“Fervina! Be careful okay! You are going to be in a new Kingdom!” says My friend.

She is a cheerful girl. I spent most of my time in the magic school with her and my other friends that are here to see me off.

I’m leaving for the Kingdom of Diacis today. I hear that it’s a very peaceful and thriving country. It’s a food center that provides about half of the world’s food crops. I wanted to go there to research the new magic that I am willing to develop.

“I will be! Take care of yourselves!” I say back.

“We will! Goodbye!” they say.

I’m currently sitting inside a carriage that is carrying a bunch of merchandise to be exported to other countries on the bigger continent. Most of them are books and magic tools crafted by named craftsmen in Iglacis.

I was born and raised in Iglacis. My Father died when I was very young and my mother raised me alone, By herself. Thinking back now, I sure am very indebted to my mother for raising me in an environment where I got to study and made a name for myself at The Magic School.

My mother parted from me in this world about a year ago while I was still in School. It was a hard time to go through but I somehow pulled through my studies and the grief just by thinking that my mother would have wanted the same thing.

Look at me mother. I’m trying to stand on my own feet.

“Uncle, how much time will it take to get to the port?” I ask the old man driving the carriage.

“Probably half a day or so. You should rest while we get there. It’s gonna be a harsh journey till we get to Diacis.” He says.

It’s definitely going to be dangerous and harsh till we get there. Taking the monsters and the weather conditions into account, this journey is going to be pretty tiring.

There are several guards with us, to protect and escort the items in the carriages. Three in front, three in the back and two on each side. As I said earlier, the carriages are carrying valuable crafts from the craftsmen in Iglacis.

“Look out! Heads up! It’s a horde of Migsah!” shouts a guard on the left side.

Hmm…? Migsah? They’re dog-like creatures but not really dogs. They have no eyes but they rely truly on their sense of hearing. But underestimating them thinking they’re just blind will leave you without flesh on your bones. They are agile and can maneuver easily in a terrain full of trees. And right now we are in their territory.

“Umm… Do you want me to put up a barrier, Sir?” I ask the man in charge of this whole goods export caravan.

“Can you do that, Miss Fervina?” he asks.

“Who am I?” I ask.

“A renowned mage from Iglacis Magic School…?” he says.

“Bullseye.”

Yes. That is who I am. Excelling in the field of magic is my passion and my drive. That is the only reason I decided to travel the world.

“Tell the commander that I’m putting up a barrier. It’ll protect the carriages.” I say.

The Merchant turns around and screams at the top of his lungs,

“Gild! Miss Fervina is putting up a barrier! To protect the carriages! Be careful!”

On that, the guards around us and at every end respond in agreement.

“Miss Fervina, If you may.” He says coming up to the carriage in a rush.

“Okay.”

What barrier to use? There are multi-purpose barriers. To guard against ill intent? Or to prevent physical attacks? I guess the attribute infusion into a single barrier is still far from my reach as I’m still doing research on it.

Guard against Ill-intent it is then.

I take up my Grimbark Staff in my hands. It’s a special kind of staff that was gifted to me by my beloved teacher upon graduation a little time ago. The [Manickett]₁ on top of this Grimbark wood Staff is an amplifier that helps me perform bigger magic spells in shorter times, using ultra-short chants. I could do it without the staff too but it’s too much of a bother to redirect the Mana Circuits every time you chant short. On the opposite, the Manickett stores the Circuit record into itself once a successful short chant is achieved, making it easier to recall upon then need to use it again.

I stand up and step up out of the carriage fast. I put down the lower end of Grimbark on the dirt road beneath our feet.

“[Sanctuary of Peace]!” I shout in a loud voice.

The moment I did my ultra-short Chant, The Manickett shines in a Green light, as the element of this spell is wind. A barrier appears from the Manickett and falls to the ground then it starts to expands up to the point it envelops the Carriages.

“That is our Miss Fervina!” says one guard.

“We can always count on you!” says another.

What? Are they trying to impress me? I guess I’m at the age where people can hit on me. I just turned nineteen the other month.

