Tycen walked back into the room where Anna was still sitting looking distraught. She looked up to see the tall, avian man looking back at her with intense purple eyes.

“Here to give me more grief?” Anna said.

“No,” Tycen said in a soft voice. “I’m here to listen and to respond. But mostly listen.”

“You talk to Levi then?” she asked voice soft.

“I did.”

“I know I need to apologize, and I will. I felt like he did not want Declan on the team because he was pushing for us to be a thing. No offense, but I don’t want that.”

“None taken,” Tycen said. “He actually advocated for the opposite.” Anna raised her head.

“He did?”

“Yes,” Tycen said. “He said I should be friends with you, close friends. He said you needed a friend and if I am being honest with myself. I need a friend too.”

“Are you really willing to be my friend? My experience with rejecting men has not gone well.”

“I must admit, I was saddened to hear what Levi had to say. But what he said after did sound amazing. I am willing to, if you are willing to be mine?”

“That does sound quite nice,” Anna said. “I’m in!” Tycen smiled. Perhaps Levi was correct, this would be the best for both of them. To be the thing that both of them needed authentic friends.

“Great,” Tycen said. “Now, do you know why Levi was saying no?”

“Well definitely not now,” Anna admitted.

“He’s a summoner,” Tycen said. “Summoners do not need more people on the team to fill in the gaps that we have. They can summon that gap; they are that gap.”

“Oh,” Anna said. Her face felt hot. “It would make him redundant to have another spell caster on the team who would focus on healing.”

“Yes. Why do you think he and Piper agreed for me to join?”

“I am not sure,” Anna said.

“Use your smarts.”

“Umm,” Anna mused. “Because of your class?”

“Exactly,” Tycen said. “They are giving Piper someone else to attack with melee in battles. Now it's two in the front and two in the back. That is what Levi was thinking. I hope you know that Levi is looking towards dungeons, dangerous monster hunts, and more. His focus is much more future-oriented than expected.”

“That makes a lot of sense, actually. I never considered how hard the battle with the barbarians must have been on Piper since she was the only one who could do any lasting damage until the mana was drained. That must have been very hard.”

“I am not sure, I imagine so.”

“Do you think I should apologize?”

“No,” Tycen said. “They don’t care for apologies; they don’t even want their way. They want to be heard, that is it. You did not hear them out or ask their reasons. Just do that and communicate, you’re not a princess with the team. You’re our teammate.”

“Okay, I understand. Tycen,” she said.

“Yes,” he responded.

“Thank you. I was expecting you to be angry with me and tell me off. You didn’t you were very gentle with me.”

“You’re welcome, Anna.”

“I have to go get some materials, there is a big sale for ritual materials,” Levi said to Piper, who had just joined him. “Would you like to join me?”

“Is the sky blue?” Piper asked.

“I think so,” Levi said with a smirk.

The couple walked out hand in hand, Anza and Serenity walking beside them. They walked into a shop with a sign that claimed there was a sale. It was a ritual store with several guides and different materials on display.

“How may I assist you?” the store clerk said.

“What’s going on,” Levi said. “I’m honestly just looking. I will likely need a lot of materials, so I’ll be buying a lot.”

“Very well,” the clerk said. “I’m Arleen, if you need any assistance, please let me know.” Arleen was an older woman with saggy wrinkly skin. She had sharpness in her eyes that told a warning to not be deceived. She turned to walk away and paused. Turned back around looking at Levi and his familiars. “Are you a summoner by chance?”

“I am,” Levi nodded.

“Wait here,” she responded. She walked over to a shelf and grabbed a large chest. Levi was impressed by the strength of the clerk. The chest was nearly her body size. “This is a chest containing some extremely powerful summoning materials. It’s highly valuable. I can sell you the whole chest if you’d want?”

“May I look inside?” Levi asked.

“Of course,” Arleen said. Levi peered inside the chest and found some chaotic shard dust, crystal dust, rainbow stone dust, obsidian dust, and more. There were about 200 kilos worth of summoning materials. It was extensive and had more than enough materials that Levi would need for a very long time.

“I’ll take three-quarters of all materials,” Levi said. “There is potentially a new summoner that will come through after me; I’ll pay for his materials should he stumble upon your lovely shop.”

