Lucas reacted instinctively and stopped resisting whatever was pulling him back, for all that he could. At the same time, he pulse-activated [Accelerant Frame] and violently twisted his body to roll with the pull. His move was sudden enough that he felt the grip on his back release--the moment it did, he went flying back in a barely controlled manner, beyond his assailant.

In the flight, Lucas managed to clip the side of a tree hard enough that there was no chance it wouldn't bruise. [Accelerant Frame] was no longer in effect by then, but he still did not have as much mana as he would have liked for this sudden confrontation. While he was rolling across the ground, before he could make it to his feet, he made the decision to conserve what he had and let [Rapid Regeneration] take care of his side.

Barely a moment had passed from when he was snatched off the ground to when he got his feet beneath him again, roughly ten paces from his assailant. The moment he got a good look at them, however, he relaxed. He'd been caught, but there was no reason to fight a guard.

"Woah, kid! That was crazy!" The guard burst out in laughter. Despite, her apparent relaxation though, she turned back to Lucas and clearly made ready to catch him if he chose to run off. "I wondered what a little [Healer] was doing out here, but you're not a normal one, are you? Wait, no--you're [Healer] Mary's kid!"

As she was talking, Lucas made out the sounds of more people approaching. The rest of this one's patrol.

"I gotta know how you did that, though," the first guard kept talking. "You practically exploded out of my grip. What sort of Skill was that?"

Lucas sighed. "Augmentation Skill," he admitted to her. However, his focus was now mostly on the approaching group.

"Ahh, nice. I was thinking it was just a cool movement Skill, but that's better," she said, turning toward the rest of her patrol as well, as they finally made it to them.

"What's this, now?" A male guard at the front of the patrol, carrying two short blades asked. "What's a [Healer] doing out here on his own?"

This [Identify] tag is going to be annoying, isn't it? I bet they wouldn't care if it showed I was a [Hunter].

That actually reminded him, he should be using said Skill on this group.

[Warrior]

[Warrior]

[Mage]

[Warrior]

[Warrior]

Lucas sighed again. Ever the useless Skill, huh? The patrol consisted of the five guards, one being heavily armored and carrying a shield, one with a spear and short sword, one lightly outfitted [Mage], then the first two. The woman that caught him carried a bow, herself.

"I'm not just a [Healer]," Lucas explained to the one carrying two blades. "I've got a hybrid Class, and I was out here leveling an attack Skill."

"On your own? What are you, twelve?" The big guy with the shield asked.

"Not even that," the spearman answered for him. "This is the kid Eugene is always around. He only unlocked, like, a month ago or something."

"So he's not even eleven then, and can't be past level 50," shield guy concluded.

"Look, kid," two blades knelt before Lucas, "I know leveling is exciting, but you're not supposed to be out here on your own. Especially at your age, and as a [Healer]."

These guards seemed nice, and were clearly handling this as they should be, but Lucas was now nearly bristling in irritation at their patronizing. He already told them he had a hybrid Class, so he wasn't some fragile kid that would fall over to the slightest breeze. He extended his hand, palm facing up and catching the patrol's curiosity, and he drew out a bit of crackling lightning mana. It was so sudden that two blades jumped back slightly in surprise.

"I told you, hybrid Class, attack Skill," he listed for them. "I know what I'm doing and I was even using [Vigilance] and [Stealth]. This one," he dismissed the mana and pointed at the bow-woman, "probably just has them at a higher level than me."

If Lucas didn't have any of the guards' attention before, he sure did now. The [Mage] in particular was looking at Lucas strangely. Two blades was not exempt from the rest of their surprise, but he got over it much more quickly.

"Even so," he told Lucas, "we can't just leave you out here. We have a job to do, so you will be coming back with us to the village."

The way the man made Lucas's choice for him did nothing to alleviate his annoyance, but Lucas swallowed it and shrugged. "That's where I was going, anyway."

"Good. Let's go, then," two blades stood and waved for Lucas to start walking toward the village again.

"Wait, Gabe," the superman called out to two blades, "we still have a chunk of our route to cover before heading back in."

