Vitmori POV

Despite my earlier confidence when leaving Tilzim behind at the Crucible Master's home, I've come to realize that there was now a major obstacle keeping me from going back to the inn with Legosi and the cubs... That is the fact that I'm still an unknown individual without any kind of documentation, and there is nobody to escort me through the checkpoint into the inner city this time.

Based on what Cecil said, they perform some kind of magic screenings on people like me; whether it's as invasive as a magic X-ray or something like a metal detector wand, I'm certain I would somehow trigger both and I'd rather not deal with having to explain myself for each and every little thing they may potentially notice.

So, how should I try to get inside? I could maybe attempt to scale the walls, I don't have to worry about getting tired or my grip strength considering that I'm made of wood... Yet, it is early in the morning, and with the sun at my back, I wouldn't have any sort of shadows to rely on unless I walked all the way around to the other end of the fort town, which probably wouldn't help by the time I get there.

Perhaps I could go through the sewers? I don't have to worry about physically reacting to any smells, yet I also don't want to dirty my brand-new clothes or explain why I smell like the sewers once I return to the inn.

Maybe I could sneak in through the back of a cart or cling to the underside of one and hide as they cross through the checkpoint. They weren't especially thorough from what I remember yesterday, yet that could also just have been that particular set of guards, and maybe the morning crew is much more vigilant.

There are quite a few possible points of entry, but all of them have their risks and I don't want to deal with having to fight or flee from the guards if I were to make any kind of mistake. As my eyes trail the stone walls of the fort, I'm suddenly hit with a realization as I smile to nobody in particular. If all the current points of entry have risks, how about I just make myself a new entrance?

Moving along the stone walls and giving myself a good amount of distance away from the gate, I eventually managed to find a spot in what looked like a residential area with little to no foot traffic and no guards in sight. I loitered for a couple of minutes, just trying to get a feel for the area and any possible witness; yet despite looking especially suspicious just standing around with my hood up, I felt no eyes land on me at any point.

Using a combination of earth and spatial magics, I carefully pull the stone into my storage, making myself a path about five feet deep into the wall before doing my best to seamlessly seal up the opening behind me. Pressing forward, I cross another ten feet of stone before I find myself coming up to the other side of the fort's wall. It's a rather slow process, and while I had long since trained myself to get used to tight spaces, the fact that I didn't need to breathe or suffer the consequences of my own body physically and chemically reacting to the conditions around me certainly helps when it comes to keeping my composure.

Now that I'm close to the other side, I carefully carve out a viewing slit and peek out. From where I am, I spot another street in yet another residential area, and even now, there isn't all that much traffic. A few people pass by, a mother and a child, a couple of teenagers, and an older man. Biding my time for another seven minutes, I finally crossed into the open and sealed up the wall behind me as quietly as I could manage before briskly walking away down the path.

The seconds turn to minutes as I find myself back on the main road, yet nobody bothers me or looks particularly interested in me in any way... Hah! I daresay that was one of the easiest infiltrations I've ever pulled off. Magic really is pretty useful, not that I had any doubts about its versatility.

It isn't long before I make my way back to the inn, pulling my hood back as I step through the doorway. Inside I'm greeted with a similar scene as last night, if not more reserved as most of the various patrons and guests appear to be either shrugging off last night's alcohol or working the sleep out of their system as they eat or drink whatever brews get them going in the morning.

I was halfway across the common area when a set of eyes locked on me, and an excited young mage proceeded to make his way over, staff in hand as it tapped the ground with every few steps. "Good morning, Vito. I didn't realize you were already out and about. It's good to see you." Cecil enthused cheerfully enough before brushing some of his hair out from his face as he looked up at me.

While I was vaguely expecting something like this to happen, I didn't realize he would wait for me at the inn first thing in the morning. It seems that whatever trepidation he had about me being an 'eccentric' that he recognized me to be was greatly exceeded by the anticipation of being around me and possibly learning something from me.

I simply offered a bit of a smile as I gestured for him to follow. "Good morning, Novice Cecil. It's good to see you again. I trust the guild was satisfied with the results of your hunt?" I asked, letting him talk about his own things before he could ask me about whatever I was up to.

