The next day and a half went about the same as usual. After making sure I could cast an initial spell on my own, I had plenty of free time. I mainly just needed to convince everyone that I was truly fit for travel, though all I really did was wander around town while casting magic.

I’m once again reminded how convenient support magic is to train. I can cast my spells whenever and wherever without causing any problems. I can even cast spells on myself so that there aren’t even any visual tells of my magic. Poor Gregory, and even Hansen in a sense, needing to practice in specific areas or outside the town; his magic is pretty noticeable and primarily destructive, after all.

While I’m on the topic, let’s review how everyone in our party grows more powerful. Of the mages, Hansen grows very differently to Gregory and I. While we get stronger primarily by learning new spells or getting better at casting them, Hansen needs to wander around in order to find spirits. He then has to convince them to join him. How is a mystery for everyone, sometimes even for the spirit being contracted. They can quite literally ask for anything, and if the summoner accomplishes said favor correctly, the spirit signs a contract. Some favors are things like: find a specific berry, kill a specific monster, make them laugh, be pretty, or take over a country. Truly anything.

For the warriors, Melly, Rapunzel, and the Hero mainly get more powerful by better linking their mana with their actions, or learning specific actions we call techniques, which are basically more physically activated spells. Things like a shout that increases rage towards yourself or increasing the cutting power of your weapon. Despite seeming simple though, they are actually quite difficult to learn, just requiring more physical skill as opposed to mental knowledge.

Otherwise, the only real way to really get more powerful, other than using outside resources like dragon parts or the strength potions that Mr. Roosevelt is making, is to Level Up. Leveling Up gives a small boost to every ‘stat’ with bigger boosts towards whatever caused you to Level Up. That’s why focusing on one aspect is important, if you end up growing physically stronger when you are a mage, your magical ability won’t be as powerful as others at your level, making it harder for you to Level Up, effectively decreasing your max level.

One thing Melly told me about was that past heroes thought that Leveling Up restricted your actions further than they actually did. They thought things like that archers couldn’t Level Up using swords, or that the different branches of magic were incompatible. In actuality, the only thing stopping an archer from using a sword is that it would likely take a lot of time and effort to raise their swordsmanship to match their archery skill before they could try to use it to Level Up, as the ‘stats’ used can often be similar enough to be fully compatible. It’s more the way or style of your fighting that causes incompatibility.

It’s even closer with magic. The reason people don’t usually use multiple branches is just that they require studying vastly different things. Healing magic mainly requires knowledge about biology and medicine, while elemancy requires knowledge about physics and nature, etc. The reason I can use both support magic and healing magic is that they both require biology. Though support magic also requires knowledge on the body’s locomotion, resistance, etc. Basically, if you want to buff something, you need to know how it works. So, learning a completely different branch is a long process.

The reason that I’m currently thinking about this is that we are currently waiting for the Hero outside the alchemy workshop. Everyone is struggling to keep their excitement down, myself included. The strength potions that the Hero is making are one of the few ways to permanently increase your power. They even make it easier to Level Up, at least for those whose abilities rely on strength. They are still useful for me, Gregory, and Hansen though. The boost the potions give is additive, so the boost is physically the same for everyone. And since Melly and them would notice an increase in power, we mages will feel like we ascended.

That is, of course, should the Hero actually be successful with brewing them. That’s the reason everyone is worried. We can’t help but worry that he might fail, or make them poorly so that the potions are effectively a waste. While I am confident in his ability, no one else seems to be. The only reason they even let him is both because he was the one to find the durges, and the fact that even if he fails, there are more than enough ingredients to try again with a proper alchemist should he fail.

Though, regardless of how much everyone thinks he will fail, they can’t help but anticipate success. I’m still sad that we can’t sell some, but that’s just me being greedy.

This wait was killing us though. We don’t know how long we have to wait, we don’t know if the potions will even work. We only know that we have to wait.

Honestly, watching everyone stress out over this would have been pretty entertaining, if I wasn’t also one of them. We’ve eventually even gathered a small crowd with our antics. I wonder what they think is going on. All they see is five people panicking outside an alchemy workshop. Maybe they think we are waiting for medicine? Either way, they seem quite entertained by our antics.

Melly has started to intensely workout in the middle of the street. It almost feels like she’s putting on a show with how animated it is.

Hansen has summoned several spirits that are currently playing with some children that showed up, while he peacefully watches.

Rapunzel is pacing around, checking for anything that could possibly go wrong. It’s like she’s guarding a relic from thieves, which I guess isn’t too far off of the truth.

