A dozen eyes landed on me as I entered the lounge. Adventurers and frowning ale drinkers. My arrival was greeted with a moment of silence that hit my nervous state like a punch to the face.

I sped past customers, onto the dimly lit stairs, then to the quiet second floor. Closed doors surrounded the undecorated and vacant hallway, lit by a single kerosene lamp. I slumped by the darker side of the walls and covered my panic-struck face.

Darko found me seconds later. “What the hell?” he asked.

His tone wasn’t the least bit threatening. He was quiet, calmly addressing me like a disappointed father. That didn’t make me any less distraught.

What’s wrong with me? I thought. I wanted to smash my head against the wall. Since when had I grown so damn impossible? I had always been bad at social situations, but I’d never been this terrified. What the hell had changed?

I knew I was being stupid. I wanted this to stop. Of course I did. I didn’t willingly fill myself with adrenaline every time this kind of shit happened. Communication, with strangers or not, was supposed to be a basic human function.

Darko took a deep breath. “This won’t work. You’ll have to go to the nobles.”

I paused.

“And I’m not saying this because I’m upset with you, or because I want to punish you,” Darko said. “We simply can’t teach you. I can’t turn you into an adventurer. At least not in the time we have. I can only send you to someone who can.

“A slave contract will force you to provide effort. As much as you will hate the process, awakeners need to put their all into learning and living. I cannot squeeze that kind of effort out of you. Only a contract can. In fact, this was what contracts were originally invented for. To force awakeners to keep fighting, to force them to learn with every ounce of willpower and beyond. You will need to follow this process.”

I bit my lip in an attempt to control myself. If my brain had a say, I’d have collapsed on the floor, pretending to be dead just to escape the situation. Fighting this instinct took serious effort. Darko could very well have asked me to jump off a cliff, and I’d have felt the same emotions.

I knew I was in the wrong. This was no argument. It was simply a matter for my stubborn self to figure out.

“No…” I said, forcing the words to come out. “I can do this. Give me another chance.”

Darko grabbed me by the shoulder. “This is serious. As cruel as this sounds, a slave contract could save your life.”

“No,” I said. “I’m being stupid. We can both see that. The one who needs to put in effort is me. That’s what you’ve been trying to tell me. I can do this.”

Darko studied me, uncertain.

Before he could argue, I pushed his hand off my shoulder and walked past him, downstairs. I passed the lounge without once glancing at customers.

A single deep breath was all that prepared me for whatever I was about to place myself in. Further thoughts would only allow for regrets to appear. I headed outside and faced the woman who still waited by the porch.

“Hello,” I said. “We heard, uh, that you required help with this mana well thing?”

The woman stared at me. Confusion and distrust showed in her face. Her subconscious looked for ways to escape the situation, at least to secure a runaway if the weirdo in front of her got too confrontational. She found my presence uncomfortable.

“You speak Krose?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said. “I’m sorry for running off. My boss… That red-haired guy. He mentioned you needed something.”

She hesitated. “I did.”

“You, um… Could you repeat the request?” I asked.

“You can forget I asked,” the woman said. “Please leave our village alone.”

“I’m sorry if I’m odd,” I said. “We’re really trying to help.”

“I have no money,” the woman said.

I glanced at Darko, who appeared after me, standing a few paces behind me. “Do we work for free?”

“Indeed.” Darko stepped forward and smiled at the woman. “Forgive my friend’s awkwardness. He’s still unfamiliar with our customs. He won’t eat you, I promise. We’re here to see what’s wrong with your mines. Take us to your elders. I want to discuss the problems of this town.”

Thank you! I thought, relief washing over me. My hands trembled more than I would have liked to admit.

The woman stuttered in surprise. Her expression and demeanor turned upside down when faced with Darko. She offered a bow. “Of course. Please follow me.”

Nervousness showed in her step as she descended from the porch, toward the village. She sent quick glances to make sure we were following.

Darko grinned at me. “You did well. That’s what we need more of.”

I swallowed the urge to belittle myself. “I would have failed without you.”

“And that’s why I’m here to help,” Darko said. “Remember that.”

I hated to agree with him, but I did. The world hadn’t ended from my little stutters. But I didn’t exactly feel good about myself.

With a few more turns, our escort led us to a larger dome-shaped cottage with a hay roof. An unimpressive building by modern standards, but comfy nonetheless. I had no right to complain. She knocked, then opened the unlocked door.