Shield guy put a hand on his shoulder. "Can't leave a kid out here, Fred. Can't take one on a patrol, either."

That was apparently enough explanation, because no other argument was raised. They all started walking back--first to the developed path to the village, then to the north gate. Little conversation was engaged amongst the patrol, but as they walked, the [Mage] sidled up to him.

"What Skill was that, back there," she asked Lucas without preamble.

She stared at him intensely, solely focussed on getting her answer and without offering any introduction. Just like the bow-woman seemed to be heavily interested in physical Skills, this one was quite fixated on mana Skills.

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"Why do you want to know? Are you a lightning [Mage]?" Lucas countered.

"No, I use plant magic," she said, seemingly confused at his question.

He looked back at her. "Then why do you want to know about lightning magic?"

"It's not the Skill I want to know about, really," she shook her head. "It's the mana. It was weird."

Oh. She noticed that, huh?

"Just another Skill," Lucas casually shrugged. "Do you have [Sense Mana] or something?"

"That's right," she confirmed.

"Then you'd know more than me."

His answer didn't seem to satisfy the [Mage], but she dropped the question. The rest of the walk to the north gate passed quietly, with the guards' attention cast out to the forest around them, alert for threats despite how close to the village they were. Once at the gate, they were quickly let inside with only a few words exchanged between Gabe and the guard atop the wall. Lucas didn't pay much attention, he was just eager to get back home and maybe take a nap.

After they all got through, Lucas patiently and respectfully thanked them for escorting him back and started to walk away, before two blades caught his shoulder.

"Not so fast," the guard said, "you need to come back with us. I haven't forgotten that you were out of the village on your own."

"What, are you going to lock me up? That's ridiculous," he tried to jerk his shoulder out of the man's grip, but had no luck.

"Sorry kid, but that's the way it goes," Gabe said. "Don't worry, you're not going to be 'locked up.' Nothing that harsh."

Lucas looked to the rest of the patrol for help, but none of them seemed to care for his plight. In fact, they all soon split up since only one of them needed to report in for their patrol and two blades was heading back to the guards' base anyway. Lucas was left on his own, not so much dragged along by Gabe, but not entirely willingly following.

He had unlocked his Class and leveled up a number of combat Skills--he had even killed a monster already. Lucas really didn't see why Gabe was making a big deal out of this, but the patronizing was certainly not appreciated. Even if it technically came from a good place.

The guards' base was located in the center of the village, an equal distance to each gate and practically attached to the building the Elders held meetings in. It was relatively large and had its own open yard for training purposes, though that was currently empty. Lucas knew that the [Hunter]s used the building as well, as it kind of served as the village's armory, but they also organized themselves from there, too. Their traps and bows and other implements were stored right along with the guards' things.

Gabe brought Lucas into the building without interruption, then up a flight of wooden stairs and down a hall. They stopped before the final door, and the guard gave a light knock.

"Come in," a familiar voice beckoned them.

The two of them stepped through, and Lucas got a look around. It was a small room, sparsely decorated with an old couch on one wall, a stand for a set of armor and heavy gauntlets in a corner, and a desk facing the door. Seated at said desk was none other than Commander Iltani, Elder and highest-leveled [Warrior] in the village. She looked up from a paper on her desk, one blocked by an enormous curved horn before it so that Lucas couldn't see its contents, and took them in.

The Commander wasn't so surprised at Gabe's presence, but the sight of Lucas caused her to at least look twice before addressing her subordinate. "Well, what's this?"

"Commander. My patrol came across this [Healer] on his own, outside the village," Gabe began reporting. "We were nearly finished with our route, so we cut it short and escorted him back here."

Iltani glanced at Lucas once more, then back at Gabe. "Alright, you may go."

"Yes, Commander," two blades respectfully obeyed.

Before he could leave and close the door behind him, however, Iltani called out to him one last time. "Send Eugene up, on your way out. He should still be running inventory."

