Chapter 14: Noisy Staff

"Are you my new master?" a young girl's voice echoed in my mind.

I blinked. "But you're a girl. I don't—" My eyebrow twitched. "I don't have interest in girls."

I like huge men, she said without missing a beat. You know, the kind with big arms, broad shoulders that could envelope me with their whole body when we cuddle.

I paused. "Wait, what are we talking about? Big what?"

You know! she replied with a playful tone. Big, tall, strong men.

I couldn't help myself. "Oh great. Now I have a self aware perverted Staff. I didn't sign up for this."

stared at the floating staff in front of me. Do I really want to bring this level of chaos into my life? I mean, it was practically radiating unnecessary baggage vibes. I half-expected it to come with a "no refunds" sign. Maybe I should just walk away, I thought to myself. I don't need a magical perverted staff following me around.

They also have to be—hey! Where are you going?! Are you leaving me?!

I turned away, trying to make a quick escape, but of course, the staff floated right in front of me like a little drama queen having a meltdown.

Are you seriously just gonna leave me after waking me up?! How rude! I'm starting to really dislike you!

The staff even started puffing up in the air, clearly throwing an imaginary tantrum.

I'M A MAGIC STAFF WITH FEELINGS, OKAY?! the staff zapped back, looking like it was preparing to send a lightning bolt straight to my face.

I sighed. "I'm leaving," ignoring its increasingly loud complaints.

Hey! Don't abandon me! the staff whined. I don't really dislike you! You're still okay! Come on, please don't leave—

I just kept walking toward the mini-market to grab some food, not even looking back.

Holy—did you kill all these people?! the staff gasped. What a monster!

I rolled my eyes. "I don't wanna hear that from a talking staff."

Hey! Watch it! the staff huffed.

I grabbed what I needed and moved on, ignoring its continuous rants.

I blinked and muttered to myself, "You could be more useful if you actually had a cleaning spell, you know."

Oh, I can totally help you with that! the staff chirped. I'm a woman, too, so it won't be weird!

Then, with a dramatic flourish, it glowed a bright blue. Oh, I have a spell for that! it proclaimed, a little too proud of itself.

Before I could protest, a gust of magic whipped around me, leaving me surprisingly clean.

"Well, that was unexpected, Maybe I was wrong about you... you actually know how to do something useful."

The staff gave an exaggerated sigh of satisfaction. Told you, I'm full of surprises.

After changing into clean clothes and tossing my cloak on, I stepped outside. The slaves I'd freed were scattered around the village. Some nodded at me, others looked away like they thought I might change my mind and throw them back in chains.

As I scanned the crowd, my eyes landed on a group of kids huddled in a corner. A bunch of skinny guys surrounded them, and for some reason, my legs decided to walk toward them instead of letting me mind my own business.

"I will take my revenge on you!" one of the men yelled, raising a rock.

I got there just in time. Instead of throwing up a barrier like a sane person, I just let the rock smack me. "Don't even think about touching these kids," I said, glaring at him.

He froze, probably realizing I wasn't about to play nice. Then he and his buddies bolted.

Do you know these kids or something? the staff chimed in.

"I don't," I said, keeping my tone flat.

Hmm, really? The staff floated around the kids, who stared at it like it might explode. Slave contract. I know how to cancel it.

I stayed quiet. For once, she was actually useful.

The staff floated toward me like a needy cat, so I grabbed it.

[Staff synchronization: 1%]

Out of nowhere, a spell started forming in my head, like a song stuck on repeat. Without thinking, I aimed the staff at the kids and silently chanted the words in my mind.

It didn't take long before they started squirming and twitching in pain.

"What's happening?" I asked, trying not to panic.

That's how you break the slave contract by force, the staff replied matter-of-factly, now floating on its own.

Watching the kids writhe and gasp left a bad taste in my mouth, but I stayed rooted, knowing it was necessary. Finally, they passed out. With a flick of wind magic, I lifted them effortlessly and handed them off to one of the freed women nearby. "Take care of them," I said, my tone sharper than I intended.

"And don't even think about hurting them. I'll know."

The staff chimed in again. The marks on their neck will be gone when they wake up. See? I told you I'm amazing.

I checked, and she was right—the marks were gone. Good riddance.

I was ready to leave, gliding toward the village edge, when some old guy shouted, "Savior with the moon's blessing, please tell us your name!"

I nearly facepalmed on the spot. Seriously? But since he asked, I turned around with as much fake grace as I could muster. "It's Anya," I said, keeping it short and sweet before spinning back and flying off—fast. No way was I sticking around for more cringe or an interrogation session.

I don't like being thanked or treated like some hero. I wasn't trying to be noble; I just had the time and the ability to help. Nothing better to do, really.

So, I took off into the sky, letting the wind carry me. The cold air felt nice, and the stars twinkled like they were trying to show off. The sun was creeping up, painting the sky orange and pink.

I probably looked like some weird floating ghost, all wrapped up in my cloak with my hair flying everywhere. But I didn't care. I just drifted along, letting the wind and stars do their thing.