Cecil eagerly followed along as he bobbed his head a bit. "Yeah, we got some good coin for the hides and tusks that the job tasked us to get, and we made a little extra selling the blood to some alchemists and the meat to a couple of butchers. All in all, it was a tidy little sum." He explained as we reached the second floor and made our way up to the third.

At the mention of a tidy sum, I suddenly remembered that I had promised his party coin for getting me into town, not to mention that Cecil himself spent some coin in the process. "Ah, that reminds me, I owe you a bit of coin myself, don't I?" I mentioned glancing back at him as we walked down the hall before going up to my door.

Cecil looked a little sheepish at that as he merely shook his head. "N-no rush Vito. I'm aware you've only just arrived and are likely still getting settled in. You can pay when you're ready at a later date." He explained as he scratched his cheek at that.

I just chuckled a bit as I glanced back at him. "No can do, you've done me a service and at a cost to yourself, it is only right that you are compensated for your efforts in a timely manner." At that, I opened the door to my room, only to be greeted by the sight of Legosi and the cubs quietly eating from three different plates of meat.

Upon seeing me, the cubs excitedly mrowled with delight and rushed me, quickly climbing up and perching on my shoulders as they both nuzzled their heads against mine; all the while I did my best to return their affection with throat scritches and nuzzles with my chin. Legosi, for his part, regarded me cheerfully enough before going back to his plate as he savored the seasoned meats.

I felt Cecil look rather delighted upon seeing my beasts again, though he looked at me once more, lowering his head out of respect before standing tall again. "Alright, Vito, I won't protest more than I already have." He mused sincerely.

"Good man." I enthused cheerfully enough before regarding the cubs. "Alright, you two, go finish your breakfast, and then we can head out and stretch our legs."

The cubs were admittedly reluctant to leave my side, but at the prospect of getting to head out again, Freyli scurried down my side and returned to her food. Basmori stalled for a little while longer before reluctantly joining his sister as he ate his own food as well.

Looking at Cecil again, I pulled ten silver from my storage and held them out in a closed fist, waiting for him to be ready as he ended up needing a moment to realize I was paying right then and there. He quickly held out both hands, cupping them together as I poured the coins into his palms. "There we go."

He blinked with surprise, and I could sense he was clearly expecting to only get four silver pieces as we had discussed before. "V-vito, this is too much. I can't accept all this." He said, looking perturbed by the silver in his hands.

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I chuckled softly at his expense as I pulled away, not letting him hand the coin back to me. "How so? Every coin there is earned. Four silver for getting me inside, three silver to cover the expenses that came up on the job, and another three silver for getting me to such a nice inn." I explained before sitting back on my bed, now just waiting for the others to finish eating.

I could sense that Cecil wanted to argue at least a little bit, but then he came to the conclusion that there was no reasoning with an eccentric before simply sighing and smiling a little more. "Thank you for your generosity, Vito."

"Now then, what are you up to today?" I ask, looking at Cecil as I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

At that, Cecil looked admittedly sheepish as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm not doing all that much in particular... Rantz is out shopping, making sure we have enough supplies to make the trip to the capital tomorrow, and Lily is filing paperwork with the guild to report our leave of absence in regard to local affairs."

Now that does get my attention as I quirked a brow at him. "Have you been snooping around my affairs?" I asked teasingly while doing my best to play it straight.

Cecil is momentarily startled and perhaps maybe a little too frightened as he frantically shakes his head. "N-no! Of course, not Grand Mage Vito. W-whatever would make you think of such a thing?"

I dialed it back, flashing a small smile now as I met his gaze. "Dispense with the formalities, Novice, I'm merely pulling your leg." I muse before sitting up a little straighter. "I only said that because I also have business in the capital, and I plan on heading out tomorrow morning." I explain as I chuckle a little more at his expense. "A strange coincidence, isn't it?"

He gulped anxiously, running his fingers through his hair before offering another sheepish smile. "Quite the coincidence... Yes."

"So why are you making your way to the capital? Is there any reason in particular?" I asked as I stood, noting how Legosi and the cubs were nearly done with their food.

