Magic_Smithing
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Ch: 85
🕑 Added 2021-02-27 10:23:24 +0000 UTCMaster Pacore the Deathless’ Point of View:
"Your armor is topped-off, Master Pacore," mage Lilian bows her head. She's the senior of the two mages I brought with me, and it's her day to charge my armor. The two mages alternate each day, making sure my armor and gear are always at their best.
I’m not sure how the day will proceed, but I have a feeling it’s a good idea everything is full for my meeting with Aaliyah.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Master Pacore?” Lillian asks me, keeping her head down so I can’t see the sweat on her face.
"That will be all," I say in my fake haughty voice. "You are dismissed." Lilian keeps her head bowed as she retreats out of my tent. In my head, I wish her a speedy recovery and thank her for helping me. I have an image to keep up, and I don't need any more issues to arise because I dropped my formal persona. My day will be complicated as it is.
I adjust the armor on my left arm, and when everything is ready, I step outside my tent. The sun has long since risen for the day; it took Lilian two hours to charge everything fully. Raising my arm, I shade my eyes from the intense light while they adjust.
Grunting, I curse the fact I'm out of my particular alcohol. I drank every drop I had last night, and it still didn't help me fall asleep. I wonder if I look like Jason now? The problem with invisible armor is that it doesn’t hide the tired look on my face.
“Good morning, Master Pacore,” I don’t even get five minutes to collect myself before I hear young Jason call out to me.
Jason slowly walks over to me with General Pitz at his side. Though young Jason greets me with a smile, I can see the worry hidden underneath. The General has no reason to appear friendly, and she looks me over with a scowl on her face. "You look like shit," her words make young Jason flinch, but her honesty confirms what others are too afraid to tell me.
“Did you perhaps not sleep last night, my lord?” Jason asks, troubled for me.
“It’s fine,” I wave off his concerns. “It doesn’t matter if I don’t sleep for a day or two anyways.”
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
"Thank you, Lady Pitz, because I wasn't aware of that myself," I snap a little more than I intended to.
“Are you going to the village right now?” Jason hesitantly asks me.
“The sooner I get this over with, the better.” I take a deep breath and start walking to the front of our camp.
Young Jason and General Pitz follow right behind me. Last night I debated whether or not I should allow the two of them to follow me today. I decided, whether good or bad; I should have some witnesses for what's to come.
"Master Pacore!" Every soldier calls out to me and salutes as we make our way through camp. I give a few curt straight-faced nods to the first few people, but it quickly becomes old. No doubt those who received a nod will brag to the rest later.
“Master Pacore,” the commander greets me at the front of our camp. “Are you heading to the village today, sir?”
"I am, commander," I matter-of-factly respond while continuing to walk towards the village.
“Your orders, sir?” He maintains his polished military posture despite me brushing him off. “Should I have the men fall into formation?”
"No need. If the villagers attack, I want you to focus on capturing rather than killing them. This village is special; it would be a crime if we were to destroy it unjustly."
“I understand, Master Pacore,” the commander acknowledges my orders. No matter what happens next, this village must continue to thrive. I don't look back at my commander; instead, I keep my gaze focused forward on the man waiting for us.
"The soldiers say he's been showing up sporadically throughout the night," Jason mumbles just loud enough for me to hear.
The village headman is standing in between the log fortifications, waiting for us to approach. He doesn't have my stats, and the toll of staying up all night is much more prevalent on his face than it is mine. The headman does not attempt to hide the anger he's feeling towards me.
When we're a few feet away from the headman, he turns away from us. "Follow me," he starts leading us to the village.
I only saw his face for a minute, but it’s troubling me. Reason is often pushed aside by anger. If this is a trap, I’ll have no choice but to make an example out of him. It would be a pity to kill such a man because of a rash decision.
Things only look worse as the headman veers left before we enter the village proper and starts leading us down a dirt path.
I glance over my shoulder to see how General Pitz and young Jason are reacting to our detour. Jason moves closer to me, looking like a frightened animal, while General Pitz's eyes drill into my own. She stands back, watching everything like a spectator in a play.
Glancing at the back of the headman, I notice his body is tensing up and that his hands are balled into fists at his sides. Everything points to this being a last-stand situation, and that doesn't work for me. I need to persuade him this is a bad idea before I'm forced to do something I'll regret. "An ambush won't work; it will only endanger the village," my voice cuts through the silence.