-

I was soaring over the vast forest, heading toward the Theodoreford Empire, when out of nowhere, exhaustion hit me hard. It felt just as if my mana had suddenly deserted me. I hadn't even been flying for that long! Next thing I knew, I was plummeting toward the ground, the earth rushing up to meet me.

Great. Just great.

I braced myself, expecting to crash, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself hovering just an inch above the ground.

You left me, you ungrateful little lady! If I wasn't here, you'd be toast! the staff shrieked. Recklessly using fly magic with barely any mana! Don't you know slave contract termination eats up a ton of it?!

So yeah, the overly dramatic, chatty staff had saved my life. I could've sworn it added a little huffy hmph for good measure.

I straightened up and brushed off the dirt. "Thanks," I said, glad I didn't end up face-first in the ground.

[Staff synchronization: 25%]

I blinked at the notification. Huh, that shot up faster than I thought. Then I glanced at the staff, and it hit me: this annoying piece of wood was totally a tsundere.

Before I could process that thought, a voice interrupted me.

"Hey, are you okay? I saw you plummet out of the sky."

I turned to see a middle-aged guy pop out from behind a bush, half-naked and glistening like a gym ad. Muscles on top of muscles, with abs that could probably deflect a sword.

Oh my, the staff practically purred. Look at that hunk. Those biceps, triceps, and—holy abs!

I shot a glance at the staff and froze. Was it... drooling?

The man eyed me and the floating staff. "Oh, you're a mage?"

"Who are you?"

He scratched his head sheepishly. "Ah, my bad. Name's Denise. I'm a knight from the Theodoreford Empire. We're camped not far from here. I was training up on that mountain when I saw you drop like a rock. Tried to catch you, but looks like you didn't need the help."

He flashed me a smile.

I followed his gesture to the mountain, which was about five kilometers away. Did he seriously run all that way in that short amount of time?

I gave him a once-over. If he did, this guy was either insanely fast or had some kind of cheat code for speed.

Denise caught my look and held up his hand, showing off a faintly glowing bead bracelet. "Don't look at me like I'm a monster. I've got this acceleration item."

That explained it.

"How about you?" he asked. "Would you mind telling me your name, young mage?"

I reached up and pulled back my hood. As the rising sun hit my hair, it lit up like gold instead of its usual silver.

"My name is Anya," I said calmly. "Do you mind escorting me back to the empire?"

Denise just stared at me, wide-eyed and completely dumbfounded, like he'd just seen a goddess descend from the heavens.

-

As Mr. Denise and I trudged along the mountain trail, I decided to multitask. Walking and thinking? Easy. Walking, thinking, and attempting to gather mana from the surroundings? Not so easy.

I reached out to the mana around me, trying to guide it into my core. It felt like trying to scoop up water with a sieve. No matter how much I grasped, only 50 to 80 percent actually made it into my mana core, while the rest just slipped away like an annoying ghost phasing through a wall.

I frowned, my steps slowing slightly as I focused. Was this normal? Was I just bad at this? I mean, back in the seal, mana was practically suffocating me—it was that concentrated, thanks to the small space and the Dragon's mana leaking everywhere. But now? Out here? The mana felt spread thin, like butter scraped over too much bread.

Was this just how things were outside? How did people manage? Was there some secret mana-gathering technique I missed out on? Did the mages here get training manuals titled "How to Stop Your Mana from Escaping Like a Scared Cat?" Or was this just one of those "talent separates the geniuses from the plebs" situations? Great. Maybe I was a pleb.

I was so deep in my mana-concentration crisis that I didn't notice Denise giving me side-eyes like I'd just started sprouting horns. His lips were pressed together, his brow furrowed, and he looked like he was debating whether to say something or pretend I didn't exist.

Finally, he let out a cough. "Uh... Miss Anya? Are you okay? You've been... squinting at the air for the past ten minutes."

I blinked, realizing I must've looked like I was trying to intimidate a particularly offensive cloud. "Oh, I'm fine!" I said, waving it off. "Just... mana stuff."

He nodded slowly, clearly not understanding but deciding it was better not to ask. Poor guy probably thought all mages were this weird.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Anya," he mumbled, trailing behind me. "I didn't measure the distance correctly, and it didn't seem that far thanks to the acceleration item."

We've been walking for what felt like an eternity, and we were still nowhere near the mountain he supposedly trained on. Honestly, at this point, I was just waiting for him to offer me a ride on his back like some weird knightly Uber.

"It's fine, really," I said with a smile. "I should be the one apologizing. If I hadn't run out of mana, you wouldn't have to deal with my snail-paced walk."

Denise quickly looked away, scratching the back of his head like it was the most urgent thing in the world.

"It's only proper for a knight to save a damsel in distress," he muttered, clearly trying to look like a knightly hero—too bad I wasn't actually distressed.

"Well, what's new in the empire, Sir Denise?" I asked, shifting gears and trying to sound casual, hoping to steer his thoughts away from the whole "knight rescues mysterious lady" trope he seemed dangerously close to indulging and I need to catch up with the latest news in the empire.

Denise perked up. "How long have you been traveling, Lady Anya?"

