mimed placing a ring on his finger. Nova understood and followed. It was a beautiful sapphire ring, and somehow she could feel the magic in it.
“Can you understand us now?” He asked, and Nova shook her head. “Really? I must’ve made a mistake. Give me the ring.”
“It’s working fine. I’m sorry.” She giggled.
“Ahhh.” He squinted his eyes, then smiled. “Glad to see you joking around.”
“Oh. Uhm. Ehe.” She chuckled sheepishly. “How did you do this?”
“It’s nothing much. Just engraved the runes of the understanding spell on the inside of the ring.”
“With a spell?”
“No. With this.” He brandished a pointer-looking thing out of his bag. “This little one has a fire spell so powerful that it can melt down cheap metal. It’s usually used by blacksmiths and jewelers, but it can also be a pretty useful adventuring tool.”
“Oh I see, I see.” Immediately Nova’s mind related it to various spy movies she had watched.
After Edmund finished his meal, the four began to head out and separated to do their respective tasks. Edmund will be with Nova to teach her basic knowledge of their world, while Finvarra and Primeveire will go and scope the northern road. The town of Windershire was a scenic place, the kind of place she dreamed to live in. A charming countryside where she could live in peace and free from the troubles of a capitalistic society. Edmund asked around for places to be avoided and after an hour of walking, they arrived at the top of a rather smooth hill.
‘Peaceful. Abundant mana. Undisturbed. Perfect.” He hummed in approval. “Sit.”
Nova sat on the grass, wishing she wouldn’t get any allergic reactions. Edmund sat across her and clapped his hands together, a serious expression on his face.
“So, Nova, what do you know of mana?”
Mana isn’t an unfamiliar word, especially not if you’re an avid consumer of the fantasy genre. That said, how it is utilized depended from writer to writer. “I know mana is some type of energy that makes you perform magical feats? I mostly see it as a source of energy, like electricity or geothermal power, and from there the possibilities are endless?”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Yes, that’s a simple way to put it. I thought your world had no mana?”
“We don’t. We have just had endless boredom and imagination. Although, I guess it’s not like mana doesn’t exist in our world. We might just have a different definition for it. Science can be called a type of magic.”
“Ah. That I can sympathize with.” Edmund was intrigued. If her world truly had no mana, then he wondered how those mechanical contraptions worked in her world. For now, he’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.
“Now then.” His eyes pierced through Nova’s, and once again she was reminded of how daunting the baby-faced man can be. “How shall I start? Perhaps from the beginning? There are various stories of the creation of Tierra, but I suppose I’ll start with what is popularly recognized.
“In the beginning, there was nothing, and that nothing was Nada. Nada, in her emptiness, found the dark void comforting yet isolating. An idea sparked, and with a mere word, she brought Sol to light. With Sol, the Supreme Mother of All, the cycle of creation began. She created and destroyed many things. It was chaos, and no order. For eons this was the way, until from chaos was life born. For Nada, this was a revelation. A real miracle. Sol was her opposite, bright and scorching while she was cold and desolate. Life wouldn’t last long from their embrace, and thus Nada and Sol gave birth to mana, and mana protected life. This time, with the existence of mana, Sol gave birth to thirteen children. The thirteen gods are then tasked with protecting and nourishing life to grow. The world we tread is Tierra Mater, sixth of the thirteen children, the progenitor of the diverse species that spreads throughout the planet. Nature Incarnate.
“The Mana gifted to us by the primordial gods allows us to live and flourish. They made sure to spread it all across the universe, so that life may persevere. It is an energy that surrounds all of us, as well as being inside us. It is our essence. From the sky to the oceans, from the blades of grass and the rolling winds, mana is everywhere. For even inside our mother’s womb, we are made with mana. Even the non-living things have mana, no matter how little the trace it contains.”
Edmund was a fine and vivid orator. From his palm was a miniature presentation of how life and mana came to be. He showed her the inky darkness of Nada, the blazing Sol, and the various, unique figures of the thirteen gods. While it was a rather small projection, the evocative depiction awed Nova and reminded her of documentaries her science teacher would often make her class watch. It was in no way to slight Edmund’s magical abilities, but rather reminisce a nostalgic past where every new curiosity was consumed with much fervor.
Soft, swirling flecks of light formed from his palm and danced around their bodies. It did seem like the man enjoyed telling a visual story. “So yes, it could be said that mana is a source of energy. We humans can harness both internal and external mana, but the talent and capability to control and turn it into power varies from person to person. As mages, we try to study and learn about magic, delve deep into its essence, and wield it. Spells are a sort of button to channel mana into what our imaginations want it to be. You, as a spellsinger, are a unique variant of a mage. Spells are usually chanted verbally or mentally, but in your case, you sing it.”
