"The spell is waning. No further questions until after our 'guests' are handled. Everyone understand?" Lord Felix calls out amongst the room.
""AYE!"" Those gathered answer in kind, me included despite the grim expression on my face after hearing the full plan laid out. The idea that they'll be killing the two who have been watching us tonight doesn't sit well with me. But that's just me being naive.
The nobleman gives a firm nod and slides himself out of the chair and straightens his attire. His piercing green eyes sweeping across the lot of us. "Good. Then go back to your tasks as ordered this morning and be ready." He then turns to look at the two [Scouts] with a respectful nod. "As for you two, good work. You may take one of the rooms upstairs. Get washed up and rest to your hearts content."
His hand raises for silence before they can thank him, the room drowning in it for a moment. Long enough for me to wonder what is happening until a sharp pop occurs in my inner ear, causing me to flinch and cover them. Several others in the room grunt at the sound as well, sticking their fingers into their ears and groaning.
"Ugh, bastard magic." Walt mutters next to me as he gives his ears a few slaps and checking his hands as if he expects to see blood.
Which I fully nod in agreement, feeling like someone just jabbed a needle into my own. "Aye. That was awful." I remark with a slightly pained smile.
Thorpe chuckles, gesturing us out of the way as the mercenaries begin filing back out into the village, the sound of crickets chirping outside as the door swings open. "Yeah, that part is never fun. It'll go away in a few minutes."
Thorpe then turns to face his lieutenants, "Walt, get some rest. Ahmed, get back to it. Who knows when they might show up in force, so keep someone close to the bell." He says seriously to the two before he gestures to the nobleman. "His Lordship has some business with boss lady tonight, so if you need me, I'll be over at hers for a couple hours at most. But we'll talk more in the morning."
Walt and Ahmed both nod, adjust their cloaks, and exit the guesthouse along with the others. The former giving me a friendly pat on my back and a smile before ducking out. Leaving us alone with Lord Felix, Steppan, and Ethel.
My eyes catch sight of Wuinn and Barton's boots as they head upstairs, likely to bath and rest as directed. But in the hallway leading to it, the two mercenary captains appear to be in a rather heated and hushed conversation. Deliberately keeping their voices low.
Ethel's brows are pinched and angled inward at the [Paladin], who is looking equally agitated.
I purse my lips at the display, feeling an ache of concern. A feeling that is mirrored in both Thorpe and Lord Felix's expressions as their attentions are focused in that direction as well.
The three of us observe them for a while as they mutter at each other animatedly, Ethel seeming more frustrated by the second. I can't entirely catch what they're saying, but I do manage to make out something about protecting Lord Felix. Which the nobleman in question catches and his deeply expressive brows furrow before he steps to the mouth of the hallway.
"Is there a problem?" He cuts in firmly, snapping the two out of their disagreement as their heads swiftly turn to face him.
Ethel places her hands on her hips and takes a wide step away from the [Paladin] before answering, "No, your lordship. We were just having a tactical disagreement. But the matter is settled." She states firmly, giving Steppan a hard glance. "Ser Steppan will be taking charge of our men during the watch tonight as planned, while I watch over you, my lord."
Steppan's face twitches a tad at that, his hands clenching at his sides. But he stays silent.
The nobleman shifts his attention to him and stares for a few seconds, likely judging his reaction. "Do you have a grievance with this?"
The [Paladin] clenches his jaw at the direct question, going silent. And to my discomfort, he seems to glance directly at me. But thankfully not for too long before he sighs through his nose. "No, your Lordship. I can handle it. I apologize for the delay." He answers lowly, offering a halfhearted bow, and then heads straight for the door. Shutting it behind him rather harshly.
The room stays quiet for a few seconds, all of us listening to Steppan's armored feet getting further away outside. Once we can't hear it anymore, Thorpe whistles lowly. "Who the hell shit in his oats?"
