Volume 1, Chapter 56: A Little Superstition Goes a Long Way (Patreon)

The city had me completely spellbound with its beauty and sheer size, but also with the pure fucking magic going on everywhere around me. Those floating clusters of blue grass, raining down on the streets below like clouds, were incredible.

I made a mental note to paint the view in my sketchbook the moment I found myself a little peace and quiet—because that had become my main mission right now. Finding somewhere for myself and Brigid where we could have some privacy. Somewhere we could rest and figure out what the hell we were doing next.

Still wondering whether my explanation had actually reassured her or done the exact opposite, I pointed my thumb toward the cage hanging over my shoulder.

“Hop in, Bri. Unfortunately, if Plasario is any indication, you need to be careful who you show that you’re actually alive to.”

Without a word, she did as I asked, dimming herself along the way and slipping between the bars in flight before settling into her little nest.

I could feel, however, that the knots I had made to keep the cage attached to the rod were slowly beginning to loosen. So I added turning the cane into something more permanent to my mental list of things to do and, holding onto the ropes, started making my way toward the edge of the platform.

I also reached for the bag I had taken from the cutthroat, opened it by loosening the cord, and looked inside. I quickly threw the whole thing away, because unfortunately it contained nothing but some dried pieces of meat, and with no idea what they had been prepared for, I wasn’t about to risk my life.

The crane was already swinging us away from The Pit and toward solid ground, where three humans and one orc were waiting for the cargo below. The orc was roughly the same height as the others, though considerably broader across the shoulders. All four of them wore clothes similar to mine, but of noticeably worse quality. Even from up here, I could see holes in the fabric and discoloration that looked like the result of years of exposure to dirt and grime.

I hoped the people chasing me wouldn’t make it here as quickly as I had, but I had no intention of basing my survival on hope. Hope without action behind it was nothing but wishful thinking, and that was a luxury I had no interest in affording. So when I found myself above the net stretched out below in the shape of a funnel, with several crates gathered at the bottom, I jumped.

I hit the upper part of it with my back and slowly slid downward, braking with my legs against the wooden sides of the crates before hopping off them onto the stone paving that covered the yard.

The workers exchanged glances. One took the first step, and the others followed. I waved at them once, then turned the other way. From above, I had already spotted what looked like an exit gate leading out of this whole operation, so I headed straight for it at whatever pace my leg was willing to allow.

The men shouted something after me, but I ignored them completely.

When I reached the point where four armed men were stationed, I decided the best way out was to talk my way through.

“Good evening, gentlemen!” I called out, making all four of them spin around, startled by the sudden break in the silence. One of them even managed to reach for his sword, drawing it and pointing the blade at me with a trembling hand.

“I am a mage and a traveler. I come from distant lands, and I reached your wonderful city through The Pit. Unfortunately, while fleeing from thieves and cutthroats, I was forced to jump onto cargo being transported by your people. I sincerely hope I haven’t offended any local customs or broken any laws in doing so—I was, after all, trying to save my belongings. Possibly even my life.”

I lifted my shirt and showed them my side, where both fresh and dried blood still covered the skin.

The man with the sword grimaced at the sight, and one of the others was already opening his mouth to say something, but I had no intention of giving him the opportunity.

“If you gentlemen need to make sure I haven’t stolen anything, I completely understand. I’m perfectly willing to show you everything I’m carrying,” I added just as the workers who had spotted me earlier finally caught up.

Once they saw I was already speaking with the guards, however, they stopped and listened.

“I wouldn’t recommend it, though, because I’m currently carrying a necromancer’s cloak that I managed to acquire after fighting one of them in Underrock. I’m not entirely certain what its magical properties are. My Aura tells me they have something to do with curses and death.”

I stepped closer to the man holding the sword and placed one finger against the tip of the blade, slowly pushing it downward until he lowered the weapon.

With my other hand, I held my palm vertically beside my mouth, as though sharing a secret.

“If I’m being completely honest, I was planning to hand it over to the local authorities for examination. I absolutely hate the spiritual stink coming off the thing, but leaving it on the corpse of that vile creature seemed like a terrible idea. Wouldn’t you agree?”

I walked past him, moving a few steps farther while still keeping an eye on every man’s hands and face.

They looked equally surprised by my sudden appearance and by the uninterrupted stream of words coming out of my mouth.

“Incredible. The Salirion from the stories doesn’t even come close to the real thing,” I added, spreading my arms wide. “So many wonders!”

“We—” one of the guards began, raising a hand.

“I know, I know. You probably want to see the pass I was given at the checkpoint. That little piece of wood proving I was granted permission to stay in the city.”

I reached behind myself, dug through my pack, found the thing I was talking about, and tossed it into the hands of the man standing closest to me.

“Interesting system. Really. Something like this should be introduced everywhere. The world would probably be a much safer and more pleasant place. Did you know I met a Djinn on the way here that tried to lure me off the path in the fern forest? Horrible creature.”

I gave him the grave nod his position apparently deserved, then plucked my permit from his hands.

“Didn’t manage to stop me from coming to see this wonder, though. Would any of you gentlemen happen to know where a weary traveler might find somewhere to stay?”

I reached for one of the strings of coins. I removed four drachmas, tucked the entire string back into my bag, then quickly tossed one coin to each of the guards.

“I’d appreciate any advice. The journey has exhausted me, and I’d very much like to stretch my legs somewhere peaceful tonight. Preferably somewhere farther away from The Pit. The view is picturesque, but I can’t say I’ve grown particularly fond of the waterfall.”

Two of them started nodding as soon as they heard that, while the third stuck a finger into his ear.

