JENNIE LED HIM to her office in the Guardians headquarters, which is decorated rather simply, as he had anticipated. The mood had gone softer, and they both were now ready to exchange words with each other.
“So,” Jennie started, “What is that all about?”
She is referring to the mana crystal he had shown, so he let out the mana crystal once more to give her a clearer view.
“Fascinating,” marveled Jennie. “This mana… it’s different. It’s not yours?”
“Yes. How’d you know?”
“Just a hunch. Let me have a look,” she said as she took the mana crystal from Kraye. “I know when a person experiences Magical Ascension, their mana will feel different. But it will still leave behind familiar characteristics. This mana isn’t as active as yours. It’s rather faint – yet calm and slightly… menacing.”
She swiped her fingers to the right on the surface of the mana crystal and found the perfect pentagon shape. She was rather pleased with it, and so she asked, “Who is this ‘person’ do you want to talk about?”
“M-my—uh…” Kraye hesitated. “Promise me you won’t be surprised.”
“Showing me this already past blowing my mind. I’m sure I will be surprised no more than this.”
“I want to talk about my student.”
“Oh…” Jennie sighed in a revolting tone. “So? Who is this ‘student’ of yours?”
Even though Jennie assured Kraye that she wouldn’t be startled any more than she already was, Kraye felt nervous about what he would say. He thought about words to make what he was about to say is… reasonable. But what kind of words to explain to her that his student is an orc? He could not do anything other than prepare for her reaction.
“His name is Gronn’gar,” he said bluntly, scratching his head while avoiding eye contact. “And he’s an orc.”
“A what?!” She said, perplexed.
When Kraye heard Jennie’s response, he started to titter and cringe. His body had been tense until then, but he gradually felt relieved because he had already said what he had said.
She stared at him, not because she harbored a flaming anger, but in pure confusion. Then she started asking.
“Did you mean this comes from an orc?”
“Y-yeah. I also couldn’t believe this was his mana since I couldn’t sense any mana coming from him.”
“The longer I live, the stranger it could get. This might be the first time this has ever happened. Where did you keep him?”
“In my house at Galewood.”
“Good. I’ll head there tomorrow. Don’t talk about this to anyone without my consent.”
“That was my intention from the start. I could only talk about this kind of thing to you.”
Kraye returned home and still saw Gronn’gar practicing his swordsmanship. Looking from afar, he noticed something different about him. His aura started to become visible and palpable now that he had roused his mana, but not what he had expected. Gronn’gar’s mana is not comparable to or even half that of an Omega-level person. He approached him, and like usual, Gronn’gar greeted him.
“Good afternoon, Kraye. How was it? Did you meet your mentor?”
“Yeah,” Kraye answered wearily. “Didn’t I tell you to get some rest?”
“Oh, yeah… it’s just I’m too excited that I can do magic.”
“You should’ve listened to me.”
“Sorry…”
“No—I didn’t mean to scold you. Tomorrow’s a big day for you – it might be. If you have that much energy, you should be fine.”
“What did you mean by that?” Gronn’gar wondered.
“Surprises aren’t meant to be told. You’ll find out tomorrow.”
Gronn’gar was left with many questions running through his head. What did he mean by that? What will happen tomorrow? He could only find out if he stopped for the day and got some rest.
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The next day arrived, and the weather was perfect for daily activities. An azure sky dotted with whispers of white clouds as if someone gently painted it with a serene brush. The sun rose steadily, radiating a comforting warmth that filled all corners of Galewood, including Kraye’s cozy little home. Gronn’gar woke up energized, excited for the unknown day ahead. His mind buzzed with numerous possibilities, yet he could not pinpoint what awaited him.
Kraye, who was unusually already up and about, busied himself with preparations. Knowing that his mentor would be arriving soon, he could not help but feel alarmed and erratic. Moreover, he was anticipating what she would do.
As the sun rose far above, the clatter of hooves against cobblestone heralded the arrival of someone. A woman with long silver hair, tied in a ponytail hairstyle, dismounted her horse. She walked toward Kraye’s residence, her hair shimmering as the sunlight kissed her head and sparked her appearance. She wore a finely crafted bodice of soft gray, embroidered with delicate silver threads that twined like vines across the fabric. The bodice hugged her form, accentuating her graceful figure, and yet she glowed with a celestial radiance that perfectly captivated the allure of moonlit beauty.
