Serabough situated in the intersection of the great meridian and 10th degree of south latitude. The climate tend to be all years lukewarm, coupled with monotonous variation of mild rainfall in the end of August to mid December. Cartographer and frontier alike dubbed Serabough blissful weather as Land of Forever Spring. However, Serabough's climate didn't came from nature. In fact, until three hundred years ago, Serabough citizen were questionably adjusted to it's region peculiar Storm and Twister weekend. Landlocked between the foreboding Plains of Despair in the East, scorching Desert of Tranquility in the South, and barren Barouge Mountains on the North. Serabough weather were rather peculiar, if not downright unsuitable for living.
However through enormous persistence and undying stubbornness of it's citizen. Serabough town Wizards were able reconstruct the ancient magic of weather control, thus relieving Serabough from it's ill-fated curse. Armed with clear weather and mental fortitude that built from hundred years of relentless persistence, Serabough agriculture were flourished. It is well-known that if their basic need were fulfilled, human would seek new challenge for themselves, adapting and constructing to claim their right of better living. Equipping themselves with army of trained soldiers and loyal knight commander, Rosenheim Kingdom were born. Led by their well-meaning king, Rosenheim managed to fend off the thousand-years threat from Plain of Despair's aberration. Celebrating their changed luck and well-deserved success, Rosenheim's Royal seeks to brought prosperity for his people. In accordance to the big book of 'What Every Developing Kingdom Should Know'. Rosenheim decide to follow the way of commerce and embark in the trade of natural resources and craftsmanship.
Merchant were ordered to establish a trade road. Unfortunately their choice were rather limited, Desert of Tranquility, were.... a desert. There were no point to venture through that water sucking sandbox, except if you were an adventurer who eager to feel the state of unquenchable thirst or those peculiar sunburn masochists. Plain of Despair were a big no-no, the rumor said that you wouldn't last ten minutes in that place. The rumor were proven by Serabough Capital Warden, he decided to gave three death-sentenced prisoner a chance of amnesty by dropping them in the border of the Plain of Despair. According to the Warden's hourglass, they last about 8 minutes and 57 seconds before two monsters gulping their last cracked bone.
Brent Kingdom in the North were out of question, Barouge Mountains created a landscape that only viable to knight and warrior whom possessed high stamina. Additionally, Rosenheim and Brent foreign relation were rather... finicky. Their last war didn't end in peace, rather it's end in a tense cease-fire which both kingdom never bother to terminate. Therefore, the merchant option only Parvan's pass of the Northwest, located between Barouge and Thoron mountain, Merchant of Rosenheim managed to established trade with the Briton Alliance. The road were called Conatus Itinere, which translate to Path of Effort.
Vin and Fou were travelling the mentioned road. Posed as travelling adventurer with Fou as his pet Owl. Originally, Vin asked the merchants the required fare to board their wagon. However all the merchant shook their head, even at his one hundred gold coin offer. A hundred gold were too small fee to bother when they paid their mercenary 35 gold per person, not to mention additional 1 gold per kill they made when protecting the caravan.
"Is there any possibility that you could spare me any room at all?"
"No can't do kid. It's full."
Vincent didn't want to resort to teleportation to arrive at Parvan, unless it's an Epic Teleport Skill. Teleportation with no prior visiting were suicide. scrying would not help much, his level were far too low, and He did want to enjoy adventuring and popping to one city to another definitely did not count as adventuring.
"How about if I worked as your mercenary?"
"Hah! We're not small caravan kid! We had 200 mercenaries already! What do you think you could do that they couldn't?"\
"Umm... I could discourage monster from attacking? Well, it'd not work if you decide to attack them first, but still.."
"Pfff! HA HA HA HA! Seriously? That's impossible! All of the monster in the road were so aggressive they'd attack anyone they see! Or smell, depend on what kind of monster."
"Perhaps you attacked them first?"
"Don't be stupid kid! We brought expensive wares, why we'd risk on attacking monster on the road? We want a safe journey, that's why we hired those competent mercenary."
"Umm..."
"Say what, you could hitchhiked my wagon, if it proven that until you leave there are no monster attacking without provocation, I'd gave you a free ride, if not, you should paid me a thousand gold!"
Rodwitch Challenge
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Caravan Master Rodwitch doubted your dubious claim to be able to repeal non-provoked monster. His doubt were justified because monster in Conatus Itinere were well-known for it's aggressive behavior.
Quest Difficulty : D+
Quest Completion Requirement : Non-provoked monster should not attack until you decide to leave the Caravan
Quest Completion Reward : Free Ride in Rodwitch Wagon for travelling the Conatus Itinere
Quest Failure : Non-provoked monster attack the caravan during your stay
Quest Failure Penalty : 1000 gold coin must be paid to Rodwitch
Do you accept this quest?