“That is very kind,” Arleen said. “It’ll cost 100 copper pieces.”

“Done. I’m going to keep shopping I’ll pay when I collect at the end,” Levi said. Arleen nodded.

Piper went to look for her own materials for her trap rituals. She saw some flint fillings, river stone dust, and pixie dust. Piper was getting better at creating trap rituals, but she didn’t know exactly what materials she needed for what.

“Hey babe,” Piper asked.

“What’s up?”

“Do you know what materials I’d need for grounding flying monsters?”

“Anything that has an earth affinity; mud, sand, obsidian, lava rock.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Thank you. We’ll need to study a lot more huh?”

Levi chuckled, “Yes absolutely.” He had a few books in his hand and some other small bags of ritual materials. Levi turned toward the wand section of the shop. There was a clear glass box that contained tops to staves. Serenity was the size of a cat and had been perked on his shoulders.

“The various staff tops will add different bonuses,” Serenity said.

“Nice,” Levi said.

“What one should I look for?”

“That one,” Serenity pointed out with her aura. Levi looked down. It was a small staff top that had a four pieces of metal that were twisted. The twisted metal were split in two halves. On the left and on the right, it was clear that there was space in the middle of the staff top for a reason. “This one looks like you can bond an orb of Dameion and have it sit inside open space. I don’t know what would come from it but that seems useful.”

“I trust you. Let’s do it. I wonder if this is the final piece where I can use that pyramid?”

“Yes, just have to get to four-star rituals.”

“Right, that part. Damn! Hey Arleen?”

“Yes,” she said.

“I’ll take this staff top as well.”

“Oh, that is a powerful top for familiars, or at least I am told that. I don’t have a familiar, but you have two.”

“Yes,” Levi said. “That was the sense that I got from the top.” She took it out of the glass and put it up with the other items. Arleen gathered all the materials and totaled the price. Levi paid for Piper’s stuff too. In total they spent 250 copper pieces, which under normal sensibilities would be extremely expensive but that was not a lot for Levi. Arleen allowed Levi to keep the chest, so he stored it immediately in his storage. He got a system notification as soon as he did it.

System Upgrade

A new tab has been added to User Interface

Ritual Material tab has been added. View the amount of materials you have in an organized fashion.

Item: Staff Top of Familiars

Legendary

Choose a familiar you would like to bond the item with. This will increase the connection allowing a new effect between you and your familiar.

Levi considered that item and realized how powerful it was. It could help create an additional layer of complexity to his eclectic group of familiars. This would be helpful, but it would be quite some time before he could use it.

“Thanks for buying all of that,” Piper said interrupting his thoughts.

“Of course,” Levi said.

“Will that item be helpful for you?”

“Oh yes it definitely will, it supposed to enhance and add an effect to one of my familiars.”

“Dang, that’s powerful.”

“Yep,” Levi said. “I’m thinking Dameion, I’ll be interested to see what comes from it. But I can’t use it until next rank up.”

“Something to look forward to. We have two days until the battle… are you ready?” Piper asked. The couple was walking back to the guild slowly. They were taking their time in no rush. Preparations were being made around the guild campus for the big event. Vendors were pushing their carts up the massive stairway, friends and families were checking in to local inns and hanging with the students competing.

Levi looked around at the big set up that was happening. “This is a big deal huh?”

“It really is,” Piper said. “Every city has a big battle of the guilds showing. It’s a rite of passage for those who want to prove who the best guild is. It’s a chance for us to display all the lessons and training we just went through for the past year! I’m so excited.”

“You, me, and Anna will all be competing against each other,” Levi said. We all made top marks in our guilds. Mine is quite clearly the most impressive, don’t wanna brag or anything,” Levi said with a smirk. Piper rolled her eyes and kept walking.

“Promise me,” Piper said. “That you won’t go easy on me or on Anna.”

“Was that even an option?” Levi blinked.

Piper laughed. “Are you competitive Levi?”

“I don’t know about all that, but I do know that I haven’t been working my ass off to just go easy on you because you’re my girlfriend. If anything, I’m going to go harder against you.”

“Really?” Piper gave him an assessing look. “I’d thought you’d be sweet on me.”

“I am but not when it comes to combat and competition. We enter that arena; I’m playing to win.”

