Vitmori POV

The road to the capital was relatively uneventful for the most part, just hours upon hours of riding down a wide-open road. Maybe I should have looked into getting some books... Maybe I'll start my collection again now that I have somewhere to call home and properly go back to again.

Regardless, I ended up getting bored enough that I went riding with Legosi and decided to scout around with him as the carriages kept rolling along the road. There still wasn't all too much to see, but the act of actually riding around did at least keep me mentally occupied enough that it was enough for me to pass the time for the most part, I'm just dreading the fact that this trip will likely take another five or six days depending on whatever happens between here and there.

Supposedly there are a couple of villages along the main road that see plenty of traffic to their local inns; based on what I learned from Tilzim, they serve as hubs for smaller villages that are set up further away from the main road. While the villages in question may be old and well-settled, they aren't nearly as populated as the few fort towns that dot the frontiers of the Hegemony or the coastal towns and villages that have been established away from the country's port capital.

Considering the hub villages along the road from Sunspot Keep, the first one is still going to be another day away, having been a total of two days of travel from the keep itself. The next hub village is four days away, another two days until we reach the capital at that point. All in all, it sounds like it won't be too bad for those in my caravan as they won't have to rough it the entire trip and can sleep in relative comfort. I'll likely be footing the bill now that I think about it, at least for the employees that Tilzim assigned to me and for Krys and his team.

As the sun started to go low on the horizon, Riley began to wave me down once I had returned from riding through the woods again. "Sir, I just wanted to inform you that we should be coming up to some camping grounds in the area. I know from experience that it is a relatively spacious ground close to a freshwater lake so that we can top off our water and perhaps even fish to supplement the foodstuffs we packed for the trip." She explained dutifully, looking at me while I rode up alongside the carriage.

I nodded intently at that before looking back over to her. "I see, and is this the place where caravans usually stop along this route?"

She looked thoughtful at that before simply bobbing her head. "Yes sir, as far as I know, it is a regular camping spot for travelers along this route."

"I think it is best to avoid that place this time, considering the consistent bandit activity in the area, we should do our best to be less predictable. Staying at that campsite may just invite a target on our backs." I suggested, looking ahead at the road and then glancing over at the sun to gauge how much sunlight we had left.

Riley looked stoic and composed, but I could sense her hesitance as she took another glance at the horizon before looking at me again. "What would you like to do then, sir?"

I flashed a small smile as I met her gaze. "Let's ride for another hour at least, put some distance between us and that particular campsite."

She nodded some more before speaking up again. "Very well sir... However, I would be remiss if I did not mention that we will likely be setting up camp in the dark." She glanced back at the adventurers and Krys' team for a moment before regarding me again. "While it is not that big of a problem for most of us, it'll likely mean we won't be able to get meal prep started until even later in the night."

At that, I smile some more before shaking my head. "Don't worry about setting up camp, since I'm the one inconveniencing the group, I'll take responsibility and set everything up myself, no worries."

I could tell even though I said no worries, she still felt that there was plenty to worry about as she simply settled in for the slightly longer trip than anticipated.

In the meantime, I decided to let everyone else know what was going on, moving between the two carriages since I was mobile enough to do so thanks to Legosi.

It wasn't much longer until the skies were painted with purples and oranges along the horizon with the setting sun. I had gone ahead with Legosi to scout around some more, eventually finding a manageable path between the trees to a relatively open-looking clearing with tall grass and brush.

Once I had led others there, the adventurers immediately set to work in regards to setting up camp. Rantz and Lily went around to make sure the immediate area was clear; all the while Cecil took a moment to stand in the middle of the clearing, the gem of his staff glowing as he murmured a few words of power and conjured a thin blade of water that began chopping the grass down to a more manageable length.

Krys and his team looked like deer in headlights, not exactly sure what to do as they stood around near the carriages while clutching their packs and watching as the younger adventurers did their thing.

Meanwhile, Riley and Lostrill set to work where they could, unloading a chest that appeared to have cutlery and cookware, while also setting out a smaller box with several crystal-powered lanterns and a number of metal poles on which they could hang them.

Before everyone could get too far along with their self-assigned goals, I decided to speak up as I made my way to the center of the clearing with Cecil. "Cecil, if you'll give me a moment, I'm just going to set up our campsite real quick and then you can get back to what you're doing soon enough."

Cecil looked pleasantly surprised if not a little confused by what I said before bobbing his head with a small smile on his face. "By all means Vito, go ahead." He said as he stepped aside.