YES|NO
"...Yes."
"Good, good. Now, hop on. Don't forget to prepare those golds kid, hahaha"
"Sheesh.."
****
"Permeate the chant of the earthen praise, bless this clouded mind with wisdom within."
"Shall the logic breeze through every head, shall the anger drowned from every heart."
"Through this mortal vein, I evoke thee, Reasonability!"
Reasonability
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Increasing Wisdom on all approaching creature. Creature become more calculative and reasonable. Berserk effect would automatically dispelled. [/size]
Creature would considered cost-benefit ratio when attempting to attack and would not be short-headed nor short-tempered. Under the effect of the spell, the creature would not be blinded by rage or pity vengeance and become a peace-loving individual.
Effect
Grant Wisdom +100 in 100 m x 100 m area
Grant Wisdom +90 in 75 m x 75 m area
Grant Wisdom +80 in 50 m x 50 m area
Grant Wisdom +70 in 25 m x 25 m area
Grant Wisdom +60 in 12.5 m x 12.5 m area
Grant Wisdom +50 in 6.25 m x 6.25 m area
Grant Wisdom +40 in 3.125 m x 3.125 m area
Creature with high wisdom tend to be peaceful, unless provoked
The rest of the week went uneventful. Geovanne, the scouting ranger were baffled. Normally, the caravan would be attacked at least two times per day, ranged from weak kobold and beastmen, to the more difficult monster like gargantuan and digging mole who would create a hole under the road and pull the unsuspecting caravan along with their owner underground. What surprise Geovanne more were the fact that the monster were indeed approaching. But after certain distance from the caravan, suddenly the monster would turned still, and after three minutes of looking contemplative, the monster would walk away with no apparent reason at all.
He did not complain though, the additional gold payment were only available to the butchering mercenaries like those AOE-specialized magician. As a ranger, his main weapon were bow and arrow, it deal a decent damage, but still significantly less than the specialized archer, his risk of death were far greater should the monster decide to attacked. Therefore, as a scout this condition could be called a lucky break, he got paid for scouting and didn't need to worry about death.
The others opinion were varied, the merchant of course were satisfied with the current condition, they got to pay the mercenary less and have a safe journey. The rest? Well not so much. Grumbling of dissatisfaction could be heard from the guarding warriors. Less attack mean less pay, and since they under contractual obligation to not provoke the monster, they couldn't do anything. Archers and magicians were indifferent, they'd not mind to get additional income from the monster attack, however since their defense were rather low, they prefer a smooth journey. Since some of them did want to travel to Parvan and death before arrival means you'd be revived in the Serabough, causing lot of wasted time.
"Soo, what kind of wish did you asked?" Asked Fou, tugging my hair with his feathered wing.
"Don't know.. I haven't got the right one." answered Vin.
"Well, make up your mind, master. How about gold? Yes, yes.. wealth beyond your wildest dream!"
"Midas scroll, I just need to transform copper to gold."
"Eternal life?"
"I'm a freedmen, Fou."
"Legendary item? Artifact?"
"I already able to practically use all existing magic. What kind artifact do I need?"
"Power? Like a kingdom for your own."
"I'm an Emissary of Concord, my job description is to promote harmony, owning a kingdom would resulted in conflict of interest."
"Bah, a mortal with no desire, the bane of every tempter."
"Yeah, sure, What I want is to understand magic better."
"Wish for all knowledge then!"
"That'd surely categorized as unreasonable wish."
"That's true..."
"Ah, I know, I wish I'd be able to talk to Mana!"
"Wha--?"
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Do you want to use your one free reasonable wish from the God and Goddess to enable you to talk to Mana?
"Yes."
Mana Communication (Passive) Master
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Enable you to communicate with the mana. Mana were everlasting energy, their consciousness were peculiar and somehow mind-boggling to the mortal. They able to separate and merge their consciousness by merging or dividing their size. At the master level, you'd be able to understand the non-verbal communication with mana. Able to contact mana in any part of the world as long the mana were willing, however it'd took a great concentration to be able to do so.
Familiarity with Mana would start at friendly
You're the first Player to be able to communicate with Mana! Fame Increase by 1250
Magic Comprehension Lv Up! Magic Comprehension now at Intermediate Lv.7
Intelligence Increased by 50 points
Wisdom Increased by 50 points
Due to advancing Mana Communication to Master Level, New Skill had been generated! You acquired Mana Visualization Passive
Mana Visualization (Passive) Intermediate Lv.01
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Enable the user to see mana in their true from. Mana would be seen as bubbling ball or swirling light that pass around the surrounding. Enable you to touch and harness mana directly (though, it'd require great concentration). Intermediate level skill enable you to distinguish mana property from it's color. For example Fire type mana would be seen as a blazing red, Water would be seen as aquamarine blue, and so on.
