Day 52
The sun was high in the sky, its golden rays filtering through the lush canopy as we led Ruby to a nearby river. Today was bath day, and we were determined to scrub the layers of grime from the half-demon boy's skin. I carried my handmade soap—a concoction I'd crafted using herbs and oils. Silvia walked beside me, already rolling up her sleeves in preparation for a tough battle.
However, Ruby did not like that. At the first moment he perceived our intentions, he began to growl and thumped his heels into the dirt, shaking his head furiously. "Oh no, you're not getting out of this!" Silvia declared, taking hold of one arm. I took the other, and we dragged him to the riverbank despite the squirming and, now and then, yelping and barking of protest. Those first few moments were a struggle.
Ruby writhed about like an animal, splashing water everywhere as Silvia and I held him down to begin scrubbing the grit off his skin. "Hold still!" Silvia growled, her hair getting wet from the splashes. It was all so ridiculous! It had me laughing while water sprayed my face. I scrubbed soap into his fiery red locks, ducking from one swipe of his claws. But as the minutes ticked by, Ruby's protests began to melt.
His growls turned into interested grunts, and then, hesitantly, he was splashing the water with his hands. And at the end of it, he was laughing- a sound I'd never heard from him before- playing the water with both hands, getting Silvia and me thoroughly wet in the process. We were drenched head to toe, but Ruby? He was pure. His reddish hair shone out in the sun, and his horns had a finished sheen that made him almost regal.
And then, when I'd finished, I pulled out a clean, comfortable outfit from my magic pouch—a soft linen tunic and a simple tunic.
Day 54
After weeks of travel, we finally stood at the gates of Kreel City, the capital of the Yelarien Kingdom, also known as the Magic City. The towering walls shimmered faintly, inscribed with protective runes that pulsed with a quiet, magical hum. The city itself sprawled beyond sight, its skyline dotted with elegant spires, floating platforms, and crystalline towers that seemed to defy gravity.
Fortunately, Ruby had an ace up his sleeve—or, more accurately, an ability in his blood. His Shapechanger ability allowed him to hide his horns and blend perfectly with humans. It's a rare ability among demons, giving him the appearance of a regular boy with fiery red hair and mischievous amber eyes. Without it, bringing him into a place like Kreel City would have been asking for trouble.
As we walked through crowded streets, I was amazed by the diversity of the city. Merchants were out hawking enchanted trinkets, magical potions, and spell books; street performers conjured up illusions for crowds; there were even robed mages who hurried along in their extended arms laden with scrolls and crystals. Everywhere, faint ozone and scents of magic filled the air.
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It was a long way from the simple places we'd passed through. Standing grandeur in the heart of the city was Kreel Academy. The door of this academy said whoever passed the entrance test could go there, regardless of age, wealth, poverty, or power. For all that got in the first ten places, the state had provided scholarships for complete fee exemption.
The courses ranged far and wide, including Magic, Swordsmanship, Writing and Poetry, Architecture, Engineering, Painting and Sculpture, and Alchemy—a dream for anyone seeking mastery in their craft. We quickly realized that the next entrance exam was set in thirty days. I made my decision there, and then I stayed and prepared for it. I needed to learn magic; the academy was the closest I could get to learning it.
Silvia had no hesitation in agreeing to stay. She wished to hone her swordsmanship, and there wasn't a better place than this academy to do it at that point. We started to settle down in Kreel City with a plan in mind. Meanwhile, we kept on doing quests to increase our adventurer rank and earn some gold in between missions. Between the missions, I taught Ruby how to speak correctly and how to understand human customs.
It was slow but steady, though, because his childlike curiosity made it both challenging and endearing.
Day 64
After weeks of relentless effort, our hard work finally bore fruit—I had climbed to C Rank, and Silvia had reached B Rank in the Adventurers Guild. The promotions came after countless quests, ranging from escort missions to hunting beasts, all of which demanded both skill and perseverance. The recognition felt well-earned. Ruby was also developing well.
He could now make short, intelligible sentences and join words together more confidently. His rate of learning astonished me; he soaked up information like a sponge. Seeing him grow, I began to wonder if he might have a future at Kreel Academy. Perhaps he could learn Writing and Poetry to really develop his language abilities or even study magic, where his natural aptitude would truly come out.
Speaking of magic, today was a revelation. While sparring and practicing in a secluded field outside the city, Silvia and I discovered that Ruby possessed not one but three magic attributes: Fire, Earth, and Darkness Magic. The boy's fiery personality seemed fitting for his flame spells, and his connection to nature made Earth Magic a natural extension of himself. But the discovery of Darkness Magic made us cautious of his abilities.
"Ruby," Silvia said, her voice serious. "Listen carefully to me. Never, ever display your Darkness Magic in public." "Why not?" Ruby asked in confusion. "You see, humans consider Dark Magic as demon magic," Silvia explained patiently. "It's the only kind of magic attribute only demons and monsters use. If people find you using it, they'll think you're dangerous - or even worse, a threat. Practice it, but when you're alone.”
Ruby nodded soberly, his young face informing her that he had gotten the weight of what she said. Innocent he was, but being a demon meant he would never be able to be fully careless. But what really left us speechless was Ruby's ability to perform Wordless Magic.
While other spellcasters would have to chant a whole phrase to cast their spells, Ruby could do it by simply thinking, without even needing to say the words. His flames flared up instantly, rocks erupted from the ground on his command, and tendrils of shadow danced around him, all with no more than a gesture.
"Wordless Magic." Silvia crossed her arms, gazing at how Ruby could actually conjure a small sphere of flames. "That's quite rare. Even prodigies and magical affinity do not even begin to compete with such performances. Only Archmages, monsters, and demons can do that, people who have high amounts of mana." "But there's a downside, right?" I asked as I saw how Ruby fell exhausted upon the grass after mere spells.
Silvia nodded. "Yeah, it drains more mana than the standard casting. It's faster, but it's quicker to drain you, too. Ruby will have to learn to control his mana if he is going to use it well." Still, it was such a rare gift, one that revealed just how unique Ruby could be. To see him train with the effervescence of a child and innocence made me happy. It was like healing my inner child.