Looking from afar, Kraye knew that it was none other than his mentor. He was prepared to welcome her back after he hadn’t trained with her for a long time. Then he approached her with formality.
“Master, nice weather isn’t—”
“I’m not here to see you,” she grabbed Kraye’s mouth with her palm, not letting him finish. “Where’s your orc student?”
“He’s in the backyard,” Kraye mumbled, his words were unclear from being grabbed.
She let go of her hand and proceeded to walk towards Kraye’s house. “I won’t be here for long since I have other business.”
Can she be a little gentle for once? Kraye grumbled to himself while rubbing his sore cheeks.
“Hmm,” Jennie expressed, looking puzzled as she opened the front door. “Your house is unusually tidy.”
“I cleaned this morning since you said you would come.”
“Sure.”
Meanwhile, in the backyard, Gronn’gar was doing his daily routine. Warming up his body and muscles to prepare for today’s training. He’s so excited today that he couldn’t keep his feet still. The thought of him being capable of using magic is still attached to his head. While at it, he could hear Kraye’s and unfamiliar voices inside the house. He could not hear clearly what they were talking about, but he could assume Kraye was talking to a voice that sounded feminine in his ears.
A woman’s voice? He thought as he heard a high-pitched yet stern and melodic voice.
He could hear the sound of footsteps pounding on the wooden floor in the house getting closer to him, and also heard them muttering as if they were arguing; then the doorknob turned to the left, opening the door to the back of the house, which led to the backyard.
As Jennie emerged from the shadow of the doorframe, the morning light bathed her in an ethereal glow, casting her presence as both formidable and graceful. Gronn’gar thoughts of magic were momentarily eclipsed by the striking figure before him.
Another elf? Gronn’gar thought, his gaze settling at the elf woman. Her features reminded him of a cat, with her almond-shaped eyes and delicate nose. Though far from his orcish standards of beauty, there was something oddly endearing about her feline-like countenance, in the way one might find a small creature charming.
“Who is this goblin?” Jennie asked confusingly to Kraye. “You said it’s an orc.”
“He is an orc,” Kraye answered. “Look closely.”
She stepped closer, leaned down, and brought her face closer to Gronn’gar’s face.
“Indeed, he did have tusks and short pointy ears, unlike a goblin. How is this possible?”
Gronn’gar felt slightly nervous but gathered the courage to introduce himself to the elf woman.
“Hello. My name is Gronn’gar from Karrec Village. I’m the sole survivor from when my village was destroyed, and Kraye was the one who saved me.”
All of a sudden, Jennie burst out laughing and couldn’t contain herself from what she had just found.
“Interesting!” she said excitedly. “I’ve never met an orc this polite.”
“Right?” Kraye chimed in.
Gronn’gar just remained awkwardly silent, reacting to her statement.
“Hey kid, show me what you got.”
“What do you—”
Jennie flashed to Gronn’gar, attacking him with a hit that created an air cannon from her fist, but fortunately, he was quick to react and successfully dodge the attack using a technique he learned from Kraye. The technique involves leaving an afterimage and tricking the attacker into believing they have successfully hit them.
Waning Step? She said in her mind. He used it way more effectively than Kraye. Moreover, he’s quite quick to react to my attack that not even Kraye could react. Impressive.
“Wh-what was that for?!” Gronn’gar exclaimed.
“Are you deaf? I said show me what you got.”
Gronn’gar looked at Kraye and saw him shrug his shoulders, indicating that he should do as she said. He started to get into a battle stance and planned a move.
“That’s more like it,” Jennie stated.
She jumped forward to Gronn’gar again as she had before, and Gronn’gar had already anticipated that she would make the same move. He twisted aside, dodging her attack once more, but strangely, he found her fist in front of his face. He reacted in time and quickly ducked, using his small size to dodge her fist before it hit him. Backflipping for a distance after the attack, it had his thoughts whirled.
Why was she in front of me? He wondered. “I swore I dodged…! Did she… use the same technique as me?
Distracted by his confusion, a looming shadow descended. He snapped his gaze upward just in time to see her airborne, ready to strike. She landed a kick that was more impactful than her fist, and it made the ground shake and left a nudge on the ground. Luckily, Gronn’gar wasn’t fully caught in it. He barely managed to dodge the attack. It grazed his shoulder, and getting a minor injury from it.