The headman stops in his tracks. He doesn't turn around to face me, only responding in a monotonous tone. “There is no ambush. The village decided your business with Aaliyah is between you and her. I’m leading you to her forge. That is all.” The headman starts walking again, not caring if we’re still following him.
So, the village decided to cut ties with her to save itself. And judging by the headman's reaction, it wasn't done lightly. This can mean one of two things, either the village is trying to cut ties with Aaliyah before she becomes my apprentice, or….
She plans on fighting me for her freedom, and she doesn't want the village to be blamed.
I wonder how many people will stand with her? I don't have to wait long for an answer because we're quickly approaching a clearing up ahead.
Following the headman out of the forest trail, I promptly scan the clearing. There are multiple storage sheds, along with a plethora of smithing tools. Sitting on a pair of stone benches is Aaliyah and her stone kin master. Both are armed and in their armor; however, they're the only two in the clearing. And I don't sense anyone hiding in the tree line either.
I was at least expecting Aaliyah’s family to be here. It was my hope having them present would help her to see reason.
Jason, General Pitz, and I stand in the clearing's entrance while the headman walks over to Aaliyah and gives her a quick hug. I can't see the headman's face, but I watch Aaliyah mouth 'thank you' to him. She has to gently push him away before he walks back towards us with his head lowered in defeat. He only looks up to scowl at me before he walks back down the forest path.
“Thanks for giving us a moment,” Aaliyah calls out to me as she and her master move towards us.
"It was the least I can do," I say, walking forward. The two of them don't seem to care about me closing the distance between us; that said, Aaliyah and her master look ready for a fight.
Aaliyah glances behind me at General Pitz and young Jason. “You brought them along with you?”
Her confused look makes me chuckle a little. "They're the only other two people who know about you. I see it only fits that they act as witnesses for what's to come."
“Fair enough,” Aaliyah doesn’t object to their presence.
I find myself marveling at the girl even more than yesterday. Her eyes are clear, without a hint of doubt behind them. Whatever plans she's made, she's ready to see them through, regardless of what her chances might be. If I draw my sword, she'll defend herself without a second guess.
“I don’t suppose you’ve reconsidered my offer?” I smirk at the young girl, hoping she makes the right choice.
I thought it over a million times last night, and unless Aaliyah willingly agrees to become my disciple, I'll have to capture her like I did General Pitz. Even if she resents me for it, I can't leave someone of her caliber here now that General Pitz knows about her. No matter what, I’ll force her to become my disciple. That is my resolve!
“I have.”
"What?" I reflexively ask. Just like yesterday, she's able to catch me off guard with a short response.
Aaliyah shifts the large axe she's carrying over to her shoulder. "I decided to take you up on your offer."
I'm about to shout, 'that's great’ when I remember she's wearing her armor and holding a weapon. There is no way she's giving up that easily. "Did you now?" I ask skeptically. "If you decided to become my disciple, is there a reason for you to come to this meeting armed?"
Young Aaliyah gives me a merchant's smirk. "Just because I agree to become your apprentice doesn't mean I don't have my own conditions."
My eyes widen; the gall of this child!
I love it!
I start laughing so hard; I have to grab my sides. She got me again. While I'm laughing up a lung, Aaliyah stands there waiting for me to collect myself. When I finally catch my breath, I gasp out, "aren't you a greedy one. Most would consider becoming my disciple the best offer possible. Tell me, what else could you possibly want?”
Aaliyah’s face hardens. "First, I want a signed contract stating Scholl won't interfere with Spotted Creek Village any more than it has to."
"Hummmm," I pretend to think over her demand; I even stroke my beard for extra show. But inside, I'm happier than I've ever been. Aaliyah decided to join me of her own free will. I might have cornered her into making the decision, but once she sees my sincerity, that shouldn't matter. "I suppose I can agree to that."
"Then I want another contract for the safety of my family," Aaliyah keeps up a strong appearance as she continues naming her demands.
"Sure," I readily agree to her second demand. I'm hoping her family follows her to Scholl; they'll be treated like royalty after she's recognized as my apprentice, and I'm sure they must be special themselves to produce such a daughter.
Aaliyah’s eyes narrow, probably because I agreed too quickly there. I should probably pretend her demands are harder to accept than they are. "Third, I want the same thing for my master.”
“I’m your master,” I jokingly smirk at her.
She is not amused. “I mean it!”
