As the two were not taking the normal traveling roads due to the fact that Leon is being hunted by the Royal Family, they traveled through the fields from a village to another using the map atlas Leon bought from the Mercenary Hall and also by asking villagers for directions.
Two men riding dangerous-looking beasts would surely drive the villagers into chaos, but both Leon and Vadim fabricated a story about being professional monster hunters from a nearby city, who were chasing a beast in the region and checking between villages. Using fear as a weapon, the two would get accommodation in the villages with the villagers' prayers that the two of them would find the monsters that would threaten the peace.
The whole Kingdom of Amber is a large peninsula in the northeastern part of the continent but it has a massive landmass which makes it one of the big countries in general. With the sea being at the north, the south, and the east, there weren't many alternatives to travel to the east, especially since they have to cross a mountain range at some point.
"Lance, Lara, Erielle, and Eleanor are all taking different directions towards the East and making themselves visible as they travel. The enemy is focusing on the four of them not knowing which individual is escorting you." Vadim said.
"But that enemy knows about you, right?" Leon asked.
"Aye! I am sure they're trying to locate us as we speak." Vadim said.
"Won't the villagers tell them about us if our description was given?"
"Nay! You don't need to worry. If we are being hunted by knights, they will rush through the roads. No one bothers with poor villagers."
Leon thought for a while as he looked towards the map.
"We are taking uncharted routes and all but I still think there are too many variables." Leon said as his inner escape artist was awakened, "If it was me, I'd try to pinpoint my location with any means possible, magic if possible."
"Quit saying that." Vadim brushed off what Leon said, "You can't be traced with Magic unless you are marked with Magic."
"So there's no method to search and locate something or someone with Magic?" Leon asked.
"Knowledge Magic, of course." Vadim nodded, "It is the hardest magic, however, it isn't omniscient. It is branched into two methods, Detection and Divination."
"I see." Leon made an understanding face, "Detection is searching for stuff through Space while Divination is searching for something through Time."
"Oh! So you were paying attention to my lessons, I see." Vadim smiled.
"I don't look down on any knowledge, Vadim." Leon replied, "Speaking of which, what methods can they use to search for me?"
"As I said, unless you are marked, it will be a pain looking for you. The Detection spells are limited in Range so you need to know a specific location and search beforehand. Of course the Detection range depends on the Mage but even someone at the level of Erielle can't pull it off easily."
"That's the Detection method, isn't the Divination method more dangerous then?"
"Much less so, believe me. Think about it, they can't already find our location so they will need to find out where we were last exactly then cast the Divination spells. The longer the time passes, the harder it becomes. Once that is done, they will need to track us until we enter their range of Detection."
"So it is slow and inefficient."
"Exactly, lad." Vadim nodded, "But unless ye leave nothing that belongs to ya, such as hair or personal things, Divination won't be much of a problem."
"Glad I thought of that one as well." Leon breathed a sigh of relief, "Which means there's only one method they can reach us."
"And that is?"
"They will attempt to race us ahead and wait at the path which we will most definitely take." Leon pointed at some key locations on the map.
"Good thinking. I am sure word has already gotten to these locations about us."
"You are knowledgeable about these areas, right? What path would be the least expected for us to cross from?" Leon asked.
"By least expected, you mean…"
"The most obvious. The one with the biggest number of travelers and has a strong military presence."
Vadim walked off the campfire he was roasting the fish on and looked over the map before pointing at a certain point.
"The Marth Bridge." He said.
"What's that bridge like?"
"Two sectioned stone bridges that can take two carriages coming and going. The middle of the bridge rests on an island where a small guard fort was built and has large gates."
"Interesting."
Leon and Vadim drew some shapes on the dirt as Leon kept thinking.
"Every passerby will be accounted for. Not to mention that a Dwarf on a Dire Wolf and a Human on an Assassin Bison will most definitely draw attention." Leon said.
"Do you have a plan then?"
"I do. It's kinda reckless but we can only pass from under their noses or else if we cause trouble, we will have a big pursuit party on our tail."
"So you think you can trick them and just pass through?"
"Don't worry, we will have a Plan B where you will be fighting to your heart's content."
"Alright, I'll contact the others. After we get past the Marth Bridge, we will be in the Godfrey Duchy which is a safe haven for you."
"Eleanor's Territory?"
"Yes, we will be welcomed with feasts and wine. You will also get to meet your fiancée."
"Don't start it."
Thinking about himself, Shady was always single but that Leon actually had a fiancée from the beginning. Just how much is Fate trying to mock him at this point?
Well, at least he met a nice girl called Karmina who is both a noble lady and a very unexpected criminal. Such a thought uplifted his mood.
"Alright." Finally Vadim stood up and signaled Leon to stand as well, "We will continue with yer lessons."
"Yes, sir."
This Leon was actually very easy to train compared to the previous Leon. Whether it is comprehension or imagination, there was something profound to every technique and Leon was there to spot it immediately.