Nova raised her hand, and he nodded. “Then, isn’t singing your spells inefficient compared to slinging it with just a word or a thought?”
“That is true. As I’ve said, spellsingers are a unique variant of mages, therefore they can still cast spells normally like others. The only difference is that they are gifted with the voice. Spellsingers use their spellsinging to enhance the power and effectiveness of their spells, and most often use it on ritual spells. There are spellsingers who have chosen an adventurer’s lifestyle, and they are usually on the backlines supporting their party and the party in turn protects them.”
‘Basically bards.’ The concept of being a bard enthralled her. To be able to combine magic with her passion sounded absolutely fantastical. The thing is, she doesn’t know if the body she is in can sing. They told her she can, but she’s not sure.
“Alright. Let’s start with meditation. Close your eyes, relax, and feel the mana within you.”
Nova obeyed and crossed her leg, placing her hand to rest on her knees. She has attempted meditation before so it wasn’t difficult. Breathe in, breathe out. The sound of her breathing heart and the soft breeze lulled her, tempting her to dig through her memories. A memory flashed, and she immediately anchored her attention back to her breathing. It took a several minutes of struggling with her easily-distracted mind, but she felt the stark difference between the memory of her original body and surroundings to that of her current body and surroundings. Her senses were a bit sharper and a tingling feeling circulated her veins. As she concentrated on the bizarre feeling, her body grew warmer. It felt like someone embracing her, like a rush of serotonin. She wanted more of it and prodded it to go faster, until the feeling grew from tingling into rushing. No longer did it feel like a trickle of water tickling her skin, but instead the strong pouring of a waterfall as she sat powerlessly beneath it.
She was about to panic when soft hands grabbed hers out of nowhere. “Breathe. Inhale, and exhale. Calm it.” She breathed deeply til her hammering heart and the rushing feeling calmed down. “That’s it.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Was that… mana?”
“Yes. See, you have mana.”
“That was scary.” She bit her lower lip. “But also kinda exhilarating.”
“It is. Although next time I suggest taking it slow. You almost bursted.” He flicked her forehead.
Nova pouted and rubbed her forehead. It wasn’t a painful flick though. “Does this mean I can do magic now?”
“Well, seeing as how brimming you are with mana, I don’t see why not. However, we’re taking one step at a time. I want you to focus on the mana and guide it towards your hand. Imagine a small water orb on your palm”
She clapped her hands in excitement. “Oh! Oh! Can I make a fireball?”
“No. Don’t. You’ll burn yourself and most probably both of us.”
“Aw shoot. Promise me you’ll teach me fireball.” She pleaded with puppy eyes, and as someone who was often the one doing the puppy eyes, it took him by surprise.
A contemplative expression passed his face. “If you’re a good student, I will.”
“Fuck yeah!” Nova did a fist pump.
“Okay. Now. Start focusing on your mana, then imagine forming a water orb on the top of your palm. Then chant ‘Create Water’ .”
Nova closed her eyes once again and this time, now that she’s recognized what mana is, was able to focus easily on it. She conjured a mental image of a water orb and unfurled her palm. “Create Water.”
She opened her eyes and gasped. A water orb floated on her palm and it jiggled when her hand moved. “I want to cry.”
“Please don’t. I don’t want Primeveire teasing me for it.” He chuckled.
Whenever her hand moved, the orb followed. Using her other hand, she tried to shape the water into a streaming blob, and it did. Happiness swelled her being. This was how her childhood self always envisioned her future would be. To be whisked away in a magical land and be able to do magical things. The memory of Sal passed through her mind, and the water shifted into the image of her sweet brown, fluffy dog. The happiness she felt washed away and was replaced by sorrow. She quickly shook her hand and the water disappeared.
“Huh. You’re already a natural.” Edmund praised. Nova beamed and did finger guns.
“I’m a natural waterbender. What with all the crying I do everyday.” She joked. “Hey! Maybe I could be an Avatar!”
“What’s an Avatar?” Edmund questioned, rather taken aback by her quick changes in attitude. Nevertheless, he didn’t push.
“It’s this uhm show, an animation, ya know, moving pictures. It’s about the person who can bend the four elements; Water, Earth, Fire, Air,” she cleared her throat, “My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days. A time of peace. When the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked--” Nova did the entire opening monologue, much to Edmund’s amusement.