Gregory, well, he is trying, and failing, to copy Melly. I think he’s trying to figure out how strong he is now so he can compare it to after the potion, but honestly it really looks like a child trying to mimic an adult. I guess that’s probably what Melly’s doing as well, setting up a before and after. Odd, since they both believe that the Hero will fail.

Oddly, It seems that the less likely they said the chances of the Hero succeeding were, the more excited they seemed to be. Rapunzel, I guess makes sense, even if he fails, the durges were still very valuable. Gregory though… I’ll just leave him alone. Hansen said it was at best a coin toss as to whether the potions would work, and I was quite confident that, unless the Hero got unlucky, every potion would work perfectly.

Speaking of me, I have ‘set up shop’ and am currently healing minor ailments for cheap. Healing more major issues would take away business from the local healers, and healing for free is all but illegal, as it screws up the entire system healers have painfully built up if you don’t charge at least a little though. Healers used to be just used and neglected, having no real influence and even fewer resources. This caused less and less people to become healers, and all but crippled any chance of research being completed. After making healing became a paid service, though, people started to actually want to become healers, we became valuable and influential, and we could actually afford to research new and improved spells.

Just before it became noon, the Hero finally emerged. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and rushed over to him. Well, Gregory tried, but he could barely walk. I quickly cast a higher level spell on my patient (instead of a spell that specifically and efficiently targets the issue) and said. “What I’ve been waiting for is here, so that was my last heal.” Before rushing over as well, ignoring people’s complaints.

As soon as I arrived I heard Melly exclaim. “So, so, how’d it go!? Did you succeed!? Well!?” While bouncing up and down in excitement.

The Hero gave an amused smile before saying. “Who do you think I am? Of course I succeeded.”

Before Melly could scream in excitement, Rapunzel stopped her and turned to the Hero. “How do you know? Did you use one?”

“Wait, did you!?” Melly demanded, fairly angrily. We did promise to all use the potions together.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“No, as we promised, I didn’t use one.”

“Then how-” Rapunzel started.

“I just know.” He interrupted. “Besides, we will have to test them out anyway, so let’s head out.”

“... You are right, let’s go.” Rapunzel agreed.

We then went to leave, to the protests of the children that Hansen’s summons played with. That wasn’t really an issue, though. The issue was the people that were waiting for me to heal them. While most people were understanding and were just disappointed that they missed their chance, a handful were actively complaining, even demanding that I continue. One even stopped me by grabbing my arm.

“What are you doing?” I shouted as I cast an enhanced strength buff.

“You didn’t finish healing us, finish your job.” He commanded.

I was honestly shocked. I never healed anyone, other than some kids, outside the church, so I’ve never experienced something like this. While my instincts got me to buff myself, his words had interrupted me from doing anything else.

Before I could figure out what to do, Melly arrived, sword drawn. “Back off!” She said in the coldest voice I’ve ever heard, as she held her sword to the man’s throat.

“W-What are y-you doing?!” The man panicked.

“I could ask you the same.” Melly coldly responded.

“I was just trying to receive the healing I was promised. Back off before I get the guards to arrest you!” He demanded. Drawing your weapon and threatening someone is quite illegal. Usually.

“She never promised you anything. She was only healing some people while waiting for our friend to finish.” Melly explained. “Besides, the guards won’t be able to protect you from me.” She threatened.

“I’ll give you one last chance, back off and heal me, or I’ll make sure you get arrested by the guards.” The man continued to demand, not nearly as afraid as I thought he would be.

“I dare you to try, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“What?! Guards! I’m under attack!” He shouted.

It didn’t take long for the guards to arrive. “Drop your weapon!”

“No.” Melly responded. Okay? I really thought she would. I mean, as long as we explained what happened, everything should be easily resolved, right? I guess Melly seems to have other plans...

I turn to the rest of my companions, to see them also calm, angry, and, especially for the Hero, confident.

Rapunzel has her hands on her daggers, possibly even her poisoned ones. Hansen’s summons are growling, or whatever the various animals’ equivalent is. Gregory is standing in the front with his staff in his hands, ready to interrupt. The Hero was standing in the back with his arms crossed, his face taunting anyone to try to cause problems. Whatever, it’s not like I actually need to worry. Probably.

The guards, obviously confused at Melly’s blatant refusal, don't really know what to do. If they move, Melly might cut the man, so they can only try to negotiate.

“Why are you doing this?” One eventually asks as I was starting to get bored. I was just about to force my hand away, as I really don’t like that he’s still holding me.