He bobbed his head thoughtfully before looking up at me. "We're off to get our ranks assessed at the adventurer guild's main branch for this country. We've qualified for the promotion for some time now. We just needed to save up and pay for the opportunity to get assessed."

I nodded in response, though tilted my head a little with curiosity. "Why do you need to go to the capital to get assessed? There's a guild here, no?"

Cecil just smiled a little as he shook his head. "The guild here is all well and good, but they're only allowed to assess us up to Steel Rank." He explained as he reached around the collar of his robes and pulled out an interesting little dog tag that looked like it was made of steel. "Once we enter the gem ranks, adventurers must get assessed at bigger guilds since they'll have the proper facilities and resources to test our abilities and measure our character."

"I see, and how long will the journey take you?" I asked as Basmori finished his food and immediately ducked into my shadow, Legosi going over and sitting by the door while Freyli began to climb my leg and then my back before perching on my right shoulder.

Cecil looked thoughtful again. "Between walking on foot and having to bring along our cart to carry our supplies, it'll likely take us a week to get there." He explained before smiling a little as he made eye contact with Freyli.

"That's quite the journey." I commented before regarding Legosi and gently patting his head; we could likely cut that down by maybe two or three days if we push it. Looking back to Cecil, I flash another smile while pulling away from Legosi. "Well, I've got some time to kill... Do you have a training area of some kind around your guild? I wanna see what you're made of."

At that, Cecil's eyes practically gleamed with excitement. "Truly? Do you really mean it?" He asked, and I could tell it took every ounce of dignity that he had to not grab at me like an excited child. "Yes, yes, we have a training area. Come on, follow me." He said excitedly as he opened the door for me and led us out of the inn.

It doesn't take us all too long to get to the guild. Passing by, it's once again a similar scene as to what I saw yesterday, though there seemed to be even more people as they crowded around notice boards or lined up at receptionist desks, seemingly getting started with whatever business they planned for the day.

Moving past the main hall and proceeding further into the guild's complex, we come into what looks like a rather large open-air training area. There were stations and sitting areas strewn about the place with snacks and barrels of what I could assume were water and other kinds of drinks.

Just looking around, I spotted a number of children and younger teens being instructed in various forms of combat in what appeared to be a rather systemized training regime. A majority of them appear to be close-range fighters, with a wide mix of weaponry and combat styles. Beyond them are the long-ranged fighters, practicing with a variety of projectile and thrown weapons, everything from slings, bows, crossbows, and throwing knives.

The smallest group looked to be around five children who appeared to be mages of some kind. If Cecil is what is considered a novice, then these mages here must be apprentices who are still learning the basics of spellcasting.

"Quite an impressive setup around here." I mentioned as I walked with Cecil; this whole place reminded me of the compound I grew up on. Of course, there was less gunfire and machinery, and a lot more magic and swords, but the overall feeling was still rather nostalgic.

Cecil smiled a bit as he looked around as well. "Well, it's no academy training grounds, but the instructors here are quite experienced and rather thorough in their teachings."

"So you're academy-trained?" I asked as I recalled Rita's own experience as an academy student.

He bobbed his head intently. "My parents helped me get training in the academy when I showed a talent for wielding magic. Though I only stayed for a few years to get through my fundamentals before setting out as an adventurer." He explained as he flashed me a cheerful smile. "I could've stayed longer, maybe taken up a specialized education as some kind of artificer or researcher, but I couldn't see myself staying cooped up like that."

"To each their own." I muse before looking him over as we cross the training grounds, going to the area that was sectioned off for the spellcasters.

Once we found a good empty space, I mentally suggested to the cubs and Legosi that they could go hang out in the nearby rest area while I worked with Cecil. Freyli and Legosi took me up on it quickly enough; Legosi sat in the shade while Freyli sunned herself. Basmori, for his part, seemed to be content with lingering in my shadow for the time being.

"Now then... Tell me what your affinities are and what you hope to learn from me." I say as I give my full attention to Cecil now.

Cecil was momentarily taken aback at the sudden change in topic as he tapped his fingers against his staff to consider himself for a couple of moments. "Well... I specialize in water and life magics, though I do use some of the other elemental branches when needed, but my strongest ties are to water." He explained before looking up at me again. "I've been having trouble with the force of my spells, I feel like I can output more power than I currently am, but when it comes to actually casting, the force of the spell just falls off after a certain threshold. I'm not sure where the issues are stemming from, so could you watch me and see if there's anything I'm missing?"