"Alright, Lad. These are some basics ya need to remember." Vadim spoke, "There are Seven Elemental Sorceries that are considered to be inborn talents one is gifted since birth. What defines the Elements you can use can either be your Race, your Lineage, or your Luck. For example, Dwarves are usually born with an affinity to both Earth and Fire. Elves are born with an affinity to Water, Giants are born with an affinity to Air. As you can see, the Dwarves have deeper affinities because their lives are much different than the other races of men."
"What about Humans?" Asked Leon.
"Humans are rather more diverse so we call them the random elementalists. Sometimes Humans can awaken very Rare Elements in a ratio greater than all the other races combined but most of their numbers aren't really skilled or talented. Aside from that, the other races of man also awaken random elements but on a smaller ratio. For example, I was born with the Light Element because my father was from a lineage that didn't dwell underground. That's why I have Lineage Element. A bloodline thing."
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"I see."
"Humans, however, have fewer bloodlines since they have interbred amongst many members outside of their respective clans. What I am saying is that most other races wouldn't try to interbreed so that they attain the purest bloodlines while the Humans have gone for the Quantity over Quality tradition. Sadly, inbreeding endangers the quality as well thus giving birth amongst the non-human societies is a very strict practice."
"So that's why it is common to meet a Human in a city rather than a dwarf or an elf."
"Yes. We really mix well with Humans and many Dwarves dwell in Karanberg. You said it right. Their numbers are generally overwhelming, especially in a metropolis. That doesn't mean our numbers are few. During the Human-Orcish War, the Dwarves sided with the Humans and Tsarina Olga Golden-Tooth sent over an army of 10,000 Dwarves to destroy the Orcs."
Vadim paused as Leon offered him one roasted fish before continuing.
"Back to our topic about talents and bloodlines. I want to conclude that up until now, only birth can determine the inborn talent and you, lad, weren't born with any. The fact that you awakened them late will be very disturbing since some people won't acknowledge you as the real Leon."
"Or I can use it to say I am not the real Leon."
"Why would you even do such a thing?"
"Won't they leave me be as long as I am not the real Leon?"
"That's narrow-minded of you but the answer is no." Vadim shook his head, "You, being not the real Leon, will cause more problems to the people that care about you."
"But I don't care about anyone in particular."
"Goodness me!" Vadim held his head in annoyance with Leon's logic, "Just think of it as something out of the question. Once you reach the Dark Territory, you should announce yourself as Leon Dark and that you are more talented and powerful than anyone in your generation. If you do so, you can gain a strong position and keep the Royal Family and Duke Dark at bay. The only reason the other family members didn't stand up for you is the fact that you were useless to them."
"Meh! I am not playing politics with some old men."
"Just don't be stubborn. We don't want anyone to come after you without the support of the Dark Family at your back. Believe me, if you have your own family Elders supporting you, neither the Duke nor the Kingdom will be able to do what they did 8 years ago."
"Whatever, man." Leon picked more of the roasted mushroom and ate with the fish as he seasoned it with salt, "So, let's go back to the important topic."
"Sigh!"
"You promised to teach me about Magic as long as I behave, remember?" Leon pointed fingers at Vadim.
"Fine, fine. We spoke of the Seven Elemental Sorceries and their relationship to the inborn Magical Talent. The other side of the coin is the Seven Magic Arts."
"Seven Arts and Seven Sorceries. What is the difference?"
"It is theorized that some Arts depend on the Elements you have. Some depend on strange and mysterious factors. The Magic Arts are also learnable and teachable but the Elemental Sorceries are things you figure out by mimicking Mana and Nature."
"I figured that part out mostly from the Arcane Theory but it is good to hear it in simpler words." Leon nodded.
"That's what terrifies me. Even Erielle didn't figure out more than 100 pages of the Arcane Theory."
"As I said, I memorized it all but I barely understand a few sentences."
"The hell is wrong with you, lad?" Vadim remembered that thing Leon told him a few days ago.
The Arcane Theory, also known as "The Grimoire" among the students of magic, may be a non-magical book by all means but it makes the actual magical books fade in its remarkableness. If it wasn't written by the most remarkable magic caster in the Heroic Era, Arnold the Old, it would have been abandoned as a book of gibberish nonsense ages ago.
When Leon claimed to Vadim that he read the entire book and memorized it, it was safe to say that Vadim was in complete denial until Leon took the book out of thin air, handed it to Vadim, and started reciting verses of the text from any random page and describing the images he couldn't understand. In other words, Leon barely understood it but it was engraved on his soul so to speak.
Vadim wanted to attribute Leon's bizarre talents to his entire read of the book but Leon's foundations in Magic were the worst Vadim saw in decades and thus he started teaching Leon some magic basics along the way. In no way was Vadim a mage but his knowledge was sufficient enough to transform the whole understanding of Leon in regards to Magic.