"I have little interest in your village or master," I try waving away her concerns. It is nice to see that she genuinely cares about those around her rather than fame or wealth. If this were anyone else negotiating with me, they would include money or other frivolous things in their demands. "Is that everything?"
“There’s one more thing,” Aaliyah readies her weapon.
"Ooh?" I'm interested to see where this is going; she's already agreed to join me. I look back at General Pitz to see how she's taking everything and see her biting her lower lip in frustration. That's right; I managed to convince her to follow me. I send the general a gloating smirk.
"Rolling over for you isn't in my nature. My last condition is that you beat me and my master in a duel!"
My head snaps back around, and I stare blankly at Aaliyah. "You want to duel me?"
It's her turn to smirk at me. "That's right. You kept saying how great you are; now prove it. There's no reason for me to go to Scholl with you if master and I can beat the shit out of you here."
I feel like I should be offended, but I can't help but smile at her challenge. "So I have to beat the two of you together?"
“Yep.”
“Without killing either of you, I suppose?”
“That’s right, or are you chicken!?” She taunts me.
“I don’t know what a chicken is, but I’ll assume you’re making fun of me. I guess every student should know where they stand in regards to their master. I accept your terms. Do you want to do this here?” I scan the clearing again, but I don’t see a good spot for us to fight without breaking something.
"We already have that planned out," Aaliyah smiles confidently. I'm just as excited as she is; I wonder how they hope to defeat me? I’m not senile enough to not realize they wouldn’t have challenged me unless they had a plan, or would they?
Aaliyah and the stone kin lead us across the clearing over to a smaller forest trail, similar to the one the headman led us down. It doesn’t take them long to lead us to a more suitable place to fight. “You have your own quarry,” I exclaim when I see the large crater in the ground.
“A perfect place for us to go all out,” Aaliyah proclaims before she and her master jump away from me into the pit.
I make no move to chase after them. First, I roll my shoulders, loosening up my old joints. Then I slowly draw my sword and let the blade shimmer in the sunlight for a moment. It isn't until I'm fully ready that I jump into the quarry after them. Young Jason and General Pitz stay up top to watch our fight.
My two opponents whisper to each other, but they're close enough I can still read their lips.
“Are you ready, Master Del?” Aaliyah smiles at the stone kin.
“Ready,” he declares to her.
"Just like we planned then,” she mouths. The stone kin doesn't say anything further; slamming his foot down, he rushes towards me, with his hammer raised over his head. The stone kin is trying to draw my attention, but I'm keeping an eye on him and Aaliyah as she tries to flank me from my left.
Both are fast, but for different reasons. The stone kin rushes me using only his Strength stat while Aaliyah appears to have a much more balanced stat spread.
Once the stone kin is in front of me, his massive arms bring his hammer down. My skills scream in my head to dodge rather than try blocking the strike. With Dancing, I gracefully retreat out of his range.
The hammer strikes the quarry floor causing the surrounding stone to shatter like it's made of glass. With that kind of Strength, I can't risk parrying any of the stone kin's attacks. I would survive if he hit me, but the force would send me flying, and that would be more than enough of an opening for them to pin me down.
While the stone kin pulls back on his hammer to ready himself for another attack, I step back with my left foot and face Aaliyah, who's trying to keep the pressure on me. This is an excellent opportunity to see how she moves in battle. She obviously favors movement-related skills, but she hasn't faced enough people like me who are used to such attacks.
With one step, I dodge the first strike she makes. Then, I parry her second swing with my sword. There's considerable weight behind her weapon, and I'm curious how she's able to swing it like she is without falling over.
Aaliyah's master tries hitting me from my right, but I dodge by stepping into Aaliyah's striking range. She grins, thinking they've got me, but I dance around her strike and thrust my sword at her right shoulder. Her eyes widen as she jumps backward to dodge my thrust.
It’s then that I notice Aaliyah’s first flaw. When she has free room to run, she’s incredibly fast, but she’s not used to minute movements in the heat of battle. I can predict how she’ll move as much as I can her master.
I was hoping the stone kin would be more of a challenge, but I can tell his level wasn't gained from combat. The two of them have practiced with their weapons, but neither are used to fighting other people.
I twirl and thrust my sword at the stone kin's gut to keep him on his toes. He blocks with his hammer, but I wasn't trying to hurt him in the first place.
