Shielded by Seals [Chapter 25] (Patreon)

Apologies for the delay. At Gencon, just really messes up my schedule. Plus a reminder, starting next week, down to three a week.

ToC: https://www.patreon.com/posts/132353583

With my methods of training secured, I began to consider my broader plan. I walked over to the attendant at the door of the solarium and said. “Can I purchase another sleeping mat? As well as extra clothes?”

The attendant pointed. “All those items are available outside the villa. But in order to leave via the solarium door, you will need to pay points.”

My mouth twisted at the racketeering. I probed. “What about a bath?”

“We can escort you to a bath for free,” The attendant said. “Yet no towels are provided. You must purchase those.”

The arbitrariness of the rules drove me a little insane, but I tried not to waste emotion. Instead, I pivoted and went to the window. On my tiptoes, I could barely push open the window and peer down at the ground. From the second floor, for a toddler… I felt slightly dizzy, considering the drop.

Yet I had Mana-Adjusted Physique and my Health had improved with my newly received Level. With that confidence, I bit my lip and clambered up to the edge of the window. My focus locked onto a fluffy-looking bush below. I pushed myself off and-

Because of my small size, I seemed to float for a while in the air.

-crashed down through the bush beneath me.

Leaves and branches smacked against me until the ground stilled everything with a massive impact. For several seconds, I was dizzy. Then the aches and pain started asserting themselves. Even worse, a notification popped up.

Obtained the Temporary Trait: Light Injury (12 Hours)

Light Injury: Decrease in movement speed. Decrease in energy levels. Sharply decrease the speed at which you gain Proficiency.

“What the hell,” I groaned and rolled over. This pain spread in waves, an ache that would persist and sit in my bones as I tried to move. My limbs were stiff. Yet even that could not compare to the appearance of another impediment to grinding.

Next time, I’ll just pay the stupid fee… I hobbled out of the bush and brushed off my little suit. Due to the quality silk used in its construction, it hadn’t been seriously damaged. Yet my fury, both at the situation and myself, redoubled to notice small scuffs. 

I dragged my aching body over to the area filled with stalls. Yet as I did so, I had to pause and wait while a group of young teenagers jogged past me. Twelve in total, they ran in two rows. Periodically, the pair in the lead would release a shout, triggering the back duo to dash from the back to the front.

Just as soon as they arrived, the group vanished. I watched them with envy. I wasn’t sure whether it was just their teenage bodies or Skills, but their speed was aggravating. 

Especially with this Trait irking me for the next twelve hours… The muscles of my jaw clenched.

I approached the stalls in no mood to haggle. I bought several spare outfits and some extra bedding, including a pillow and a blanket. With a bag about as large as I was over my shoulder and my body still aching, I regretted not asking Toby to join me. 

I was just about to head back to the solarium, but a few items glittering on a wooden counter caught my eye. I paused and left my clothes on the ground and walked over. “These are…”

The attendant frowned at me. But in the end, he shrugged and gestured at the amulets waiting on the wooden table. “You are still too young. Your Mana Pool will not have deepened enough. Usually, with the assistance of certain Traits, you obtain the qualification for true power as a one-legger. Other than that, I am prevented from giving you any more information.”

I reached out and touched an amulet. A familiar notification popped up in front of me.

…followed by a tidbit of fresh information.

????(Unknown Item): Your Mana Pool is of insufficient depth. You are unable to identify the item.

Your Trait Genius (Beginner I) is reacting! Examining…

????(Unknown Item): Will provide you with an Exclusionary Role of unknown provenance at an unknown cost.

These provide roles? But aren’t they related to Primes? Suddenly, my interest was piqued. Yet I looked at the notification again. But Exclusionary… what does it mean by that? And an unknown cost too…

“Can I buy these?” I asked.

The attendant nodded slowly. He coughed; his face was going red, as though speaking even about them was difficult. “They are priced the way they are… for a… reason. These are 100 points, these are 500, and these are 800.”

My eyebrows rose; the 800 point amulet was definitely the most expensive item I had seen in the stalls. It even neared the cost for activating the Steele. 

I put my hand on each. The notifications were all the same, but I leaned closer to see if I could glean the difference in value. All were emerald in color, likely related to the spider Prime that seemed to be the source of the Fang Family power. I felt a pinch in my heart, but selected the cheapest one, for only a hundred points. The attendant clearly wanted to say something, but the prohibition prevented him. He sold me the amulet and I clutched it for a second in my hand.

If there is a Role within this, the more expensive ones probably provide a better Role… maybe have a lower price? I was somewhat puzzled as I speculated. But I don’t want to take the Role from this, if it’s exclusionary. I just want to be able to figure out when I’ve reached the proper Mana Pool depth.

The walk back to the zero-legged villa was long, dragging the sack behind me. Luckily, when I finally reached the door, the attendant gave me a look and helped me carry the items upstairs. Now, I accepted the offer of a bath, taking a spare outfit with me. I soaked in the water, still in pain, but feeling most of the other tension sliding off me. And because I wasn’t doing anything else-

Due to resisting the pain of your Light Injury, your Skill Concentration has gained Proficiency. Proficiency +2%.

Due to resisting the pain of your Light Injury, your Skill Concentration has gained Proficiency. Proficiency +1%.

“I need to take advantage of the bathing more often…” I muttered to myself. Despite the lingering bruises, I felt genuinely relaxed. Today I had made several mistakes, but I had also learned quite a bit of information.

