I awoke to the sharp smell of alcohol in the air. Who the hell was drinking in my house...? I rolled over in the bed, and pulled the blankets closer.
Suddenly, it all came back. Dying. God's deal. The goblins. And after that... I couldn't quite remember. I could recall walking through a forest, but beyond that, not much else. This was probably not, in fact, my house.
I opened my eyes, rubbing them a bit, and forced myself to sit up. I was starving, and my throat was drier than a Tinder conversation. For the first time, I noticed the clothing I was wearing. I wore a sleeveless, tan shirt that was still rather rough and scratchy. I wouldn't exactly call it uncomfortable, though. My pants were long and brown, seeming to be made of some sort of low-quality leather. I was in a very compact room. Small enough that the bed took up more than half of its space. There were no windows, and the walls, ceilings, and floor were all made out of the same reddish-brown wood. Beside my bed was a little end table with half a loaf of bread, a big chunk of cheese, and a large mug of water. I wolfed it down, faster than I thought myself ever capable of doing.
Also in the room was a small dresser. 'Small' meaning it only came up to about three-quarters of the way up my leg. What kind of person is so short that they need a two-and-a-half foot tall dresser? I held my head, which ached significantly less than it had back in the cave. Oh, right. I'd just remembered to check on something.
"Status." I said aloud, and the blue screen popped up in front of me.
General Information: Present Info: Stats: (0) Passive Skills: Skill Level Name: Emma Green HP: 40/40 (1.1/min) STR: 5 Night Vision 1 Sex: Female MP: 90/90 (0.55/sec) DEX: 7 Cool-Headed 1 Race: Human Level: 1, 0% CON: 2 Sneak 1 Age: 21 years Title: None INT: 21 Faction: N/A Class: None (Choose one! Chant 'Class'!) WIS: 43 LUC: 1
It seemed that my terrifying encounter with the goblins had yielded no EXP. I was still at zero percent. I continued to study the changes. I now had a new skill, Cool-Headed. I supposed it was pretty straightforward as for its effects. I decided to check the actual effects of the skill by saying the name of the skill out loud. "Cool-Headed."
Cool-Headed:
You have proven yourself able to keep a cool head in times of intense peril. This skill reduces risk of panic by 20% per level, and attempts to quell unreasonable fears.
I supposed that I could believe that last sentence, at least. In general, my mind just felt clearer and overall, I felt braver. For example, normally I'd be terrified waking up in a stranger's house. Now, though, I was actually standing up to go find the owner of this house. It seemed like I'd been rescued, rather than imprisoned. Turning the doorknob, which was annoyingly low to the ground, I crouched through the doorway and into what seemed to be a kitchen. It was tough to tell, though, considering how incredibly messy the room was.
It kind of reminded me of my own apartment, but this was far more unkempt, as far as messes go. Wooden dishes were left all over, some of which still had food on them that was obviously more than a week old. Even I, who barely left the house, was able to keep my dishes in line far better than this. What kind of person lived here? That alcohol smell was seriously getting bad.
As if on cue, I heard the perpetrator of the smell speak from behind me.
"So what? Ye get rescued, then ye have the guts to start makin' funny eyes at me dishes? Humans. Never know when to show their gratitude." I turned around to see a very short woman crossing her arms and rolling her big brown eyes at me. She held an empty glass mug in one hand. and fidgeted with her long blonde hair with the other. The woman must have noticed me staring, because she spoke up. "What are ye lookin at? Ain'tche ever seen a dwarf before, human?" She spoke with an accent that I could only place as 'kind of Scottish'.
I looked away. "No, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I'm, er, actually kind of new to this place. You mentioned rescuing me? What exactly happened?"
She eyed me curiously. "Ye don't remember? When I found ye, it seemed ye were having a proper nap right in the middle of the bloody forest. Yer feet got all sliced up, too. Lucky thing I got to ye before the bears did." She beamed proudly. I realized that my feet were all bandaged.
"I really can't remember anything..." I started. "But, either way, thank you. Thank you so much. I woke up in a cave, and I had to sneak past these goblin-looking things, and-" I was cut off as she grabbed my collar with one very meaty arm. I saw her go up to her tippy toes in order to reach. Weren't short people usually supposed to be cuter than this?
