Chapter 3

Today was his first real quest. It was almost surreal for Nikolas to think about.

The wagon ride was surprisingly smooth and pleasant, despite the rough start. They kept the wheel from falling out thanks to an 'adhesive salve' that the White Mage brought. Said it should last for the whole day.

Magni was outside driving and Markus sat beside her as a lookout; a show of muscle, in case anyone thought of doing anything funny. In the back, it was just him and the White Mage.

Just sitting there.

In silence.

Her eyes were on the road trailing behind them, where the walls of Risadel got shorter and the Dragon Tale guildhall on the hill got smaller. Nikolas, sensing she wanted to be left alone, was staring into a dusty corner of the wagon.

But sometimes, he'd feel a sharp gaze stabbing his back.

There was just that... narrowed focus in her eyes, like she was ready to kill something.

He gulped.

The White Mage didn't like him.

Nikolas was almost certain of it.

He had heard the Dragon Tale guild's branches closest to the Evil Lake weren't too kind toward Bronze-rank beginners. Adventuring in the front lines against mankind's sworn enemy was a life that could kill lesser men, even on a good day. Unless you proved how tough and capable you were, you were treated like dead weight.

Nikolas wasn't blind to the Silver badge pinned to her cloak. Nor was he ignorant of the fact that, as a White Mage of the Support Corps, she was obligated to baby-sit and watch over weaker adventurers like himself so they didn't get themselves killed. She probably saw him as a nuisance.

As a long-time adventurer whose only experience was the smallest, safest jobs on the board, never allowed to take on anything dangerous because of his mother's insistence, he would be the first to admit his own inadequacy.

He was clumsy. He was unsure of himself. Favored by the Goddess or not, he accomplished nothing of worth on his own. He could never be so vain that a high luck stat meant he was anyone special. He knew that.

But he couldn't give up.

He was the only man left to help support his family right now.

Nikolas tugged at his chest plate, fiddled with the buckler shield, each issued by the Halos Alliance. They felt too small on him, but he knew he wouldn't be getting anything better soon.

Little Nicole needed money to pay for the Magic Tower's tuition. Her future was on the line.

And his mother... She was sick, needed medicine to survive the coming winter. Markus's wife, Kyaeris bless her, was taking care of her right now. Even with a baby coming along, Aunt Haydee still proved to be as strong as a Sailor of the Evil Lake.

Everyone at the Dragon Tale guild branch from his hometown always complimented how he and his sister could easily find and gather herbs, know all the best spots, and when they would grow. They'd carry entire baskets each week, and when they weren't, they'd busy themselves either helping neighbors with farm work or counting the gald they earned, boasting about what toys and trinkets they would buy from the next traveling merchant.

But those simpler times were gone. It was just him now. Menial labor and gathering quests just weren't enough.

Markus understood his feelings and had helped convinced his mother to let him go on this journey. That was when Nikolas opened the Divine Glass and finally chose his Class after almost a three-year delay since his eighteenth birthday, and became a Shielder. It was the only option given to him, like it was his destiny.

He had fought a few small slimes under Uncle Markus's guidance, but nothing as real and living as goblins. To mercilessly take the life of a living being... It was scary. The girls might laugh at him, but the thought made him squeamish inside.

Even now, he was still coming to terms with the newfound strength of his Class. But when the time came, could he really swallow the hardship? The humiliation?

Nikolas was content with the silence. He needed to build up the nerve.

But then...

"This is too quiet." Magni broke the silence with all the subtlety of a war band of Barbarians. "Isn't this the part where we share our adventure stories? To pass the time?"

"Oh, what's this?" Markus smirked. "Sounds like you've got a story you're dying to tell. Care to share with the caravan?"

"Uuum... M-Maybe another time."

"Hah! Well, don't worry about it. 'Cause I, Markus, esteemed Flying Sword of the Rosarium Wilds, will regale ya with the tale of how I felled a wandering pack of wyverns and saved the current Queen of Rosarium!"

"Now you're just full of it," Magni deadpanned. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Tch. Nobody wants to hear that story..."

Markus looked over his shoulder, and Nikolas felt his heart leap to his throat when the man addressed the White Mage at the back.

"What about you, Nose Fixer? Bet ya seen many interesting things, fixin' up so many guys after a bar fight."

"...No comment."

A cold response.

The three waited for anything else, but no.

That was all.

"...Bah." If an old man could look pouty, then Markus pulled it off. "No fun, that one. Guess we have no choice. You're up, Merchant."

"Oh, come on! Why me?"

Nikolas chuckled despite himself as the two squabbled, feeling the anxiety step off of him. Uncle Markus always joked around, and you could always count on him to cut the tension away with just a few words. The Merchant was so friendly and lively, breathing color into the caravan with her reactions alone. Maybe it was a bit mean to say, but she always seemed to brighten the mood with her over-the-top pathetic-ness.

"For what it's worth," Nikolas said, "I don't have anything to share either, so—"

Markus snapped his head toward him so fast, he swore he heard bone crack.

"Markus?! What—?!"

"Don't you 'what' me! That ain't true! You're always going on and on about your little sister, bragging about how great she is!"

"That's because she is—! Ah." Nikolas saw the smug grin on Uncle Markus's face and knew he had been had.