This battle is heavily skewed in their favor, but that just makes this more enjoyable for me. I'll show them I can't be harmed until they collapse from exhaustion. I might throw in a few shallow cuts for good measure, but dancing around these two is a no-brainer.
Their teamwork is quite good, at least I admit. The stone kin forces me back, while Aaliyah is the one to try and hit me. I wonder if they'll even manage to touch my armor?
I dodge back from another one of the stone kin's strikes while simultaneously turning to parry Aaliyah's axe. Brandishing my sword, I calculate precisely where I'll need to hit her weapon, so it misses me.
I swing to deflect Aaliyah’s strike, only for my skills to warn me of danger. Aaliyah grins at me and vanishes from my sight.
“Flash Step!” I curse aloud.
My skills tell me she ended up behind me. I expect for her to aim at my head, which wouldn’t be that big of a problem, but my blood runs cold when, from the corner of my eye, I see her swing her axe at the spot my armor’s magic gem is hidden!
I twist in place, so she hits the front of my armor. Was she aiming for that spot, or was it a lucky strike? I don't have long to ponder because my skills keep screaming for me to move. Without looking behind me, I know the stone kin is about to hit me from behind.
I activate one of my defensive treasures just in time to block his hammer. A magic barrier covers my back for a split second before shattering under the stone kin's Strength. The magic tool did its job by dispersing most of the force behind his strike. I'm still knocked a few feet forward, but at least I'm not sent flying.
After that close call, I retreat for a moment and put some distance between us. That stone kin's strike was dangerously close to the magic gem as well.
“A little lower next time,” I hear Aaliyah tell her master.
“Got it.”
My eyes threaten to pop out of their sockets; I'm floored. They were aiming for the magic gem! That means they not only know about my armor, but they know its weak spot too!
I stare at Aaliyah, she’s the only one who could possibly see my armor, but that shouldn’t be possible!
My armor is enchanted to repel magic, meaning it repels all searching type spells as well as Sense Mana. Only the best mages can tell I'm wearing armor, and not one has ever figured out where the magic gem is located!
I take a deep breath to calm myself. I don’t know how she did it, but I’ll take great pleasure in figuring it out.
**********
Aaliyah’s Point of View:
"We were close," I grin, seeing the old man's shocked expression. We scared him enough he felt the need to retreat.
"Don't get overconfident; we haven't won yet," master reminds me.
“I know, I know,” I say, taking a moment to catch my breath.
I'm just happy things are working out as we planned. It was a longshot that Pacore would accept my terms, but in the end, he did. Master and I needed a reason to fight Pacore, and we figured if he agreed, we could make the fight more even with a few added conditions. We're free to try and kill him while Pacore needs to have us surrender.
Yesterday we discussed how our meeting with Pacore would play out, and it was my idea that master and I cut ties with the village beforehand. Camden and mom were against the idea, but we need the village to be safe in case we fail.
If we lose, I become Pacore’s disciple. But if we win…!
We actually don’t have a plan if we win. We only had so much time to plan things out, and figuring out a way to get him to duel us was hard enough, let alone what we should do should we manage to win the fight. Killing Pacore would be a death sentence for the village, and I'm not sure if I can free General Pitz. If we're lucky, Pacore will acknowledge his defeat and leave us alone. But no matter what happens, word will get out that I'm here.
I shake my head, setting those thoughts away for later. First, we have to bring this old man down!
Together, master and I start taking steady steps forward. We're both ready to rush in; our target is the spot on his back that hides the magic gem. If we can damage that area enough, all of the armor’s enchantments should fail. It hurts having to destroy such a beautiful piece of work, but we have no other choice.
When we’re twenty feet away from Pacore, we're ready to make our move. Both of us tense our muscles but master and I pause when we hear Pacore start to laugh.
"I'll admit, I underestimated the two of you. I don't know how you figured it out, but that can wait until later," Pacore sneers at me. "No more nice Pacore. Prepare yourselves because you face Master Pacore the Deathless now!"
The air around Pacore vibrates, and the air becomes heavy. I don't know if it's a skill, but he's somehow affecting the surrounding mana without doing anything through sheer force of will. He briefly did the same thing yesterday, but this time the effect lasts longer than a few seconds.
I swear I can hear mom's voice in the back of my head telling me to run, but I brush it aside. There's no use running.
Instead of Pacore waiting for us to attack, he's the one to rush us this time.
