The next morning…
Jonn sat outside a tavern and placed his order, quickly receiving a hot drink in a large mug. He tasted it, but it didn’t win him over.
He sipped it over the next few minutes, but his focus was on the estate across the square. From where he sat, Jonn could see the Riverash Family estate, a large walled building, which he estimated was two to three times the size of the current Eternal Village.
Guards patrolled the outskirts of the local noble family’s estate, while the workers and ordinary people of Littlewood made their way from one side of the area to the other.
The square had beautiful trees and grassy parts, with a small lake in its center, where young people often went on dates. Young children played on the grass throughout the day, and older people walked around, a relaxing activity for those who could. But in the early morning, the square was empty, watching as people hurried back and forth.
Jonn ignored the square like the many workers in Littlewood, keeping an eye on the building where he knew there were two mages.
How am I going to get the {Spells} from this family?
The evening had been very productive for Jonn. He spent his time manipulating the mana-sensitive item around his neck, going beyond just identifying the number of local mages. He now knew the positions of Littlewood’s seven mages and their average strength.
By comparing the mark his own aura left on the device with the others, Jonn was certain the local mages were between level 2 and level 3.
Should I try to approach this family and do business? The thought crossed his mind, but he dismissed it. No. I must keep my identity as a mage secret at all costs.
Mages are related to the destruction of Valorian. Any unaffiliated mage risks being persecuted by other mages interested in being the only ones with control over mana.
In the past, mages didn’t attack each other just because they were potential competitors. Doing so had the inherent danger of pitting everyone against everyone and escalating simple situations into complex problems. But after the Third Magic War, acting against unaffiliated mages had become commonplace.
Mages affiliated with pre-existing forces used the excuse that unaffiliated mages didn’t follow the rules and could cause chaos, as the tyrants behind the three wars had done.
Jonn knew this was nonsense to justify eliminating competition.
As he thought about the possibilities, he decided the risk was too great to go near the Riverash Family.
I only have the alternative to stealing…
He sighed, but he wouldn’t return to the village without a new {Spell}. It didn’t make him proud to think of stealing from others, but he urgently needed combat methods focused on using mana.
For now, I’ll keep watching. I still need to find out what happened between this family and Yeoman Ferry’s group. Yesterday, I heard some rumors that they clashed and there were even deaths on both sides of the confrontation.
Thinking of Yeoman Ferry, a curious look formed in Jonn’s eyes.
“Sir, here’s your food.” The tavern waitress, a young woman dressed simply but strikingly with her good looks, placed a plate of soup in front of Jonn.
She smiled at the young master she was serving, eager to catch the eye of the handsome, white-haired boy. Unfortunately, today wasn’t the day she would make a rich, well-positioned man fall in love with her and get her out of this life.
Jonn’s eyes were focused on nothing, on the square in front of the tavern, but he couldn’t actually see anything. A single thought blocked his senses, momentarily making him feel his blood flow faster through his body.
Maybe I can pit what’s left of these two groups against each other? If I facilitate an attack by the Riverash Family against Yeoman Ferry’s group, I might have an opening to break into the building on the other side of the square and get what I want.
Jonn felt no fear in facing mages of the same level or one level stronger than him. With such a slight difference in strength, he had no doubt that a surprise move could give the weaker and less numerous side an opening.
But beyond that, if what little he had heard was true, his thoughts might not be so difficult to realize.
As far as I can see, the Riverash Family only has these two mages in the building ahead. The other five local mages are related to local wealthy forces without noble titles. In particular, two of them must not be warriors. One of them seems to be some kind of healer and the other an alchemist.
Already knowing where the local mages could be found most of the time, Jonn correlated the places in question and imagined there was at least one healer and one alchemist in the city.
He knew little about magic, but he knew things like affinity and talent played important roles in the society of mages. In particular, there was a limit to how much one could learn and use {Spells}, something related to cultivation, affinity, and time.
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Jonn didn’t expect a healer or an alchemist to be a great warrior. They might know how to defend themselves, fight, and have their combat merits, but their skills would never match those focused on alchemy and healing.
He discarded the two mages he thought had no potential to become a problem for him and was left with five potential enemies.
Two of them are from the Riverash Family, while the other three seem to be independent but must actually be influenced by the local wealthy families. I’m almost certain some of them are associates of Yeoman Ferry.
