Chapter 5

Name: Tsarina

Adventurer - level 8

HP: 685/685

Name: Alura

Adventurer - level 5

HP: 365/365

Name: Chris

Adventurer - level 5

HP: 365/365

Name: Rin

Adventurer - level 6

HP: 455/455

After parting ways with Zelik’s group we came under Leon’s guidance and the theme of the day was power leveling. We skipped fighting slimes and went right to tackling wolves’ dens. I was apprehensive to the idea, as it seemed risky given our inexperience in combat, but Leon insisted we trust him.

In the end, the results spoke for themselves. Our entire party managed to make it above level 5, and we had dozens of wolve’s tails we could sell in town. However, we were wounded many times, relying heavily on our surplus of heal berries to survive the encounters.

As we made our way back to the city, Leon’s voice carried easily through the air, sharing tales of his past exploits. His charm was undeniable, drawing everybody in. I, however, found myself lost in thought, reflecting on the day’s events and the apprehensions that seemed to gnaw at me. I could not help but question Leon’s methods. His smooth smiles and excitement between battles, treating it all as a game as he urged us forward, while to me, it felt like we were fighting for our lives.

My silent contemplation was interrupted when Alura, her voice soft and timid, asked, “How are you doing, Tsarina?”

Her concern brought me back to the present. “I was just thinking about how we should proceed as a party.”

“Goblins tomorrow,” Leon interjected, pointing a single finger my way and smiling. “They are more intelligent than wolves, harder to exploit, but I think you can handle it. Trust me, I’ll have you all working as a top-tier party in no time!”

Despite his reassuring words, I still had concerns to address. “Leon, I appreciate your guidance, but I can't help but feel that the risks we took today were... unnecessary. Is power leveling always going to be this dangerous?”

“Dangerous?” He chuckled. “Na, I was there the whole time. If things got bad, I could have stepped in. You’d miss out on some experience points, but it's a no-lose situation as long as I’m with you.”

“We are not experienced in this form of combat,” I continued, his soft dismissal urking me. “I see no need to rush things. We should build a strong foundation before taking on high-level monsters.”

Before Leon could respond, Rin stepped in. “Leon’s been nothing but helpful to us, Tsarina.” I was surprised by her sudden interjection. She was normally quiet, only offering nods or shrugs. “If fighting is our purpose in this world, then we should focus on becoming strong.”

I drew an easy contrast between her and Alura. Alura’s timid nature led to a quiet side, but Rin had a more predatory silence; the way a cat quietly observes, then moves efficiently when deciding to act.

Chris cleared his throat. “You know, I think I agree with Tsarina. That was intense. Maybe we should slow it down a little.”

Rin’s gaze turned to Chris, her voice calm yet unyielding. “Those risks mean faster growth.”

Chris shifted uncomfortably, touching the spot where a wolf's bite had landed earlier that day. “Well, yeah... I'm not saying we don't take risks. I just think there might be some middle ground here.”

Leon let out a slow breath. “Look, I get it,” he started, hands up in a placating gesture. “I've been pushing you all hard. I've seen a lot of groups come through here, and most don't last long. But I can see that's not you. Your group is different. Stronger.” His charming smile then met Rin. “Especially you, Rin.”

Her cheeks tinged a subtle pink at his comment, her eyes widening with a spark. It was not just admiration, but a hint of attraction.

A reassuring smile played Leon’s lips as he turned his attention back to me. “I'll tone it down a bit, alright? We'll go at your pace, Tsarina. I’m only here to guide you guys, so I’ll make sure you’re comfortable.”

I delayed in finding a response, which is a moment Rin seized as she answered for me. “Thank you for everything, Leon. We‘ll do our best to keep up.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he winked, then addressed the rest of us. “Hey, why don’t we all head back to the guild hall for some drinks to shake it off? Getting your entire party above level 5 on day one is a huge accomplishment. So, we should celebrate!”

Chris stretched his arms overhead and yawned. “Sounds good to me! I could use a few drinks after today.”

Perhaps I had a suspicious nature, but my mind pieced together Leon's behavior. He was charming, no doubt about it, but there was an edge to his charm. Like he shaped his words to yield a desired result.

Alura turned to me, sensing my hesitation. “What do you think?”

“Actually, I was thinking we should sell our loot first before calling it a day,” I suggested. “That way, we’ll have one less preparation to make in the morning.”

Rin's lips parted as if to voice a complaint, but her eyes flicked away, averting my gaze. It was a brief moment, but I felt she was at odds with me, though I did not understand why.

