Chapter 20 : Mages

"You mean this pretty face is supposed to help battle demons and save Elaris from the Nether King and his Demon kings?"

"Is it really that surprising?" Elias asked

"Yes it is, I expected something else. Maybe not a boy, but a warrior" She said

Elias sighed, "Once again, we're in the same age bracket, you have no right to call me a boy, and I assure you that I'm more of a warrior than you are…girl"

Imaya gritted her teeth and pointed at Elias, "How dare you deem yourself more warrior-like than I am? Have you defended an entire village for an entire month before? No, the answer is no" She barked, her frank composure was beginning to crack and the childish behavior that fit her age was starting to leak out

Elias smiled, meeting the characters of his beloved Arcane Days in person never failed to give him some feelings of warmth, "No I haven't but have you ever faced a Di—"

Elias was interrupted by Priest Mathias, " Calm down children, we have bigger fish to fry", realizing how childish they were behaving, Elias and Imaya immediately calmed down, Imaya's face flushed red with embarrassment.

"You said you had two conditions, I have fulfilled one. Now tell me the other, so we can get this over with" Mathias continued

Imaya cleared her throat, "Yes, my second condition is that you have to take one of us with you, as a reminder of your promise" she said, returning to her calm and composed demeanor, befitting of a leader.

Priest Mathias's lips pursed into a faint smile, "You're smart, just like your mother. I assure you that I will not go back on my words, but if you really need the assurance, then it is done. You can bring someone to accompany us to Eldoria" He said

"Very well, you will get the key," Imaya said

"If I may ask, who is going to be accompanying us?" Mathias asked.

"Who? Who else but me of course? It is only logical that the leader would be the one to make an appearance in front of the king and besides the people of Nokias are common folks, against people of your caliber, I can't trust them to breathe down your neck as I would" She explained

"Beautiful, tactical, strong, and smart. You inherited all the good qualities from your mother. She would be proud of you" Mathias said, and although she tried to brush it off, he could see the comfort his words brought to Imaya in her eyes.

"Please give me a few minutes to hand over the village to the second in command and also wash up a bit, as you can see, I am in dire need of it" Mathias nodded his head in agreement as Imaya excused herself

They watched as Imaya exited the house, "Beautiful, isn't she?" Mathias said

"I guess so, she could work on her attitude a bit though " Elias replied

"Haha, her mother was like that too. Perhaps she needs someone to work on it for her. You two are going to get along very well, I can tell" Mathias winked at Elias,

'Should a priest be suggesting that ?'

"Stay here, I'll find the others and update them on the status of things" Mathias instructed as she stepped out too

"Finally, some alone time" Elias muttered to himself

"[Stats Menu]"

[ FWP: 1,000,050/10,000,000,000

Name: Elias Ashdown

Class: Swordsman, Farmer, Mage(Contractual)

Title: Farmer, One blessed by Fate, swordsman, Child of light, Child of Destiny, Loved by mana.

————————–————————–

Health: 2000/2000

Mana: 400,000/400,000

————————–————————–

Strength: 24

Agility: 20

Speed: 22

Stamina: 78

Intelligence: 43

]

"My stats are still the same, the only difference is the total FWP and the new class.

So I'm a Contractual mage huh," Elias sighed

"I would have preferred being a passive mage or a caster if I'm being honest, but I had no choice. It was either that or certain death"

In the world of Arcane Days, mages are classified into five classes, Namely; Innate mages, Primal mages, Casters, Contractual mages, and Dependent mages.

Any mage, magician, sorcerer, warlock, witch, or wizard falls into one of these categories.

Innate mages are raw and untamed, their magic flowing naturally and unpredictably through them. Their powers are inextricably linked to their emotions, causing magical effects to manifest spontaneously based on their emotional state. An Innate fire mage could flare up if put in a bad mood

Primal mages on the other hand also known as kinetic mages are the dancers of the magical world, they channel their power through physical movements and gestures. Each spell is a carefully choreographed motion, a dance that binds magic to their will.

Caster mages boast a more controlled way of utilizing magic, caster mages are the scholars and artisans of magic, using external tools to focus and direct their power. Their tools, wands, staves, runes, and incantations—act as conduits, allowing them to perform a wide range of complex spells.

Contractual Mages are the diplomats and negotiators of the magical world, forming pacts with other mages to share and enhance their abilities. These pacts involve the exchange of magical signatures and promises, binding their magic together in powerful ways.

Last but not least, the Dependent mages. These sets of mages are mages who need some sort of deeper connection to their magic source before they are capable of utilizing magic, they are further divided into two; Bonded mages and Dominator mages.

Putting the magic system of Arcane Days into perspective, one could see why Elias would have preferred to be a Caster or Innate mage over a contractual mage.

Elias stretched his hands to the limit, "What's taking Priest Mathias so long? I'm pressed, he won't mind if I step out to take a leak, would he? Nah he won't, it's an understandable reason"

Elias stepped out of the house, to what's left of the streets of Nokias, he saw a man holding a pitchfork, one of the men who surrounded them earlier standing guard.

"Where can I, you know…ease myself?" Elias asked the man

Without saying a word, or looking Elias in the eyes, he pointed at a building not far from where he stood.

"Talk about uptight" Elias murmured

He stepped into the building, upon entering through the weathered oak doors, Elias was greeted by a serene atmosphere infused with the scent of burning wood and fragrant herbs.

Elias looked around but there was not a urinal, water closet, or even a latrine in sight. Instead, he saw a cloth hanger, with a singular white robe on it.

"What kind of toilet is this?" He said as he walked further and entered another compartment.

This room was demarcated into two parts, each part had a small pool filled to the brim with water, and in one of the pools of water, Elias saw a tinge of green sticking out of the water. And then it hit him, "This isn't a damn toilet! It's a bathhouse!" He exclaimed

He immediately turned around to leave, but it was too late, "Stop there!" Imaya's voice rang out

"Shit," Elias said flatly