“Will you guys be able to handle them now? You can leave the Carriages behind to fight them freely.” I say.

“We thank you for your concern, Miss Fervina.” Says the Commander Gild.

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I turn around again and step into the carriage and sit down with the luggage by my side. I set down my staff to one side.

The research I’m doing right now is on the subject of infusing objects with every kind of element. Another one I’m working on is a multi-purpose barrier, where you can infuse multiple attributes into it. The barrier seems out of reach since I don’t have the spacial element. But I have every other element.

Me having every element except Space is another thing I’m famous for in Iglacis. Another is my excellence s a mage.

The research for infusion of multiple elements might be close. I even dream of performing it on living things. Not in the way of an unhinged psychopath, but in a totally ethical way. The methods I use are certainly not dangerous. Well, most of them aren’t. that’s why the Infusion can’t be completed. If it ever comes to that I need to take more violent steps, I’ll just drop the research and move on to something else entirely.

I don’t want to become a woman who experiments on people and animals just to obtain her goal on a whim. It’s not worth hurting life.

A while has passed by since we got out of the fight with the Migsah. We’re about to set camp in the woods since it’s going to be dark pretty soon. Monsters are bound to come out. So I should probably keep in mind to erect a barrier for protection. It does use quite a bit of mana but I have more than the average mana capacity one sees in a human.

But even other races can rival the enormous and gigantically vast ocean of mana Elder Dragons Possess. I’m aware that there are six Elder Dragons of each element except the element of space. No Elder Dragon has yet emerged with the element of Space.

I hear that Dragons are a reserved race that barely interacts with humans. They do not hate them or bear any enmity against them, unless of course, if provoked. They are completely neutral. They sure have intervened several times in history but not in any way obvious. Saving people from droughts, helping them shape lands, or even taking out Mana Storms in kindness.

The carriage stops at a spot with some open land in the forest once it gets dark. Several guards head out to scout the area ahead, just to make sure there aren’t any monsters nearby.

Once they confirm that nothing is nearby, they set up camp. There are three carriages, us included. Each carriage has a driver, and a merchant to look after the goods. Then there is the Head merchant. After him are the Guards.

They set up four big tents, One for me, One for the Drivers, One for the Merchants, and one for the Guards.

Just when they finished setting camp, I step out of the carriage. I stretch my arms to make the obvious stiffness from the travel go away. I see the head merchant directing the people to set up supplies. I walk up to him.

“I can set down a barrier. Tell the guards to rest too, will you, Sir?” I say.

The Head Merchant turns around and gives me a bright smile. He’s a man in his mid-thirties.

“We truly are grateful for your assistance.” He says.

“Come on. I volunteered for help in exchange for the ride to Diacis didn’t I? it’s perfectly natural to help out then,” I say.

“Understood, Miss Fervina. We have no qualms about your barrier.” He says.

“Then… “

Which one? Ill-intent? Yup.

I walk toward the carriage in order to fetch my Staff. I take it out and walk to the center of the campsite. I put down the staff,

“[Sanctuary of Peace]!” I chant.

The same stuff from before happens and a barrier gets erected around the campsite in an instant.

“Thank you for your help, Miss Fervina.” Gild says as he walks up.

He’s a young man, possibly in his mid-twenties. He’s still unmarried. What do I have to do with that? Nothing. I sometimes think that he might be hitting on me but it’s just his usual manner of speech. He’s an innocent guy.

“No problem, Mister Gild.” I say.

“Then, Let me go and get a fire starting for the food.” He says.

“I really am hungry after all the bumps on the road,” I say.

“I think it should be ready in half an hour or so,” he says and walks away to send someone to collect wood.

Time passes and the Guard he had sent to gather wood comes back. Apparently, he got attacked by an F-ranked monster, that’s why he was a bit late. Everyone here is fairly strong. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be taking on this whole journey up to Diacis. We are gonna meet more people at the port too.