“Yeah, go ahead and sell your loot,” Leon agreed. “You still got those Leviathan horns. By the way, here’s a great first purchase for newbies,” he tapped the bag tied to his belt. “Check this out.” He reached deep into the bag, submerging his hand, forearm, and then his elbow.

Alura tilted to see from a better angle, as if trying to catch the secret to a magic trick.

As he pulled his arm out, he revealed a spear far too large to have possibly fit into the bag or been concealed. “This is called a deep-satchel, and nothing's better for lightening your load. It isn't endless, but you can fit a LOT inside of it.” He pushed the spear back inside.

Alura gasped, thoroughly impressed by his demonstration. “Is that magic?”

Leon chuckled. “Technically yeah, but if that impresses you, then just wait until you keep learning about this world.”

“How much do they cost?” I inquired.

“A cheap one, twenty-five silver. Mine is one of the better ones, and it cost me ten gold. I'm a bit of a hoarder, though. Can't bear to let anything go,” he shrugged. “A mid-tier satchel will be as much as you'll ever need and costs around three gold.”

“And how does silver translate to gold?”

“A hundred copper is a silver, a hundred silver is a gold.”

“I see.”

Rin chimed in, “So for each of us to get a satchel, it will require a gold coin?”’

I considered it. “Would you not recommend better swords or armor first?”

“Definitely get at least one bag,” said Leon. “You guys are doing better than most newbies, so you can afford both. I'd recommend some extra heal berries as well, unless one of you wants to become a white mage.”

“I see…” I said, mentally calculating. “If we plan to remain in a party, I think pooling our resources would be most efficient. If we do so, we can be satisfied with sharing one bag and spend the rest on better armor and weapons.” I looked around to see if everyone agreed. Alura and Chris seemed fine with the suggestion. Rin, however, folded her arms. If she had something to say, I wish she would just open her mouth and say it.

“Good idea,” Leon confirmed. “You guys should be doing pretty well on money after selling your loot. If you get some good weapons and armor, I’ll be able to level you up even faster!” There was a glimmer in his eye, and I wondered if something was in it for him with how excited he seemed to be. “I’ll bet I can get you all to level 20 by the end of the week if all goes well! It usually takes a few months, or even a year to get that far!”

“I see… One more question,” I said, deciding to double-check the value on our Leviathan horns. “How much would you sell these for?”

“Hmmm, I'd say ask for 15 silver and let them haggle you down to 12.”

“Someone else told me 10,” I said, quoting Seras’s appraisal.

“10 is a fair price, but you might be able to get 12 if you're a good negotiator.”

“And the wolves’ tails?”

“Hmmm, probably around fifteen copper.”

“Is that all?” I asked.

“Yeah, those horns are rarer than anything you'll find in the forest. Like I said, you are doing really well for newbies.”

“Alright then, thank you,” I said.

“So…” said Rin, addressing Leon. “See you at the guild hall?”

“Sure, well, I might not be around if something comes up, but I’ll definitely catch up with you guys tomorrow morning for round two!”

With that, we made our way back to the market where we had seen the shops earlier. It did not take long to locate the jewelry shop, and as I approached, I confidently placed the bag on the counter. “I would like to make a sale.”

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up as I pulled out one of the horns, though he attempted to conceal his excitement. “Leviathan Spawn horns,” he said, taking one and examining it closely. “Let’s see, it is in moderate condition, the base seems to have been poorly cut while removing them… I can offer…” He inspected one horn, then another. “Yes, I’ll offer eight silver for each.”

I could now see the reason for Seras’s warning. “I’m afraid that’s far too low,” I replied firmly. “I have it in good confidence that these are worth fifteen.”

“For a larger one, perhaps,” he countered. “But, tell you what, since you all seem new, I will be happy to raise my price to 10 silver as a favor.”

Alura turned to me, her eyes communicating she was happy with the price. Chris put his hands behind his head, he seemed bored. I figured we should take Leon’s advice and haggle a little.

I folded my arms and kept my voice stern. “Perhaps if you hadn't given me such a low figure to begin with, I could trust that 10 is a fair price. As I said, I know these to be worth more than that.”

“I assure you, 10 is a fine price,” the jeweler argued. “I did not mean to insult you with the lower offer, but...”

“How about 13?” I suggested.

“13?... well, I suppose I could do… 11?”

I remained resolute. “I was hoping for at least 13. If you can not agree on that price, I will try elsewhere.”

“12?”

I fixed him with a steely gaze. “13...”