"Oho~!" Magni had a hand over lips like she heard the most scandalous thing. Taking the opportunity for what it was, she made like a true wolf and capitalized on it. "She's getting enrolled in the Northern Magic Towers, right? Tell us about her."

"Yeah, 'Kolas. Tell us."

In the corner of his eye, even Willow had tilted her head their way in interest.

Nikolas rubbed the back of his neck. Feeling outnumbered, he couldn't help but relent.

"Little Nicole... Well, I guess she's not so little anymore. She's starting out as a Mage, chose her Class earlier than most. Even when we were little, she knew what she wanted be. Sometimes she would say things I didn't understand, things that I'd never even heard of. But I guess that was how she became the boss of us whenever we went out for herb gathering."

Markus snorted. "What he didn't mention was when he jumped into a bush of poisonous ivy one time," he said, ignoring the squawk of protest from Nikolas. "Stayed red and itchy for days. His mother decided that Little Nicole would be the responsible one from then on. Oh, how that brat held it over him, hehe..."

Magni giggled. "Sounds like a real smarty pants."

Despite his embarrassment, Nikolas couldn't help the proud smile that spread across his lips.

"Yes. She is. Back in our hometown, she was the smartest girl we know, nose-deep in her books and showing off what she knew. We've always told her she can do anything if she put her mind to it. We knew she was special. But we never knew how special until, one day, a traveling mage visited our village and asked to see her Status."

Nikolas still remembered that moment. The moment when they all learned about how amazing a mana stat of 21, at such a young age and without training, was actually supposed to be. A rare talent seen only in one in a million people. It was the most difficult stat to raise after luck, after all. Ordinary people averaged a mana of 10, and may only reach up to around 30-40 in a lifetime.

"A potential Grand. Could you believe it?"

"Wait, hold on, hold on. A Grand!?" Magni looked back at Markus, who nodded in affirmation.

It was a title given only to the pinnacle of one's class. They had the power to live on their own terms, contesting the power of entire kingdoms. The Grand Mages of old were also the founders and creators of the original Magic Towers, which was how the Collegium of the north and the Unitezlan of the south gained independence as sovereign nations.

They were talking about someone who could make it to the history books! His little sister!

"Yeah, a real prodigy," Nikolas continued. "Nicole had an affinity for water. The traveler got her in through a letter of recommendation. 'The second coming of Anel the Waterfall', she said. And after that, well," his smile turned strained, "we kept in touch through letters ever since. Last I heard, she finished her placements exams and was going up the ranks even before getting officially enrolled. Something about a workshop? She's in the top 250. I think she's aiming for a spot in one of the, uh, Seats of Valor?"

Magni perked up. "Seats of Valor?"

"Even I know this one," Markus said. "Used to party with a mage who graduated from the Collegium. Anyone who sits on one of the 24 seats will have the love of the entire Collegium; get first pick of any lecture or class they want, and dibs on anything they'd need. Most end up in the same classes anyway, so they're called the S-Class. Even if it's only for a single semester, you would be set for life."

"I think I remember now," Magni murmured. "My old man once said those guys didn't have a lick of common sense. Complete monsters, he called them. At least they are where the money is at. But, wait..." Magni scratched a tuft of hair below her ear. "Aren't all the spots taken? How could she get in?"

"There is one."

Everyone looked to the back.

For the first time since the ride, the White Mage had turned to face them, engaged with the conversation.

"W-What do you mean?" Nikolas asked.

"Every year, the Seats are initially given based on a student's academic rank and contributions. But there's a massive gulf between those in the top ten and those at eleven and below. The members between the 11th and 24th Seats are always shifting. Sometimes, someone would fail to keep up or be forced to graduate. It just so happens that the 21st Seat has been made vacant this year."

"Huh. Convenient." Magni's eyes were on the road, but her wolf ears swiveled about. "Are you enrolled?"

"...I was."

The White Mage turned quiet after that. Her near-permanent glare melted away, leaving behind a softness that made Nikolas realize how small she actually was.

Nikolas caught himself staring and pretended to cough. The sudden quiet felt awkward, so he blurted out loud the first thing he thought. "Oh! Then Nicole would definitely make it to S-Class! If it's her, she'll—!"

The other three were looking at him funny.

Realizing how ridiculous he must sound, he felt heat rush up his neck as he laughed to himself and said, "right, what am I saying? I should be proud enough that she made it to—"

"She will."

"...Huh?"

It didn't come from Markus. Nor from Magni.

"If she's rising as fast as you say she is, she may receive the offer by the next yearly cycle. Even if she didn't, there are still more chances if she's aiming for a four-year Adept's Accreditation or an eight-year Master's. Besides," the White Mage looked him in the eye, "you're the good luck charm, right? Since you believe she will, then she will."

It was like there wasn't a doubt in her mind.

"Hah!" Markus barked. "She got ya there, kid!"

The ride grew a lot noisier after that. When the White Mage spoke, it was like they got permission to goof off and became a whole different party.

Making up stories.

Sharing advice.

Cracking jokes.

Nikolas had completely forgotten that they were on a goblin extermination quest, that lives were on the line. He found himself comforted by the thought that, as a child favored by the Goddess and so long as he believed in it, his family would be fine. He will be fine.

...Maybe the White Mage wasn't so bad, after all.