He slashes at master with such precision; his previous attacks could be called half-assed in comparison. Master stumbles backward as Pacore starts cutting him in between his armor. The cuts aren't deep, but almost every swing of Pacore's sword draws more of master's blood.
I use Flash Step to get in close and help, but Pacore easily swats my axe away before I can properly swing it.
Pacore attacks in such a way, I'm forced to dodge in a single direction. He herds me next to master and continues his assault, so neither of us can break away!
It's like we're fighting a totally different person. Pacore hasn't gotten faster or stronger, and yet he's pushing both of us back. Each step he takes is perfect; with each swing of his sword, he chips away at Mana Skin or opens a new wound on master. I can no longer tell where his sword and hand meet.
This is beyond fighting someone with a higher level. How long has he spent practicing his swordplay? How many battles has this monster been in?
When Pacore told us he was one of Scholl’s pillars, I knew he would be strong, but I could’ve never imagined this! If something doesn’t change soon, we’re going to lose!
And the only way we're going to win is if we get creative!
Instead of pushing backwards, I push off the ground. Pacore doesn't miss the opening and aims to stab me while I'm in the air. If he gets a clean hit, his sword will slice through Mana Skin like it isn't even there.
But this was what I was hoping for.
I push off the air with Air Walk, dodging what would’ve been a nasty blow. I hear shouting from outside the quarry, but my eyes are focused solely on Pacore. His eyes follow my every movement as I soar through the air. Besides Pacore's smile, he doesn't look surprised by my skill in the slightest. In fact, if master wasn't taking this chance to keep him busy, I'm sure Pacore would still be trying to stab me in the air.
I move to swing my axe from up above, but Pacore is ready for me. He activates another magic item, and another barrier forms around Pacore, but this one expands rapidly, pushing me higher into the sky while forcing master back.
Oh no, you don't!
My axe is still raised over my head, so I throw it with everything I have.
Pacore sidesteps my axe, unfazed even though it skims past his fancy armor. I draw my Scimitar and push off the air again, charging him once again.
Pacore isn't foolish enough to let me get behind him again; he continually shifts his position to keep master and me in front of him. Even with aerial superiority, I can't get him!
Pacore dodges another one of my slashes; in doing so, he twists in place and drops to one knee. With his change in position, he stabs master's right knee. I know it's terrible when I hear master howl in pain.
"Del!" I scream. Rushing Pacore, I swing my sword, wanting to get Pacore to move away from master, who's trying to crawl backwards with his good leg.
"You shouldn't let your emotions get the better of you." I don't have time to register what Pacore just told me before he swings his sword directly underneath my foot. Just as I'm about to push off the air, Pacore's sword tears through the mana barrier I built to push off of, and I tumble hard to the ground.
I move to get up, but Pacore is already standing over me with his sword pointed at my face. "You're quite talented, but you lack experience. It will be fun teaching you," he grins down at me.
“It’s not over yet,” I hiss.
"I think it is," Pacore talks down to me. "It's commendable to want to keep fighting, but you have to know your limits."
I glance to my side and see master has managed to crawl a good twenty feet away from us. Time for plan Z.
"There's always a way to win," I laugh at Pacore.
I raise my hand and recite my spell.
“Llaif gamfr ol e nnamse!”
Either Pacore recognizes the spell, or he's that sure I can't hurt him; either way, he waits for me to cast my magic. When the small flame appears in my outstretched palm, he can't help but laugh.
“You shouldn’t underestimate fire,” I tell him as I gather most of my mana into my hand.
The last thing I see before the world fills with fire is Pacore's smile faltering. The overpowered flame spell isn't as powerful as the last time I used it because of all the mana I used against Pacore, but only by a little. My skills have leveled a lot since the last time I tried to blow myself up, and the resulting explosion is still deafening. Mana Skin holds back most of the blast's force along with most of the heat, but I can feel a burning sensation on the arm I used to cast the spell. I'm glad I invested that extra twenty points into my Endurance, or the damage might have been a lot worse.
Thanks to the mana threads I have anchoring me to the ground, I wasn't thrown by the explosion, and I can forcefully absorb a small amount of ambient earth mana underneath me to keep myself from passing out.
This time I’m conscious as my spell starts to fizzle out.
The first thing I see is the tip of Pacore's sword, still pointed at my face. The flames become thinner, and my heart sinks when I see Pacore's smiling face still looking down on me.