If he were to stick to his guns at 12 I may have relented. However, he sighed and reached for a bag under his counter. Satisfaction filled me as he began counting coins.

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“Very well, 13,” he muttered.

We left the jeweler with 1 gold and 30 silver coins. At the leatherworker's shop, I managed to secure 3 more silver coins for our bundle of wolf tails, bringing our total earnings to 1 gold and 33 silver pieces.

All that we had to do now was return to the guild hall to select our classes, then buy weapons and armor. However, I still felt unprepared for such permanent decisions, I would have liked to research classes and alignments a little more before taking that last step.

Chris let out a yawn. “Why don’t we get some good food and drinks at the guild hall while we discuss how to build our team?”

“That sounds like a plan,” I answered. “I do believe we have earned the right to treat ourselves. But try to go easy on the drinking, we don’t want to be hungover tomorrow.”

Those words are what I would soon be eating, however. Several hours later, Chris was red-faced, sitting at a table with three female wielders, sharing his valiant tale of the Leviathan attack. He seemed to have left out the part of hiding inside the cabin throughout most of it.

Our table was littered with empty plates, none of us having had a proper meal since waking up in this world. Rin kept to herself nearest the wall, arms folded, while Alura sat with me. Rin seemed quiet, her attention focused across the room, perhaps looking for Leon, who had yet to make an appearance.

Some other wielders came over to share drinks with us, unable to believe the level we had reached on our first day.

“So what class are you ladies going with?” a young warrior-class man asked as he took a seat at our table. He had a sharp jaw, the smooth skin of a young man but marred by a scar going from the corner of his mouth to the underside of his chin. “No-no- wait, let me guess!” He pointed at Rin, “Black mage,” then to Alura, “Bard,” then to me, “Assassin!”

“That is something our party has yet to discuss,” I answered.

“Right, hey, you all can join my party!” he said, grabbing some of our chips without permission. Alura’s fingers tapped along her glass shyly. I was weighing the best course to take with telling this young man to kindly fuck off, when I spotted some familiar faces coming through the door. Zelik and his party had returned. “So, how about tomorrow we meet up and-“

I put a hand up to silence him and said, “I’m not interested, and my friends have just arrived, so if you don’t mind…” At least Chris seemed to be enjoying the extra attention over at his own table.

The warrior looked over his shoulder, then back at me, and said, “Just think about it.”

I waved to Zelik’s party and the four of them came over. “So, how did it go today?” I asked as he approached.

“See for yourself…” Zelik said with a sigh.

I tapped my crystal. Indeed, things had not gone as well for them as they had for us. Only Hope made it to level 4 while the rest were a level below her, meaning they would not be selecting their classes before their next outing. Aside from that, they all looked tired and defeated, not sharing in our celebration. Well, Chris seemed to be the only one in our group skilled in the art of celebration anyway. Alura was quiet and meek, while Rin embodied the word wallflower.

“So, who was that guy?” Zelik asked, looking over his shoulder to see the warrior finding a new table to intrude on.

“Nobody,” I answered. “He invited himself to our table.”

Alura muttered, “And he stole our chips…” She seemed rather upset about it.

I turned my attention back to Zelik. “So what happened today? You all look as though your resolve has taken a hit.”

“Well, for one,” Hope said, “Zelik here almost died to some slimes.”

“No offense, but how is that possible?” I asked.

“Let’s just say we learned a few things,” John answered for Zelik, who seemed too embarrassed to explain.

“The slime seeds we looted off of them are apparently next to worthless,” Zelik continued. “We gathered a whole handful of them but only managed to trade them for 1 silver and some copper coins. Thankfully Victoria offered to arrange a room for us here at the guild.”

“I see…” I said, reaching down to my coin bag. “You know, you’re going to need more than a couple silver if you want a good meal… here.” I grab five of the silver coins out and drop them in front of him. I noticed through the corner of my eye Rin fidget, apparently unhappy with my charity.

“No. Thanks but, that’s yours,” Zelik said.

He probably did not realize I had an entire gold piece sitting in my sack. I would keep that to myself for now. I didn’t want to rub it in. “No, please, you were on the ship, and your party members killed some of those Leviathan Spawn we looted, so please, take it.” Honestly, they deserved a few dozen of those coins, but 5 would due to satisfy my guilty conscious. I was the one who haggled up a better price, after all.

“Wow, you all made it above level 5,” Leah said as she finished studying us with her crystal.

