Suta POV
While their journey progressed, the carriage that had once been shrouded in a strange silence was now buzzing with animated conversation.
Suta, somewhat reluctantly, found himself at the heart of this transformation after unveiling his mysterious badge out in the open, unknowingly it had spurred a lengthy debate about these mysterious Adventurer badges between the duo beside and opposite him.
Listening inventively, Suta learned quite a great deal about things. For instance, the badge itself was no ordinary object; it appeared at one's command and seemed to encapsulate one's entire skills, personal details, and even hidden secrets.
To achieve one you would have had to go through what was called an initial awakening. Usually carried out at one of those poxy cathedrals he woke up inside of before. Suta had to have gone through one when he was much younger, as the whole process of receiving skills and abilities was achieved after the initial awakening. They called this the Baptism.
After maturing, the first Awakening would take place sometime later, Suta vaguely understood the purpose of this event was to consider one's potential and whether or not the grace received from the Goddess was good enough to be nurtured. They mentioned there was a final awakening, but this was solely for those who passed the first one.
Every four years, a second awakening ceremony was set to be held for special talents. There was a slim but real chance of Rankings improving. You usually have two awakenings during your lifetime by the sounds of things.
Suta also discovered a few things about the cathedral. That white-haired fox-faced elder for starters and those white-silked-wearing priests he saw earlier were part of a group known as the Order of Golden Dawn. They had ties to the royal family and held a lot of power around these parts. When the handsome fellow described them, Suta noticed a mixture of reverence and anger laced in his voice.
Suta was surprised to find out that those who were considered more talented could shield certain parts of their Adventurer badges from being shown to the world. This explained why he couldn't discern those hidden icons on the elder's badge. Meaning the silent elder purposely hid them away.
'So all of this is supposed to be the handiwork of that so-called Goddess, like the one I saw in the cathedral. it's strange' He pondered deeply to himself when he considered that being. His mind began to whirl, putting together pieces and making sense out of the string of information flooded into his thoughts.
The way talent is defined and measured to determine one's rank appears to be a critical aspect of this society, especially given the significance of the ceremony. Also, the ceremonial aspect underscores the badges' importance, it could be that they are not merely identifiers but symbols of one's place and potential within the societal structure.
'That's why that woman was so happy to see Briallah leave. Heh-heh at least her life would be better now.' He thought, feeling slightly better now that he thought about his choices with that girl
After some time, Suta eventually posed a lingering question to the burlier fellow seated on his right side.
"Hey, what's the chance of improving your rank consistently? " Suta asked the hairy-armed brute seated beside him
"Pfft! Good heavens kid- no chance of that! Sucks to say this, but you're stuck with the rank you get." Suta's brows furrowed a little hearing that, he shifted his annoyed look towards the handsome fellow, and the young man nodded in agreement with his arms folded.
"That's the harsh reality of things kid, low rankers are at the bottom of the barrel in society as you'd imagine. Not many jobs or good graces are afforded to these folk. But now that you mention it..." His voice trailed away, Suta noticed a slight wavering in his look before he reluctantly continued.
"Well, they are just folklore of course. But some say...well you know, there was a particular race of fellows who could improve their ranks!"
Suta's eyes lit up and he noticeably shifted a little closer to the fellow slightly adjacent to his seat. A sense of eagerness blossomed across his bright round eyes.
"y-yes? and who were they?" He asked with a youthful eagerness, almost as though dazzling stars glittered in his wide gaze.
*Gulp*
"Well...they were known as... the D-demon race kid. Only Demons could improve their ranks constantly" the fellow sourly announced. The entire mood underneath the carriage's hood turned gloomy after that.
***
The lengthy journey continued, and Suta saw their journey carry them across vast rocky lands with the occasional appearance of beautifully matted soft grasslands appearing across the fold of rolling hills. One place in particular, was simply covered in an array of majestically formed flowers, covering wide patches of fields. Suta enjoyed the warm ambiance of the passing outdoors. His mind was like a single reef, gently wading across the vast still waters of his dreams.
Suta didn't say much after the whole badge reveal fiasco. It did give him a lot more questions and mysteries to unravel. That awakening ceremony for starters was very weird. How did he even get there in the first place, why couldn't he remember anything before that, and also, when did he acquire that strange adventures badge in the first place?
There's way too much I don't understand yet, I need to focus on somehow unraveling these mysteries, one piece at a time, and discover who I am and what I'm doing here. Worst case, I'm part of some kind of demonic ritual. Best case, I can learn magic and live out a peaceful life here.'
In a bid to not weigh too much on these things, Suta thought about other light-hearted thoughts, for example, the idea that magic and a whole plethora of incredible powers were readily available in some capacity. He was still trying to piece together what a possible future for him looked like here, and perhaps if he too could learn magic despite his low rank, somehow this misfortune could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Just as he was poised to relax a little more, a ruckus from the outdoors filled the peaceful air. The relatively comfortable ride very quickly turned into a clamorous ordeal. The ground beneath them suddenly turned bumpy and unstable, sending the carriage galloping up and down like a seesaw. Suta barely held on as the carriage was violently rocked back and forth before grinding to an impromptu stop.
