[Chapter 24 part 1] Soul – Barsal’s visit

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Hope unloaded the automatic handgun and squinted, “They all hit this time…”

“Yes, better.” Legonas commented. “But every shot should be smack in the bullseye.”

Hope grimaced as the paper slid towards them. On it were concentric circles around a red dot. About thirty percent struck dead center.

“It’s hard hitting something so small from fifty feet away, especially on your first day.” She complained, examining her handgun. “At least there’s no issue with my craftsmanship…” Legonas nodded.

“Can I try?” Dawn asked. Of course she’d want to, Soul sighed. After fifteen minutes of quiet watching, his sister was itching for a go.

“Sure, why not?” Hope responded, frustrated. She reloaded and prepared a fresh target. “Let’s see how you do.”

That’s a mistake. Hope was counting on Dawn’s performance to improve her mood. In my experience, it rarely works out that way.

Dawn grabbed the gun and took Hope’s stance. Without firing, she gradually made adjustments to her form and tightened her grip. Finally, she pulled the trigger, and a shot rang out.

Dawn smiled but otherwise didn’t move. After methodically emptying the clip, she lowered the weapon. There was a single hole in the red dot.

Legonas whistled softly, “If it’s your first time, that’s damn good.”

“I hate you.” Hope said expressionlessly. “How’d you do it?”

“By relying on foresight. I tensed my body and made adjustments until I felt the recoil being evenly distributed. Once I saw myself firing perfectly straight, I aimed for the target and repeated the process for every shot.”

Dawn returned the gun, “I’m sure this will be easier once your martial arts improve. You’ll be able to eliminate unwanted movements, and that minuscule trembling in your hands will disappear.”

“You’re annoying even when helpful.” Hope said.

“Sorry, Hope.” Legonas apologized. “Foresight is actually a practical way to learn shooting. I’d forgotten since, in real fights, there’s rarely time to use it that way…”

“I told you it’s been a while…” Legonas unhooked the paper target and fingered the hole. “This is your goal: one hundred percent accuracy. Do you know why?”

“Because if I can’t hit a stationary target, I’m unlikely to hit a moving one?” Hope offered.

“Half-right.” Legonas said, looking them over. “I take it none of you know of the ‘Blessing’?”

“We’re meeting Emerit Blaze later today…” Hope said defensively. “For now, could you explain?”

Legonas nodded. “Emerit is better at this, but I’ll try. Guns have an issue I failed to mention last time. They suffer badly under the effects of the HEAVENLY DAO’s Blessing.”

“The phenomenon manifested itself millennia ago. On the battlefield, saints and immortals would never get hit by stray spells or projectiles. You see, the HEAVENLY DAO doesn’t wish for ‘main characters’ to suffer undignified, idiotic deaths. To prevent this, it manipulated probability in impossible ways around those it favors.”

“I’ve a question.” Hope interjected. “During our encounter yesterday, a boulder fell on an assassin out of nowhere. Is that related?”

“Probably. In general, it’s granted to two types of people: those high on the Wall and key players in a compelling narrative. You must fall into the latter category. Still, it’s amazing Siegfried showed up. The HEAVENLY DAO rarely favors such open interventions.”

“Anyway,” Legonas continued. “for projectiles, the Blessing acts like an undetectable force field which deflects them away. Bullets are particularly badly affected due to guns’ reputation as ‘skill-less’ weapons.”

Legonas pointed at Hope’s hands. “If you shoot that at Lily, everything would miss.” Seeing doubtful eyes, he smiled sadly. “It may be hard to believe, but I’ve experienced it first hand. There’s nothing like firing hundreds of rounds and watching them all veer off course…”

“Aren’t I screwed then?” Hope asked.

“Not quite. A person’s Blessing isn’t infinite. Each projectile diverted wears away at it, and sustained pressure will eventually strip it away altogether.”

“How long does that take?”

“It varies depending on the Blessing’s strength and the ‘weight’ of the bullets.” Legonas winced. “This is so unscientific and vague. I really should leave explaining to Emerit…”

Soul checked his wrystal. We still have plenty of time.

“Tell me this at least: is this ‘weight’ related to needing one hundred percent accuracy?” Hope asked.

“Yes, it is. The more significance a bullet has behind it, the better it penetrates. Skill and effort matter. A bullet fired at random and a carefully aimed shot by an expert marksman are totally different. The same can be said of shots fired from a revolver compared to an automatic pistol.”

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“Understand?” Legonas asked, unsure.

“I think so… To win, I must deplete my opponent’s Blessing as rapidly as possible. I do that by firing ‘weighted’ shots. This means using revolvers and proving my skills on the firing range. I imagine the time spent enchanting bullets helps too.”

“That’s basically it.” Legonas agreed, breathing a sigh of relief. “Please seek Emerit for more.”

“I’m curious.” Light stepped forwards. “We’ve been fighting duels for years. Why haven’t we witnessed this? I’m certain I would’ve remembered.”

Legonas shrugged, “you weren’t important enough yet and weren’t using low-skill weapons. The Blessing is also greatly reduced in deathless arenas. Remember, its purpose is to prevent unwanted demises.”

“Wait!” Hope exclaimed. “Then it’ll only be a minor obstacle in the Stone Coliseum!”

“True.” Legonas said. “But your life is targeted. You should be considering real combat scenarios too… Also, if you face a popular fighter, they’ll have some even in a match.”

This subject is outside Legonas’s comfort zone. Soul spoke up, “Your extensive knowledge… Is it because you’re from the Barsal Empire?”

“That’s right. The Empire is number one for technology, thanks to the Gala Plateau. I was an officer when the military had just begun experimenting with firearms.”