Mana! Color-coded for your convenience
Magic Comprehension Lv Up! Magic Comprehension now at Intermediate Lv.9
Blinking a few time due to the barrage of notification window, Vin decide to test his skill.
"Hello." said Vin to one of translucent ball of mana that flying beside him.
"What? WHAT? Child of Elves! You could speak to me?"
"Umm.. yes?"
"Oh MY GOD! That's so awesome! Let see, let see! Hmm hmm, you were Scholar! Yes yes, means you're quite smart. Hmm what's this? I sense a lingering divinity mixed with the arcana. Intriguing! Vriv! Come here!"
"Huh? What?" said a green-tinted translucent ball.
"See this elf child! He could speak to us! Isn't that amazing?"
"Yeah, right, and Embinyu now start a charity."
"Umm, hello Vriv, I'm Vin."
"What? That's improbable! How you could communicate to us Elf?"
"Err, I got one free wish from the God and Goddess?"
"A FREE WISH?"
"A Reasonable free wish."
"Not a wealth? Fame? Power?"
"Don't need it.."
"Ultimate knowledge?"
"Not reasonable."
"Hmm, hmm and you have a somehow calming aura. Let's see, let's see, A pure heart? No, no. Good heart? Apparently not! I could see a non-discrimination mixed with strong resolve, hmm hmm, Let's hear the word from the winds shall we? AH! You're that Emissary of Concord!"
"How do you know?"
"Well, we mana were practically immortal." said the first translucent ball.
"Therefore we have lot of means in acquiring information." said the second ball.
"We could practically communicate with every non-living."
"The living were stuck in their vibrating the air communication method."
"You mean, speaking?"
"Yes! There are lot of way to communicate without this speaking. But no! Mortal only capable to communicate with that. Leaving us bored alone."
"Oh, wow."
"So why do you choose to speak with us, child?"
"Umm, Well, I at least want to talk with the people who had been empowering the magic in all realm, I aimed to be a great scholar.."
"Haha! Such an honest boy."
"And what do you want to asked, hmm?"
"Errr. Firstly do you empower the magic?"
"Correct."
"Every single one?"
"That is true."
"For every one?"
"No-discrimination, magic is for every one who capable to use it."
"How do you turned back into mana? Like for example after been turned to fireball."
"Simple! After our energy turned to the other, our consciousness would reappear under Her Yggdrasil tree, and we would drifted back after our energy were replenished. If you mortal created magic item, we'd stay there until it destroyed."
"I see, I see. But do you guys only exist to... I don't know, powering magic?"
"Well of course we'd love to have same freedom as the mortal, but everyone got their role! And our were to empowered the magic."
"Oh, how about if you're turned into those golem?"
"If it the crude mindless type, we will just be their power source. If it's the sentient kind? Our consciousness would meld with other mana that present. Our personality would be heavily affected by the property that the creator will the golem to be. Earth golem for example would be kind-hearted with a stubborn attitude."
"It's liberating of course, but we won't remember ourselves ever been a mana."
"Correct! You'd only remembered that after you released from the golem."
"Not to mention you have to heed every your creator command."
"A reasonable command, Dev"
"Yeah, right! I remembered when I turned into golem, my creator insert infatuation in the golem mind (a.k.a us). Well, long story short, he made us a meat shield in the barrage of volley. We were so in love with him that time, we don't think anything else."
"That's terrible!" complained Vin.
"Well not really, we practically immortal. He's not."
"Umm, how about if I made a golem while you maintained your consciousness, is that feasible?"
"Don't know but--"
"KID!" Roswitch suddenly open the wagon window.
"Stop cooping yourself in the wagon, we arrived in Pavan, already."
"Talk to you later, Dev, Vriv." Whisper Vin.
"Talking with your Owl, I see, Kid nowadays."
"Ehm! Thank you Uncle for carrying me here free of charge. It seems we haven't been attack to any monster, true?"
"Ugh, Fine! You're right! No monster tried to attack us while you were here, I don't know what kind of Magic you got Kid, but do you want to be my mercenary until we arrived at Briton? We'd go in three day after resupply."
Rodwitch Challenge Complete! You have proven to Caravan Master Rodwitch your dubious claim. Your ride to Parvan were free of Charge! Familiarity with Rodwitch increase by 15
Merchant Guild would heard the story of a boy who charmed the Merchant Caravan to safely passed Conatus Itinere with no casualty at all. Travelling merchant would love to hire you as their mercenary and would pay you a lot. Fame Increase by 300
Mercenary Guild would heard the story of a boy who charmed the Merchant Caravan to safely passed Conatus Itinere with no casualty at all. Mercenaries would approach you cautiously, while they would not be openly hostile. Mercenaries would view you with distrust as the one who crippled their job. Familiarity with Mercenaries decrease by 15