"Did you say goblins?" She almost growled. "Where? Where did you see the little fucks?" There was visible anger in her eyes, and I started to feel myself caving. Tears started to well up in my eyes, even with the Cool-Headed skill. I had almost never been yelled at like that before, and I had to say, it was really scary. Just another thing to add to the things I was afraid of- people yelling in my face.
"I-I honestly don't know! All I can say about the location is that it's a cave! Please, I swear I'm telling the truth!" I pleaded with her.
Something seemed to shift in her eyes, or maybe it was just her facial expression, as if she'd realized what she was doing. She released her hand and let me down. I fell to my knees, breathing hard. After a few seconds, I looked back up at the dwarven woman, expecting her to still be angry, but she was looking away, unable to make eye contact.
"I'm sorry." she said. "I didn't mean to lash out at ye like that. It's just..." Her face contorted into the most miserable expression I'd seen on a person's face. She looked down and her deep voice started to quiver. "The goblins... my husband and son..." Now, it was her turn to have tears well up in her eyes. "Right in front of me eyes, they ate Aldur, and my son Beryl." Tears streamed down her face. "I-I can't sleep at night. I can't get the smell out of me head. They cooked them on a fire, and all I could do was watch... Their screams were so desperate, and the humans... the fucking humans... dragged me away, and didn't try."
She slammed her fist on the wooden table next to her. I think I heard it crack. "They didn't even try to save me son. I had to listen to his screams..." She was full-on sobbing, covering her eyes
She furiously wiped at her tears, and before I knew what I was doing, I embraced her. I was surprised at how lean and muscular her body was, in addition to the tough clothing she wore. I was still on my knees, but she hugged me back just the same, resting her head on my shoulder. Dwarves were supposed to always be tough and hardy, as I'd learned from video games, but here, they were real, and people just the same. Looking at her grieving face, and feeling her arms, thick like tree trunks, wrap tightly around me, I couldn't help but think about how useless I was.
Wasn't I supposed to be some sort of hero? The one who vanquished the Spider Queen that was creating all the world's problems, bringing world peace to Vis? In this situation, I should be all "Don't worry, I have this special resurrection juice that brings people back from the dead!" But, no. Instead, all I could do was silently hug this poor, grief-stricken woman.
Some hero I was. I guess that God did tell me that I wasn't special in any way. What a bastard, for sending me here.
The hug lasted a good five minutes before her arms left me. The dwarf sniffled, then spoke, still not looking at me. "Get out."
My eyes shot open. "W-what?"
She glared at me. "I said, get out! Out of my house!" She waved her hand. "There's no place for humans in my home." The woman said, scowling. She hung her head. "I made some shoes that fit on your feet. Take them and go." She spoke quietly.
I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there for a few seconds. "But, you-"
The short woman cut me off. "OUT! NOW! BEFORE I FUCKING SNAP YER LITTLE ARMS OFF!" She yelled, then continued crying in a mess on the floor.
Fuck. I lowered my head. I didn't want to anger her any more, and I certainly didn't want my arms snapped off. "Thank you... for everything." I said, and quickly went towards the door on the other side of the kitchen. I still never got her name.
I felt guilty with every cell in my body for not knowing how to make it all better. Maybe if I were a real hero, I could convince her to be my ally, defeat enemy after enemy with her, and that would somehow solve all of her problems.
Yeah, right.
I made my way towards the door, put on the beautifully made animal-hide shoes she'd made me, and walked out of her house, my head spinning. I really was a shitty person, wasn't I? I trudged down the dirt road alone, with no food and no water. I didn't know where this road led, but I was definitely going there. As long as it wasn't here.
---
Three hours later, my feet hurt, so I decided to take a rest. I had zoned out throughout my entire walk so far, wandering in a daze. There were no signs indicating where I was going. I hoped to run into a town or something soon, as I would need to eat eventually. I had nothing to hunt with. That was okay though, because I had no idea how to hunt in the first place.