My good mood lasted until the return to the solarium. In the hallway, I glanced out the windows. To my surprise, the surrounding villas were the busiest I had seen them. In clumps, groups of older kids flowed into the area from different directions. Some carried hoes, others axes, still others hauled animal carcasses. I tapped my cheek before walking into the solarium. Are the older kids required to work? 

Inside the room, Toby grinned at me. “Don’t worry, Ossi. I finished making our pig’s bed.”

Toad sat on top of the crumpled remnants of the two other spare outfits I had purchased today and the bedding supplies. My tamed hog waved a hoof at me… wiggled around to get more comfortable, then farted loudly on my clothes.

A vein in my temple throbbed. Had I not been injured, I might have physically thrown myself at the idiots.

I calmed myself with the fact that I still possessed enough points to purchase more clothes. The only problem was that I also had some points I hadn’t yet received, from turning in all the extra silk I created. But in order to do that, I needed to head again across the river. Even when I recovered from this Light Injury… I needed a reliable method of descending from the solarium.

I spared a glance at Toad. Could I have him go first and then land on his stomach…?

Without further grinding, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep and dream of bouncing on giant pig stomachs. I woke up before dawn, refreshed and finally free of that abysmal Injured Trait. Before I could think about it, I activated Concentration and tried to use Emit Mana three times in a row.

The Mana bulges in my limbs twisted out in an unpredictable manner, sending chaotic waves of pain through me. My veins seemed ready to burst, hosting an arctic river. My body shuddered, but Concentration just barely managed to hold on. Then, while I endured then I began to focus on the movements I could see in my mind for the Learning Role.

“It’s gotten more difficult,” I came out of my training with a frown. Once I hit 25% Proficiency with the Learning Role, the images shifted. Part still involved the proper way of squatting, but now it incorporated a particular twist of the foot while stepping. Both had to be executed in tandem. In theory, it wasn’t difficult, but I wanted to spend some time practicing the movement with my regular body, just to get a feel for it.

When I opened my eyes, most of the kids were gathered around. Toby touched my shoulder. “Good, you are done playing martial arts. We are about to leave.”

“Leave?” I asked.

Across the room, Vernika sniffed. From the redness around her eyes, she still held a grudge from when she tattled on me and it backfired. “Awful Ossi, are you stupid? You don’t even know about the special day? It’s every week.”

It’s been less than a week since I got here… Still, I didn’t bother to argue with a child. I looked at Toby.  “Where are we going?”

The corners of his mouth sagged. “The lecture hall…”

On cue, an attendant opened the door and gestured. “Alright, follow after me. Be quick and silent in the hall.”

All the little children lined up and I was the smallest and at the end of the line. I was, after all, a 3 year old amongst 5 year olds. We walked down the staircase to the first floor and then went down the long hallway to a door I hadn’t seen before. We were shown into a large room with dozens of small desks. Once they were in the room, the kids gave up the pretence of patience and dashed for their favorite spots: the kids were still at an age where they wanted to sit in the front of the classroom. 

I felt a flutter of amusement and followed Toby as he took us to a seat in the back left. A few minutes later, an inner hand member with a long mane of back and grey hair walked into. She steepled her fingers, which I noticed were quite long. “Hello, students, it’s been a while. Since our time is short, I will cover topics very quickly. Let’s start with geography. As you know-”

My gaze sharpened. The woman pulled down a scroll hanging from the ceiling, displaying a confusing archipelago of little islands. “-the Fang Family and their numerous affiliates control these seven stable cantons along the southern boundary. But today, I wish to talk about our neighbors.”

It isn’t an archipelago, I realized, squinting at the corner of the map marked with emerald blobs. It’s… the areas protected by seals.

“This area,” The teacher pointed west of the Fang Family area, to a place shaped like a half smile. “Is controlled by a certain group affiliated with darkness. They are quite private, but routinely send Chosen to the Fang Family lands, as proof of their cooperation.”

My eyes glittered. They cannot say the Prime’s proper names? And darkness… is that the Prime Argyle represents?

“Our other ally is here,” The teacher pointed to an island north of the Fang Family lands. “However, do not trust the map, when it comes to this one. Although the land controlled by this group is small, they have mastered the ability to create mobile seal lands. Most of the trade of our Defense Association comes through this group. Finally, we have our largest and most prosperous neighbor: the Holy Ax Empire.”

The teacher indicated a spot on the map that looked like a genuine country. It dominated the left half of the map, larger than all the other areas combined. “The Holy Ax Empire is split by an enormous mountain range. The eastern region is a desert, but the western is a rich and verdant land. They export food and textiles, although the wealth of the region means that most artisans eventually settle there to set up shop…”

“Embargos against their soybeans have been suggested; however, the difficulty in transportation…

“The Bandit King within the desert region…

“With the practice of heterogeneous seal walls, the risk of a variant rampage has decreased…”

Gradually, my interest began to decrease. I had to raise a hand to stifle a yawn as the teacher started moving into lectures about the government of the Empire. This… isn’t this just a classroom? Man, there is probably some relevant information buried here, but…

Next to him, Toby already had his head down against the desk and was snoring.

“Okay, that’s enough about trade agreements,” The teacher clapped her hands. I released a breath, but soon I felt my willpower shrivel up. “Next, let’s move on to math. I’m going to write a few equations on the board…”

Around me, the entire class groaned.