Ethel shakes her head as she leans back against the hallway wall. "Me. Unfortunately." She then brings a finger up to her lips in a quiet gesture before pointing at the ceiling. Which briefly confuses me until I realize that Barton and Wuinn are still up there. And from what Arric had said, those two are pretty loyal to Ser Steppan.
The nobleman reaches up to fuss with the curl of his mustache and nods. "Let us go then. We should not keep young Miss Perro from home too much longer. And I am sure her mother is already waiting for her."
I doubt she'll be there though. But I can understand that this is just to get us out of the guesthouse in case we're being overheard by the [Scouts] upstairs.
Old Guard seems to agree as he opens the door and guides me out with a hand. Shuddering as the cold night air hits me, causing me to bury my face into the bundle of red fabric wrapped around my neck to keep the chill off of my face.
The three of us take the short few minute or so walk across the village, cutting between some of the central buildings to the other side where my home is. And as I expected, I don't think my mother is back just yet. The windows are dark. She's been working pretty late recently.
I guide everyone in and through the door to the right so we can gather in the den area. Thorpe immediately moving over to load logs into the firepit from a stack nearby.
Ethel checks a few of the windows before she turns to face the rest of us with a rather sour expression. "He's already noticed that I've been keeping something from him, and he is getting very impatient with me."
That makes me frown pretty hard, causing that familiar nagging guilt to start crawling back in. "He was looking at me weirdly while we were going over the plan."
Thorpe offers a low hum as he gets a fire started with our flint and tinder, nursing the flame as the logs begin to catch. "Well. We haven't exactly been keeping it that well guarded to be fair. And since he already knows you have some very unique skills that none of his peers have heard of, it just makes you all the more striking in the sightline."
The [Knight] sighs heavily and nods. "Indeed. He already knows you are a person of interest in all this. And he's far from a moron. I assumed he would catch on pretty quickly, I've known him too long to believe otherwise."
The nobleman finds comfort in one of the plush fur-padded rocking chairs in front of the firepit. "I apologize for having you keep something from your adjutant. But with all things considered, I have a great fear for Miss Liore's safety."
"No. It is the best course of action given the circumstances. But breaking his trust is difficult for me. And the longer we are stuck here, the worse the aftermath will be."
I shift a bit nervously on my feet and rub the back of my neck. "Why can't we just tell him?" I ask, glancing around at the other three. "Is he really going to have that bad of reaction? He's treated me fine so far, even if he's suspicious."
"Yes. It would be exactly as bad as it sounds." Ethel states plainly with barely enough time for her to consider the answer. Immediately instilling a seed of fear in my stomach.
I shake my head, confused and frustrated. "W—why? I don't understand. If he can tolerate Arric, why not me?"
The nobleman has begun to gently rock back and forth on the chair, eliciting a subtle creak from the wood. "Because the Hascan's have been around for a long time. They are a protected people under Grandian law. And because the specifics of how their physiology and unique skills work are cultural secrets." Lord Felix answers, folding his hands behind his back. "The church might not like it, but they don't get a say in it. It's the one thing they can't influence within the nobility. As the royal family has had a defense pact with the Beast Isles for centuries."
A brief history lesson would usually fascinate me, but my poor mood isn't shifting whatsoever. My frustration turning to agitation. "But he isn't even in the Order, right? Why would he care so much?"
That question seems to shut both Ethel and Lord Felix's mouths pretty tight. The two glancing to one another, neither seeming to want to answer.
Thorpe finishes stoking the fire and stands to prop his hands on his hips, looking sternly between them. "Okay. Either you explain it to her, or I'm about to. And I ain't gonna be as nice about it."
The [Knight's] nose wrinkles, directing a glare towards Old Guard but seems to give in. "Fine." She responds, standing up straight and walking closer to me.
I can tell she isn't happy about doing this, and I almost tell her that she doesn't have to, but she raises a hand to stop me as my mouth opens.