“That’s right,” I answered, “Though we’ll be starting back at level 1 tomorrow once our classes change, Leon has explained a few advantages that come with it, however. We maintain our HP and attribute points, but most importantly, we will finally acquire proper skills.”

“Well, hopefully, we won’t be too far behind you,” Zelik said. “I’m going to pay these coins back eventually, but thanks for the loan.”

“Welcome!” A waitress said as she appeared at the side of our table. “Can I get you four started with something to drink?” She asked Zelik’s group, as my own party had already ordered.

Zelik regarded the silver coins I had given him uncertainly. Hope promptly took a seat and put her hand over them as she said, “I’ll take a beer, please!”

“Just water,” said Zelik.

Leah took a seat next to him and asked. “Um… do you have… soda?”

Soda? I looked upward as I tried to remember. It sounded familiar.

The waitress smirked. “No, I’m afraid I have no idea what that is. I’ve had new wielders ask for it before, though. It must be from whatever country you guys come from.”

I then took note that there was no phage crystal on the waitress's arm. Our questions related to uncovering our past lives were unilaterally dismissed every time we tried, but I was not ready to give up.

“If I might ask, how long have you lived here in Goliath?” I inquired.

“Me?” the waitress asked. “I was born here. Actually, my father is the guild master. My name is Cloe, by the way.” I noticed a sense of pride bubble up at the declaration of her heritage. I had other questions, though.

“I notice you do not have a phage crystal.”

“Oh, that’s right,” she said, showing her wrist, which was adorned only by a simple golden bracelet. “I’m not a wielder. Nobody born on this side of the ocean are; we rely on you guys coming in. Otherwise, we would have no way of dealing with the monsters.”

That was interesting. “And your father, if I may ask, was he born here in Goliath as well?”

“Nope! He was on one of the first ships to come here, about 200 years ago.”

“200 hundred years ago?” I asked, turning my head.

“Yup, he’s a total veteran! Which is why he’s strong enough to claim the role of guild master. You can find him looking over the guild arena out back if you want to meet him.” She winked. “He’s super nice, by the way, though I think people are often intimidated by him.”

“How old are you, if I might ask?” I continued my casual questioning, searching for information behind her answers.

“Oh, I’m 35,” she answered.

“Really?” said Zelik. “You look much younger than that.”

Her face brightened up. “Oh! Thanks, sweetie!” she said as she gave him a wink which made him blush and shift his eyes towards Leah.

“It seems strange to me,” I continued. “You are aware that wielders come from somewhere else, but you do not know where exactly? Why does no one question this?”

“Oh, we question it,” Cloe said. “But it doesn’t matter because we just don’t know. The ships drop off wielders and then leave, and none of the staff aboard the ship ever explain anything. We need wielders, though, so we accept it.”

I remembered the white-robed man and his vague answers. The closest we got to an explanation was, ‘If you are here, it is because you’ve desired it to be so.’

“Anyway, I’ll get those drinks right out to you guys and take your orders in a minute!”

―

The next morning, I woke before any of my allies. I sat up and looked over to Rin and Alura, each lying in their beds.

Rin lay sprawled out, legs wide, fingers lightly twitching in her slumber. Her undershirt had ridden up in her sleep, exposing her belly. Her chest rose and fell in a calm rhythm as she snored softly. The peaceful moment was a stark contrast to the fierce warrior she was while awake.

Alura looked angelic in her slumber. She lay curled up, her figure partially hidden beneath the thin blanket. One arm held a pillow close, her blonde hair cascading over it. There was an intimate vulnerability to the way she clung to the pillow that tugged at my heartstrings.

The window cut into the stone of the wall showed the sun was just barely rising. I decided to let them sleep, as I quietly slipped out of bed and dressed in those peasants' clothes. Aside from armor, we should also try purchasing casual wear. We do have money to spare, after all, and what is the point of living if you don’t indulge in a few small comforts?

I left our room and walked down the hall until I was back in the bar. There was a man and a woman wiping off the tables and setting everything up. It seemed Cloe only worked the later shifts. “Pardon me,” I said, “Are you currently serving coffee?”

“Of course, please, sit anywhere you like,” the woman said as she went behind the bar. “We can make some food for you as well if you are hungry.”

“Yes, I think I’ll take you up on that. Can I see a menu, and also one of those class guides?”

“No problem, just a moment.”

Soon a cup of coffee was sitting in front of me along with the requested reading material. I took a sip, savoring the warm satisfying aroma as I turned open the cover.