The workers gave us a dismissive wave and returned to their duties—possibly disappointed that they hadn’t gotten anything out of me too.

“I’d also prefer somewhere I won’t have to deal with attacks from bandits or any other vile creatures—the smell of burning flesh tends to upset my stomach,” I added, raising one hand upward, catching the flame spilling from Bri and using Pyrography to twist it into a spiral of fire that followed the movement of my finger through the air. “I absolutely hate having to set people on fire, but you know how it is—a mage can’t exactly allow anyone to stop him from reaching wherever he’s supposed to go. We wouldn’t want to tempt fate.” I ended the spell, and the line of fire vanished. “I heard about one fellow who trusted his fear more than instincts, failed to fulfill his duty, and didn’t go where the wind was guiding him. As a result, both his dick and the dicks of every man he had encountered earlier on his journey shriveled up and fell off. Horrible affliction.” That put the final nail in the coffin.

Every single one of them immediately reached toward his crotch, covering it with a grimace on his face. Which was how I learned that one of them was left-handed and all of them were gullible idiots.

“So, gentlemen. Are we doing the search, or are you going to tell me where I might find a place to stay?”

The two men standing in the back glanced at each other after the awkward pause that followed when I suddenly stopped talking and simply stared at all of them. Then they elbowed the man in front of them—who, incidentally, happened to be the left-handed one. He stumbled a few clumsy steps forward, ending up closer to me, then looked back at them before turning toward me again.

“No... no need to trouble the master.”

“Wonderful! Marvelous!” I shouted, throwing both hands into the air.

Then I stepped closer, pushed his hands aside, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled my face toward his.

His thick mustache trembled as his teeth scraped together, and his eyes couldn’t seem to decide which part of my face they should focus on.

“And what about that lodging, Master Guard?” I asked, releasing him and stepping back. “Something a little farther from the port would be ideal, though not too far. My legs are terribly tired.”

“Go straight down this street,” he said, pointing ahead. “Keep going until you reach a square with a fountain. There, take the second avenue on the right—you’ll know which one because there’s always some musician sitting on a bench at the corner. Follow that path, pass beneath three of the wider viaducts over your head, and you’ll reach Bisselle’s place—the sign will mark it. She’s a good woman. Her husband too. They take in travelers. Good food—”

“Perfect!” I replied, stamping my right foot hard against the ground. All of them jumped. “Thank you, gentlemen. I won’t take up any more of your time.” With that, I turned around, waved one hand high above my head, and started walking in the direction they had given me.

[Event Achievement Points earned: 3. Total Points Earned: 13. Source: “You made it to Salirion, even though you should have died several times by now. Perhaps the Path of the Necromancer would serve you better—especially the version where you raise your own bones from the ground?”]

[Event Achievement Points earned: 1. Total Points Earned: 14. Source: “Reptodonshit Master is a title you truly deserve. You talked your way out of an unpleasant situation using nothing but words and a few gestures. I wonder whether it would have been just as easy if there were still a knife sticking out of your back—perhaps we’ll test that with your next achievement.”]

As I walked through the streets, scanning the faces and hands of the people around me in search of potential threats, I allowed myself to check the messages from my Daimon.

[Current estimated balance: 365 Standardized Essence of Authority Units. Total Earned: 365 Standardized Essence of Authority Units.]

“Do you think that, um, maybe you could’ve talked your way out of things with those bandits instead of fighting them?” Bri whispered, sending a few sparks toward the skin of my neck.

I noticed I no longer reacted instinctively by pulling away from the source of heat and burns. I wasn’t entirely sure I liked that.

“I don’t think so,” I answered, lowering my head so other people wouldn’t see me talking to myself. “It’s one thing to talk to someone who’s on duty or just doing his job, and another to talk to someone holding a knife and ready to kill you, Bri. If things hadn’t worked out back there with the guards, I was ready to run again.”

“I understand. I still have a lot to, well, learn about humans. You don’t always say what you think. And, um, you often do things I don’t understand.”

“Like what?”

“You’re made of soft tissue—mostly—and you don’t seem to mind using it, risking damage to it, to hurt other living beings. I’m, um, made of fire, and it would never even occur to me to—”

“Okay, Bri, you don’t have to explain anymore. I’m not angry with you now.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah. It bothers me that you could be perfect help in a fight—you are a fireball, after all—and yet you wouldn’t hurt a fly.” I took a deep breath. “But I understand. We all have limits, and when it comes to healing, you’re reliable. You saved my life.” As I spoke, I instinctively started rubbing the burned skin on my arm.

“I have my rules, and, um, I don’t want to break them. I can’t break them. I feel like I can’t.”

“I respect that,” I answered, catching something strange in one of the buildings across from me out of the corner of my eye.

Up ahead, I could already see the square with the fountain the guard had probably been talking about, but here, along the wall of residential buildings, there were tents pitched here and there, barrels, crates, and all kinds of rags scattered around. People dozed among all that clutter, while small animals wandered between them. And in that wall, I spotted something that, at first glance, looked like a small shop. None of the buildings around here had windows. Instead, they either had stairs or ladders leading up to raised wooden doors, or doors set almost directly at street level.

The one that had caught my attention didn’t have the windows either, but on the wall beside a slightly larger entrance gate hung a sign that I read as a grocery store, despite not knowing the individual letters.

“What is that, um, supposed to be?” Bri asked quietly, having noticed the same thing I had.

I narrowed my eyes and let my Aura do the seeing.

Floating in the air in front of that ordinary wooden sign was a message made from pure concept, which my Anima interpreted as glowing blue letters formed from some kind of neon mist: [The Event Achievement Points Store.]