Not even a week passed before things began going wrong. Ever since the demi-god Nolan had appeared, people had been talking about a war. Apparently, the government was strengthening their borders and promoting enlistment, and the fervor gradually reached Scopt.

I was eating at the inn with Theo. Over the past few days, he’d opened up a bit. He was ever-curious about magic, and learned anything I taught him quickly. I would have offered to tutor him as a mage, but time was of the essence. Maybe if things calmed down a little, I’d be able to show him a few things. I also wanted to know more about humans’ magic potential, because it seemed to be lacking.

Theo had already finished eating and was waiting patiently to go back upstairs. We both sported new, simple cotton clothing. My clothing had begun to wear out, while Theo had worn what looked like rags.

As I finished the soup I was eating, the door opened and everyone in the tavern went silent. I looked up to see Nolan walk in. Everyone stood and bowed, and I quickly followed suit. There was only one reason he’d come to a mediocre tavern--for me.

“Stand, everyone,” he smiled. “I do not mean to interrupt your meal, I have come simply to visit a friend.” As the atmosphere began to return to normal, he walked over to our table.

“Hello, friend,” he greeted. “I’d like to talk to you. Do you have a place where we could do so?”

I adopted a respectful expression. “Of course, Your Supremacy. I will show you to my room. Do you mind if my friend comes along?” I motioned towards Theo.

“Not at all,” he said. “Lead the way.”

I felt a little relieved as I walked to my room. If Nolan had wanted to kill me, he probably would’ve had stealthier ways to try. Still, I was reluctant to include Theo in this matter. He had gained my trust, but if things went south, he’d likely die unnecessarily.

“After you,” I said, holding the door to my room open. Nolan entered and looked around, sitting down on one of the beds. I’d upgraded rooms after hiring Theo, a cost-effective way of providing him with housing. Theo sat with me on the other bed, his face both excited and terrified.

“I notice your aura is not exposed,” Nolan said. “Why is that?”

So the questioning begins. “I’m sorry if I offended you, Your Supremacy. I thought it’d be rude in the presence of someone of your stature.”

He nodded. “I do not recognize you, so you must not be a demi-god. However, the magic you displayed when I was first summoned was powerful. If I could, where did you learn your magic? Do you serve an organization?”

I was somewhat prepared for those questions. “No, Your Supremacy. I was taught by a family member and by my lonesome, there is no group I answer to.”

Nolan frowned. “It is fine if you do not want to answer me. However, I must ask you this. Do you intend the kingdom any harm or ill intent?”

Had he seen through my lie? Even if he had, would he believe my next answer at all? “No, Your Supremacy.”

He smiled. “Good, then I will leave you. Of course, I’ll have to report you to my mother, but you should be safe.” He paused. “Let me add this. War will happen soon, and it is unlikely that humans will remain a significant power any longer. I’d suggest travelling to the capital for now.”

I nodded, then said, “Your Supremacy.” Now was the time I’d been waiting for. Even if I hadn’t planned this conversation, I wasn’t going to let my opportunity slide away. “If I may, I have a question.”

His eyebrows shot up, but after a second, he nodded. “Go ahead.”

“I don’t mean any offense by this question, but it’s very important to me that I find the answer to my question. Is there any chance that I’d be able to meet your mother, Olmera?”

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Nolan stared at me for a while before giving his answer. “I...can see that you are honest in your intentions, but my mother is incredibly busy. I will mention this to her, but I can’t promise anything. Head to Taron, and I’ll contact you there.”

“I see. Thank you, Your Supremacy.” He nodded and left the room.

I sat in thought for a minute. The conversation could’ve gone better, but it also could’ve gone a lot worse. Nolan was likely capable of a type of mind magic that detected lies, which would explain his trust in me. I was suppressing my magic, so I couldn’t have seen it anyway.