I smile in response, pointedly looking over to Riley while holding out my hands. Stone soon began to pour out from the air like water as I began to shape it while walking around. I made sure to take my time with it, pacing myself for no other reason than to keep up my act as I formed several stone huts along with stone walls that were around seven feet tall with a single opening for entry and exit. To finish things up, I made a couple of stone picnic tables along with benches before finishing up with a stone fireplace, at which point I dropped in some wood scraps and ignited it with a small ball of fire. "There we go, the camp has been set." I mused with a bit of a smile before making a show of yawning a bit as I settled down at one of the stone benches.

I couldn't help but revel in the stupefied expressions on Riley and Lostrill's faces, but they got to moving soon enough, setting up the crystal lanterns around the camp to properly illuminate the area.

Cecil looked clearly delighted by the display as he went back to trimming the grass down to a more manageable level, though soon enough I could hear sounds of surprise from Rantz and Lily as they came across the walls after returning from the patrol.

Once the others had mostly settled into camp, Krys, Lostrill, and Rantz had gone about preparing dinner. Legosi posted himself by the entrance, keeping watch while Lily walked off with Cecil to set up some kind of magical alarm wards. It sounded interesting for sure, though I'm not too sure about the specifics when it comes to actually making the wards, the wards were essentially supposed to notify Cecil if any living thing crosses the threshold he set up.

At the other bench, I watched as Sera and Zax set up some kind of card game that they were teaching Ren; though it seemed the cubs were interested in the game as well as both Basmori and Freyli sat on the table itself and watched while the cards were dealt.

Left to my own devices for the time being, I figured I should get some practice with actually making some things for me to actually sell once I get to the capital. It's one thing to say that I'm an art merchant, but if I don't have any products once it's time for inspection, my story will likely fall flat.

I don't pull anything out from my storage for the time being, just closing my eyes to make it look like I was meditating before looking into my storage space itself. I'm not exactly sure what to make at first, but in the end, I decided to stick with what I know. Taking some stone from the veritable quarry in my storage space, I start shaping them to look like some of my beasts, making quite a few wolves, squirrels, and a variety of birds.

I must have lost track of time at some point, as I suddenly felt a tapping on my shoulder, only to see Rantz flashing a small smile as he held out a wooden bowl of stew for me. "Here you go Mister Vito, hope you enjoy it." He said pleasantly enough as he set the bowl down before walking off to continue serving the others.

The stew itself certainly smelled good, it looked to be some kind of meat stew with vegetables and rice. It's a shame that I can't actually eat it, though it would be rude of me to just give it to someone else or pour it back into the bowl. Looking around, I see that Lostrill was serving the cubs and Legosi their own bowls while Rantz and Riley served everyone else.

Stolen novel; please report.

For the time being, I went about pretending to eat, bringing spoonfuls of stew into my mouth before stashing the food away in my storage and making a show of chewing and swallowing when it was necessary.

As everyone else began settling in, Cecil made his way over and sat across from me with a small smile on his face, leaning his staff up against the table before looking me over. "I just have to say, that was some impressive spellcraft earlier Vito. I don't think I sensed that you were forming all that stone out of magic, did you just have all that in your storage space?" He asked curiously.

I couldn't help but smile a bit, making a show of swallowing the nothing that was in my mouth while nodding intently. "You have a good eye, Cecil, yes, I'm carrying around a considerable amount of stone with me, I just find it easier to have my own supply instead of trying to pull from my surroundings or make it from pure mana."

Cecil bobbed his head intently, clearly pleased by the compliment while also doing his best to comprehend the apparent complexities of my magical ability. "If you don't mind my asking, what are your affinities, Vito?" He asked, feeling rather sheepish about the question. I could feel that he considered it to be a personal question, but his curiosity was rather palpable by this point.

I had to think about that for a few moments, so far I've displayed spatial, earth, and fire magics, but what else should I tell him... What would make sense? "Well... Speaking strictly of the elemental branches of magic... You could say my weakest affinity is with wind magic, and my strongest affinity is fire. My mentor often told me I was akin to a dragon in regards to my ties with fire." I explained with a bit of a smile, conjuring a small flame in my palm before making it slowly swirl around my hand.

Cecil nodded intently, watching the ball of fire swirl around my hand for a moment before looking at me once more. "If it's not too presumptuous Vito... Can you tell me just how strong you are? How old are you as well?" He asked, his mind swirling with theories and possibilities as he couldn't help but steal glances at the cubs for a moment before looking around at the stone camp around us.

"You're awfully curious, aren't you? Why do you ask?" I couldn't help but wonder what he was trying to get at, if this was just idle curiosities, or if he had some other intentions.

Cecil looked fairly sheepish as he scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "Well, it's not like I've met many powerful mages such as you outside of the elders at the academy. It's often through both age and experience that most mages get to the level of strength that you seem to be at. I mean, not even considering that I haven't heard you chanting any spells or using any magic circles, the mere fact that you were able to make something like this... It's..." He lowered his voice a little as he leaned forward, his left hand now holding the staff in question as he regarded it. "Well, I haven't heard of many academy elders being credited with making a divinely blessed artifact, let alone with seemingly random materials they had on hand."