Her kick exploded on impact, creating a dust screen that blinded Gronn’gar. Already reeling, he struggled to detect her. He tried to predict her attack, but it was useless. Jennie moved with blinding speed, her next strike slamming into his gut.
This feeling…! Jennie thought as her fist landed.
Observing the fight, as Jennie’s fist landed, Kraye noticed a familiar feeling when he gave Gronn’gar the mana crystal. The ominous aura emanated, coming from Gronn’gar for only a moment.
The force from her fist hurled Gronn’gar back, slamming him into a tree with a bone-jarring impact.
Gronn’gar struggled to breathe from the pain of her blow. She walked toward him and stood right in front of him, then squatted down with a stoic look. She reached her hand to Gronn’gar’s shoulder and cast a spell on him, “Light Magic: Calidum Tactus.”
He recognized the spell she cast because it felt familiar. His wound was healing rapidly, and soon, he could stand up on his feet.
“Not bad,” she said, “For a brat like you. You surprised me.”
“Uhh… Thanks—I guess?” Gronn’gar answered, not knowing what to say to a person who nearly killed him.
“From now on, you’ll be training with me starting tomorrow. For now, I have important business to attend.”
“O-okay…”
She walked away and pulled Kraye with her, but she stopped midway and said, “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.” She turned back and faced herself to Gronn’gar.
“The name’s Jennie. But you’ll call me Master from now on. Got it?”
“Y-yes, ma’am—I mean, Master!” Gronn’gar saluted at her instinctually.
Jennie? he thought. She must be Kraye’s so-called mentor. She’s insanely powerful and scary despite her cat-like appearance. I couldn’t even get a chance to strike back at her.
She then proceeded to walk away, pulling Kraye with her back to the house while he let it happen.
Back at the house, they discussed her and Gronn’gar’s sparring match.
“So,” Jennie started. “Did you notice the mana change in him?”
“I did. When your punch landed on him, the same thing happened when I gave him the mana crystal. That unusual ugly—yet massive aura emerges.”
“It somehow reminded me of the heinous feeling coming from a demon – a strong one precisely. But he doesn’t seem to be aware of his own power.”
“Does it have to do with his kind use to be connected to the demons?”
“It might be, or it might not. I couldn’t really tell. Normally, it would make more sense if he were using dark magic, but that wasn’t the case. For as long as I have lived, this is the first time it ever happened, like I said yesterday.”
She took a step to peek at Gronn’gar at the window curtain, resuming his training. “What can we do for now is to keep our eyes on him.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“What are your intentions?” Kraye asked.
“I’m not sure if this will be the right decision, but I wanna see how he will turn out in the end, and making him a member of the Guardians might be the best way to monitor him.”
“Making him a Guardian?!” Kraye choked out. “Is that even allowed?!”
She turned towards Kraye. “The Guardians were formed two years before the fall of the demon king, and there are lesser races amongst the few out of hundreds of Guardians. I should not have said this to you, but since you are one of the high-ranking officers of Luminaris and my former apprentice, I’ll make an exception.”
“I see… But I have questions regarding the lesser races being Guardians.”
“Go on. I’ll fill you in.”
“What is—what is the purpose of having them as Guardians? Why would they want to protect us – humans and elves? Aren’t we the ones who made their life suffer?”
“We never did make their life suffer, and I’m talking about before the demon king reigned over them. History tells us that we were too late to make allies with them, and the only ones who remained untouched by the demons were the humans, barely. So, we—the elves weren’t shy about taking a swift step to embrace them before the demons did. And about our war with the demon king and the fact that he used the lesser races as his pawns… is unavoidable.”
“How come I’ve never come across them before?”
“Who?”
“Any lesser race Guardians.”
“Oh, they’re not usually tasked with missions that involve humans or elves as their physical appearance might give away their identity, and they don’t even wear masks like all Guardians do. But they do keep a Guardian mask and wear it when they are at the Headquarters.”
“Makes sense…”
She walked towards a chair and then sat down cross-legged. “And to answer your second question, their objective is to whitelist the residents of lesser races and determine whether they’re dangerous or not. Gronn’gar’s village name was Karrec Village, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. he said so.”
“I saw the documents of Karrec Village, and it was a whitelisted resident of orcs. I guess since they lived not quite far from Luminaris, they are considered passive and harmless.”