Piper gave Levi a predatory look, “good.” She said softly with a smile like a predator who found where its next meal was coming from.

Levi looked at her and shook his head. “That was creepy as all get out. This is going to be fun.” The matchups were about to be announced as there was a small crowd gathering around a bulletin board. A professor wearing the robes and symbol of the ranger guild placed the tournament-style brackets up.

First round: Rangers v Summoners; Rogues v Sorcerers

Second Round: W1 v Warriors

Third Place Round: L1 v L2

Championship Round: W1 v W2

Levi looked at the matchups and scoffed. These matchups were clearly biased. IF he made it to the final championship round, he would have to fight one more battle than the first set of victors. Besides the first round Levi would be fighting a rested refreshed opponent. As Levi was looking at the board, his aura was perfectly controlled and so was his face. Everyone who was around the bulletin board looked at the lone summoner.

A group of six rangers walked up to Levi and Piper as they were turning away from the board.

“You are our opponent,” the leader said. It was an elf with black hair and pale skin. He had one of his tapered ears exposed, the other behind his black hair that fell past his shoulders. He had blue eyes and carried an elven longbow.

“That’s what the board said,” Levi said.

“Do us a favor,” the elf said. “Back out and save us the mana.”

“Scared?” Levi asked. The elf looked at him with raised eyebrows. He was giving Levi an assessing look. The elf took a long, deep breath before speaking again.

“No, we don’t fear you. The very opposite, we pity you. This is your chance to save yourself from ultimate defeat and embarrassment.”

“I’m cool with defeat. I doubt I’ll be embarrassed. As long as I gave a good effort.” The elf looked at Levi and then snapped his head back in a piercing laughter.

“I take back my offer. It will be awesome to shoot an arrow and cut your ego down a bit.” The leader turned away from Levi and walked toward their guild, leaving Levi alone.

“Don’t listen to them,” another voice said.

“Fantoar, nice to see you again buddy,” Levi said to the minotaur. He also greeted the other two brothers. “Are you three on the warriors guild’s roster?”

“We are.” The minotaur nodded. “We look forward to our fight in the second round.”

Levi smirked and nodded. He shook their hands and walked back to his guild with Piper in hand. He had thought about the rangers, he counted six. They would be the easiest opponent he would face. They needed their space and wouldn’t make any unnecessary moves. Levi had a day to develop a strategy for all three fights he had the chance to battle in. His greatest advantage would be his ability to adapt and plan. Levi was determined to win the who damn thing.

Levi and Piper walked back into his suite to see Tycen, Declan, and Anna all eating dinner at his table. Levi was shocked to see the three of them for a few reasons. First, this was his apartment, not theirs. Second, Tycen took Levi’s advice and decided to be friends with Anna instead of trying to pursue her romantically. Anna looked over at Levi with remorseful eyes. She gave a slight smile and a small nod. Levi smiled and nodded back. As he told Tycen he was never really angry with Anna. Frustrated but that melted away quickly.

Piper on the other hand was pissed. She still was pissed. She and Levi had talked a lot about how hurtful it was that Anna did that. Piper explained that it was like being bossed around by the royal family. She absolutely hated that was her job, to protect Anna, when Anna was great at causing her own problems and bossing people around. Piper still loved her and was still angry with her.

“Piper,” Anna said softly. “I’m sorry. Honestly, I hate when we fight because you keep me grounded. I don’t mean to sound like the mean bossy queen. I’m trying to be better.” Piper didn’t say anything, just looked back at her friend.

“Don’t try,” Piper said. “Do. Be better, Anna. I’m not asking or expecting you to be perfect. I want you to be better. What would have happened if I listened to you about Levi when we first met? We would have never met him, never had these amazing adventures we been a part of already. I understand why you did what you did but you didn’t listen and that’s that royalty crap I won’t put up with anymore, got it?”

“Yes,” Anna said, smiling. “I will do better. I have to.”

“Good, now everyone get out!” Levi said while pointing at the door. “Besides Tycen, he can stay. I have to prep for the battle of the guilds. Piper you can stay too, I like your presence.”

“I should go,” Piper chuckled. “I should meet with my team and practice. We’ll see you in two days love.”

“I’ll see you in two days.”