I couldn't help but smile some more, dispelling the ball of fire as I leaned forward on my only arm. "Well... I'm not really sure how old I am. I lost track after a few decades where I grew up, though I'm somewhere between my late forties to sixties if I had to give my best guess." I explained before sitting up again. "As for how strong I am? Well, I have three rings, so that should be enough for you to know." I mused, doing my best to seem casual despite the smile on my face.

To say that Cecil looked shocked was an understatement, his eyes wide as I could feel him doubting his very ears. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to say or what to address first and needed more than a moment before he finally spoke up. "W-wait what? T-truly?" He had to set his staff down again, placing both hands on the table as he leaned in even closer, lowering his voice to an even quieter whisper as if to keep this just between us. "But you look so young? How old were you when you fully condensed your second mana ring?"

Now that was an interesting little tidbit... "What do you mean by that?" I asked with a kind smile.

Cecil looked even more confused, but then looked thoughtful as he considered that I may have had irregular training, at the very least I was probably not academy-trained. "Well Vito, when you fully condense your second mana ring, as in, you develop it to its limit and can start working towards etching a third ring, your body's aging process slows down. Of course, with good medicines and special kinds of treatments, older mages can help themselves look younger since usually most mages don't reach the limit of their second mana ring until their late fifties to sixties." He then looked me over, disbelief still plain in his eyes. "You... Well, by the gods, you look like you achieved that stage in your thirties. To say that is amazing is an understatement." He then tilted his head to the side as he stroked his chin. "Aside from that, you've already achieved what is considered to be the pinnacle of power for the short-lived races at such a young age."

I just chuckled a bit, sitting up a little more as I turned my attention to my stew, taking up another spoonful. "So you're saying that being in my sixties is young?" I mused almost playfully before pretending to eat the spoonful, stashing it away as I chewed at nothing.

Though at that Cecil bobbed his head rather seriously. "I know of academy professors who are in their late nineties, looking like they're in their fifties to sixties. Though at the stage you're in Vito... Well, you have a long life still ahead of you, for a human that is." He explained, and I could feel he was trying to do his best to make sure I understood that fact. However, it then looked like he had a bit of a realization for himself, an expression of awe and perhaps even jealousy on his face. "You'll likely even outlive me... By the gods, you're not just an eccentric, you're a young eccentric."

I smiled a bit, especially since the young mage really had no idea just how right he likely was. But there was no point in beating himself up due to a difference in circumstances. I set down my spoon before reaching across the table and gently patting Cecil's shoulder. "No need to look so down, you're still very young and you have great potential. Especially now that you have better equipment." I mentioned as I pointed to the staff. "Besides, I'm sure it won't be long until you're completing your second ring and then some."

Cecil did perk up at that, smiling some more as he bobbed his head and returned to his own stew.

After a brief moment of silence settled between us, Krys had made his approach, coming over with Ren holding his hand. I could tell he was still rather anxious about being around me, though when it came to his sister I could tell that not even the threat of pain or even death would stop him from doing whatever needed to be done for her sake. So with a brave face, he gently tapped my shoulder as I turned to regard him with a small smile. "Yes? What is it Krys?"

He stiffened slightly, his tail curling close behind himself as he met my gaze. I can see the anxiety plain in his eyes, yet he stiffened his nerves. "This morning, you said you would see what you could do for Ren tonight... Well, it's tonight now." He said more firmly before his side was elbowed by Ren as he piped up again. "So... If you could please look her over now."

I bobbed my head intently as I looked at Ren, a small smile still on my face. I could tell that Krys had long since explained the circumstances of our agreement, though he likely didn't tell her everything he knew. At the very least she seemed to have a healthy wariness of me now that she knows that her brother sees me as the real deal instead of some nobody art merchant. "Sure, let's head into one of the stone huts so we can talk." At that, Krys nodded intently, waiting for me to stand while I excused myself with Cecil. Leading the siblings, I walked into one of the huts before sitting on the ground, watching as the duo took a moment to figure out how to situate themselves until they opted to also just sit on the ground. “Alright, Ren, if you could please sit in front of me and give me your back, I’ll use my magic to see what I can do.”

Ren hesitated for a moment, but then scooted over as she gave me her back, I could feel her unease practically radiating off of her and I could tell she was more worried for Krys than herself; just wondering what I’ll say to make her brother owe me for her sake.

For now, I just focused on the moment, reaching out and placing my hand on her back as I started to slowly run my mana through her body like I had done with the Crucible Master, practically scanning her body, doing my best to see what exactly was wrong with her and… Well it’s a number of symptoms… “Was she often sick as a child?” I asked as I glanced over to Krys.