These were basically conjectures without proof. But Jonn believed them to be true, or Yeoman Ferry wouldn’t be bold enough to stand against a noble family that had mages in its ranks.
The common folk of Littlewood might know nothing about the number of local mages, but someone like Yeoman Ferry couldn’t be that ignorant, Jonn concluded.
As for the last mage, he could be related to one of these groups in the local power struggle, be independent, or even be a traveler. I’ll watch the local rumors for today and later I’ll look into the situation of Yeoman Ferry’s group before I move.
He sipped his soup, ignoring the buzz of the tavern and the glances that some of the staff or customers threw in his direction from time to time.
Littlewood was a small town. It wasn’t difficult to spot travelers passing through the area, even more so in the case of such an unusual-looking young man.
+1 progress point on the [Magic Farm] quest!
[Quests] [Progress] [Magic Farm] 17/41
Jonn ignored the bland taste of the watery soup, sensing another attribute point at his disposal.
After allocating his point to [Intelligence], he finished the soup, paid for his morning meal, and set off.
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As day turned to evening, Jonn left Littlewood, heading towards the area where Yeoman Ferry’s family supposedly resided.
The investigation had been fruitful. With his heightened senses, Jonn overheard local conversations more easily than the men he’d sent into town earlier. He spotted opportunities Asher missed, leveraging his advantages to gather information.
A town with Littlewood’s social disparities offered one advantage: the destitute were willing to talk for meager compensation.
Today’s experience allowed Jonn to achieve his goals while illuminating potential pitfalls. Making inhabitants miserable could effectively turn them against the city’s interests, he realized.
Beyond this learning opportunity, Jonn gained clarity on the conflict between Yeoman Ferry and Count Javis.
The two factions had clashed twice in the past 20 days.
The first, more widely known incident coincided with Asher’s group’s return to the village. In this confrontation, which unfolded before the Riverash Family headquarters, Yeoman Ferry faced off against the Count. Several guardsmen on both sides sustained injuries, but an outside group’s intervention prevented fatalities.
The outside group nearly executed Yeoman Ferry that day, Jonn mused. As he’d suspected, other mages in the city, allied with their enemy, came to Ferry’s rescue. They didn’t engage in combat, but averted the worst outcome.
Most townspeople remained unaware of the mages’ involvement. However, Jonn connected eyewitness descriptions of Ferry’s saviors with the mages he’d observed, concluding they were the same individuals.
Following his near-downfall, Yeoman Ferry defied expectations. Once the intervening group departed, he launched a counterattack. This time, both sides suffered casualties, particularly the Count’s family, ambushed one night.
No concrete evidence linked Yeoman Ferry to the attack. It’s highly unlikely another group would target the Riverash Family under these circumstances, Jonn reasoned. Quite a coincidence, if so.
Jonn, unconcerned with justice, focused on facts. Warriors from both factions had fallen and been buried the day after the attack. Now, both groups had reduced numbers compared to three weeks ago—favorable news for the Eternal Village.
After navigating the forest for several minutes, Jonn encountered Ice. His white wolf had chosen a hiding spot near Yeoman Ferry’s family territory. Jonn allowed the animal to accompany him, interpreting its barks as warnings of potential dangers.
En route to the Yeoman Ferry estate, Jonn evaded traps. He used the trees and terrain to his advantage, concealing his movements in the dark, chilly night.
As the first light appeared in the distance, Jonn signaled Ice to increase caution. He heightened his own vigilance until he clearly discerned the large estate surrounded by Yeoman Ferry’s guards.
One of the city’s mages is here, he noted. This man must have arrived during my observation of the Riverash Family guards.
Jonn narrowed his eyes, spotting the supposed Acolyte—as the guards called local mages—seated before the main door of the Yeoman Ferry estate.
Torches illuminated the building’s perimeter, with armed men positioned every 30 meters. Small guardhouses dotted the area’s edge, housing additional watchmen.
There must be over 20 guards here, besides that mage. Why aren’t more mages present? I thought three intervened in the previous incident.
Jonn filed this curiosity away, adding to his growing mental repository of local knowledge.
I’ll observe the mages closely tomorrow. Depending on my findings, I’ll act the following night to pit one family against the other.
From his perch in a forest tree, he looked down at his white wolf, a smile playing on his lips.
Ice might be useful here, Jonn mused. With these families already on edge, it wouldn’t take much to ignite a decisive battle, depleting their final manpower. Perhaps I should attack the Riverash Family and lure their two mages here?