On my way there, though, I would need some sort of self-defense. The walking stick I'd picked up probably wouldn't cut it. That meant picking a class since as I was now, there was no way I'd be able to defeat something that wanted me dead. That's how I ended up chanting "Class!" like it had said to on the status screen. Before my eyes popped up a big blue screen.
Welcome to Class Selection!
Before you pick a specific class, which of the following would you like your class to be?
>Combat< >Crafting< >Social<
I figured that the Spider Queen wasn't going to drink any poisons I made or allow herself to be talked into dying. So, I picked Combat. "Combat," I answered. Another blue screen took its place, listing the different classes available.
An excellent choice, for those wishing to survive and overcome the threats posed by this harsh world.
Which of the following class types would you like to specialize in? You may go back by chanting 'Back!'
>Physical< >Magical< >Other<
I was curious as to what lay in the 'Other' category. As if reading my thoughts, descriptions for each of the categories popped up.
Physical: Uses physical weapons to take out their opponents, whether it be with bow, sword, or throwing knife. Physical classes tend to have higher STR, DEX, and/or CON stat values. Magical: Utilizes spells to harm or disable opponents, or to heal and buff teammates. Magical classes usually have high INT and WIS. Other: Contains classes that mix the two, and those that are only available to certain individuals.
"Other," I said. I figured that being sent here by God himself would give me some special 'Hero' class that let me kill anything that dared to defy me with little more than a nasty look. When the screen was brought up, I was able to see whether that was the case or not.
Class Name: Class Stat Benefits: Description: Paladin: +5 STR, +5 INT, +5 CON Paladins are holy knights, delivering God's will by smiting their foes with holy light or a justice-filled hammer blow. Must be a devout member of a Vis religion. Trickster: +15 INT, +20 LUC Tricksters boast little attack power, but can easily disarm and confuse their foes with illusions and low-cost mobility spells. They also tend to be quite lucky. Spellsword: +5 STR, +5 CON, +5 WIS, +5 INT Spellswords can be called a jack of all trades. They can learn a wide range of spells, as well as a plethora of skills for any one weapon. However, a jack of all trades tends to be a master of none. Goblin Slayer (Individual, Experience-Based): +30 STR For those who have seen firsthand the threat that Goblins pose to the world. Gain a 50% damage bonus against Goblins and a 50% resistance to blunt-type weapons. Magician (Individual, Talent-Based): +20 INT, +20 WIS, +5 LUC Magicians, an incredibly rare combat class, have the capability to learn spells from any school of magic, and have the most raw mana of any magic class. However, they are generally regarded as an ineffective combat class because they are sworn to pacifism; they cannot directly harm humanoid creatures with offensive spells. Avenger (Individual): N/A Avengers are a very rare class. Their main ability is a skill called Back At You, which allows them to use their foes' magical attacks against them with double the power. However, they are weak against physical attacks.
There were so many options, I had to read some over more than once. Unfortunately, there were no insta-kill Hero classes, but there were some that were quite obviously powerful. The Avenger, for example, could easily defeat any magic-using class. Except, come to think of it, the Magician, because it couldn't directly deal damage to them, and therefore, couldn't have it reflected back.
I wasn't interested in joining a religion to become a Paladin. I had met God, and he was an ass. The Trickster seemed powerful, but bad against a group of enemies. The Spellsword wasn't specialized enough. The Goblin Slayer was too specialized. The Magician wasn't able to hurt enemies. And the Avenger was useless against physical classes.
I had to reread each one many more times. Which one should I choose? Which would be most fitting for me? Which would make me the most powerful, and capable of defeating the Spider Queen? I can always check out the regular Magical classes, I thought. I was about to do just that when I noticed the wording in the description of the Magician class. It read 'they cannot directly harm humanoid creatures with offensive spells'.
So, in other words, if I were to drop a giant rock on someone's head, it probably wouldn't count as 'directly' harming them. Or if, say, they happened to be mind-controlled into jumping out of a window, that might not technically be offensive magic. Not to mention, spiders usually weren't humanoids, which meant that I could probably just wipe them away. And on top of that, it said I couldn't directly harm them, not that I couldn't target them. So if I were in a party, I could use crowd-control spells and act as a supporting class.