"About ten years, at least," I said, giving a shrug like it was no big deal.

His eyebrows shot up. "Ten years? You must've been very young when you started. Did you travel alone?"

I waved a hand dismissively. "I may not look it, but I'm quite old. I traveled with a friend for a while, but then he had to return to his hometown. After that, I figured it was time to head back to the empire." Technically not a lie, just... strategically incomplete.

Denise nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "Hmm, well, not much has changed. The empire still has this strained relationship with the Voltx Kingdom, as usual. I don't know much about the capital's latest developments since I've only been there once—for my knighthood ceremony."

"Oh! There is something new I know!" Denise suddenly exclaimed, lighting up like he'd won a prize.

Is this some kind of game to him?

"The eastern village, Frasha, under Count Vernon's fief, became a garrison village recently. Civilians were relocated to other territories due to monster attacks, and I was assigned there as one of the knights." He puffed his chest out a little, clearly proud.

"Monster attacks?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yes, various monsters popped up out of nowhere two days ago and tried to invade the village. Some speculate it's the work of the Voltx Kingdom."

"Two days ago? When did the village become a garrison?" I asked, doing the math in my head. No matter how fast you are, mobilizing a fleet of knights doesn't happen overnight.

"Yesterday," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Thanks to the gates stationed in each territory, we managed to prevent the invasion."

Gates? Like, actual teleportation portals? Since when did the empire have those?

"Are the gates accessible to anyone?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"No, they're restricted. We only used them because of the emergency," Denise replied, his tone all official-knight-serious.

I squinted at him. "If there was a monster attack, how come you were training on a mountain?"

Denise rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was... uh... exterminating monsters as part of my training."

I stared at him, unimpressed. "So, what you're saying is you were playing solo hero while everyone else was handling the village situation?"

Denise coughed awkwardly. "It's good for honing skills!"

Uh-huh, I thought, shaking my head. This guy is either very brave, very stupid, or both. Probably both.

Hey, Anya, Introduce me to that man!

I heard the Staff's voice in my head after a while, it had been floating behind us this whole time.

"You must be quite skilled, exterminating monsters alone on a distant mountain," I said, glancing up at the massive peak looming ahead of us. Seriously, does he moonlight as a hermit or something?

"You praise me too much. I'm just a lowly battalion leader," he replied, looking down and scratching his cheek like some bashful schoolboy.

Battalion leader? That's pretty high up, but why's the guy in charge out here playing Monster Hunter solo instead of strategizing in an office?

"That's quite a high position," I said, smirking a little. "Given your age, you must be some kind of prodigy."

"Oh, please. I'm nothing compared to a mage who can use fly magic," he stammered, his face turning pink.

Oh, he's blushing? Teasing him is going to be way too fun.

"What do you mean? Isn't fly magic common for magicians?" I asked, playing innocent.

"I don't know about that," Denise said, scratching his head. "You're the first mage I've seen use it. You must be at least a master magician."

"Is that so?" I said with mock surprise. "A friend of mine can also fly, so I just assumed most mages nowadays could do it." Gotta downplay this before he starts thinking I'm some mythical being.

"Did you not attend the magic academy?" he asked curiously.

Magic academy? There's a magic academy now?

"...I didn't. I trained under someone personally," I replied, trying to keep my cool.

"Oh? You must be rich," he said with wide eyes. "Having a personal magic teacher is rare these days. The cost is almost ten times the tuition of the empire's magic academy. My sister is attending the academy in the capital, but thankfully, she got a scholarship under our territory's lord. Otherwise, it would've been tough for my parents."

"How about you, Sir Denise? Did you attend the academy?" I asked, steering the conversation away.

"Yes, I attended the basic academy and advanced to knighthood right after. It's been five years since then," he said, puffing up a bit.

"Five years? How old are you, Sir Denise?"

"Me? I'm 21 years old," he said casually.

Wait, what? He's 21? He looks like someone's rugged middle-aged uncle!

"Haha, do I look old?" he asked, noticing my stunned expression.

I just nodded.

"Guess I should shave this beard, huh?" He stroked his coppery-red beard thoughtfully.

Shaving might help, but honestly, I think life's been punching this guy in the face since birth.

"How about you, Lady Anya? How old are you?" he asked.

I froze. How old am I now? Let's see... I was 28 back on Earth. Add the 16 years before I was sealed—that's 44. Oh, wait... My eyes widened as I did the math again. And then there's the 1,400 years I spent sealed. That makes me... 1,444 years old?!!

"Sir Denise," I said with an icy smile, narrowing my eyes. "Surely you know it's inappropriate to ask a lady her age?"

Denise flinched like I'd smacked him. "Ah... my apologies, Lady Anya. I didn't mean any offense," he said, looking away sheepishly.

Whew. Crisis averted. There's no way I'm explaining how I'm older than his great-great-great-grandparents combined.

"HEY! YOU STILL HAVEN'T INTRODUCED ME TO HIM!"

The staff's indignant yell made my eye twitch. I'm starting to think being sealed wasn't the worst thing to happen to me.