“Come one!” Said Tora pleadingly. “Just hit me with one!”

“Are you out of your mind, woman? I’m not going to do that.” Replied Veles firmly. He wasn’t going to entertain this lunatic.

“Ugh,” She grunted. “Come on, don’t be like that. Just a small little pang. I will even pay you.”

Veles completely ignored her and looked at the small opening in the veil covering their carriage—it served as a window and a perfect opportunity to avoid the crazy in front of him.

This girl named Tora was, without a doubt, obnoxiously insane. Ever since that encounter with the first bandit group, she went batshit crazy. She would plaster him to show her the spell he used or any other possible variation he had. Well, firstly, he couldn’t find a reason why not. He did fire a couple of those ‘arrows’ into random things, such as trees or random plants, and gave her the opportunity to observe the effect. Anyway, chances of her grasping something were none.

But then came the time for another bandit attack. This time, however. Tora decided to do the job…

And the job she did. She handled a group of seven bandits like they were children. She launched tiny vials at them using some kind of spell, putting the poor bastard into a deep sleep. Which afterward further confirmed a lack of screws inside her head.

She presented those fools on a platter and begged him to use the spell on them so she could observe its effect live. Of course, Veles obliged. After all, even he, back in the day, had his fair of subjects ‘willingly’ accepting his experiments. There wasn’t a reason to deny her this opportunity.

This then appeared to be a problem. Veles had always had a certain set of rules. And among them was the one he diligently followed, the one that said he shouldn’t be cruel and cause suffering to those who don’t deserve it and didn’t do him harm. This rule, amongst others, served to keep him somehow sane. Living a very long time could cause someone to lose every part of their moral compass, and Veles never wanted to lose himself completely.

So, seeing this woman feeding various healing potions to those bandits who were on their way to the afterlife, and then cutting them open and watching how different muscles lose their vitality. On top of that, later he learned from Daglo that she basically kicked out the whole escort group the peddler had hired. Her reason for doing that? Well, this way, they look like a weak target so she could have some ‘fun’ during their travel.

All this combined with the recent request for her to experience his so-called spell, tingled all the wrong instincts Veles had honed over years.

“How boring,” Tora said after crossing her arms angrily.

Veles truthfully expected her to be more hotheaded and force him to perform her ridiculous request. Tough, even behind that layer of craziness, he grasped that she wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. She might be a Fourth Stage like him, but there was a cautiousness behind her every move, displaying that she actually had some serious life experience.

As the silence descended. Daglo, being that guy, just had to break it. “Since we are near Tupara. What’s your next destination? If you are going for Betusa next, I could give you a ride again.”

Seeing that Tora was still sulking—if her behavior could be called that. Veles decided to answer, and hopefully get some useful information on the way. “Unfortunately, we are not. Our plan is to catch the airship that brings us closest to the Acelia City.”

“Oho,” Doglo skillfully used the reins as he exclaimed and looked at Veles in surprise. “Got some pocket change and going straight for the city of peace and magic. I like your enthusiasm!”

And indeed, what Veles had said would cause anyone to be surprised. The Acelia City wasn’t a place just like any other.

From the books they had stolen from Koria’s library. Veles learned the political and geographical structure of nearby civilizations quite broadly. Nobody would expect a small backwater town like Koria to even have such knowledge. But it surprisingly did, with the small problem being that it was the only thing useful amongst the thousands of books. Obviously, there were some spell books and other useful things, but the majority were just tales of local history and folklore.

Yet, the word Acelia resounded in many places. Even more so when taken into consideration that the currently used coins were named Acelia coins. So, what was Acelia? Well, simply explained, it was a union of different nations. Or, more accurately, six of them.

Bistaiya Kingdom, their current location belonged to one of these six. It was placed in the southwestern part of the alliance. Mainly inhabited by the beastfolk.

Southeast and most of the eastern alliance territory was ruled by the Council of Rutra. They could be considered the most powerful member. However, the truth was more complex. The Council in name was because this nation was ruled by numerous heads of different demi-human tribes, varying from elves, dwarves, dark elves, and much more. And here lay the problem. Most of those races could never work with each other in absolute peace, and apparently, this current Council of Rutra was formed due to outside threats. So, the functionality of the so-called council was almost non-existent.

Now, the rest of the nations were mostly ruled by humans. At the center of the alliance was the Atus Kingdom. By the books Veles read, this Kingdom was ruled by numerous Mage families, and they could be considered the most advanced one in the alliance.

In the northeast stood the Kingdom of Tapion. They could be considered a marine nation, famous for their long coasts and advanced navy.

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Far north, stood a nation called Skljavi. There wasn’t much information about them, only that they were known for their fierce warriors who knew no defeat. It was also said that despite them being humans, the cold temperature they lived in and harsh life made the lifespans of those living there twice as long.

The final one covered a big chunk of the western alliance’s territory. The name of this nation was Theocracy of Bardus. Their flag was also the first thing that caught Veles’s attention. The emblem with a double-headed warhammer placed on top of a white shield, the same as the coat of arms the assassin who attacked them in the Forest of the Forgotten wore.

Going by what little was written in the books. This nation worshiped the God of Conquest, Bardus. And they could be considered pretty militaristic, which wasn’t that much of a surprise. It was also worth noting that they, alongside Bistaiya, share their borders with the Forest of the Forgotten. A hot potato that everyone in the Acelia alliance currently wanted a piece of.