Krys looked a little surprised by the question, but soon nodded his head as he considered the question. “Y-yeah, she was often sick as an infant and while growing up, though she’s gotten better in the last few years, I made sure of it.” He explained with a bit of a smile at the end, feeling rather proud of her development.

“How about your mother? Was she sickly when she gave birth?” I asked, though I regretted it the moment the words came out. Given their situation, it’s not hard to guess what happened that made him have to step up so early in his life.

I could see Krys stiffen a little, and even Ren grew more somber as her ears sagged at the question. “Y-yes… She became especially ill in the weeks leading up to Ren’s birth… She survived giving birth to Ren, but she died within the month.”

With the absence of a father figure in their life, I could only guess that in the following years the bastard just up and removed himself from the situation, but I’m not gonna ask that question since that wasn’t relevant here and now. Simply bobbing my head at his words I pulled my hand away from Ren’s back and scooted away. “Well Krys, your hard work over the years kept Ren from death’s door. The long answer is that if you keep making sure she eats well and continue getting those supplements you’ve likely been buying for her, she’ll eventually be able to live a stable life.”

Krys initially perked up at the start, though looked a little confused as his ear flicked while he glanced between me and her before piping up. “O-okay? But you said you could cure her, right?”

I tilted my head side to side as I had to consider what I could do, and I did have an answer. “Well… The problem fundamentally stems from her development while growing up. Between your mother being unwell for what sounds like a majority of her pregnancy with her and the fact that Ren didn’t get to properly grow up on her mother’s milk, her body is just weak outright. Like I said, good nutrition and a steady dose of the proper supplements will help in the long term for sure, but she’ll always be behind others of her age.” I then looked at Ren again for a moment before looking at Krys again. “But that’s just the slow and mundane method. If you want to really help her, she’ll need to ignite a manaheart. Based on the general benefits of having a manaheart, she should see considerable improvements in her overall health and constitution and be able to live at the level of other kids her age and maybe become even stronger with proper meditation, exercise and a continued healthy diet.”

Krys’ eyes widened at that as he regarded Ren, and already I could sense him considering just how much coin he’d need to start gathering the things he’s only heard of that help mages and adventurers become stronger by leaps and bounds. “Okay… Thank you for this, I’ll see what I can do once we reach the Capital.” He said with sincere appreciation as he resolved himself already.

Ren seemed to recognize the look in her brother’s eyes and only grew more worried as she looked at me again. “Isn’t there anything you can do right now? Someone as powerful as you could at least do something to help.”

Krys just shook his head at that. “Ren, you shouldn’t bother Boss Vito with that, he’s already done more than all the other healers that have seen you over the years. Not even two minutes and he knew that our mother was sick by just looking at you.” At that, her ears drooped with concern as Krys looked to me and lowered his head again. “You’ve already held up your end of the deal as far as I’m concerned… I’ll take it from here Boss.”

Ren looked at me pleadingly still, and I couldn’t help but pipe up as I met Krys’ gaze again. “Well… There is actually something I can do in particular, thanks to being trained by elves in the ways of magic.” That was a lie of course, it was because of my dungeon magic, but I have a feeling elves are mysterious enough for that to be believable.

Krys and Ren shared a look and I could tell they were curious as to what I had to say, though Ren just listened intently as she relied on her brother to lead the conversation again. “And what would that be?”

Looking at Krys again, I held out my hand and conjured a ball of green light, it’s just a light but it's to help sell the moment. “Form a bond with me… I’ll share a portion of my mana and help her form a manaheart. I was actually going to offer this to you and your team from the outset to help you help me with the job I actually hired you for.”

Krys looked momentarily taken aback by the idea, though I could sense Ren’s palpable curiosity as she gazed into the ball of light before looking up into my eyes. “A-are you some kind of fiend or fey?”

At that, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly before shaking my head a bit. “I’m neither, though at the very least, I used to be human.” I offered with a kind smile.

“What would this bond entail? Will it make me into some kind of slave or servant?” He asked, though despite his question I could already sense that he was seriously considering the offer already.

“Hm? No, of course not. This is essentially a familial thing as far as I’ve seen so far. You agree to enter into my service and I give you power to protect yourself and others, keep you from death or even bring you back to life. It’s basically what I did with Legosi, Basmori, and Freyli.” Now that I think about it, the only thing I really get back from this whole deal is mana if they kill or get killed… I wonder if there’s more to this whole bond than what I know? Well… If there is, then I probably don’t need it since I’m more than happy to take a loss if I can make others around me stronger.

Krys nodded intently before taking my hand, the green light shining through between our palms before meeting my gaze. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

I flashed a bit of a smile at his determination before gripping his hand with a firm shake. “Sure… Let’s get started.”