"Don't. It's fine. Perspective will make this a little easier for you to understand." She admits, despite the obvious apprehension. "Thorpe already guessed, but Steppan is an Oathbreaker."
My brow furrows at the term. Definitely not one I've heard of before. "Oathbreaker? Is that what happens when you flunk out of the Order's training?"
Ethel shakes her head solemnly. "No. A few hundred fail to meet the Order's expectations all the time during training. And most, if not all of them, end up just joining the Grand Army or the Mercenaries Guild." She explains carefully before sucking in air a bit sharply. "Those who pass the training join the ranks of the Order. And initiation requires a graduate to go through a ritual called the [Oath of the Order]. Which imposes the strictures of the church on them, while also opening them up to unique skills and class evolutions that only the most faithful can receive from God."
My frown grows even deeper as I realize what she is leading to. "Oh..."
She nods, likely noticing that I've caught up. "Yes. He broke his oath in a very stressful situation. And as an Oathbreaker, he was excommunicated and every [Paladin] skill he learned after taking the oath was locked away from him."
I audibly gasp before I can stop myself, clasping a hand over my mouth. "That's horrible. They can just do that?"
"The [Oath of the Order] is directly to God. If you break it, you lose favor with God himself." She responds firmly before her expression turns a bit dark. "But. He can be forgiven. Which is what makes this situation with you so dangerous."
Thorpe grunts lowly, "Oathbreakers are some of the most overzealous [Paladins] you'll meet. Damn near suicidal." He comments, catching another glare from Ethel for his intrusion.
The [Knight] rolls her eyes. "Auguste is correct, unfortunately. Since there is a chance for forgiveness, Oathbreakers tend to fiercely seek out what might earn them enough glory. If they can impress the Order with their deeds, they may be granted the opportunity to renew their Oath."
My stomach feels like it has sunk into my feet. That damning phrase hidden inside my passive skill starting to haunt my thoughts again. "Ooooooooh..."
"If he finds out that you can take skills from killing monsters, there is a high chance that he will think you are a cursed class. And I have had the misfortune of seeing how he reacts to that." She admits with a quite guilty look on her face. "It's almost as though he turns into an entirely different person."
I swallow hard at that, feeling my hands start to shake. The crackle of the fire sending shivers down my spine, considering the implications of what I've read the Order doing in the past.
But Ethel leans over and wraps her strong arms around me, surprising me with the sudden embrace. "I'm sorry. This is a lot of pressure on you. And you don't deserve it." She says quietly, giving me a light squeeze before breaking the hug.
I blink a few times, still a little surprised, but shake my head lightly at her, "It's not your fault. You didn't exactly expect something like me." I assure, aiming it towards the nobleman as well, who chuckles and waves passively. "I feel like I'm just another complication in this whole [Bandit] mess."
Lord Felix scoffs. "You are an asset, if anything. But it is my hope that we can be done with this mess quickly and be out of your village's hair. As we have much larger issues overshadowing us in Llanercost." Lord Felix notes a bit wishfully before clearing his throat. "Anywho. We have other business to attend to tonight. So we may as well get started before it becomes too late."
I raise my brow at him before glancing between Thorpe and Ethel. "My mother isn't back yet, though. And I'm not sure when she'll be here."
Lord Felix smiles, adjusting the frilly cuffs of his blouse. "That was only partly why I am here tonight. But there is something far more important I wanted to do. My [Analyze] skill has recharged, and I am eager to see if I can use it to clear up some more mystery for you."
My eyes widen at that. Thankfully, I was already nervous to begin with, so the shift in topic isn't making it worse. But it only really changes the reason that it's there.
But I take a deep breath and remind myself that this doesn't have to be a bad thing. I've been letting my anxiety get the best of me and overthinking things way too often lately.
Learning what I am is supposed to be good.
Even if it might sound scary—or possibly sacrilegious. But I'm not going to hold my breath for that one.