Interestingly enough, Koria, despite being just a short distance away from the Forest of the Forgotten, had no knowledge about the forest at all. From the numerous books Veles went through, all he got was that the whole forest could be considered a territory of a dungeon, and its access had been forbidden ever since the place was first discovered.

As Veles was musing over all the information he’d gained. He almost missed a wide smile Tora was sending him his way.

And… Came the words he dreaded.

“What a coincidence,” said Tora beamingly. “I’m heading back to Acelia City! It would seem our meeting was a destined one. I shall take it upon myself and graciously offer my guidance. After all, who better to show the tropes of a mega city to two country bumkins than a city lady such as myself.”

Veles felt his left eye twitch. Her arrogantly raised nose and previous refined speech told him that there was no way of refusing. Worse, he was sure if he tried to bullshit his way through, she would use other unpleasant means to get what she wanted from him.

But… why not give her what she wanted now?

While she was distracted, Veles drew a couple of random letters in front of his face. The black arrow aimed directly at Tora’s chest, startling her.

But the next moment. Just as the arrow was about to collide with her, a thin transparent veil surrounded her body. Repelling the attack effortlessly.

“Sneaky one doesn’t count. Let me prepare myself,” Tora casually said. Then, she proceeded to pour the mana inside the bracelet she wore.

To Veles’s understanding, it was some kind of protective artifact responsible for not allowing any foreigner mana near her, which should be capable of guarding a person against any type of spell. Of course, it most likely had a limit. However, it wasn’t a cheap piece. Veles was sure of it.

This could only mean one thing… She wasn’t as simple as he initially thought.

“Done,” she said after preparing herself. “Before you cast it. Tell me what to be careful about.”

Veles again started drawing runes. Alongside, he decided to give her a couple of honest warnings. “Once it hits you, use your mana to expel it outside your body. Bear in mind that the longer it stays in your body, the more ‘vitality’ you will lose. You are an alchemist. You should know what it means when one unnaturally loses vitality.”

She pulled back the sleeve of her alchemist robe, revealing her thin arm. “Yes, yes. A person can lose years of life and become infertile, amongst many other things. Who cares? Just do it.”

Shaking his head in disbelief at how careless she was. Veles sent the arrow forward. It promptly landed on her forearm, causing an immediate reaction.

The grimace on Tora’s face was barely visible as she pushed huge amounts of mana to try to dispel the blackish fog that was trying to invade her arm. Her struggle barely lasted three seconds before she sighed in relief.

“That’s weirdly unpleasant,” she commented. But the next moment, her eye sparkled. “That mana literally killed my blood cells! Fascinating, even the muscle tissue started dying!”

She drowned a small red potion before continuing, “This element is marvelous. It could be easily used to cure many diseases. Mainly those parasitic! Also, it prob-”

Veles paid no attention to the rest of her babble. He was impressed by her deduction. He could indeed cure others by precisely targeting their problems. Not only that but getting rid of poisons was also within the scope of possibility. However, even if he prided himself on his great mana control, he couldn’t achieve something like that easily. More importantly, for example, to cure somebody with it, he would need many more medical components on the side. So, in theory, Tora was right, but in practice, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

After finishing her nonsense, Tora faced Veles and stared at the tiny openings of his mask. Her voice carried all the seriousness she could muster, “I don’t know where or how you learned that spell. But I promise you if you wish to work with me. I could provide you with the riches beyond your wildest imagination.”

An interesting detail that caught Veles’s attention was that she said to work with her, not for her. In truth, he wouldn’t be opposed to this idea if she wasn’t… well, like she was. Crazy.

Just as he was about to answer, she raised her hand to stop him. “Look, I know how I behave and my quirks. But listen first…”

Well, she was at least self-aware. He might as well try and pay some attention.

“If you really plan to reach Acelia City. You will need all the help you can get,” said Tora. “Paperwork, what to be cautious about, a place to stay, and many more things. I have good connections and can provide you with a steady start. In return, all you need to do is perform a couple of tests with me.”

Spending some time thinking, Veles asked a crucial question, “Sounds good. But, tell me a good reason why you even gave me this offer. What’s in it for you?”

That was the problem bothering Veles all this time. Why give a total stranger any offer at all, or even pay any attention to them in the first place? No matter how abnormal he appeared, this made no sense.

Tora sighed, “Ever since that strange veil covering the Forest of the Forgotten disappeared. A wave of talented individuals started popping out of nowhere. First, the groups from Situs Tundra showed themselves, then the announcements of Chosens getting classed. For the past month, those with fate seeing classes kept announcing ridiculous claims one after another. Each pointing out possible changes that could occur. So, you know… I figured out if I saw something strange, I could gain something out of it.”

“In short. You are betting that I’m some of those abnormalities appearing?” Asked Veles in amusement.

“Yeah,” Tora shrugged. “Truthfully, I stand nothing to lose. The reason I left Acelia City was out of boredom and a small possibility I encounter something new and interesting.”

Veles took a minute to ponder. Her words didn’t sound very sincere, so he was highly skeptical. She most definitely held back something crucial, something she wasn’t willing to tell him. “How about you give me some time to think about it?”

“Sure,” Tora nodded.

No matter how crazy she appeared to be, Veles had to admit her offer was tempting. Even having someone to tell him what he wasn’t supposed to do would be helpful. And for some strange reason, his instincts told him he could trust this nutcase…

And taking into consideration everything he read about Acelia City. Having someone who knows the ropes of that place was of utmost necessity…