A loophole is always a pleasant thing to find, I thought, smiling. Just in case, I decided to check the other magical classes. Magic seemed like a great way to destroy my enemies without actually having to get up and move. I pictured myself laying on top of a floating broom, doing my nails while nonchalantly saying 'Fireball' and burning a bunch of spiders to a crisp. Seems easy enough, I thought, as the screen for the other classes came up.
We had Warlock, Mage, Priest, Cleric, Enchanter, Illusionist, Fire Mage, Water Mage... The list went on. One thing I noticed is that the stat gains were pitiful compared to those given by much of the 'Other' classes. I think the highest gain I saw was +4 INT. I believed that despite its lack of direct damage, the Magician class was still the best for the scenario. Its firepower and versatility would be perfect for taking out a troublesome foe like the Spider Queen, who, I assumed, was nothing more than a big old spider (and spiders don't tend to be humanoids). The massive stat gains were simply an added bonus.
"Class: Magician" I said to the screen. Yet another box popped up.
Congratulations, you are now a Magician!
+20 INT, +20 WIS, +5 LUC
New Chant unlocked: Spellbook- Allows you to see a full list of your learned spells.
Skill Gained: Elemental Mastery I
Skill Gained: Mana Efficiency I
Skill Gained: Magic Pacifism
Fire Spell Gained: Weak Fireball
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Earth Spell Gained: Sandstorm
Water Spell Gained: Drizzle
Wind Spell Gained: Gust
Illusion Spell Gained: Menace
Spatial Spell Gained: Switch
That was a lot of spells. I expected one or two, but ended up with, what was that, six? I got four elemental skills, an illusion, and... what was this last one? Spatial? I opened up the Spellbook to check Switch's description.
Switch (100 MP):
When used, this spell instantaneously switches your location with a target's and vice versa. Mana cost increases with the weight of the target.
How lucky was I to get such an awesome skill? It was a bit mana-intensive, but I could probably escape bad situations very easily. I felt excited that I was now so much more powerful... but at the same time, my excitement felt kind of empty. I couldn't quite shake the overpowering feeling of homesickness that had just started to hang over me, I wanted to go back home. I wanted to lay in my nice warm bed, not sit on the ground in some medieval-age place where there were man-eating goblins. I sprawled out on the grass, laying down and staring at the sky. The puffy white clouds that slowly drifted by without a care in the world reminded me of Earth.
I wondered if I'd ever be able to go back. God had told me that my reward would be 'him owing me one', so maybe he would grant me three wishes or something like that. I sighed, playing with my walking stick in my right hand as I lay. I'd come back to life, as a person who was supposed to save this planet, yet I was just as useless of a person as I was back on Earth. I couldn't help but think about the dwarven woman who had been so kind to me, yet I somehow drove her to the point of kicking me out of her house. If only I-
My thoughts were interrupted by a deep, well-spoken voice. "Are you okay, young miss?" Startled, I sat up to look at the source of the voice.
Somehow I had missed the sound of a horse-drawn wagon approaching. In the front sat a small, skinny elderly man with a concerned expression on his bearded face. The wagon part was filled with hay. Was everyone around here this hospitable?
"I'm alright. Sorry to worry you, I just stopped to rest for a bit. My feet are killing me." I said, smiling sheepishly.
He smiled, waving a hand. "Oh, it's no problem. If you need a ride, I'd be glad to take you into town. So long as you don't mind smelling like hay." He gestured to the back of the wagon with one thin arm.
"Well, what town are we headed to?" I asked.
He cocked his head. "You really don't know? Where did you think this road was taking you?" The old man seemed somewhat suspicious.
"I woke up out in the woods, and, well... I just followed the road." I lied, dropping my gaze.
He seemed unconvinced. "I... see. Well, I'm due to deliver this hay to the capital. You're still quite welcome to come along."
He seemed really nice to me. I liked him, even if it seemed like he might now think I was some sort of criminal, fleeing from prison. I didn't look that sketchy, right?
A quick glance down made me realize that my clothes were probably similar to those worn by prisoners. Well, shit, I thought as I climbed into the back of the cart. Hay, as I learned, was kind of nice to lay on if you could get past the feeling of it against your skin. The back of my neck did not appreciate the prickling and poking. Not to mention, its dank mustiness gave you the sort of impression that there were probably bugs buried in with the hay. A ride was a ride though, so I gratefully took it.