“This loser is trying to coerce my friend to heal him.” Melly responds.

“What! Do you know who I am!?” There it is! The famous line bad guys shout in some stories! I’m now fully invested in what’s happening. I won’t even pull my hand away, aren’t I generous?

“A dead man walking.” Melly… I know that we have several foolproof ways of getting out of this, but if you kill him we will actually get in trouble.

Look, even the poor guards are worried. They’re just trying to do their job. We ended up in a stalemate until a higher ranking guard finally showed up. It took him long enough, my arm feels uncomfortable from the man’s sweat.

“Charles, you’re here!” Ah, I see, they know each other.

“What’s going on here?!” Charles demands.

“This, brute, has just threatened to kill me. ME!”

HOW DARE HE! Melly’s lovely. I finally decide to finally use my buffed strength to pull my hand out of his grip, slapping him in the face in the process.

“YOU, are the brute.” I say while inefficiently casting a cleansing spell on my arm as I wipe it with a cloth. “Please burn this, it’s tainted beyond use.” I angrily say while tossing the cloth towards Gregory.

Gregory then burned it to ash, with a far higher level spell than needed. “The filth has been cleansed, Miss Elizabeth” He says with a bow. Nice!

The man, while holding a hand to his very swollen face (I of course used my linked buff), looks at me in shock. “Ow air ou!” He struggled to say. The crowd was even more shocked now than when Melly said no to the guards.

“You dare oppose me! In front of everyone! I’ll make sure you regret this!” Charles threatens.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” I say with a wave of my hand as I turn to leave. “I’ll leave this to you.” I say as I pat Melly on the shoulder.

“I didn’t give you permission to leave!” He demands. I shrug before walking to my friends. Gregory then made me a ‘chair’ out of earth to sit in, while Rapunzel massaged my hand. Ah, my friends are the best.

“Why aren’t you listening to me! I’m a guard captain!”

“Really? I wouldn’t have thought so based on how you act. You probably only got the position because no one else wanted it.” Melly says, faking surprise.

“What!”

“I mean, you showed up and just started yelling. You never even tried to figure out what was actually going on.” Melly comments, to which many people agreed.

Noticing how people were agreeing, he begrudgingly complied. “Fine, why are you threatening Ismael?”

“Because he tried to coerce a healer.” Melly stated. A few people gasped, especially after some people confirmed her statement.

Ismael, noticing things going south, denied it. “She promised that she would heal me, but then refused to!”

“I see, so that means.” Charles started.

“Eli never promised anything. Besides, even if she did, it wouldn’t matter. She doesn’t work here, nor did she take his money, all she was doing was healing people while we waited for our friend to finish making our potions. She’s a freelancer.” Melly interrupted to explain.

“What?” Charles explains as he glares at Ismael. “Regardless! That doesn’t excuse you drawing your weapon and threatening people!”

Melly smirks. “I only threatened one person.”

“So you admit to it.” Charles says with a smile. “That’s all I need. Arrest her for threatening people with a drawn weapon. Also, arrest the healer for assault.”

“Oh yeah, that’s assault.” I comment, causing people to stare at me in confusion.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I was you.” Melly advises with a smirk.

“I can and I will. If you try to resist, I’ll cut you down! That goes for your friends too!” Charles declares, confident of his victory.

He didn’t notice Melly’s smile. Or everyone else’s for that matter. I’m confused, but I’m confident that there’s nothing to worry about.

Before the guards could do anything, Melly unraveled a scroll. “In the name of the King, I demand the arrest of the guard captain for threatening the Hero’s party!” She shouts, to the shock of everyone. The guards stopped and stared in wonder.

“What are you stopping for! I told, you…” He stops as he finally registers what Melly just said, and notices the seal on the document. “The Hero’s party, under direct command of the King.” He pales as he finally understands what’s happening.

“That’s right.” Melly confirms. “Also, arrest that man for threatening the Saintess!”

“The Saintess!!” Ismael shouts in shock. “Wait! I-I didn’t know! Please forgive me!” He begs.

“Should’ve backed off when we gave you the chance.” Melly smiles as the guards finally move to arrest them. Before the captain can resist, Melly adds. “Go ahead and resist, all that will happen is that you will be marked as a traitor towards humanity, nothing major.”

The captain pales and gives up resisting. Ismael is still shouting, but we ignored him. “Finished?" The Hero asks smugly.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Melly confirms as we start to leave the town.

That was quite the interesting experience, almost straight out of a story. Cool.