Pacore is entirely unharmed.
Even the bastard's clothing underneath his armor isn't damaged!
I want to curse the old man, but I'm too busy trying to catch my breath. My mana levels are hovering around 10%, making me feel extremely exhausted. My outstretched hand that cast the spell falls limply to my side, with a few minor burns.
Pacore whistles, "I was not expecting that! But I was expecting your last move not to be expected, so it doesn't count," he gloats. "Now surrender so I can send Jason to get the two of you a healer." Pacore refuses to lower his sword until I admit our defeat.
I look over at Master, who's standing on one leg. He looks like he's willing to keep going, but the blood dripping from his leg is increasing the more he moves around. I won't let master kill himself for me.
“I surrender,” I wheeze out.
Master Del looks at me, wondering if I'm serious. After I slowly nod my head, master falls backwards onto his ass, hanging his head in disappointment.
“Jason!” Pacore shouts up to the boy who's staring slack-jawed at us. "Go get a healer!"
“Yes, Master Pacore,” the young man stutters before taking off.
Pacore watches him leave before looking back at me. "That was a good fight," he grunts as he sheaths his sword and sits down next to my sprawled out form. "Before General Pitz walks down here, tell me, how did you know about my armors weakness?"
Pacore leans over my motionless body, smiling at me like a child looking at an interesting insect. When I don't say anything, he pouts. "Come on now; I'm your master, you have to tell me." Unlike Master Del, it doesn't look like Pacore wants me to keep my skills a secret from him.
"It's a skill," I remark, purposely being as vague as possible.
Pacore just snorts at my comment. "If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. Just make sure you and that stone kin keep the information about my armor to yourselves. Even I can't protect you if the information gets out." For just a moment, Pacore sounds serious.
"I can't believe you tried blowing me up!"
And the moment is gone.
I hear footsteps approaching, but I don't want to raise my head. "You finally decided to join us, general," Pacore quips when I see General Pitz make it into my view. "I was sure you'd try to escape after I had Jason run off."
“You know I can’t do that,” General Pitz frowns at Pacore.
I don’t know how much those bands seal her, but they have to be strong if they limit someone like General Pitz enough where she can’t survive in the woods.
"No reason to be mean," Pacore continues to egg General Pitz on. "I know you're jealous about my newest student, so I suppose it can't be helped."
The look General Pitz gives Pacore reminds me of my mom before she snaps. We can all hear the general grind her teeth in frustration.
“If you want to borrow my sword, you can try stabbing him,” I offer the angry woman.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side,” Pacore looks like I just slapped him.
“Not by choice,” I grumble.
“That doesn’t matter. You’ll see, Scholl is a beautiful place.”
“If you like miles of rocky hellscape,” General Pitz cuts into Pacore’s speech.
While the two of them argue, it sinks in that I lost. I'll have to leave the village. I can only hope Pacore doesn't make me leave right away.
“Ma, Mast, Master Pacore?” I swallow a lump in my throat after calling him master.
"Yes, my apprentice?" Pacore looks at me with a goofy smile, happy to hear me call him master. Seeing his smile makes me never want to address Pacore as master again.
"Do I have to leave with you right away? If possible, can I wait until the new year's festival before I leave?" I hesitantly ask; I don't even bother trying to use my skills on him. There's still so much I need to do, and I can't forget about spending time with my family.
Pacore chuckles, “you don’t need to leave immediately. You can stay in the village until I finish my campaign and auction off the general. But why is a new year's festival that important to you?" Pacore questions me.
I'm so relieved I don't immediately have to leave the village; I answer Pacore's question without thinking. "I've been looking forward to the festival for years now. This year is the first time I'm allowed to participate with all the adults."
Pacore and General Pitz freeze in place. “This is the first time you’re participating in the festival?” Pacore reiterates.
“How old are you?” General Pitz’s fevered eyes burrow into my soul.
Crap, I said something I shouldn’t have!
Pacore and the general’s gazes become more overwhelming the longer I remain silent. “I turned 15 this year,” I finally tell them.
General Pitz and Pacore, two respected leaders of their nations that have reached unimaginable heights, look at me like I’m the monster.
“By the gods!” General Pitz swears.
Pacore’s eyes widen impossibly large. “You will be my greatest student,” the fanaticism behind his voice sends a shiver down my spine. Everything is only made worse by the fact I'm so tired I can barely move. I wish I did pass out after my spell failed to defeat the old man.