"Thank you so much," I said, smiling at the man.
"Don't mention it. Anything for a lovely young lady." Turning around, he returned the smile, and I couldn't help but blush a little bit and scratch the back of my neck nervously. I didn't get complimented much.
For a couple of hours, we were both silent. Eventually, I started asking the kindly old man questions. I introduced myself, and in turn learned his name was Jor, and that he was a retired adventurer. Then I inquired about how long the trip would take. He told me that at our current rate, it would take roughly eight more hours. It was around midday, so we would arrive at night time. I figured I could do a quick job and make enough money to stay at an inn for the night once we got there. Hopefully, anyway.
I also asked Jor about the capital. What was it like, had he been there before, and so on. He gave me that suspicious look once more before replying. "Can you tell me the capital's name, girl?" he asked, looking back at me with wary eyes.
Surprised, I tensed up for a moment, caught off guard. "U-um... I'm from a really far away place, so... I don't really know much about the area." I said. I wasn't lying, right?
He nodded. "I see, I suppose that would explain it. Well, if you don't mind me boring you for a bit, I'll tell you a little bit about the capital." He still didn't look entirely convinced.
Jor told me that the nation's capital, Redfall, was built inside a massive cave in the shape of a crater that had a huge, gushing waterfall spilling over it. From his description, I pictured it being as large as Earth's Niagara Falls. According to him, the city was designed in such a way that some of the water flowed through the city in canals, coming in from the waterfall and flowing out on the opposite side of the cave. The entire mouth of the cave was, of course, very well-guarded, as was the entire river that leads up to the waterfall. The water that didn't go to canals, after all, was sent to be purified into drinking water.
Most of the city was built from stone, and the capital was a beautifully shining palace in the very center of the cave. It was a central trade hub for the country, as dwarven miners had hollowed out massive tunnels into the walls of the cave, allowing many traders to enter and exit. These tunnels had had enormous, heavy gates built into them. Redfall was also a major hub for adventurers and bounty hunters, as the city attracts many types of people.
The city was almost entirely self-sufficient in terms of food and water, as there were many underground farms that produced a higher quantity and quantity of food than normal farms would. It was extremely defendable, as the walls of the cave extend up to make large hills, upon which large stone walls and towers were built. The city got its name from a battle in which over 20,000 enemy soldiers were killed by less than 4,000 defending soldiers.
"It's said that the waterfall ran red with blood that day, earning the city a new name," Jor said solemnly. "A truly glorious day for our country of Ilvan. Since that time 300 years ago, there has not been a single large-scale attack on our city." He sounded proud. "Anyway, you'll understand a lot more about the city once we get there."
I nodded, and for a long time, the wagon was silent. In the back of the wagon, I decided to check my now-upgraded Status.
General Information: Present Info: Stats: (0) Passive Skills: Skill Level Name: Emma Green HP: 40/40 (1.1/min) STR: 5
Night Vision
1 Sex: Female MP: 320/320 (2.2/sec) DEX: 7
Cool-Headed
1 Race: Human Level: 1, 0% CON: 2
Sneak
1 Age: 21 years Title: None INT: 41
Mana Efficiency
1 Faction: N/A Class: Magician WIS: 63
Elemental Mastery
1 LUC: 6
Magic Pacifism
N/A
My stats really had jumped. And hot damn, my mana pool had almost quadrupled since choosing the class. It seemed that I had also gained three new skills. Mana Efficiency decreased mana cost for spells by 10% per level, and Elemental Mastery made fire, water, air, and earth spells do 5% more damage and cost 5% less. I did find it curious that Magic Pacifism was a skill, which brought a question to my mind. Could skills be removed? Maybe 'un-learned' would be a better word for it,
I considered it and decided to bring the question to Jor at some point, For now, I was content to simply lay back and relax. The hay still itched and prickled like crazy, though, and it was a bit of a bumpy ride. In a car, I was sure this wouldn't take more than a half hour to drive there. That thought made me even more homesick, so I tried not to think about it. I lay there like that for a long time, looking through my spells to see what each one did.