“That explains he wasn’t aggressive, unlike other orcs we encounter.”
“I wouldn’t say he and his tribe were the same. His village folks might’ve been the same as every orc. They’re scared when they see someone different from them and, moreover, oppressed. It builds their instinct to defend themselves. The same logic could be applied to humans and the rest, except for us. But this little orc brat…” She glanced again at Gronn’gar from the window, “Somehow, I couldn’t see any similar traits.”
Kraye just listened while rolling his eyes and met the clock. He remembered Jennie said that she wouldn’t be there for long. “Anyways, didn’t you say you have business to attend to?”
“Ah, I forgot,” she said, slamming her palm. “I need to be at my post today. I’ll visit every now and then to train him. I’ll take my leave.”
She exited through the front door and left. It got Kraye to wonder what the future might hold for Gronn’gar. The proposition to make Gronn’gar a Guardian and train him herself might also be an indication not just to monitor him but to ensure he’s an ally, not a potential threat. Since Kraye knew her so well, he had no doubt whatsoever, and all he could do right now was trust her.
Back at the Guardians’ Headquarters, the mission that Kraye and his team previously failed is a matter that has not yet finished and is up for further discussion. Jennie had to attend the meeting with Guardians’ council members to discuss this matter, seek hints, and devise a solution. The situation has escalated, and the individual responsible for everything has been labeled a dangerous threat as he destroyed a total of 24 villages from various races and 1 Kobold Kingdom from Havra to the Old Gate Region in a span of a week, as reported.
Jennie proposed dispatching a fair number of guardians to guard the potential villages since she knew Guardians like to operate solo missions, similar to her kind. Because the suspect also uses a mask resembling a Guardian mask, deploying three or four Guardians at once may stop the danger from being wary of other possible Guardian members since they can tell them apart. The report also described how the suspect could take down two high-ranked elves instantly; sending multiple Guardians at once could be the best answer to increase the chance of survival.
She also asked the ambassador of the Magna Kingdom to put their territory on alert and pleaded for assistance, mentioning Liechtolt the Grand Magus, in particular, to strengthen the magic barrier in every upper-ranked zone and prevent further destruction in the Old Gate Region.
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A month later, not much has happened right after the events of the monster outbreak and village destruction. The culprit behind the attack still has not been identified, and there was no sign of further activity from that individual. However, there is a new report that an orc kingdom located in the Old Gate region, where a remnant of the Demon King’s army is said to reside, attacked a unified lesser race kingdom. An orc kingdom named Arshtal Kingdom, led by Gremonita, who is the most powerful demon under the late Demon King, is looking to expand its territory. Gremonita’s motives are unclear, given that she was known for her loyalty to the Demon King and had previously refused to take the throne even after his death. Her sudden actions now raise questions about why she has decided to make a move at this time. While the monster attack and village destruction suspect remain at large, Gremonita’s warmongering introduces a new threat to the region, forcing every neighboring country into a full defensive state.
Meanwhile, at Kraye’s residence in Galewood. Sweat-soaked and panting for breath, Gronn’gar is being pushed to his limits. Jennie’s training method is grueling and more intense than Kraye’s. Training with her was like compressing weeks of effort into a single afternoon.
During the past month of his training, Gronn’gar wondered if he would ever actually learn about magic since she previously said that current training involves magic. But most of her training was about building his physical strength. The methods were similar when he trained with Kraye. The only difference was he felt like he was closer to death with Jennie because she never once cast any healing spell.
He never doubted Jennie’s training method because the result of her training, in just a month, immensely increased his strength to the point that he could compare it with his past self, that he was nothing like now. But he was wondering if he was ever able to finally cast a real magic spell.
As the sun began to set, Jennie called an end to their training session for the day. Gronn’gar collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath.
Jennie approached him and extended a hand to help him up. “Well done today. Same time tomorrow.”
She walked away after helping him up, but Gronn’gar called her. “Wait! Master!”
“What is it?”
“Uhm… I was wondering if I get to learn magic?” Gronn’gar asked hesitantly.
“You are learning about it. Didn’t I tell you?”
“But it’s not what I think it is! I’m talking about casting a spell like Kraye. He would say, ‘Enhancement Magic: Velox Motus’ or something like that!”
