Refreshing Morning

In his past life, back when he had been confined to the rigid, unforgiving realm of Earth, he had never truly known the simple pleasures of waking up with the warmth and companionship of a woman by his side. He had been far too meticulous with his sword practices, too utterly consumed by his singular pursuit of the blade, to ever entertain such frivolous notions.

But now, having made the ultimate sacrifice to forge an unbreakable connection with the world itself, Gladius was determined to savor and experience every variety and spice that this new, wondrous life had to offer. No longer would he deny himself the joys and intimacies that had once been deemed unacceptable distractions.

Gladius's slight shift in position caused Arianna to slowly open her eyes, her radiant smile blossoming into view as she sat up a bit, fixing him with an appreciative yet almost bashful gaze as she murmured, "Mm. This is certainly a more... appropriate way to wake up than merely studying on my own. Your body is quite warm and soothing, you know."

"Thanks," Gladius replied, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he regarded her through half-lidded eyes. "I can say the same about you."

He had to admit, he was quite fortunate to have someone as open-minded and uninhibited as Arianna by his side on this grand adventure. Gladius was quite certain that if this scenario had involved another mage woman, one bound by the rigid traditions and prejudices of their society, things would not have progressed nearly as smoothly or comfortably.

Arianna's smile widened into a beaming grin at Gladius's complimentary words, clearly appreciative of his candor. She slowly rose to her feet, stretching languidly as she let out a contented sigh that seemed to reverberate straight down to her very soul.

"I feel much sharper than I did yesterday," she mused, her eyes sparkling with an almost feverish light of comprehension. "Alright, let's get going. I'm sure you're of the same opinion that the study of magical theory works best when it's put into practice." 

A sly, knowing look flickered across her features as she added, "Oh, though I suppose your equivalent would be the study of sword theory, wouldn't it?"

"You're not wrong," Gladius agreed with a solemn nod, rising fluidly to his feet with a sense of effortless grace. 

His body remained as vibrant and brimming with vitality as it had been on the very first day he had transmigrated into this wondrous world of magic and mystical forces.

A faint smile, one tinged with an edge of ominous anticipation, curved his lips as he declared, "Let's get going. Maybe we'll encounter some interesting mages along the way who would be... willing to assist in our practical studies."

Arianna let out a wry chuckle, shaking her head in a mixture of exasperated amusement and dawning realization. "Personally, I would much prefer to experiment and hone our skills against some of the more formidable beasts that roam these lands. But I can't deny the possibility, perhaps even the likelihood, of certain mages trying their luck against us..."

It was at that moment that Arianna's eyes seemed to light up with a sudden recollection, and she abruptly exclaimed, "Oh! That reminds me. Small-scale scuffles and confrontations between mages are not at all uncommon around here, and there's no law that outright prevents such occurrences."

She swiftly retrieved a standard sword sheath from her magical pouch, tossing it over to Gladius as she explained, "In the likely event that we do find ourselves embroiled in an altercation, you should use this to conceal your spirit sword. I've always had the habit of collecting anything with a history or potential use."

Her expression grew slightly more serious as she cautioned, "Mages may disdain and look down upon common mortals, but they become especially... controlling and hostile when they encounter things that they don't understand, things that pose a potential threat to their perceived superiority and the established order they've constructed for themselves."

Gladius snorted in amusement as he deftly caught the sword sheath, summoning his spirit sword and sliding it into the concealing scabbard with a practiced flourish. 

"That's not anything new to me," he remarked, his tone tinged with a hint of sardonic bemusement. The exact same mentality could be said of the humans back on Earth, in Gladius's previous life.

With those words lingering in the air, the duo swiftly departed their temporary quarters and made their way out of the inn, Arianna leading them on a direct beeline toward the mission guild center situated within the heart of the city.

Gladius had to admit, the system they had established was certainly a convenient one. 

This world, for all its wonders and mystical marvels, was obviously not a peaceful utopia by any stretch of the imagination. No matter how cruel or oppressive the human mages might be, there were simply far too many natural existences inhabiting this planet that brought about endless destruction and chaos to all those around them.

Whether it was powerful yet mindless magical beasts, natural magical disasters that could level entire cities, or malevolent spirits and entities from other realms with their own sinister intentions, mages – be they pure humans, demi-humans, or some other humanoid species – were forced to step up and serve as the first line of defense, protecting the common folk from threats they could scarcely comprehend.

Which was why, in major metropolitan centers like this one, they had established guild mission centers that operated in close conjunction with the city's governing bodies. 

This system facilitated a seamless process for tracking and responding to disturbances, whether they were small-scale incidents or large-scale calamities, by dispatching mages to deal with such troubles as they arose.

And naturally, mages were paid handsomely for their efforts and services, earning increased status and renown among the government's hierarchies with each successful mission undertaken. 

Completing numerous missions, especially those deemed more hazardous or requiring greater skill, would allow a mage to steadily grow their status rank within the city's structured power dynamics.

In turn, a higher status rank meant more benefits bestowed by the city's magical government, increased pay for undertaken missions, and the option to easily enlist into the powerful magical organizations and sects that operated within the city's sphere of influence, thereby gaining an esteemed rank among their illustrious ranks.

Even though Arianna was widely disliked and ostracized for her more open-minded thoughts and ideologies, the mission guild center and the governing bodies were still bound to follow the established laws and regulations. They couldn't outright deny her the ability to take on missions if she so chose, nor could they prevent her from advancing her status rank through successful mission completions.

As they strolled ever closer to the guild center, both Gladius and Arianna found their brows furrowing slightly, their senses picking up on the faint, yet unmistakable sensation of prying gazes fixed squarely upon them. 

Whoever was trailing them was attempting to remain discreet, but in order to follow their movements through the bustling crowds populating the city streets, these unseen observers had to direct their focused intentions toward the duo – a lapse that caused their auras to subtly leak outward in wispy tendrils of power.

It was a faint emanation, one that would likely have gone unnoticed by most, but Gladius's sharpened sword sense could detect it as clearly as if it were a blazing beacon cutting through the din of the crowded thoroughfares.

He leaned in close, whispering in a voice that only Arianna could hear, "They must believe they're being quite clever, tracking us like this without our knowledge."

"Well..." Arianna let out a small, tinkling chuckle that seemed to dance through the air like a gentle spring breeze. "Truth be told, this is an excellent strategy to employ against even slightly talented mages, much less those of average skill and attunement."

Her expression grew slightly more serious as she expounded, "Nascent Novice mages' mana senses are quite rudimentary, you see. The average ones can only expand their sensory perceptions outward for a few dozen meters at most, and the further that distance extends, the less clear and defined their ability to detect presences and auras becomes."

A rueful smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she continued, "Nascent Apprentice, on the other hand, can extend their senses far beyond that limited range while still retaining a much clearer, sharper ability to perceive even the faintest traces of power leaking outward. Since you're an unawakened common mortal, and they likely view me as little more than an average Nascent Novice, our shadowy pursuers probably believe they've planned and executed their surveillance quite well."

"I see..." Gladius replied, a faint, almost predatory smile curving his lips as he drawled, "Then I suppose it's their misfortune for underestimating us and choosing us as their targets."

Arianna shook her head with a weary sigh, refusing to rise to the bait of his ominous implications. 

"I suppose you could say that," she demurred, allowing the matter to drop as their conversation trailed off into a comfortable silence.