Weak Fireball did exactly what you'd expect, shot a little ball of fire at a target that would spill flame all over whatever it came into contact with. Drizzle made it rain gently in a localized area, which could be increased at the cost of more mana. Sandstorm created a bunch of sand and sprayed it at the target. Gust sent a blast of wind forth to push the target backward. And Menace was an illusion spell that would scare away lower-level monsters. The higher an individual's INT stat, the better chance they had of seeing through it. I also had Switch, which cost way more than the other spells I'd gained.
I really wanted a chance to try out my spells. Maybe I could activate a low-cost one, like Gust, without Jor really noticing. It was only, what, ten mana? That was nothing. I decided to give it a go. I held my right hand up, my palm flat, and realized I actually had no clue how to cast it. I tried concentrating on it really hard, thinking 'I want to cast Gust' with all of my brainpower, but nothing happened. I tried something else. "Gust," I said aloud, trying to focus on blasting wind from my hand. Still, nothing happened. What was the point of having spells if they didn't work? I thought, frustrated.
"Did you say something, miss Emma?" Jor asked, turning around to see me feebly trying to cast a Gust. He frowned. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
"I, um," I started, blushing. "I was trying to practice a spell, but I don't know how to cast it..." I said, embarrassed.
"A spell, huh? What spell are you trying to cast?" The elderly man asked.
"Gust, sir."
"That's an easy one. To cast advanced spells, you usually need the Spellcasting skill." said Jor. "But if you don't have it, you can learn it through casting basic spells. I'm a bit rusty, since I haven't cast Gust since my adventuring days,"
"You were a spellcaster?" I asked, excitedly. "What class were you? And can you really teach me?"
"Come now, not so many questions at once." He chuckled. "To answer them, yes. I am an Elementalist. I can help you learn the Spellcasting skill, but beyond that, there is much you need to learn on your own," said Jor in a sagely tone.
"If you're a magic user, how come you're stuck driving hay from place to place? Don't most old wizards get really powerful and slay dragons and stuff?" I asked.
He frowned. "Hey, now. Who are you calling old?" said Jor in mock offense. "I quit the adventuring life... without my teammates, I have no more reason to continue. We've all gone our separate ways." He sounded genuinely regretful.
"I'm... sorry," I said. I didn't want another situation like earlier. He nodded, and it was quiet again.
After a few minutes, he cleared his throat. "Well, anyway, in order to cast a basic spell like that-," He turned back towards the road. "-sorry, I should be watching the road. As I was saying, you first need to feel the flow of mana within you. Think of it as a bucket of water. When you cast a spell, you must spill some of the water, but it will start to slowly fill back up. In order to grasp how to move the water, you must first learn how to tip the bucket." he said.
I didn't understand. "Um, is there anything else I should know? I don't feel any different than I normally do."
He scratched his chin. "Well, when I cast my first spell, Tinder, for the first time, I had to focus on the word 'Tinder' in my mind as hard as possible. I had to envision the mana moving through my body. It's kind of like a heavy sled in snow; it's tough to move at first, but once you push it down a hill, it really gets going,"
I closed my eyes and focused as hard as I could on 'Gust'. I was a bit distracted, though. Why the hell did the Magician class not start me with the Spellcasting skill? Do Swordsmen not start with a Sword-Swinging skill or something? I sighed and tried to empty my mind of all thought.
Gust, Gust, GUST!!
My eyes were closed shut, and I tried to picture the mana in my body as a very viscous liquid that wouldn't move unless I gave it a very big push. My efforts did not bear fruit, though. Still, I sat like that for what had to be at least ten minutes.
It was just as I was about to give up, that I felt something.
As though something had given the mana inside me the tiniest nudge, it felt like something moved.
I tried again, focusing even harder. Gust! Gust!
Nothing seemed to be happening, until, suddenly, I felt something in my body undergo a major shift. My ears filled with the sound of whooshing wind. I opened my eyes to see the leaves and thinner branches on each of the nearby trees being pushed backward. Some were even ripped off. It was as if a powerful thunderstorm had just blown through, without all the rain.
Congratulations! You've gained a new skill: Spellcasting!