A lone round table filled the room’s interior. The table stood low with cushions to act as chairs. Beside it sat four people. An elderly woman, maybe seventy years old, good-looking for her years. She wore a tribal gown and a floral tiara around her head. She was comforting a crying younger woman in a less refined apron. Surprise and confusion overtook their features.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion,” our escort said. “These adventurers have come to hear our requests.”

The two other occupants were armed men with steel swords and leather vests. Their hands hovered over their weapons upon our arrival. Glares cast our way.

Darko held his left hand up, then calmly sat on the ground between two cushions. “Ease up, you skittish weasels. How come you beg for help to come, only to sneer at anyone who possibly wishes to offer their time? Don’t you think bandits would rob a more well-established village as opposed to your sorry lot?”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The guards kept their frowns. “Who are you?”

“I’m Wyvern Slayer Darko. Maybe you’ve heard of me. This is my acquaintance. Cill, a wielder of Hallowed mana chords. He is one of the most powerful foreign mages to ever step into this country. We have heard the problems of your village, and we’ve got two hours to figure out the mess.”

The guards and the elderly woman shared glances. Both looked doubtful at the very least.

“Hallowed mana chords?” the elder asked. “A claim of nonsense, young man. Hastmire offers nothing to attract assistance from foreign lands. Our pockets hold lone coins, and our word holds no fame. Your arrival can only be a scheme—one with no payoff but the possible evil of enslaving our children as payment for your assistance.”

“Wise judgment,” Darko said. “I understand your doubts. And I will dismiss them. You can either accept my presence, or you can decline me and receive my help regardless. I do not ask for a payment.”

“This does not make sense,” the elder said.

Darko smiled. “I save villages as a hobby. And you, my good woman, will have to tell me how I can save this damn village before the whole country is without mana wells. If you don’t, I will use my methods to fix this mess.”

She took her time thinking. Our escort whispered something into her ears, during which their brows furrowed further. Nobody appeared happy to have us.

“Very well,” the elder eventually said. “I do not trust a word you say. But weakened as Hastmire is, we have no choice but to accept your presence as a serendipity, and to hope you bring no curses with your guest. To remind you, Hastmire offers not the smallest of sums nor a single child for your gracious act of God.”

Darko grinned. He signaled for me to take a seat, to which I hesitantly complied. I kept my posture high, perhaps even overdoing it a little. The fear of Darko’s lectures and warnings of slave contracts kept me composed.

“Bring me every villager who knows what is going on,” Darko said. “We need as much information as we can get. What happened, what is happening, and what will happen.”

Our escort left on his orders. Within a few minutes, a dozen more people were brought to the building. Darko, the madman, had successfully organized a meeting by simply barging in and making big promises.

Like most meetings, this one started with introductions. The elderly lady was named Pearl, pronounced exactly like the English word. I didn’t know if her name was translated or if her name happened to match English syllable to syllable through coincidence, but I didn’t question it. Pearl was the current Chief of the village, as was implied by her title of “Elder.”

The beggar woman, now seated beside the Pearl, was called Meryv. She was the wife of one of the betraying mana workers. Her entire family, including her daughter, went missing after the town’s events.

The rest of the townsfolk introduced themselves as either victims of the events, or as peacekeepers of the village—guards who offered to help Darko in any way they could. Darko kindly declined their assistance, claiming that men without “glyphswords” would only get in the way of his team.

“What happened?” Darko asked. “You were all happily living, and one day your husbands never showed up back home?”

“Yes,” Meryv said. “Nothing was out of the ordinary. I packed dinner for my husband and wished him a happy day. The same was true for everyone. None of our men appeared the slightest bit odd. Then it happened. Mana sources cut off. Nobody has as much as shown their faces from the mines. We haven’t sent a drop of mana to Arkber in days…”

Everyone agreed.

“I see,” Darko said. “What about the mine itself? Has anyone investigated inside?”

Meryv opened her mouth, then broke a tear, failing to speak.

“The entrances are guarded by royal hired workers,” Pearl said. “They won’t speak, and they’ve got glyphswords. We can’t get in no matter what we try. Except for Leesha, Meryv’s daughter. She sneaked in to find her father. Leesha… hasn’t returned.”