“Oh, that!” Jennie remembered. “You mean simplified magic?”
“Huh?” Gronn’gar reacted confusedly. “Simplified magic?”
“What? Did Kraye never tell you about the difference between modern and classic magic?”
Gronn’gar shook his head. “I don’t even know what those are.”
“All right then, I’ll explain. Right now, we live in an era where magic spells do not require invocation.”
All of a sudden, Jennie charged her mana and chanted a spell. “Lightning Magic: Fulmen!” She formed a yellow magic circle and unleashed a lightning bolt out of her palm, striking a nearby boulder.
Gronn’gar was shocked in awe because it was the first time he had seen elemental magic head-on. He had only seen it in his dreams, and since it was a nightmare, he didn’t want to remember it.
“That,” Jennie continued, “was an example of a modern magic spell—or a simplified spell. You only need to say the name, but you must utilize your mana to a minimum threshold to activate the spell.”
“Utilizing our mana?” Gronn’gar puzzled.
“Let me show you an example of a classic magic spell.”
Jennie stretched her right arm forward and began to say an unfamiliar word to Gronn’gar’s ears. “Tempestas superna, adtende meam vocem!” As she chanted the spell, her incantation stirred the air around her, and her voice resonated with each syllable as her mana pulsed into her open palm. “Furorem procellae mihi concede! Astra fulgoris, kael nimira!” A yellow magic circle appeared again in her palm like before, yet it felt different from her previous spell.
“Fulmen!” A lightning bolt emerged from the magic circle, once again striking the same boulder she aimed at. Strangely, the spell was more substantial than the modern spell she had cast before.
Gronn’gar was startled by the strength of the spell. That shook me… he thought. But the mana she uses isn’t the same… for a reason. I could not feel her mana until she released the spell. Why is that?
“So? Did you notice the difference?” she asked.
“The mana usage felt different… How is that possible?”
“In modern magic, spells require careful mana manipulation. It requires you to build up your mana and then apply the amassed mana to activate the spell, but if you’re used to it, you can cast a spell almost instantly. Classic magic, however, allows the caster to bypass the effort of building mana by invoking an ancient magic language to summon the spell, but chanting it takes time.”
“Casting magic without building mana seems… bizarre,” Gronn’gar said, referring to classic magic.
“It is a language from the god of magic. It’s like offering a prayer; in return, we’re granted the power to weave their magic. Our words become wishes, and the god of magic grants them through the power we wield. Hence, you can’t sense the mana build-up like modern magic.”
“I see… bypassing mana build-up might be very useful.”
“Correct. But classic magic has more disadvantages rather than advantages.”
“How?”
“How?” Jennie sighed, disappointed by Gronn’gar’s ignorance. “How about I show you instead? Be ready.”
Jennie rushed towards Gronn’gar and launched an attack. He could block her strike since he was used to it, but the force from her punch pushed him backward, and he lost track of where she went. He quickly scanned the area for any sign of her until he heard a familiar voice chanting an ancient language behind him. Reacting quickly, he took cover behind a sturdy tree, knowing it would shield him from any incoming attacks. A lightning bolt strikes and collapses the tree, protecting Gronn’gar from getting a direct hit.
When the tree collapsed, Jennie reappeared in front of him. “So,” Jennie said. “Do you understand now?”
“Yes, ma’am. Without a doubt.” Gronn’gar replied. Undoubtedly, if she were to use simplified magic, she could’ve instantly cast the spell and zapped me while I was off guard. I still might’ve sensed where her mana came from, but it still would not give me the time to make a careful decision.
“There are two ways of learning magic spells,” she said. “The most common way is from a spell book, usually called a grimoire. But to read a grimoire, you must learn how to read the ancient language, Arcania, to be able to decode the ancient scripts. Another way is to learn from an adept magic user, a mage. But not all mages have the knowledge of every spell in the world, so eventually, you must learn Arcania by yourself if you strive to learn spells. Now, since I know you can use all sorts of elements, which one crosses your mind?”
Gronn’gar thought about the nightmare, and the explosion of magic released by the mysterious figure in his dream was the first thing that came to mind. And so, he answered, “Fire.”
“Fire, huh?” she replied. “Fire isn’t my forte, but it is my second element under my primary element, lightning. Now repeat after me.”