Skill Gained: Mana Manipulation
That wasn't so hard, now was it? Here's a little gift for all your hard work. (:
+1 LUC
Love, God~
"Only ten," I said, feeling pleased with myself. Jor turned around, surprised. "Incredible. You picked that up very quickly. How much mana did you use on that?" A quick look at my Status told me that I had put only ten into the spell.
"Amazing. What class did you say you were, miss?"
"Magician," I told him.
He was turning back towards the road, but stopped when he heard my response. "You... you didn't say... Magician, did you?"
I nodded. "Yeah. My class is Magician." I repeated.
He was silent for a few seconds, then began to laugh. It wasn't just a tiny little chuckle, either. He was full-on guffawing, as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. It took a few minutes before he was able to calm down. I didn't get the joke, so I just sat back and awkwardly waited for him to finish.
Once Jor had calmed down, he wiped tears from his eyes, and spoke. "You aren't planning on becoming an adventurer, are you?"
"I'm only level 1 now, but... if it'll help me become stronger, then of course I'll at least try my hand." I answered earnestly.
He was silent for a few seconds, then spoke. "You do realize that Magician is, well..." He trailed off. "It's a very rare class, and not many are offered the opportunity to choose it, but the general consensus is that as a class, it's... as good as trash." He spoke with little restraint. It did hurt quite a bit to hear such scalding words from the man who'd been so kind to me thus far.
I wasn't used to taking criticism from people. "Why do they think that?" I asked, still kind of hurt.
"As you know, your spells cannot hurt humanoids, and the majority of foes you will face as an adventurer tend to be humanoids. Therefore, it is useless as a damage-dealing class. It's also incapable of using holy spells, since those technically are not a school of magic. It can't be used as a support class, either. In short, most parties will not accept you as a member because of your class." He lowered his head. "What I said to you may have been harsh, but it is nothing compared to what you will likely hear in the city if you try to join an adventuring party. Your class will naturally advance at level 25, but until then, you may have trouble leveling up."
So my class was viewed as useless. Maybe it wasn't great for being an adventurer, but if I was going to defeat the Spider Queen, the firepower would more than make up for the fact that I couldn't hit the arachna-whatsits. I'd find party members who would take care of those for me since they were probably considered humanoid. Adventuring in the city was, I figured, probably going to be little more than a way to get stronger. Hell, if I leveled up a bit and learned more spells. I could probably easily take care of most quests by myself.
I smiled at Jor. "People can say what they want. My goal isn't to become the strongest adventurer or anything. If I can't find party members, I'll just take quests by myself," I told him.
He gave me a wry smile. "Well, miss Emma, I wish you the best of luck. It will by no means be easy, so take this."
He extended his hand to me. In his wrinkled palm was four silver coins. I had no idea of what they were worth, but he obviously didn't make much. "I... I can't take this. You've already done so much for me, I just..."
He kept his hand where it was. "Nonsense. Who knows, maybe you'll make something of yourself someday and remember old Jor. You can pay me back then." he said, smiling. "I'll be honest, I really don't think a Magician can do quite enough to make ripples in the world of adventuring. But you are a nice young lady, and I can tell you have not a single coin to your name." Jor made a gesture with the hand holding the coins.
What a stubborn guy. I couldn't help but return his smile. "Thank you so much," I told him. "I promise I'll pay you back."
---
We arrived at the gates of Redfall at night-time, just as predicted. Jor and I said our goodbyes, and he gave me the name of a good, cheap place to stay overnight, as well as the name of a mage guild where I could practice magic. According to him, if they recognized your talent, you could learn many spells and lessons alike from the old masters. He really was a wealth of knowledge when it came to the city. I was sad to see him go. We hadn't spoken much, but he showed me kindness that I'd never forget. Just like the woman from this morning, who had hand-made the shoes I wore on my feet.
Jor also gave me exact directions to the place he recommended on a little sheet of paper. Funny, I thought that paper was only for those with lots of money in Middle-Ages times. How did a wagon driver have such an expensive thing?