"Hey! Driver what's your problem!" voiced the hairy-armed brute beside him massaging his head. " Damn near almost broke my neck!"
"Probably bandits," Said the younger-looking fellow less agitated, Suta's gaze locked onto his fingers, as he started to place on remarkable shiny rings.
"Pfft! Fat chance that, one of the leading convoys probably lost its wheels. That's what happens when you cheap out on stuff...blasted royals." He quipped frustratingly
"Ha! Shall we make a wager then?" The younger man suggested flexing his beautiful ring-studded hand before placing a devious grin upon the hair armed brute.
"Bring it one you dandy!"
"Good, let's bet...1000 sails?"
"I'm in...s-s-say, a bit steep that for a wager no?" the hairy brute sounded a little uncertain
After being coerced into the bet, Suta watched the two fellows rather expectantly end up fighting one another in a bid to see which one was the first one to stick their heads out of the squared window to confirm who was right or wrong.
They seemed to notice something upon casting their heads outside, whilst the thin-faced fellow smugly started to heckle, the rough-talking brute started muttering curses.
It didn't take Suta too long to realize who had won the wager.
"Well would you look at that, told you it was bandits? Quite the brazen bunch id say, considering these carriages are marked with the Queen's sigil on the side of them, reckon they're a rebellious guild?"
"Ahaha who gives a shit, lets go and wet our blades with the blood of some fools. Hey kid, fancy dancing with some devils?" The brute asked him creasing a mocking smile filled with rotten teeth.
Suta inwardly grimaced, unable to turn his eyes away from those horrible-looking teeth. He quickly raised a single hand before waving it a little in protest.
"Hard pass thank you." He said sternly
'There's no way I'm putting myself in harm's way in this scenario, I can't even remember what yesterday looked like, how in the world could I manage to fend off...b-bandits >_<'
The burlier man shrugged his two shoulders before revealing a rusty set of short iron swords he kept well hidden in his oversized breeches. He kicked open the door in haste and bundled himself outside, the other fellow almost felt compelled to follow as Suta watched him dutifully take his exit.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Unlike the burlier-shaped fellow, the handsome young man didn't bear any visible weapons on show. Suta paid close attention to those gleaming emerald and sapphire studded rings mysteriously coiled around his thin fingers, sensing there was something more to them than what he thought. Noticing Suta's more than obvious stare, he did give him a gentle wink before a soft hum appeared against his lips upon his departure.
The pair nosily disembarked and quickly disappeared down the line of convoys. Suta heard their voices growing more distant until all he could hear were the rough clashes of violence and iron clanging against iron in the near distance.
After a while, a serene calm gently fell against the carriage. Suta stole casual glances at the silent man with silver hair now and again, but he thankfully seemed more engrossed with his own musings. Looking as though he cared little about whatever it was going on around him.
Time gently moved along, and unsurprisingly Suta was beginning to feel a little interested in the slight chaos he could vividly hear from the outside. There was so much noise going on, that it was virtually impossible for him to completely drain out the distractions. He reasoned with that being the sole reason he was eager to take a look.
'There's no harm in peeking is there?'
He crawled across the small seats towards the other side of the short carriage before he cautiously stuck his head through the squared gap. The first thing he felt was the downpour of heat aggressively smothering his small head. A grimace creased against his mask, but Suta relented with his curious pursuit and gazed along the rows of dark carriages aligned down the winding dusty golden road. sat between a small slanted gang of palm trees aligned on the edges of a dull and partially grassed forest.
Their small fleet of identical carriages had submerged against a narrow hill crossing over a meadow.
There was a skirmish taking place just before a short red bridge linked one piece of land to the next. The bridge was framed with red wooden beams crisscrossed beneath the sturdy platform. A group dressed in black and partial leather had blocked the bridge, with large wagons filled with scrap metal and a strange large pig's head mounted onto a raised pole.
Suta counted a dozen or so of them, armed with long sharp-looking weapons and war hammers. There was a small panic going on with the folk held up inside of the leading carriage that lasted for a while until he noticed two fellows bulldozing towards the group.
In a few blinks Suta saw the two slightly familiar men engage with the human blockade. He was kind of half expecting them to be blown away. Maybe it was because they argued a lot, or perhaps he was half hoping that would be the case, perhaps he could enjoy peace and quiet.
'Maybe if it's just the brute who gets taken care of then...but Oh! what do you know.'
His eyes flashed with surprise to see a gust of swirling colors dancing majestically across the air. Two men approached the handsome-faced fellow who mysteriously conjured a strange opened book floating just above his left hand, with a simple wave of his right hand he sent the strange swirling lights that had formed thick tendrils crashing down against the heart of the blockage, scattering the helpless men with ease.
Although some of the bandits managed to evade the tendrils and made a desperate lunge in a bid to counter-attack, a small shadow popped out of nowhere armed with a sinister looking pitch-black iron sword.
Suta found it slightly odd, remembering the iron sword's appearance looking very different just before he bundled out of the carriage. But what caught his attention, even more, was the level of destruction it left behind after each swing.