She took a stance and began invoking a series of Arcania. “Ab inferno ascende, scintilla infernalis ardeat hostem meum!” An amber-red magic circle formed within her palm as she aimed at the sky and chanted the last word to activate the spell. “Ignis!” A fireball launched into the sky, travelling at high speed, and eventually, the fireball evaporated.
A familiar name rang into his mind. Ignis? he spoke in his mind. That was the spell that Kraye mentioned. Calamistris… the spell that causes a simultaneous swarm of Ignis.
“That was a basic fire spell called ‘Ignis.’ Now you try it.”
Mirroring Jennie, Gronn’gar took the same stance, and he stretched his right arm to the sky. ““Ab inferno ascende, scintilla infernalis ardeat hostem meum!” The same amber-red magic circle formed within his palm. There it is! He said in his mind, and he chanted the spell activation word. “Ignis!” The same fireball Jennie had cast before launched from his palm.
“Well done,” she said. “What do you feel after casting the spell?”
“It’s… I feel a warm sensation from casting it, but it is hard to describe. It is as if it burns away my negative thoughts.”
“Keep that sensation in your head. It happens because magic relates to our emotions, responding to our state of mind. Now, I want you to try casting the spell without invoking Arcania.”
Gronn’gar channeled his mana throughout his body and stretched his arm forward.
“You did pay attention,” Jennie said, impressed. “I guess you’re not that empty in that tiny head of yours.”
A smile spread across his face as he heard what seemed to be praise from Jennie. Then he chanted the spell, “Fire Magic: Ignis!” A huge fireball launched into the sky, and it was rather faster and more powerful than the one he had cast before.
Jennie grinned as she had just witnessed a potent magic spell coming from her disciple. Glancing at his back, she noticed a resemblance to someone she used to work with—the deceased hero in his own right.
Ar…torius? she thought, perplexed.
In the meantime, Gronn’gar is thrilled to perform a magic spell and learn how to utilize magic properly for the first time. He approached Jennie and began thanking her.
“Master,” he said. “Thank you so much for your guidance!”
She laughed hysterically. “You’re an odd one. I’m starting to like you even more than Kraye. Great! From now on, I will teach you more magic spells.”
“Yes, ma’am! I would love to!” Gronn’gar said, saluted to her.
“Good. Same time again tomorrow.”
She left Kraye’s residence, preparing to return to the Guardians’ HQ. On the way, she thought about feeling the presence of the late hero in Gronn’gar’s.
Astride her steed, Jennie's mind raced as she journeyed back to the Guardians’ headquarters. The rhythmic clop of hooves provided a backdrop to her swirling thoughts.
At first, she mused, I doubted him. The mana crystal from Kraye seemed unbelievable. But now... there’s no question. He possesses Omega-level mana. Her brow furrowed as a perplexing question arose. Yet... how is it possible I can't sense his immense power?
The horse snorted, as if sharing her confusion. Jennie’s gaze absently swept over the passing landscape as she continued.
From the masked man to an orc with Omega-level mana... and now Gremonita is making her move. She shook her head slightly. The world grows stranger by the day. What could possibly come next?
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Jennie arrived at the front door of the HQ and was greeted by the receptionist as usual, but it did not seem quite right. The receptionist was pouting and seemed to be in a bad mood.
“What’s wrong, Tina?” Jennie asked the receptionist.
“It’s Mr. Raegel again…” Tina sighed. “He didn’t finish a report and ate half of our food supplies…”
A wrathful face is written on Jennie’s face. “That brat! I felt a bit of sympathy since he took responsibility for his failed mission and got suspended, so I gave him a job as my assistant. And now this is how he behaves?!” raged Jennie as she emitted a massive mana. “Where is he?!”
“Miss Jennie! Please don’t wreck the building anymore! We really are low on budget!” Tina said as she tried to calm Jennie down.
“Ah… my bad. But where is he right now?” she asked, her eyes fueled with fire.
“He’s at the canteen.”
She walked to the canteen and found him chatting with the chef at the dining table.
“Old man,” Kraye said, “this is delicious! As always, human food has the best taste!”
The chef laughs in joy, hearing Kraye’s compliment. “Hahaha! Serving an elf is always a pleasure since they always liked my food. Go on! Eat as much as you want.”