I finally look up from my moment of introspection and firmly settle my attention on Lord Felix. "Thank you, my lord. I would appreciate that."
The nobleman smiles wider, looking quite excited about this. "Then let us not dally. Take a seat, no need to stand like you are on trial." He suggests, gesturing to the other furred rocking chair across from him.
I lower myself down in the chair, thankful for the support just in case I happen to be shocked by something enough to collapse. But since Thorpe is here too, I feel a lot more at ease. The man in question scooting over a wooden stool from the corner to sit himself next to me.
"Don't worry. I'll catch you if you fly off the handle this time." Old Guard chuckles and winks at me.
I nervously laugh, not entirely certain enough to say that I won't. "Thank you. I think I'll be fine this time."
Ethel offers me a comforting pat on the shoulder as she steps past to stand next to Lord Felix. "Well, I know that I can handle your hopping a bit better. So I think your safeguards are in order."
That does make me giggle a bit more earnestly. "Mama might make you pay repairs for the house though. And I'll be grounded until I'm twenty."
Thorpe scoffs, "More like thirty…"
Lord Felix teases with the curl of his mustache, emitting a polite chuckle. "Ser Ethel and Arric have informed me of what was discovered a few days ago. It is unfortunate you felt the need to confide in him, but I am glad that it was not misplaced." He waves dismissively before I can even attempt to apologize. "No need for any further words on that matter. What is done, is done. Let us instead begin."
I sit up straight and nod, giving him the most determined look I can muster. "Go ahead."
The nobleman places his hands on the arms of the chair and ceases his rocking. His piercing green eyes focusing on me fully as the room falls into a subtle quiet.
"I beseech thee, may my eyes pierce the veil and uncover the unseen." Lord Felix recites, and immediately the air in the room changes. His eyes seeming to glow faintly and dilate.
I hold my breath as my hands squeeze tightly on my knees. Keeping my attention forward towards him as his eyes flicker around as if he's reading something. And the longer they do so, the more his expression tightens pensively. His expressive painted brows arching with curiosity.
He does this for a solid minute or so, enough for Thorpe to groan lowly with impatience. But thankfully he is keeping himself from interrupting.
"Fascinating." Lord Felix finally speaks, threading his hands together in front of him to rest his chin on.
My lips tighten, a bit impatient myself, but I have no such qualms about speaking up. This is me we're talking about, of course. "What do you see?"
He taps his knuckles against his chin a couple of times before he leans forward. "Well, your window is quite unassuming on the surface. But is certainly the strangest I have ever come across. And that is after using this skill on a few dozen people over the years." He admits honestly. "Everyone's true window to the soul is unique to them. Suits their personality. The writing and structure of it are never the same. But they can be similar. Yours, as I expected, is very compact, very streamlined. Everything is clear and legible."
I can't tell whether I should feel flattered by that information, but I'll take it. "But you said it's strange?"
Lord Felix nods and points a finger at something in front of him that none of us can see. "There are some odd things about it. Like these frayed lines stemming off from the corners that are spreading all over the place."
I perk up at that. "Yes! I noticed those too. They showed up after [Primeval Awareness] was unlocked. I thought they looked like cracks."
He shakes his head lightly, his head turning as his eyes track something around the room. "I don't think so. They spread out quite far. Far enough to go past my perception. Fading at the ends. They clearly go much further. But where, I am unsure."
That is definitely news to me. "Really? They look pretty short to me." I say, speaking the phrase and opening my own window to poke at the angular lines myself. But they end after only a few inches. And nothing looks like it has changed since I last—wait…
My eyes narrow as I lean forward to stare at something that has definitely changed.