While Legonas appeared to relax, Hope wasn’t thrilled, “This is supposed to be my lesson!“

Normally I’d back down, but… “We’re meeting Barsal Farran later today. It’d be nice to hear more before we do.”

“That’s ——” Hope struggled. “—— A good point. Fine, I’ll eat lunch.”

Hope opened her large backpack and took out a sandwich. It’s full of books and bullets. She munched loudly in protest.

“Something’s strange…” Rose frowned. “Isn’t it rare for an officer to become an adventurer? I was under the impression that those who enlist have mostly given up on immortality…”

“True, there are few ex-military officials among the Guild’s ranks. I just happened to have followed an unusual career path.” Legonas stopped there. Wise’s suspicions about a troubled past might be right… We shouldn’t pry.

Rose had the same thought, “I heard Barsal Farran doesn’t rule his Empire. Is that true?”

“Mostly, yes. At one time, Barsal was a conquerer determined to rule the world. He gave up that dream to unite humanity during the Dark Age. After the fracturing, he stayed true to his word and took a back seat to governing. We’ve a hybrid democracy, with elected officials on one side and a council of immortals on the other. That said, Barsal remains extraordinarily popular, to the point of worship in some cases. If he were to return to the throne, no one would object.”

“Have you met him?” Silver asked.

“Yes, once, long ago. It’s engraved in my memory.” Legonas winced.

“That bad?” Hope asked, unsettled.

Legonas recovered and shook his head, “No, he’s a great man. It’s just that my meeting wasn’t under the best of circumstances.”

“Have you been to the Gala Plateau?” Soul inquired.

“Twice briefly. While a fascinating place, it’s not somewhere you can spend a lot of time. Everyone ages normally there, even immortals.”

“You speak fondly of your homeland.” Light said. “Is it that great?”

Legonas beamed, “Indeed. It’s a stabilizing influence in a barbarous world. When the Adventurer’s Guild requires aid, it’s often the first to act. It’s also a wonderful place to live with its frequent advancements. This scientific edge is a source of great pride, too much in some cases. Technology doesn’t provide an absolute advantage in this world.”

“I’ve heard that expression.” Rose said. “What does it mean?”

Legonas turned, his smile laced with sadness, “You haven’t heard tell of the White Dragon?”

“What’s ——chew—— that?” Hope said, swallowing hastily. Figures a story concerning technology’s limits would capture her attention.

Legonas nodded, “This is a tale of hubris… and its folly.”

“Scientists on the Gala Plateau have long resented their secondary importance. Deep down, they’re convinced once technology reaches a certain milestone, it’ll eclipse magic. A hundred and fifty years ago, they constructed an ultimate weapon to prove this.”

“As luck would have it, the Barsal Empire was attempting to mediate between two warring neighbors. At the scientists’ suggestion, their weapon was deployed in a nearby unpopulated area, a show of force to bring both to the negotiating table.”

“This was against protocol. Normally new technology is shared with the Magitech Department, where they work out enhancements to make it functional. Not wanting to share credit, the superweapon was detonated without outside testing.”

“Events didn’t play out as expected. Instead of an explosion of light which incinerated and vaporized everything, the White Dragon materialized. The beast’s temperament reflected the weapon that spawned it, and it tore a path of devastation across Enera. Eventually immortals rallied to drive the monster into the Darklands, where it was sealed away, but not before a catastrophic loss of life.”

Legonas let his words sink in. “So the superweapon was useless?” Hope asked.

Legonas nodded, “Outside of the Gala Plateau, magic affects everything, often in unpredictable ways. In the case of the ultimate weapon, it attracts destructive entities from the Ether, who siphoned off the energy it releases to manifest themselves. There’s no telling what would appear next time.”

“A weapon that’s guaranteed to turn on you is worthless as anything but a deterrent. The episode was a crushing blow to Gala scientists and a black mark on our history.”

“It’s time to meet Emerit.” Soul said.

Biding farewell, they headed to the campus. If a Dark Age begins, the White Dragon will break free. Everything that could go wrong would do so.

I should focus closer to home. He caught up to Hope, “How’re your lessons going?”

“I have so much to work on that I don’t know where to start. It’s a marvelous problem.” Hope gushed. “I’m enchanting myself with Agata’s help. Soon I’ll have finished the basic layer. She says I’ll need two more to catch up. Unfortunately each one is harder than the last…”

“Oh, and apparently later there’ll be the option to integrate spells directly into my body. I’ll be able to cast them repeatedly during a match. I’ve no idea what to choose…”

Looks like I needn’t worry. The assassins were obviously completely forgotten.

“Besides martial arts, Agata is teaching me new ways to weave magic. She even showed me her enchanted bullets. Supposedly, adventurers sometimes take a few when exterminating bugs.”

“As for metal bending, look!” A ring floated above Hope’s palm. “Without touching! I still need a ton of prac——” She paused. “——tice… This is the Glittering Auditorium, isn’t it?”

“Sure is.” Soul replied. Every part of the room sparked brightly, including the chairs and desks. Examining a wall, Soul found grain-sized, rainbow glass fused to the surface. He tried scratching, but it was sanded smooth. It’s impossible to see the original texture.

Free and Wise were already seated. As they joined them, the lights went out. Before confusion set in, their surroundings burst into flames. That’s no ordinary fire. There was no heat, and the blaze was multicolored. Wind suddenly swept the inferno into a giant tornado. Now what? The bright swirling intensified until they were forced to look away.

Then everything returned to normal. Before them stood a man with arms outstretched. His clothes were crimson, and he wore a fiery-patterned cloak. His orange hair was tipped with red.

“Emerit Blaze at your service.” The man bowed grandly. Soul heard Light clap behind him. Those two will get along just fine.

(continued in part 2)