Ray

Ray hung back, letting the crowd go through before entering his key into the portal. The crowd moved slowly, having to enter a number before leaving, reducing their ability to disperse.

Ray wasn't in a hurry, he had the time. Well ok, he didn't, but getting impatient wouldn't make the line move faster. At last the line crowd reduced and Ray could get his turn. The first step: his room to collect his belongings. The Dean had offered to lend him a wand, but Ray couldn't think of any within the Treasury that he wanted to use.

The crown was stuck on his head too, the thing was the only thing keeping the transformation this slow. After his showdown with Faret, he should have become Fae almost immediately, but the crown had slowed it down, but it came at a cost. Ray had to wear a gaudy incomplete headpiece around. Not really a fashion statement.

Ray's room was just as he had left it, his bed unkempt, his desk clear, his clothes in a bag on the bed. The cupboard was already empty, Aunty Ariana had gotten him new clothes after his old ones burnt down with Afrieal, but he didn't pay much attention to them.

The more important thing was the ring she'd gotten him, a space ring that could store this stuff. Ray had gotten enough food for two weeks, loads of water, some Alchemic ingredients into the ring, ready to leave. The only thing left was this bag.

Ray didn't even know why he had left it here, but it was done now. The bag was absorbed into his ring with a wave of his hand, marking the end of his short stay here.

Ray took one last look at the room, and entered the key to leave the base. As Aunty Ariana's nephew, he was one of the few that could leave and enter the base at will, though it was a given that he would inform the rebellion. A given that he was about to break.

A forest appeared around Ray as he emerged outside, looking for the Dean. What greeted him instead was a dagger teleporting a bit too close to his face. Ray reacted, conjuring yellow glitter in the thousands as he got ready to defend himself, whatever threat was before him.

"Where are you going?" Nora demanded, teleporting in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Ray asked, still on guard. The Xnarthan had quite a few agents that could take the forms of others. Had the Xnarthan already found the base? Was this a trap to get a way inside? Was the base here anyway?

Ray knew that the base was in one of the islands between the Human and Elven territories, but he didn't know where the out portal led. Perhaps he had just teleported into a trap.

"I am coming with you, of course. Do you think you're taking so much food just went unnoticed? And the ingredients? Just because your aunt runs the business doesn't mean that you can just take them, you know The rebellion has rules for this sort of thing." Nora said, folding her arms.

Ray relaxed a bit, still ready to react at any moment.

"So, what's the plan, and where are we going? The Human continent or the Fae one?" Nora asked, standing still as he looked at her suspiciously.

"Why did you come if you didn't even know where I am going? Why would you want to come with me?" Ray asked, still not ready to just tell her. The Xnarthan knowing about Ma would be-wait, wouldn't they already know that? A dozen alarm bells seemed to ring in Ray's head, telling him that he needed to get to Ma quickly.

"I am not Xnarthan, Ray. I am still the same Nora that caught you naked a few days ago. Did you really think that I was going to just let you go alone? The sea is still dangerous, you know. The monsters in the wild range well into the Tier 20s. The Satyrs say that there are some even within the Tier 30s. What will you do if you enter one of those areas?" Nora said.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"And taking a Tier 13 will prevent that?" Ray asked back, relaxing. The likelihood of the Xnarthan knowing about that incident was low.

"No, but this map that I got from my mother's office will probably help." Nora replied, taking a yellowed out piece of paper from her space ring.

"I already memorized the one Aunty Ariana has." Ray replied, he wasn't a fool. A little preparation was needed, before going into the Human continent.

"And she didn't ask why? The negotiations must be going worse than I thought." Nora said, shocked now.

"And you're not involved in them?" Ray asked, he would have thought that the shadow princess would be involved in the negotiations that were happening.

Nora looked awkward, replying, "No, mother thought I was too young for those. I am a bit vestigial after we moved here."

"Oh." Ray replied, dropping his guard.

"So, where's the boat?" Nora said, her face brightening up.

"A boat? Why would we need a boat? The Dean is teleporting us over." Ray said, looking around, wondering where the old man had run off to- ah, there he was. How long had he been watching? The bastard hadn't even moved a finger to help. Ray didn’t need it, but still.

"Come on." the Dean said, talking now that he had already been found out.

'The Human continent is covered in a massive shield that I can't penetrate, but there are ways in." The Dean said, grabbing the map from Nora.

"Do you see those islands? Yes, those ones between the continents, the three big ones.. The Empire can't keep watch on all of the islands, so they are outside the Empire's shield. The problem is that you'll need to get in through one of the checkpoints. Here, I got you a few fake identities." the Dean said, handing them a few cards.

Ray noted the fact that there were both male and female one's in there. The bastard must have known about Nora figuring it out.

"The Empire has several fishing islands among them, you can use these to act like you're from one of them. Just remember to hide your power, the fishermen are barely Tier 3, some Tier 7, but any higher and your cover will be broken."

"Why more than one?" Ray asked, confused.

"Are you really sure that you won't be discovered even once? A second id could give you a second chance. Ten more will give you enough to get in, even if you have a few false starts. Now, are you ready to leave?" The Dean asked as he titled his staff.

"Just a second." Ray said, turning to Nora.

"Are you sure you want to come?" he asked.

"Yes, now, can we just go?" she replied, raising her eyebrows. Ray sighed, but he had to admit, Nora going out of the way to come with him on this dangerous journey made him feel…not as alone anymore.

The Dean nodded as a vortex of purple mana devoured the two of them, teleporting them to the borders of the Human continent.

Matilda

A flame flowing in the air, water running up into the air, Earth hollowing as people fell down, the air coming together to form a storm. Matilda had seen them all, but this was the first time she was seeing this. A polite Xnarthan that came to have tea armed.

"Why are you here, Count Karkt?" she asked, struggling to pronounce the man's name.

"I am sure you are already aware of that, Baroness." Karkt said, sipping his tea as he looked at her calmly.

"Is it about my son?" she asked, acting like a worried mother. "I assure you, Count, he isn't one of those rebellion bastards! Ray's just a little kid, he even failed the Academy test! What would the rebellion even want with him?"

Karkt just shook his head. "I am sorry, Baronnes, but the fact that your son was involved has been confirmed."

"Is it really?” she said, acting desperate as she clutched the tabletop. “I am sure the rebellion people are lying! The cruel bastard must get some sick pleasure from this!"

Karkt smiled as if he was looking at just what he wanted. Matilda wondered for a second if she was playing directly into his hands, it was hard to tell with the Xnarthan, even low ranking ones like this one.

"Perhaps, sadly, the Xnarthan protocol says that he must die for his crimes." Karkt said, his smile growing wider. " But maybe, if he were to become my step-son, I could…move some things around."

The bastard leaned forward, his foul breath was almost as poisonous as the poison she'd just fed him. Matilda just looked at him for a few seconds before his face fell onto the table.

"Jasper, can you please clean this trash? The table is offended by his presence." she said, only half joking. The Counts' girth was a bit much for his chair and the table he was resting his face on.

"Yes, Baroness. What do you want to do now?" Jasper said, coming in with his usual entourage of colleagues.

"Tell the staff to empty the castle and move the orphanage, the barony isn't safe for us anymore."

"Yes, Baroness, where should we go next?" Jasper said, nodding along.

"The forge, I need to practice my cooking a bit. The castle doesn't have high enough temperatures anyway." she replied, getting up as she looked at her new notification.

> Tier 17 Human killed: 170,000 mana

> Tier 21 reached.

Oh, good days. Now if only she could get on with her plans. Antasia had really messed them up this time. Well, she'd just kill a few more Xnarthan on the way, and it would be ok.