He really was a wealth of knowledge when it came to the city. I was sad to see him go. We hadn't spoken much, but he showed me kindness that nobody else had. Turns out that he was, in fact, telling the truth about a lot of things he said about the city. Starting with the beautiful waterfall that cascaded down the mouth of the giant cave. You could hear it from the other side of the city, and it served as a perfect background for the glistening spires of the palace. Canals ran through almost every street I walked down, bridges hopping over them at almost every big intersection. There was enough space under them for a small boat to pass under.
It was actually kind of weird being in such a place. Enormous walls of dirt towered over even Redfalls' tallest buildings. The city's streets, though, seemed to be almost completely level- to the point that I could see for a very long distance just by looking down a single street. It was like a big crater that people decided "Hey, that's a pretty massive crater. Let's just level out the bottom, add a drainage system for the water, and make a big old city!"
I walked down the dimly-lit street on autopilot as I searched for the place he recommended I stay- the Goat's Tail Inn.
I had to say, the inn really didn't sound like much. Hopefully, I could stay at a nicer place when I made some money. I really did like what I saw of the city, and I wouldn't mind staying here for a while. Even though it was night-time, it still seemed lively and I could hear cheers and music coming from the taverns I walked by. As I continued towards the inn, though, the city gradually got quieter until it was almost silent besides the sound of my footsteps.
It didn't take long for me to arrive there. When I took the last turn, I learned that not only did it not sound like much, it also didn't look like much. I sighed. The place looked run-down, but I still saw lights inside. There was a little wooden sign that read 'Open- 3 coppers/nite', too. Well, a bed was a bed, and until I actually made some money, I had to make do with what I had. I stepped towards the inn, preparing myself to deal with some of the people that were in there. I remembered how to use Gust, and hoped I could apply it to other spells as well.
Seriously, thank God for Jor. I would have no clue how to cast spells if not for him. Maybe the extra five points of luck the class had given me really did have an effect. To meet such a nice man was such a blessing.
I walked into the inn in a good mood, but I was still wary of the type of crowd that might be in a place like this. I pushed the door open and entered into a very quiet but well-lit room. There were empty stools that had been pulled up to empty tables all over the central room. At the opposite side of the room from the door through which I entered, there was a large counter that seemed to also function as a bar. There were stools pulled up to the left and right of where a woman sat, reading some sort of book.
When I entered, she looked up and adjusted her glasses. I made my way across the room and to where she sat.
I got a better look at her once I got there. She was an attractive, slim blonde woman, dressed in a rather nice green dress that matched her eyes and clung to her ample curves like white on rice.
She must have noticed me staring, because she cleared her throat, making me blush with embarrassment. "Can I help you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, yes, sorry. I'd like a room, please."
She nodded and seemed to check some sort of chart behind the counter. "How many nights will you be staying?"
"At least ten," I said. "If I need more, I'll just pay you again then."
"Alright," she said. "That'll be fifty coppers,"
I didn't know much about the currency in this city, but from that, I figured I could assume that a hundred coppers were worth a silver. Jor had given me five silvers, and if three coppers were enough to afford a night in an inn, just how rich was he? Speaking of three coppers per night, though, that fifty coppers did not add up with the sign outside.
"The sign outside said..." I started.
She stuck her nose in the air. "An extra fee for staring at my chest."
My face must have turned beet red. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean... er..."
She held her hand out. "Fifty coppers."
I fumbled with the coins in my pocket for a brief moment before placing one silver coin in her small hand. "You can. um, make change, right?" I asked.
She nodded, handing me a handful of coins back. She only gave me five, so I assumed they were each worth ten. "Room thirteen," she told me, handing me a shiny silver key on a shiny silver ring. "Breakfast starts at five o'clock and ends at eight. It's the only meal that comes with your payment, so don't miss it."
"Thank you," I said, feeling less embarrassed now.
She nodded, still not making eye contact. I took that as an 'Oh, it's no problem! Happy to be of service!' and went up the stairs to the right. Each step creaked as I climbed. I found room thirteen and practically dove onto the bed. It had been a very long day, and I felt exhausted. It didn't take long for me to drift off to sleep, even without any sort of blankets. Tomorrow, I thought to myself before sleep took me, I'll go to the adventuring guild and make some money.
So ended my first full day on the planet of Vis.