Gild sets up a Pseudo-stove, using rocks and dirt, and then fills it with wood and some material to light them up. The fire starts with rage and goes down to a much more modest level after some time.

After that, they put on some meat and vegetables they had brought on this journey on some sticks and filled a pot with meat and vegetables for the stew to eat with the bread we brought.

The food was done in mere fifteen minutes. How it tasted was another matter in all. It wasn’t bad but it was actually pretty good to be cooked by a man that fights on the field.

“Cooking skills are necessary for survival too, Miss Fervina.” Says Gild.

Perhaps he could see from my expressions that I was quite surprised at the taste that I just had.

“This is well cooked and very delicious. I never thought that someone could be better than me in cooking. Not that I am good at it.” I say in a joking manner.

All the men in attendance laugh loudly.

“Miss Fervina! Would you like a glass?!” says one Guard holding up a metal glass in his hand.

“No! I don’t drink!” I say from far.

Just as I finish my food, I get up to head to my private tent.

I enter it with caution and turn off the lantern burning in there. I don’t want anyone to see me change, even if it’s just a shadow. It’s embarrassing.

I change into comfortable clothes and put my usual clothes in my luggage.

“Miss Fervina. Can you come out?” I hear Gild. It was a muffled sound so he must have been considerate and didn’t come near the tent.

“Wait a second. I’ll be out in a moment.” I reply.

I hurry up and tidy the tent and peek out of the tent.

“What is it Gild?” I say.

“Please do be careful once you decide to walk out at night. For toilet purposes or so… it’s not really something I should be saying to a Lady but monsters might be in the vicinity. That is all. And yes, do exercise care when sleeping. I know for myself that I don’t have any bad intentions but you can't be more careful in a caravan full of men.” He says.

Ah. He’s too considerate. He’s probably worried about me being the single female in this caravan.

“Rest easy. I’m not just a mage in the name.” I say with a smile.

“Then, I’ll be on my way for my shift.” He says as he walks away for his watch.

I then walk towards my pseudo-bed and lay on it. I have magic tools on me that protect me from anything bad so security shouldn’t be a problem.

I think about several things regarding my journey and my research and fall asleep.

“Hnngh…”

I wake up late at night, my throat scratchy as hell.

“Water…”

I get up from my bed and walk out of the tent. I see two Guards sleeping outside. They were probably on watch duty but they seem to have dosed off.

I walk toward the place where the barrel for water is.

“Hmm…?”

I look to my left and see a golden ball of light in the distance.

“What is that…?” I say.

“Fervie…”

I hear a whisper from its direction. My mother used to call me that…

“Fervie…”

I hear it once again.

“Who is it?” I say.

“Come here…” I hear a whisper again.

Is it something dangerous? I should pick up my staff, just in case. Maybe it’s some kind of monster with hypnosis.

I pace into my tent and grab the staff and come back outside. The ball of light is gone. I walk in the direction of the light I had seen.

“Where did it go…?” I say.

“Fervie. Here.” I hear a whisper in front.

“Where are you?” I say.

“Here…”

I walk toward the source of a sound.

“GRAAAH!”

Something jumps in front of my face,

“[Rock Shot]!” I hear from my left.

It was a small and girly voice. The spell obliterates the thing that was about to lunge at me. I haven’t seen magic like this since my intermediate days in school.

“I’ve finally found you, Fervie.” I hear.

I look over my shoulder and I’m shocked by what I see.

“A little girl…?” I say.

I see a tiny girl, floating in the air with the help of her wings. She seems to have trouble flying.

“No. I’m a Fairy. Name’s Twixinine. Call me Twixie, after all, that’s what you called me.” She says.

The tiny girl in front of me has only one arm. The other left one seems to be gone from an injury since it’s scarred. She seems to have lost her right eye as well. One of her wings is tattered too. Her clothes were a contrast of green with her blonde hair.

“Who are you?” I say.

“I’m Twixie. You’ll meet me soon.”

[Manickett]₁ : A Crystal fixed on top of a staff for amplification or any other effect. Helps in performing magic spells.