Meryv fell into uncontrollable tears. She tried to fight her emotions, failed, then gave up and excused herself from the meeting, apologizing for her behavior. Townsfolk watched her go with saddened expressions.

Darko asked a few more questions, though we didn’t learn much more. I was happy to stay as an outsider, only watching the scene. I feared we were going to have to visit this “mana mine” to learn more.

“My team will see what we can do,” Darko said. “We cannot promise results. If it turns out the mine has been illegally hijacked, we will punish those in charge.”

“Thank you!” the townsfolk said all at once, practically kneeling and offering prayers. Only Pearl remained composed, directing a suspicious look at Darko.

“Hastmire does not take well to trickery,” Pearl said. “Whatever your scheme is, Akona overlooks us all. Remember the Moons, young man, and the punishment you will bear for tricking those who are below you.”

Darko grinned. “Contrarily, don’t you think the Moons will be happy to see someone actually taking care of their lands for a change? Honest men often bear the best of reputations.”

Pearl tried to study his intentions. She, like I, failed to deduce anything other than the fact that Darko was insane.

“We will see what we can do,” Darko said. With that, he stood and led me out of the building.

Outside, a group of kids spied on us from behind buildings, their presence visible immediately. Darko sighed but ignored them. “We’ve got an hour or two. Any more, and we’ll be late for Arkber. Let’s get the girls. Cill, lead me back to the horses.”

I raised my head back from the ground, where I’d let my posture drop. “Me?”

“You’ve been staring at my feet,” Darko said. “A bad habit. An adventurer needs to remember the paths they took. You’ll never learn a single landmark if all you do is blindly follow.”

I looked around, only to realize Darko was entirely right. I had no idea where we were, despite just walking in this direction. In this world, I had no GPS to tell me exactly where to turn. Reluctantly, I picked a path leading roughly in the direction where we’d come. Luckily, the village wasn’t large. Getting lost would be harder than finding the wagon.

“You did well, Cill,” Darko said, walking by my side, half a step behind. “That was good practice.”

“I did nothing,” I said. Which was true. I hadn’t said a single word.

“You paid attention, clearly noting everything that was said,” Darko said. “And you made sure your attentiveness was shown to those talking. You took the negotiations seriously, like a proper assistant. If you can maintain a similar pose during more important negotiations, we are halfway set already.”

“Does that mean…” I asked. “No slave contracts?”

“That depends,” Darko said. “Can you keep your head up? Or will you fall the moment an obstacle blocks your path?”

“I… I’ll try my best.” The main road was visible below. I walked swiftly toward the stables.

I hated that I agreed with Darko. Every time I was forced to comply with his requests, my brain felt as if it lost pride. My brain didn’t care that Darko was clearly trying to lift me out of my slump. For all it knew, Darko could have been making fun of me.

Stupid thinking, most certainly. My way of thought was a literal parasite that nobody should argue for. Stubbornness was one hell of a drug to overcome.

“Are we actually doing this for free, just because of your hobby?” I asked.

“No,” Darko said. “Not entirely. We work for free, and we won’t require any favors. In the village’s eyes, our deeds will be free. But the ulterior motive I have is our reputation. Performing good deeds for free is a great way to make yourself known.”

“Am I allowed to ask… Why? Why do we need a reputation? What’s our plan?”

“You are always allowed to ask,” Darko said. “I admit, I am hiding some of my plans from you and the others. This is by intention. I don’t need you to worry about the future when the present is already giving us trouble.”

“Not knowing gets me just as nervous,” I said. “What if you suddenly reveal that the plan is to leave me out on a field as bait?”

Darko laughed. “We require fame because there is a certain man we need to impress. Clever ideas are best presented with a large history of success. My group was founded barely a year ago, meaning we will have to work extra hard to build a reputation.”

“Does this have to do with the royal audience?” I asked.

“Indeed,” Darko said. “The audience is also why I need you to get familiar with negotiations. It’s scheduled for three days from now. That’s how much time I have to train you to trick a King.”

Arcane Projectile - One of the countless spells in the “projectile” subcategory of spells. In my opinion, all spells in this category are far too boring to see real use. It’s a shame that projectile spells are becoming more common throughout Kroses Sol.

This spell shoots out a laser-like projectile of arcane magic. I really don’t know what else to tell you. Try it out if you really wish to.

* Goddess Shiela’s description of the spell “Arcane Projectile”