After a lengthy explanation of how Nova loved the series so much, Edmund taught her more details about mana and manipulating it, along with a few basic arcanis phrases as he promised. Time passed and Nova felt like she got to know the pink haired man and this world they lived in better. It seemed like the era here was similar to the early 1800s of Earth, what with all the newfound technological advancements and a better understanding of mana and the science of it.
Edmund’s head buzzed, and the familiar voice of Primeveire spoke to him. “Are you two done already? Meet back here in the inn. The sooner we kill that bugbear, the sooner we leave town.”
“Let’s head back.” He told Nova. It was already late afternoon, and the team reconvened at The Hungry Goose.
“So, how did the investigation go?” Edmund asked. When they arrived, Primeveire already had a drink in her hand. With how often the woman drank, Edmund could bet on her to compete and even win against a dwarf’s constitution.
“Bah. Easy shit. They’ve got no brains but their ambush tactics have worked against the more vulnerable travelers and merchants. It’s not going to work on us though.”
Finvarra spoke. “Nothing we can’t handle.”
“Yes. Also, I’d like to get this commission over soon and get a proper bath. I asked the owner where the bathhouse is, and it’s a little ways off here but not far.” Nova agreed with Primeveire’s sentiment. She may have to get used to not taking a shower everyday, but she’ll take the chance to visit a bathhouse as often as she can.
“Nova. You stay here.” Finvarra commanded. The commission might not be dangerous, but he doesn’t want to risk it. Especially not if he’ll be distracted with the task of protecting her instead of battling.
“What? No. She’ll come with us.” Primeveire disagreed, much to Nova’s horror. Between the prospect of staying in the inn compared to seeing them murder creatures, she’d choose the safe one.
“She’s got no experience in battle. I’ve only begun teaching her the basic of the basics, which is a simple water orb. Nova will only get hurt.” Edmund agreed with Finvarra.
“That’s the thing. She will get hurt, especially since she’ll be adventuring with us. If we get attacked by stronger foes, not only will she be unable to help us, she won’t be able to protect herself. This bugbear commission is an opportunity to strengthen her guts, and day one of teaching her how to fend for herself. Inexperience in a battle will only get her killed.”
“Still. She’ll just get in the way.” Finvarra protested.
“So? You’re the one who decided we take her along with us. She’s your responsibility. She will get in our way anyway, so might as well train her not to.” Primeveire’s brows arched and glared at the two men, daring them to challenge her.
Edmund sighed. “As loath as I to admit, she has a point. Besides, you’ve got me. The best wizard there is.”
“Fine. She’ll come with us.” The elven man conceded. Nova just sat there, staring at the three of them in fear. She understood Primeveire’s words, and being a medical student, she is no stranger to blood and possibly corpses. The three seemed powerful, but what kind of human she’ll be if she isn’t even wary of the danger ahead of her. She may long for death, but being eaten doesn’t seem like a good way to go.
The four of them head out from the tavern once more and into the northern road infested by goblins and their bugbear leader.
“Don’t worry. Even with how callous the twins may seem, they have a good heart and will protect those who are weak.” Edmund walked alongside Nova, comforting her.
“What about you?” She dared ask, and he chuckled.
“I know we started off the wrong foot, but haven’t I made it up to you? Of course, I’ll protect you too.”
Nova could only nod. As they got closer, invasive, pestering thoughts whispered in Nova's mind. She might be able to accept getting mauled by monsters, but she won’t be able to handle the probability of the trio betraying and leaving her around. Her hands clasped the sheathed dagger tight in nervousness. Primeveire gave her one of her many daggers, and was given a brief instruction on how to cut and warn off a goblin if it gets too close.
Not far was a small mass of smoke and the stench of burning. The three immediately ran towards it, with Nova keeping up from behind. What awaited them was a burning cart with seven goblins surrounding it. A seven-foot tall monkey-like bear, humanoid monster stood amongst the goblins and was harassing someone in the cart. Nova thought that the bugbear resembled BigFoot, only obviously violent and aggressive with how it’s armored and holding a huge mace.
“Create Water.” A huge ball of water appeared on top of the cart. It took the bugbear by surprise as it slammed down its head before splashing and dousing the burning cart.
Primeveire and Finvarra unsheathed their swords and began to rush forward the monsters. The goblins snarled at their presence and swung their shortswords against the incoming enemy. One goblin came close to Primeveire, but before it could even slash its sword at her, it was kicked and cut into halves. Finvarra on the other hand easily dodged and hacked the incoming goblins. The twins were harmonious in battle, protecting the other and closing off all possible openings.
