[Chapter 16 - Fortiter et Fideliter : Bravely and Faithfully Pt.3]
The hot coals in the trough next to me made soft cracking and popping sounds as they broke apart. The hour was late and the surroundings had grown still and quiet as I lay in my dimly lit tent lost in thought.
After my mother came to my aid quickly healing my blistered face it became apparent that I had reached my goal of subconsciously controlling Sphere. Typically when I would cast fireball, sphere would lose form and vanish having to be recast. During my test I had become so fixated on the combat at hand and what I would do next I failed to realize I was still maintaining sphere. It really did become like second nature, so when I went to attack with fireball, sphere simply followed my mental intent.
If I am being honest it doesn't really make sense to me but at the same time it does. I guess it really is like learning how to do something as natural as breathing, except this time I'm able to remember learning it. Kinda weird but who cares. At the end of the day I couldn't help but feel this all ended up just being an overly complicated and confusing way of saying the first step was to control it nonverbally and without my wand.
Nevertheless what really matters is the result and speaking of, not only did I advance sphere but I learned a new skill on top of that, scald. It's a well rounded skill that provides offense and defense but at the cost of potentially injuring me or anyone else who is in too close of a radius when it is used..
I proceeded to toss things like that around my mind as well as thinking of different ways to use Scald as well as my other classes as I bounced around my system reading my skills. The success of advancing my first skill had filled me with a level of confidence and giddiness that had been rare over the past couple of months.
After reading my skills and filling my head with different scenarios and ideas I was left staring at the familiar sight of my stats.
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Name: Elwen Vinswain
Race: ?!?!/High Elf
Mana: 1500/1500
Ki: 100%
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Exp: 593
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Current Class: [Water Mage]
Sub Class: [Hand of the Trickster]
Focus: [Dagger]
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Effects: N/A
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Titles:
[Freyja's Patron]
[Elven Noble]
[Vinswain]
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As the text sat in my vision I felt an almost relaxed sensation come over me. Though technically it hasn't been more than a couple of months since leaving the estate I can't help feeling like I just completed some kind of lifelong journey. In those months I had two different lives merged into one and then I had that flipped upside down when I started my training. During that time I think I have gone through every emotion there is more times than I care to remember but now as I look at my stats, thinking on how different they are and how far they have come compared to when I started, I feel content. As though I have officially started and embraced the second chance I was given.
Eventually morning came and I once again exited my tent to be greeted by the fresh morning air and the breakfast that awaited me. After the test yesterday it had been decided we would begin making our return to the estate today. Given the absence of her tent as well as the pile of packed supplies near the hitching post it was apparent this trip would begin soon after we finished eating.
I walked to the wooden log near the fire and took a seat as I was handed a bowl of stew. My mother sat next to me and began to speak "So I suppose it is time for my end of the deal"
My mind skipped a beat as I paused blankly in the middle of eating. I have no clue what she is talking about.
"In regards to you being a Magus" she continued, having noticed my obvious confusion.
"Oh" I stuttered slightly before gaining an enthusiastic tone "Yes, please!". Over time I had become so consumed with simply making progress I had forgotten one of my original reasons for doing so.
She nodded "A magus is someone who is loved by mana. They have increased amounts of mana and mana regeneration as well as the fact they are able to amass and master a large amount of skills and classes. There are also classes unique to Magus' as are their respective skills."
"Wait. There are unique classes too?" I exclaimed
"Sort of" she said "Though they aren't the same as unique skills I suppose you could call them unique classes. What it boils down to is that some classes have requirements to acquire them. One example is Classes resulting from being in possession of a Calamity item that grants a class, like your ring of Loki. Other examples include being a specific species like with demon magic, holding certain titles or reaching certain milestones like light magic, the list goes on. In time things like this will become second hand knowledge to you, you're still young so do not worry if that doesn't make sense".
While I didn't say or express anything aloud I couldn't help but almost scoff internally. In contrast to most things she said or explained this was one of the few that actually did make sense.
"Being a Magus can open many doors for you Elly, but it can also present many challenges." she sighed "The world is inherently unfair and cruel. Prejudice and class reign supreme with the strong and gifted always looking down on those less fortunate than them. You may have begun to gather this with the things I have told you in our time training. Recall when I said your mana was a guaranteed S? Anything and everything that can be used as a way to differentiate people from one another will be. For example, mana potential, which refers to how much mana you have and the rate at which it increases. As you can tell most things follow a grade scale from E to A then S, SS, and SSS. Calamities are SS or higher on the grade scale.".
As I listened to her speak the confusion began to come. With everything she's saying I couldn't help but feel like I struck the jackpot. I mean something this great was probably a gift from Freyja!
<"Incorrect, the individual Elwen Vinswain was predetermined by fate to be born a Magus.">
When the monotone voice appeared in my head I nearly jumped from being startled. I still honestly don't know how the Patron works. Sometimes he will not do anything unless directly addressed and other times it's like he is reading my thoughts before just randomly intercepting. Anytime I try to ask about it I just get the same robotic response of I am the patron blah blah blah. Regardless, even with the weird shroud of mystery the Patron has never been anything but useful and I definitely wasn't going to refute his help since he seems to be a gift from Freyja, one way or another. But I guess when it came to being a Magus that was one gift of mine not assisted by the gods. I felt a weird sense of ego and independence as I thought this.
"So then isn't me being a Magus a good thing? A great thing even?!" I said in response to my mother
"Once again, yes and no. In prejudice and discrimination hate can thrive. There are many people who live their lives in an inescapable shadow of those above them that they can never escape simply because of differences determined at birth. Differences in status, wealth, power, possibility you name it. With Magus' being so few and far between and with great power at their control many people do not view Magus' kindly. Rather as privileged and tyrannical beings shrouded in lore and twisted tales of the tongue. You must be ready to face the predetermined feelings of people you have not even met. To do that you must continue to grow strong and expand your repertoire. We will continue with journeys like this one, though moving forward they will increase in both duration and difficulty with a lot more time in the mana zone."
I stared back at her with a blank face and serious intent. In my state of being focused on her every word the stew I was given had grown cold and disregarded now sitting on the ground beside me without a second thought.
As she finished speaking a small smile formed on my mothers face as she placed her hand on my head causing the once tense battle like feeling in the air to vanish and my muscles loosened. "Do not overthink it too much. You have done a remarkable job of adjusting into the paranoid serious state of a warrior but you need also remember to be yourself. If you spend all your time living as a fighter you will forget to enjoy the very things you are fighting for. Now finish your breakfast and let us begin making our way home.". She smiled once more before walking off to continue the preparations for us to depart.
She had regained some of the soft and kind aura I remembered as well as she no longer seemed so uptight. It was also the first time she called me Elly in who knows how long. Once again it was like someone flipped a switch and she went from a callused battle hardened veteran, to the life loving easy going elf that I grew up with as my mother.
As strange as it seemed to me, I was also somewhat jealous at how she was able to do such a thing. The image of the dead elf boy slowly faded in and out of my mind. Though I have kept to myself about it I have been unable to have a day where I do not remember his mangled and lifeless body, not the look of fear permanently etched into his face.
My hands grew slightly cold as I picked up my bowl and began to eat my stew in a solemn silence