______________________________________
[[LEVEL-01]]
//Name: Liore Perro
//Age: 13
//Class: [Farmer]
//Status: Healthy
[[STATS]]
//Strength: 2
//Dexterity: 3
//Intelligence: 3
//Perception: 3
//Stamina: 3
//Resilience: 3
//Magic: 3
[[PASSIVE]]
[Primeval Awareness] -> [Ears]
[Slayers Aspect]
[Favored]
[Battle Theory] -> [Sword Theory]
[Threat Detection]
[Mana Sense] = [Weak]
[Mana Storage] = [Minor]
[[SKILLS]]
[??????-??????] = [Error]
[Leap Stride] + [Spring Kick]
[[CLASS QUESTS]]
[Plant A Seed]
______________________________________
My face scrunches up in confusion. "My magic stat went up again? When?" I mutter, still loud enough for the others to hear.
Lord Felix emits a curious hum. "Yes, I was quite surprised to see your stats this high for someone your age. Not entirely unheard of, extreme dedication will definitely get you those sorts of results, but it certainly isn't common. Especially for the magic stat."
I hadn't even thought about that until now. I do remember Mama telling me that I likely wouldn't reach strength 3 until much later, which at least that is seeming to track. And my handicap from resilience definitely isn't helping.
But that aside, there is a much more apparent change taking my attention. "Do you see the tag next to my last hidden active skill?"
The nobleman nods, "Indeed. I have never seen the [Error] tag before. But its description is at least informative as to why it is there."
I glance up at him curiously to see if he is about to explain, but seems he is intending for me to look myself. So I chew my lip and will the tag to open.
________________________________________________________________
[Error]: This skill is not useable in your current state. Your [Mana Storage] has insufficient reserves to cast it to its potential, and attempts to do so may be harmful or fatal. Having insufficient Mana may cause the skill to supplement with your life force, which may cause impairment or death.
Prerequisite Minimum: [Mana Storage] = [Major]
—————————————————————————————
"Major?!" Thorpe blurts out in shock after I read it off, causing me to jump in my seat. "What the hell kind of skill is that? That's an insane prerequisite."
Ethel looks equally shocked, covering her mouth with her hand. "Only caster classes get that high. [Clerics], [Mages], and [Witches] are the only ones I've heard of to have it. Unless we're counting the [High Paladin] or Saint Stryga."
My chest tightens up listening to them, already feeling overwhelmed by something I still can't even use yet. "Doesn't sound like I'll ever be able to do it then. But I don't even know why it's telling me this. I haven't used the skill, I don't even know how to."
Lord Felix settles his attention back on me after watching the other two blathering. "Is there anything you did different recently? Anything that might have happened in your spar with Ser Ethel, perhaps?"
I shake my head, glancing at Ethel to see if she might have noticed something, but she does the same. "Nothing that I would have noticed. I didn't really use much other than the usual skills."
Really and truly. I don't remember anything standing out about my spar with Ethel. And it definitely wasn't there when I checked it the few times in between rounds. So it had to have happened in between then and now. Which is not a lot of time.
So when could it have…
"Oh…" I say, the memory finally clicking as I sort of grimace a little guiltily at them. "I think I remember now."
All three of them raise their brows but stay silent as they wait for me to answer. Making me sink further into my awkwardness.
"Earlier, after the sparring, I went home and cleaned up." I detail, rubbing my arms nervously. "I was—uh—posing, in my mirror with my sword."
Thorpe's mouth sucks in as he snorts, stifling a laugh. But Ethel just nods with a pleased smile, "I do that too. No worries."
I poke my fingers together briefly before sighing away the embarrassment. "But while I was doing that, I remembered you guys saying that the phrase in my passive skill sounded like an incantation. So I—tried saying it."
All three of them switch from curiosity to concern almost immediately. Thorpe clearing his throat, "Well—you didn't blow or nothing. So what happened?"
I take a breath and slightly shrug. "Not much. My sword just seemed to glow really quickly for a split second. That's about it." I answer honestly. "I tried it a couple times just to see it again, and it started to make me feel really tired."
Thorpe gives a low hum, nodding along. "You were consuming mana and getting fatigued. That must have been when your magic stat went up again."