“Hey!” Jennie yelled, her voice echoing the entire canteen. She walked grumpily towards them, causing a minor tremor reverberating through the ground. Kraye had chills running through his spine when he was spotted by none other than Jennie. “What are you two chitter-chattering about?! Kraye! Why didn’t you finish the report for today?! And Gordon! Why are you feeding this slob?!”
“Oh, Jennie,” The chef said, “welcome back, are you hungry? Let me serve you somethi—”
“Zip it, Gordon! Stop giving him food! You’re always unaware of our food supplies, you old fart!”
“Huuuh?!” Gordon whimpered. Why do you always have to be so harsh? Sheesh… despite your pretty face, you act like a Gorilla. Besides, you’re older than me, so stop calling me an old fart!”
“I said shut up!” She yelled once more. “I say what I want to say! Just stop giving this glutton more food!”
“Why? He promised to gather the ingredients back. He’s a ranger, right? So, he must be an expert in botany and ecology.”
Jennie scoffed at Kraye. “Really?”
With a mouth full of food, Kraye nodded.
“Sure, whatever,” She sighed. “Just come with me, Kraye.”
Gulping down his food, Kraye answered, “Yes, ma’am.”
“And Gordon, bring me whatever Kraye ate to my office. I’m kinda hungry…”
“What’s that?” Gordon said, teasing Jennie. “You’re hungry after all, hahaha! Then let me here you apologize first for calling me an old fart.”
“What?!” She said, annoyed. She seemed reluctant to apologize to Gordon, but she did what she had to do since she was starving. “I-I’m sorry… could you please feed me?”
Gordon hysterically laughed at her. “It’s always a pleasure to see another side of you. Why don’t you act this way more often? It’s very charming.”
Jennie pouted at him. “Shut up, will you? Now, if you excuse me, I have unfinished business.” She left the canteen, dragging Kraye by his clothes with her.
Gordon shook his head, chuckling to himself as he watched Jennie march off with Kraye in tow. “At least she seemed to be in a high spirit like usual.” He spoke to himself.
Meanwhile, Jennie hauled Kraye into her office, which was cluttered with various documents and books. She told him to sit in the chair in front of her desk, and with a wave of her hand, she cleared a spot on her desk for her to sit.
“Listen closely,” Jennie began, her voice is steady but stern. “What do you think this job is? My hands are full right now from following all this chaos that occurred, and moreover, I still have to monitor your beloved orc.”
Feeling remorseful, Kraye went and apologized. “S-sorry… It’s just that I can’t help it since I haven’t eaten delicious food. I can’t make food as good as humans, especially that old chef’s food.”
“Well… I couldn’t argue that his food is delightful, but you have responsibilities here, so I need you to keep up with it.”
“O-okay…” Kraye said with a low voice.
“Well, if you feel guilty about it, I won’t have any more complaints. Anyway, let’s talk about Gronn’gar’s progress.”
“Oh—yeah, why were you so late this time? Did something happen during training?”
“He asked me to teach him magic spells—simplified spells precisely, and he did something beyond my expectations.”
With certainty, Kraye’s expression is filled with curiosity. “Really? What did you teach him?”
“I asked him which element of the five crossed his mind. Then he answered Fire. Do you know why he chose Fire as his element?”
The day when Gronn’gar told Kraye about his nightmare came to light. He remembered a person appearing in Gronn’gar’s nightmare, casting Calamistris, destroying his village, and incinerating his people.
“He had a nightmare before,” Kraye replied. “A mysterious person said to be casting a crimson-colored magic circle, destroying his village and killing them in the process while he couldn’t move at all in his dream. That must be the first thing that came to his mind. Hence, he chose Fire as his element.”
“I see. Another thing is that when I teach him the simplified version of Ignis, it is as if I somehow felt Artorius’ presence.”
Kraye frowned after hearing that. It might be the most bizarre thing that came to his ear. “You mean—the hero, Artorius? What do you mean by that?”
“I can’t explain it. I found it strange myself.” She said while wearing a look of dejection. “Discovering an orc with an Omega-level mana is already uncommon, and now feeling the hero’s presence in him?”
“Or maaaybe, you just feel nostalgic when you train him?” Kraye said, trying to lighten the mood.
She hopped off the desk and walked towards the window. “Might have.”
Staring blankly at the window, her Eyes fixed on the blazing sunset, her mind raced, contemplating the unpredictable twists of fate that lay ahead.