Maybe I should just pretend to pass out; that could work, right?
I slowly start to close my eyes, but Pacore is having none of that. "You can't sleep on me yet," Pacore gently slaps my right cheek. Opening my eyes, I scowl at my new master. I've made up my mind; as soon as I'm strong enough, I'm killing him!
“What do you want,” I snap at Pacore.
“I wanted to talk about getting some weapons made. That arrow you made for General Pitz was incredible.”
I ignore Pacore’s flattery and look at General Pitz. “Did the arrow really turn out that good?”
General Pitz smiles at me. "It was; I almost killed him with it."
“Well shit,” I curse. “Now I’m going to kick myself for not making it stronger.”
“You’re starting to hurt my feelings,” Pacore forces himself into our conversation. “I saw the spears you had back in the clearing. I’d like to buy those and order more.”
Great, now I have another person demanding an order.
Wait a minute!
I smell a great opportunity.
I put on a shit-eating grin for my new master. “Sorry to tell you this, but I can’t sell you anything.”
“What, why not!?” He yells.
"I have a contract with someone already. I'm only allowed to sell my wares to him," I continue to grin at the old man.
"So, break it. I'll cover you for whatever the conditions are and pay you more."
“Sorry, no can do,” I take great pride in Pacore’s frustration. “You can’t cover my cancellation cost.”
“Oh, yeah?!” Pacore bellows. “What is it?”
If Pacore wants to be my master, he should help me take care of my problems. "If I break my contract, I lose 20 levels.”
"That's!?" Pacore is dumbfounded for a moment before I see anger start to rise in his eyes. "And who made you sign such a ludicrous contract?" Pacore asks me in a cold voice.
Bingo! That’s the reaction I was hoping for.
“Well, who was it!?” Pacore demands.
“I signed a contract with Lennard Grey shortly before you took Drey. You’ll have to talk to him if you want to buy anything from me.” It’s hard to keep myself from laughing like a villain. “He’s the…”
"Head of the Silver Herd branch in Drey. I know," Pacore hisses in displeasure. "I've met him."
“That's good; you can send all requests through him," I flatly tell Pacore.
“I’ll get right on that.” Pacore looks pissed. He remains steaming until the healer he sent for arrives with Jason.
Pacore tries to order the man to heal me first, but I demand that he treat Master Del first, knowing his injuries are worse than mine. The healer Pacore brought with him is much more talented than Anastasia, so much so, master is standing on both legs again after only thirty minutes of treatment. He even manages to remove some of the fatigue I'm feeling from mana exhaustion to the point I can stand on my own.
"Are you okay?" I rush over to hug Del as soon as I can stand.
“I’m fine,” he grunts. “Just some phantom pain.”
“That should fade in a few hours,” the healer tells us.
“Thank you,” I offer the man a small bow.
“I was merely following Master Pacore’s orders. Is there anything else you need, Sir?” The healer salutes Pacore.
"No, you can return to camp," Pacore dismisses the man in an almost comically dry voice. Where did the annoying old man go?
The medical soldier salutes Pacore one last time before leaving the quarry.
“What happens now?” I find myself asking the same question as yesterday.
Pacore starts stroking his beard again. "For now, you will remain in this village. I'm not sure how long it will take to finish my campaign, but in the meantime, I'll send one of my best students to start your training and to make sure nothing happens to you while I'm gone."
You mean to make sure I don't run away, I think to myself.
“We should head back now,” Pacore says, glancing up at the sky. “I have much to prepare before I return to Drey. Do you need any help walking back?” He asks me.
"I got her," Del protectingly moves next to me.
"So, you do," Pacore remarks. He smiles at me one last time, "I'll have the contracts ready for you to sign before we set out tomorrow."
"Okay," I respond, hanging my head. It's the only thing I can do to hide my grin. One-sided contracts are a girl's best friend.
“Okay, what?” Pacore presses.
“Okay…. Master Pacore,” I grit through my teeth.
“Needs some work, but all in good time,” Pacore laughs. Master Del and I watch as Pacore walks out of the quarry, followed closely by Jason and General Pitz.
We stand there in silence for a good minute.
“We lost,” master breaks the silence. “But at least you got the teacher you always needed.”
I’m in no mood for master’s pessimism, so I elbow him in his side where Pacore had cut him earlier. Master groans and folds over, holding his side. "You're my first master, and that hasn't changed. Pacore can be my second master if I don't kill him first," I growl in frustration. Does Del really think I'm happy about being dragged out of the village?