It was surprising to learn that Leon has figured out the Mana Circulation on his own and even started applying the Vocal Casting but what's more surprising was the extent of his Somatic Casting. Somatic Casting is fast but very limited in power. Some would say it is good for stealthy and fast combat especially when it comes to Martial Magic but Leon made a whole new animal out of that Somatic Casting. To put it in simpler words, his Somatic Casting wasn't in any way less powerful than Vocal Casting, an anomaly that can only be attributed to Leon's exceptional talent which Vadim hasn't fathomed completely just yet.
"As of now, I want you to focus on learning the Magic Arts rather than the Elemental Sorceries. This is how Magic is actually being taught. The Elements may hold more destructive ability but the Arcane Arts has more applications." Vadim said.
"What Arts should I focus on?"
"Whatever you can learn. It usually depends on some prerequisites as I said earlier but I'll summarize it for you. Combat Magic can be used by everyone and I taught you some tricks in the past if you remember."
"I don't."
"Fine! As for the Arcane Magic, it requires at least one Element which is a prerequisite I suppose you can now fulfill. Also, believe me when I tell you that this is the most important magic which all mages delve into first before even learning about their elements."
"Noted."
"Aside from that, the Illusion Magic is my least favorite and I know nothing about."
"Hmmm… interesting." Leon noted something down in his paper after hearing that.
"Alteration Magic, also known as Alchemy, is by far the most outrageous thing ever. It requires four elements alone. Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. If you ask me, it is a one in a ten thousand chance to find someone with that amount of talent. Your Mother is an Alchemist and she even has Light Magic."
"She does?" Leon raised his brows, "I see… but for Alchemy to possess such a heavy prerequisite. I think that I can see that it plays on the manipulation of all the states of matter."
"Huh?"
"I mean it is obvious, right? Earth is all Solid objects which earth contributes to their matter, Water is all Liquid matters, Air is Gas obviously, and Fire is Plasma. If we apply some science to Alchemy, we can figure out how it all relates to the 118 Elements of the periodic table." Leon murmured and noted once again, "Interesting."
"118 elements? Mountain's belly!" Vadim made a weird expression.
"Nothing, nothing at all."
"Alright… next up are Life Magic and Death Magic."
"Life and Death. I have read about them."
"What do you know then?"
"Life Magic is considered a very esteemed branch of Magic but it is a very rare sight to see. Death Magic, on the other hand, was removed from the books and considered a taboo subject along with the so-called Dark Magic."
"True. Life Magic is also known as Druidism and it is very common among the Elves and the Giants. I picked up a few tricks from it myself to tame beasts and such as you see. Sometimes, it may require having the Light Element flowing through you. Death Magic, on the other hand, is known as Necromancy and it is taboo for so many reasons. Those who practice it have to offer many sacrifices and become mostly mad at a certain point of overusing it."
"Sacrifices?" Leon asked.
"Aye! Humanoid Sacrifices mostly."
"To who?"
"What?"
"Sacrifices are ceremonies that are always directed towards a Higher Being. Who accepts those sacrifices?" Leon asked.
"I am not sure what you're talking about. Sacrificing something is killing it to access its soul and use it for evil things?"
"That's not sacrificing, that's… exploiting." Leon said, "A Sacrifice is a gift to either appease or seek the aid of some supernatural force be it Benevolent or Malevolent. It is not usually a bad thing if by sacrificing you are not offering a human sacrifice to a God."
"God?" Vadim tilted his head.
"Oh! Right."
Leon tends to forget that this world has no notion of God. It was really strange since no matter which places one would go in his past world, all these ancient civilizations no matter how far they originated from, they all acknowledged the existence of a God or a pantheon of gods. But this world is strictly Godless. Could it be that something happened on Earth which caused all humanity to have a definite sense of the notion of God while it didn't occur here on Agartha?
"God is like… the ultimate creator of all power and things."
"Oh! I've never heard of a Spirit that powerful before." Vadim widened his eyes.
"A Spirit is… rather inaccurate." Leon narrowed his eyes and decided to research before coming up with a heresy that might end up with him getting burnt on a stick, "So, the last magic of those Arts."
"Ah! Knowledge Magic. It is the most wonderful of all. What's different about it is that it requires no elemental prerequisite and it can't be learned that easily."
"That so?"
"Yes. Knowledge Magic is all about foretelling and so, you must have a supernatural ability to Divine and Detect things beyond the normal senses. Something like an extra sense that doesn't make sense to normal people… for example, seeing or speaking with ghosts."
"Oh!" Leon widened his eyes, "I have one of those."
"Truly?" Vadim reacted with shock.
"Yes, I can speak to Boobs." Leon said with a big smile.
"…" Vadim closed his eyes and remained silent for a while before looking at Leon with a serious face, "For your sake and mine, don't mention that in front of your mother… or your mother-in-law… or your fiancée… or your sister."