Two blades quickly moved to obey, and Lucas was then left on his own with the Commander, standing there awkwardly. He could admit to being just a bit nervous as she looked him over impassively.

"This shouldn't take long," she told him. "Take a seat on the couch, if you'd like."

Lucas nodded and followed her suggestion. As she said, it didn't take long till there was another knock on the door and she called the person in. Eugene joined them, pausing a moment when he saw Lucas and raising one brow, before addressing her. "You wanted to see me, Commander?"

Iltani nodded in Lucas's direction. "[Aspirant] Lucas, here, was picked up on his own by a patrol, just north of the village."

Eugene looked pointedly at Lucas, but he missed it entirely as he was hung up on what the Commander called him. [Aspirant], not [Healer]. Did she have a higher evolution of [Identify]? With how useless the Skill had thus far proven to him, it had to be super high level. That, or word had somehow spread, but Lucas hadn't really shared that information enough for it to do so.

"Was he?" Eugene asked, the question being directed more at Lucas than the Commander.

Iltani nodded. "As you know, we can't have children getting themselves into danger like this--especially after that whole mess with the [Hunter]. In Lucas's case, however, it is likely not so simple."

"I don't take your meaning, Commander," Eugene voiced his confusion.

"Well, he has already demonstrated his abilities. It is debatable just how much danger he was in," Iltani clarified. "As such, it is really a matter for his mother to decide on."

Lucas swallowed. He saw where this was going now, and he started mentally preparing himself to face his mom's wrath.

"I see," Eugene said. "I'll let her know."

The Commander sat there, tapping the desk as she looked over Lucas for a moment. "How long have you been sneaking past passed the walls," she suddenly asked him.

Lucas swallowed and considered lying, but he didn't think it would go over well here. "A while," he said, "since before my unlock. Ma'am."

Iltani chuckled slightly at his words, for some reason. "Before his unlock, he says." She lapsed into thought for a while more. For their part, Lucas and Eugene stood patiently and quietly, awaiting whatever judgement she was preparing or otherwise her dismissal. A few minute later, she looked to Eugene. "I recall you mentioning something about a mentorship program?"

"That's right, a way to start training the recently unlocked youth in their Class and Skills," Eugene answered. "Mostly for those that desire to join the guards one day, but really for anyone and any mentor that takes part."

"I see," Iltani nodded, then addressed Lucas. "How does that sound to you?"

"Um, I was there when he had the idea, ma'am. It sounds good."

"Very well. Eugene, you may mentor [Aspirant] Lucas, then. In time, take him on some of your patrols and help raise his level. Provided this works out well, we will consider expanding the mentorship program."

Her decision managed to surprise the both of them, but Lucas's dread started to be pushed aside in favor of a burgeoning excitement. Lucas already frequently trained with Eugene, but the Commander was pretty much allowing him to safely hunt monsters--though boring patrol work was absolutely part of the package, as well.

"However," she turned to Lucas, "only with the permission of [Healer] Mary. I won't send her son outside the village without her express permission."

"Yes, ma'am," Lucas brightly acknowledged, and Eugene nodded his understanding.

"Alright, you're both dismissed. Eugene, keep me informed," with that, Iltani returned to the paper before her.

They took the dismissal and left the room. Once the door was closed behind them, Lucas pumped his fist in the air and just managed to restrain himself from jumping and shouting. That had gone much better than he had expected it to.

Eugene's hand grabbed onto Lucas's shoulder, pulling his attention. "Don't get so excited just yet, mister. You still need to explain this situation to your mother."

Lucas cringed. "You're right. You know, I really wasn't in any danger. I used [Stealth] and [Vigilance] and was as responsible as I could be."

Eugene sighed, and they began making their way out of the building. "I know you were. But Lucas, you really don't know just how dangerous it can get out there. There was plenty of risk involved, so please don't try to sneak out on your own again, no matter what Mary decides."

The sincerity of his words struck Lucas, so instead of protesting any more, he said, "Ok. I won't. Sorry for worrying you."

"Thanks," Eugene reached over and tousled Lucas's hair. "Now, come on. Let's get you home."