"Wow...they're s-so strong" he sounded absentmindedly, as it turns out those two were much stronger than they looked.
The sword clattered into the shields and obliterated them with such ease that Suta wondered if those shields were any good at all. The screams of the bandits very quickly rose to the heavens as the blockage had turned into a one-sided slaughter within moments.
Watching this from afar he couldn't contain the excitement and strange allure he was feeling right now. With his memories mostly in a dense fog, something rather natural was beginning to birth within his gut. A wanderlust which spirited a sort of battle spirit within him.
An inner voice desperately yearning for the chance to become equally as powerful one day.
'This place...heh-heh...This world is kind of awesome' He had to admit, there was so much allure about this place he was seldom ever thinking about where he might've come from.
He hadn't realized during these moments there was an ugly smile unknowingly creased against his face. A complex stare filled with the undertones of obsession and greed. All the while Suta was completely oblivious to the silent elder who had been watching him for quite some time now with an expressionless curiosity glazed against his silvery clear eyes.
***
The skirmish was practically over before it had begun, unfortunately, leaving young Suta reeling for more. He sat back down, feeling his little chest heaving in and out as he tried to take in what he had just witnessed. The silent old man had long closed his eyes and looked to be already drifting into a deep sleep
After the sta short time passed before the squealing carriage doors opened again and the hoarse voices of the two fellows appeared, this time however Suta beheld both of them with a newfound light. Stars were dancing within his eyes, he could barely contain his excitement, bouncing his eyes from one fellow to the other. Waiting for them to spill the beans on those powers they evoked outside.
"Hahaha don't go idolizing me just yet kid, you ain't seen nuttin' yet if you think that's my entire power," said the burlier-shaped fellow as he purposely flexed his chiseled biceps with a half-ugly smile.
Suta might've cringed if it wasn't for the display he had witnessed still freshly painted in his mind. So he gave the brute some flowers and allowed him to gloat a little.
"How did you do that? are you really strong? Are your swords special? How come they turned black? and could I do that if I practiced?" His questions poured out in a flurry as his eyes turned into stars, Unbeknownst to himself he brought his face closer to the brute beside him.
"T-take it easy kid no need to get that close." the man responded before clearing his throat.
"But to answer your question, it's a special skill I learned a good while ago. See look"
He held out his hand and Suta watched with feverous anticipation, seeing a dance of particles quickly materializing into a bronze-coloured badge. And just like his own one and the silent old man, there was a host of descriptions written against it.
Noticeably he chose to keep some of his personal details hidden, Suta didn't mind of course since he only wanted to see the skills list.
One line in particular caught his attention.
Black Turtle Sword Style : Number 16 {Black Iron}
Black Turtle Sword Style : Number 86 {Bullish counter}
"Amazing, so those skills then...that was why you were so powerful back then?" he queried with intrigue.
The burly-shaped man nodded, seated with his arms folded showing a more mature air of confidence to him now.
"Yup. A skill is a personal learned ability that you can do with little to no effort after obtaining complete mastery. Regardless of how you encountered the skill, be it via a skills book, a blessing, or simply by luck from executed the proper forms repeatedly. Complete mastery is obtained after countless hours of training the skill. Most advanced skills are broken into smaller bits too.
Take my Turtle sword style for example. The Turtle Sword Style has over 100 different attacks. And it's taken me half of my life to just master two of them. Tsk! probably why I was never really good as a solo adventurer. I'd be of much more use to a guild as a guard. Where my skills suddenly become supplementary to others who lack where I succeed."
Suta found the explanation interesting. And understandable, strange enough.
'There's probably a limit to the amount of skills one can master and use. Judging by the bronze color of his badge, the silent elder had a lot more skills and his badge looked pristine, he's probably weaker than the silent old man but a lot stronger than the bandits. Which means.'
"Those bandits, Am I right in suggesting they had no abilities?"
"More or less, or abilities that weren't nowhere near helpful to them against us."
This time the fellow with the sparkling rings answered.
"There's a huge gap between skills and ability users compared to those without. But there's an even more gap between those folk and the kind of people that I deal with little boy."
Catching Suta's attention, the boy replayed those dazzling lights he recalled seeing that man conjure before. Suta also vaguely recalled seeing that strange open book, wondering where he could fit such a large book in the first place. His eyes busied around the young-faced fellow, making sure he wasn't carrying any hidden bags on him.
"Oh, let me guess. You're wondering where this is...right?" The slender fellow held out his open palm and in a blink of an eye a large book covered in a dark cyan hood appeared out of nowhere.
Suta was so surprised that he sort of jerked back a little, hitting his back firmly against the leather seat in the process.
"Buaha! Don't be alarmed. This is my grimoire , unlike that brute who loves to lick iron and throw his weight about. I come from a different elk of folk. Adventurers all the same of course, but from a different class altogether.
Take a guess, what would you call people that can do what I do?" the man asked Suta with a mischievous smile tugging the corners of his mouth upwards
Suta's eyes remained focused on that floating book, it took him a few moments to steady the excitement racing through his body.
But the moment he did, his eyes gently widened as a partial fog lifted from his memories.
"M-magic...Arcane? You are...an Arcanist ?"