The most concerning thing he’d mentioned was the fact that humans were going to fall. I’d read that their power had been declining for generations, because other species had evolved to utilize much stronger magic. I decided to take the demi-god’s advice and move to the capital--it’d be safer to live in, and it was my best bet for talking to Olmera. I’d read that it was the prime city for gods and goddesses to gather in.

“Theo,” I said.

“Yeah?” he replied, sitting as straight as a board.

“We’re going to Taron.”

…PoV Change…

When I saw the demi-god Nolan, I thought we were dead. I thought he’d found out about the enchanted weapons, and decided to kill us. There were stories about how terrifying he was, how he could tell if someone was lying. And if someone was lying to him, he’d search their mind. Not many people went back to normal after that.

But Damien stayed calm, something I had no hope of doing. Even when he used honorifics, it seemed as if he was talking to an equal, rather than the direct descendant of a god. What was more, demi-god Nolan praised his magic power. I knew he was strong, but the fact that he was acknowledged by a demi-god meant he was on another level.

I was curious about Damien’s past. It was obvious that he wasn’t from around here, otherwise he’d be much wealthier. Still, I guessed he would tell me eventually, but it wasn’t like I was going to ask. He was one of the only real friends I’d ever made--he fed me, housed me, and even bought clothes. I’d never seen him get angry or annoyed at anything, but he always seemed a little sad, and I didn’t know why.

When he revealed that we were going to the capital, Taron, I was excited and nervous. I’d never left Scopt, mostly because I had no way to. It would be an entirely new experience, a new setting. Taron was an oceanside city, and it would be my first time seeing one.

Packing was relatively easy--we didn’t have many belongings between the two of us, so all we needed were two horses and a few bags. I spent hours going around to make sure that we’d get the best bargain.

Not soon after being taken in by him, I’d learned that Damien was terrible at bartering. He was a genius at pretty much everything else I could think of, but negotiating was a weak spot. I took it on myself to make sure he got the best deals. So far, I think he was happy.

...PoV Change…

The trip to the capital was quick and uneventful. The weather had continued to get colder, and it felt like the equivalent of fall on my world. Taron was by an ocean, which I was grateful for. I was born and raised in a town by the ocean, so the change would certainly be welcome.

Along the way, I decided to evaluate Theo’s magic. On the first night, I sat down with him and asked if he wanted to learn. His response was delightful.

“I can learn to use magic? Like you?” His eyebrows rose and he started grinning.

“Well, hold on.” I put a hand up. “I’m not sure what the magic is like here, so don’t get your hopes up.”

He nodded, but kept smiling like a madman. “So when can we start?”

“Now, I suppose. Give me your hand.” He obeyed, and I started to release my magic. “Normally, people would meditate over a few years to modify their bodies to accept ambient mana, but that’s slow and inefficient. What I’m going to do is basically force-feed you magic until you accept it. It’s difficult and dangerous, so not many people do it this way. Are you ready?”

Theo bobbed his head. “Yeah.”

I gathered a bunch of the ambient mana in the air and started pushing it into his hand. Theo was obviously excited about this, but teaching him magic also helped me. I wanted to know why such a small number of human wizards existed, and if their innate potential was any different.

Theo started shifting uncomfortably. He’d have started feeling the effects by now. The reason why forcing magic acceptance was so difficult was because the wizard couldn’t convert mana to their own magic. When ambient mana was absorbed, it was automatically processed in the caster’s body, taking on the attributes of their magic. The ability to resist it from blending and remain neutral was a hard task.

Theo finally collapsed under the amount of magic, and I carefully eased him onto the ground. He screamed in pain now and then, and his body spasmed. It was normal, but I still couldn’t help but feel bad. I...had forged a relationship with him, deeper than I intended to, but not entirely unwelcome.

Around twenty minutes later, I felt something give way, and immediately stopped flooding him with magic. Once his body had accepted it, I had to make sure that I didn’t oversaturate him, otherwise he’d become mana-crippled. Theo had passed out a while ago, and I let him sleep. He’d be ready to go the next morning.