The bugbear growled and moved towards the twins, its claws raised and took a swipe against Finvarra. Finvarra quickly blocked it with his sword, and a red bolt assaulted the bugbear’s torso. It snarled and saw Edmund and Nova a few feet away. He barked at the goblins and pointed towards them. The goblins obeyed and darted to attack both Edmund and Nova. Finvarra brought down his sword and swiped at the escaping goblins. Primeveire also swung her sword at the goblins, but the bugbear clawed at her back.
“You fucker.” She hissed and swung her sword at the bugbear instead. The bugbear gave a toothy grin at her and clawed at her with both its paws, but she quickly blocked it with her shield.
Three goblins dashed and raised their swords, unfortunately for them, Edmund was faster. With a quick wave of his hand, a gust of wind knocked them back to the ground.
“Fire Bolt.” One bolt landed one goblin and burned it, and with another wave of his wand was a second goblin burning, then an onslaught of fire bolts were hurled at them. With the goblins panicking and trying to take out the flames, the third one managed to dodge more of the fire bolts and decided to escape instead. It ran towards the forest, and as Edmund prepared to fire one last spell to end it, the goblin’s escape was hindered. A water sphere encased its head and drowned it.
“That’s it. Don’t break focus.” Edmund encouraged, pleasantly surprised at Nova’s initiative.
Nova was petrified at seeing combat in real life, but the urge to help them instead of just watching them fight tugged at her. However, when the three goblins charged at them, her fight-or-flight instinct flared. Edmund dealt with the goblins easily, but as she saw the other one flee, all she could think of was the possibility of the escaped goblin calling more of its kind. She could not have that, and so guided by impulse and an idea, she put her newly-learnt spell to use.
The two goblins’ charred bodies collapsed, and the other one drowned to death. Edmund turned to the siblings and helped clear out the remaining goblins around them. The twins flanked the bugbear and assaulted it with multiple sword swings. Primeveire was pissed at the bugbear and attacked ferociously. Realizing it was being overpowered, the bugbear called for the goblins to be its bait, but none came. At a loss, it did one last powerful swing at Finvarra, making the man stumble but managed to block its claws. Grunting in frustration, it turned its back and decided to escape. As soon as it did, Primeveire thrusted her sword in its chest and dug it as deep as she could. The bugbear collapsed on the ground, and Primeveire stabbed it a few more times for good measure.
“It’s dead!” Primeveire shouted. Edmund and Nova jogged towards them.
Finvarra checked the cart and placed the tarpaulin aside, on it was a man embracing a child protectively. The man raised his dagger, expecting the bugbear or the goblins, but instead found an elven man. His hand fell to his side and cautiously asked. “Are they gone?”
Finvarra nodded, helping the two out of the cart. “You two are safe now.”
Nova breathed a sigh of relief, the terror of seeing her first battle faded a little. She actually killed something, and now the guilt settles. What if goblins were sentient, intelligent beings? Then again, if they’re anything like the goblins from a certain anime, destruction of their species must be done thoroughly. Oh what a moral conundrum. Now that she thought of it, she didn’t particularly feel anything towards killing it. She’ll just chuck it into her subconscious and trick herself into thinking that it’s the same as killing cockroaches. She patted herself and congratulated herself for a job well done.
Primeveire wiped the blood off her sword and placed it back on her scabbard. She turned to Nova with a devilish smile. “Did you see all that? That’s how you fight.”
Nova nodded furiously. The fight was as terrifying as it was mesmerizing. ‘They can whoop my ass easily. Best to stay on their good side I guess.’ She sighed mentally. No matter, at least she proved to one of them and herself that she can be useful.
“You say that, but she actually contributed to the fight by using a spell she just learned. I’m impressed, Nova. Quick thinking is a skill that you must learn when adventuring. Too many lives have been claimed because they couldn’t think up a solution fast enough.” Edmund lectured.
“This student will strive hard, master.” Nova bowed deeply. Partially in respect and partially because she thought it was funny. Primeveire rolled her eyes at the sight.
“You show great promise student. Do not disappoint me.” Edmund patted his student’s shoulder. The life of an adventurer is an alluring and tempting prospect with promises of gold, glory, and the thrill of being alive. True it was all that, but behind its sparkling facade was a deadly future where you are often fighting against the odds. Often he found an adventurer lured by the promises of riches and power, only to return as a corpse to their grieving family. While he may have only known Nova for less than a week, she is an addition to this party of theirs, albeit temporary. He will guide her and make sure she survives, to firm her will. He is after all the greatest wizard this age will ever see, and being a magnificent teacher should come to him easily. But also, he needs a partner to go up against Primeveire, and she needs to have guts for it. Oh just imagining the livid face of the pompous she-devil will be worth the effort.