I feel like there's a performance issue joke in there somewhere, but I also feel like it wouldn't be right to poke fun at something that appears to be a serious concern for him. "Very well, Novice. Cast some spells, and let me see what you've got."

Cecil flashes a cheerful smile, though he doesn't move yet, watching me expectantly before curiously quirking a brow. "Aren't you going to write a magic circle or maybe cast a detection spell so you could watch how the magic flows through my body?"

Ah, that's right... Most mages can only sense that there's magic in something or someone, but generally can't tell the specifics without the aid of tools or certain spells. Well, I suppose there's no need to lie since he already believes me to be both learned and powerful. I just flash a little smirk and quirk a brow at him. "There's no need for me to do all that, I can already see everything at will. Just go ahead and cast your magic whenever you're ready."

Cecil is once again taken aback by the revelation, though he smiles in response before bobbing his head. "Of course, Vito." He enthused as he clutched his staff, taking a moment to consider what he should do before holding it up above his head.

I could see the mana start to swell around his heart and course along his arm before traveling into the staff. It all looks good, and I don't see any... Hold on, there it is... It's the staff that's the issue. There's some kind of defect, around the end of the staff itself; that's not even considering the quality of the crystal at the end. While it's not bad, when paired up with the defect in the staff, I could see why he could feel that there's a drop off in the power of his spell casting.

As Cecil finishes his casting, he manages to conjure a small rain cloud that is ten feet up in the air, maintaining it as it starts letting down a small drizzle. With his concentration lingering on the cloud, he glances over at me and flashes a rather hopeful smile. "Well? What do you think?"

Even as he waited for my answer, the five little mages made their way over with their instructor and watched Cecil maintain his magic. The instructor did her best to explain what Cecil was doing and offer informative comments on the technique to her students. Even then, I could feel she was glancing over at me as well, recognizing Cecil to be a competent mage who is usually around these parts, but wondering who I could possibly be.

I just smile a bit, nodding with my approval as I close the distance between myself and Cecil. "Everything looked good to me until the end, that is." I explain before holding out my hand. "Could you lend me your staff?"

I could sense a spark of hope and a little confusion as he bobbed his head intently and held his staff out. "Of course, Vito."

Taking up the staff, I ran my own mana through it as I studied it more closely; after a few moments, I spotted the imperfection again... It looked like dry rot, and it was right along the central vein of the staff where the mana actively flows through it. Upon closer inspection of the gem, it did have quite a few impurities; but as far as I knew, that wouldn't have hindered his ability to cast spells, at least not on its own. "Yep... It's your staff that's the issue here. See? Dry rot." I explain as I hold Cecil's staff out for him to see, the other young mages and the instructor peeking over curiously at the staff as well.

Cecil looked stupified by the revelation, and perhaps a little sick and defeated as he looked between me and the staff. "All this time... All this time, I thought there was something wrong with me, and it was just my staff this whole time."

I bob my head a little, offering him a smile as I handed him the staff back before gently patting his shoulder. "Think of it like this... You're now better than your equipment. You may have not noticed this when you were weaker, but now you've reached a certain level of strength that your equipment just can't keep up with."

At that, a small smile did show on his face as he looked between me and the staff again. "Yeah... You're right!" He enthused cheerfully enough.

I chuckled a little bit before regarding the staff itself for a moment. "And you know what? A new staff is something I can definitely help you with, just give me a moment." I muse as I decide to have just a little fun, glancing at my left arm again before bringing up my right hand and placing it around the base of my upper arm and shoulder. Without warning anyone or saying anything, I use a little water magic to carefully cut off the arm without damaging my clothes. In the next moment, my arm suddenly fell off and landed limply in the dirt, causing the young mages to scream and run away. Cecil and the instructor were admittedly more startled by the screaming kids than they were by my arm falling off, and it took everything to not smirk or laugh at their expense as I played it straight, collecting my arm by its wrist. "What? It's a prosthetic." I said as casually as I could manage.