Suddenly, I was hit with a flash of something like a half-remembered dream. I looked around, imagining a cafe with quite different tables and large windows on all sides. There was a young boy with white hair, waving to me through the window. Behind him, the streets outside were crowded with people walking alongside roadways occupied by machines. I then looked down, having a strange sense that I needed to check if my leg was injured. My heart sank with loss, as if something was taken from me that could never be replaced. For a brief moment, I believed I would see my pant leg tied into a knot below my left knee.

It disappeared from my mind quickly but left me staring into the coffee. All at once it seemed absurd. I had walked down here just a moment ago; therefore, it would be impossible for me to be missing a leg. I figured I must still be half asleep. Luckily, I had the cure for that right here. So with that thought, I lifted my coffee and took a nice hot mouthful that burned my tongue and throat.

I rubbed my temple, coming back to my senses, and decided I should select something from the menu before studying. Once I decided on a meal, I returned my focus to the guidebook and began reading.

Leon had mentioned that the key to an effective party is a balance of offense and defense, while also being versatile enough to deal with many situations. Knight seemed a wise class, as it offered the most defense, and if Alura were to become a white mage, then Chris and Rin could have their pick of offensive classes. We could dispatch enemies quickly with little risk. I read over the spells lists for the different alignments for knights.

White knight seemed a nearly indestructible choice. High health, shielding, healing… but rather low on attack power. Blue knight seemed a similar situation, focusing on fortifying the entire party but lacking direct heals.

Red knight caught my eye, thinking of versatility. It seemed the red knight had high health and defense while also having spells that could imbue weapons with different elements. Surely that would be useful for taking advantage of weaknesses? Though I would be reliant on a healer as it lacked defensive spells. Still, its natural hp could make up for the lack of fortification.

“I see someone’s hitting the books early.” I looked up to Victoria. “Mind if I take a seat?”

“By all means,” I answered, motioning to an empty chair.

“I had a chat with Leon. I hear your team did quite well,” she said as she sat down.

“Yes,” I answered, sipping my coffee. “I hear yours had a rough time.”

“There are just a few chinks that need to be worked out. I believe they will do well when they get the hang of things. Particularly Leah needs to adjust her thinking.”

“How so?”

“She lacks resolve in her attacks. It seems she feels bad about what she is doing, holding sympathy for the monsters. She’ll have to break herself of that. It is not uncommon for new wielders, and it’s something most get over when they understand a monster is a monster. It is not something that could be your friend.”

“If I may ask, why are you and Leon taking so much time to help us?”

“Personally, I’m paying my dues to the guild,” She answered. I notice her hand itching for her pipe, which she eventually grabbed. “Veterans are expected to help new wielders every once in a while. As it turns out, I haven’t been doing much around here lately. So, I figured I could spend a few days showing some newbies the ropes.”

“Leon said something about you coming out of retirement?” I asked.

She jiggled her staff which caused a soft ember to appear in her pipe. She took a slow drag as the herb caught, then blew out the smoke. “I hear he took you to hunt wolves already.” I noticed she completely ignored my question, but I did not press her on it.

“He did, and it went quite well. All of my party members managed to rise above level 5.”

“That’s good to hear, but I feel I need to give you a fair warning about Leon. That man is competitive to a fault, and all of this is a game to him… so be careful.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your group is breaking records. You may or may not realize that. Leon, as your trainer, sees it as a personal accomplishment. I have no doubt your tale will turn into one of his drinking stories.” She exhaled and waved a hand in the air. “The legendary wielders with humble beginnings, after surviving the mighty Leviathan, come under the guidance of Leon, the enigmatic Shadow of Death, quickly joining him as some of the strongest heroes the realm had ever seen… or something to that effect. That man is not shy of extravagance.”

“I see, so you are worried he will put us in a dangerous position?”

“Exactly,” she said. “He does not always keep the party's health in mind, and he may try to push your limits. My advice, stick with wolves for now. If he wants to up the stakes, politely refuse. Understand?”

“Alright,” I smiled at her, knowing she meant well. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“As for my trainees…” she said, taking a drag from her pipe. “I believe I’ll have to keep them on slimes for a little while longer.”

I smirked. “Why do you say that?”

“With the exception of Hope, they don’t seem acclimated to combat. At least not yet. But, I expect that to change, given a little more time.”

“They did survive the Leviathan,” I said.

“Indeed they did… Though I haven’t the slightest clue how.”

I couldn’t help but smirk. “Now, they couldn’t be that bad, could they?”

Victoria chuckled. “Of course not, I’m just being hard on them. I’m sure they will come into their own, in time.”