Ethel lets out a breath she must have been holding, looking slightly relieved. "So obviously, that is definitely part of the incantation for that skill. But since you don't have the rest of it, the skill didn't complete. Which is good. Because if only reciting a portion of the incantation is making you fatigued, then reciting the whole thing likely would have put you in a coma."
I blanche at that, my blood running ice cold in my veins. "Then I am definitely not doing that again."
Thorpe sucks in a breath and folds his arms across his chest. "Mmmmmm. I don't know. Might be a good way to get your magic stat up. Exhaust yourself before bed and be right as rain in the morning."
Ethel slaps her palm against her forehead. "Ugh! Auguste, please don't encourage her to do that. Are you trying to get her killed?"
He raises his hands up defensively. "I'm just saying! It could help. But I will admit, it might not be the best idea I've ever had."
Yeah, I have to agree with her on this one. I'm not too certain I'd be okay with adding nearly turning myself into a shriveled husk to my nightly routine. But I suppose it's an option if I'm brave enough.
Lord Felix raises his hand to quiet us, having been silent while we discussed for several minutes. "I think that is enough. There is certainly more to go over, and I don't wish to take up much more of young Miss Perro's time."
We shut our traps at that, and I nod in agreement as I lean forward in the nobleman's direction. "Did you notice something else about my window?"
"Indeed. While you were all talking, I took the liberty of perusing. And I believe I have found the culprit for that blessing you put on the crops." He states, a pleased smile on his lips while he reaches up to poke at the air in front of him. "[Analyze] lets me see a lot more about your window than even you can. Following the branches of your skills and what trees they link to."
I stare a bit in amazement at that. I can't even imagine what that must look like. "Does that mean you can see what my hidden skill is?"
He sighs a bit in disappointment. "Unfortunately not. I can see that it's attached to your [Slayers Aspect] passive, but not what tree it belongs to or even what the skill is supposed to be. It's rather vexing." The nobleman admits with slight annoyance. "But that aside, your other passive skill [Favored], seems to be where the blessing comes from."
My brow instantly furrows in confusion. "The one that increased my resilience stat?" I ask, looking back at my own window to bring up the description for it. But it hasn't changed at all. Still the same description as before. "I don't see anything like that. Its description hasn't changed since I got it."
"Indeed. Seems it was hiding quite a bit. I have found the [Micahs Touch] blessing under it and I am able to now see the skill that it comes from." Lord Felix notes before clearing his throat. "It reads as follows. You have been gifted [Micahs Touch]. The soil of the world is blessed by your presence, and all flora that grows from it gains significant resistance as long as you may live."
I don't think my eyes could open any wider at this point. The description absolutely bewildering me.
Even worse, I still have the description of the [Favored] passive up. And just as I feared, its description is actively changing right in front of my eyes as a clutch the sides of my head.
—————————————————————————
[Favored]: You have gained the favor of Saint Micah, who has valued you enough to save you from certain death at great cost. Your [Resilience] stat has been increased by +2 permanently, and you now have a minor resistance to negative status effects.
You have been gifted an Aspect of the Saint of Safe Soils, a fraction of their power, presence, and potential. You, like him, have garnered the love of the earth beneath your feet.
You have been gifted [Micahs Touch]. The soil of the world is blessed by your presence, and all flora that grows from it gains significant resistance as long as you may live.
———————————————————————————
I breathe out slowly through my teeth as I lean forward far enough to press my chest against my knees. Still clutching my head hard enough to make it pop like a melon.
Well.
At least it doesn't sound scary or sacrilegious?
BUT ANOTHER SAINT?!
Exactly how many do I have to expect are feeding me crazy skills from beyond the grave or whatever?!
I let out the longest and deepest sigh I think I have ever uttered. "Please tell me someone knows who Saint Micah is."
The room falls silent for a few painful seconds before I finally get my answer from all three of them.
""No clue.""