I move next to master and help support him. "Don't say nonsense like that again, okay?"
“Alright,” he agrees.
"I can't believe you thought I would be happy having that man as a teacher," I complain as we walk towards master's house.
Master softly chuckles to himself, and I consider hitting him again.
“What’s so funny?” I ask him.
“I just find it funny how much you hate him, considering how much the two of you are alike.”
“We’re nothing alike!” I yell.
"The resemblance is uncanny," master continues to make fun of me. "It will be interesting to see which of you annoys the other to death first."
"Go home and rest because you obviously suffered some head trauma," I tell master as I help him into his clearing.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” master stumbles over to his hut. He opens the door but turns to me before he goes in. “Will you be fine heading back by yourself?”
“I’ll be fine,” I reassure him. “My mana may be low, but I still have some stamina left after dragging your fat butt home.”
“Be safe,” master tells me one more time before walking into his house. I envy master for living alone. He doesn't have a house full of people waiting for him to return home.
That's not true; I want nothing more than to be smothered by mom and dad right now.
I might not be dragged out of the village tomorrow, but my time here just became much more precious. My only saving grace is that I know my family will support me no matter what happens.
So, I need to get home and show them that I'm all right.
Thinking about my family waiting for me helps me make it home faster despite my aches and pains.
I reach out to open our squeaky front door, and it occurs to me I might not be able to call this home for much longer.
**********
6,950 words. Almost 40% more than usual 😊
I promised I would have the chapter out Friday night, so naturally, I post it Saturday morning. I’m going to bed.
A quick reminder, though, I'm not posting this weekend. I'm trying to get a Discord up and running and possibly get a chapter written ahead of schedule, so these late postings stop happening.
I hope you liked the direction this chapter went, and as always, stay safe.
Comments
Flyri
I don't think Pacore is that bad of a character. Even calling him a villain is too narrow-minded in my opinion. I like it when characters are more complicated than just portraying them as pure good or evil. It may work in some rare cases, but I think that in this novel the way characters have more to them than meets the eye works wonderfully. Just my two cents. Obviously, I don't know how the story will unfold going forward. Will have to see once I binge-read the rest of the chapters. Author doing fine work so far!
lenkite
Really surprised that her Master did not shoot down the idea of a Duel. This guy is a pure combat classer and her Master himself said that craftsfolk don't match combat classers of the same level in a fight. And certainly not one who is 80 levels ahead of them.
Will C
Yeah this is going to be my shortest sub ever and the quickest way to tank a good story I have seen in awhile. First problem is yeah slave arc woooo, second problem is pascwhatever is a terrible mustache twirling cardboard cutout of a villain who sucks all of the enjoyment out of any scene he is in. On the other hand I don't think I can remember another villain who's such a Mary sue that they have more plot armour than the MC so that's kinda different I guess. Basicly the thought of invunra villain been a regular character kills my interest 100%.
Falxie
Eh he can’t teach her a lot since their foci are totally different... net loss for her overall. She might not see her only friend and family (if they stay behind) for years, her new master can’t teach her shit (except combat), the new landscape will be ugly af, she is basically a slave now (if her new king demands shit she has to eat it). Only positive is access to mages/crafters/resources. Which will be behind politic walls. Also she now is major pawn (yes pawn) is a foreign kingdom which is in a struggle for succession. Like I said net loss and only death/cruel master would be worse.
Lythyc M
Very good Pecore is one of the best characters introduced so far imo. I think being under him she’s going to blow up( in and leveling, skills, and power sense). I can’t wait to see where it goes.
TaylorTot
Yep, the author lives in California so their timezone is PST.
Jeff091
hi, thanks for the story it took me way to long to get that "just skipping the chapter next weekend" is the chapter i was expecting on Tuesday. Different Time zones for the win.
Timo Immig
The King ordered his vassal the one that was the right hand on the fort to ensure her survival even at a heavy cost. It is unlikely that a level 110 will be thrown under the bus that easy. Further she seems to dispise School. There is no happy future for Pitz in this country.
Njordt
I think it was kinda forced on him on some level, based on what i got from his pov in the last few chaps: If she hadn't revealed his level, Pacore would probably spend the rest of the campaign trying to slowly get her to his side, instead of brute forcing the issue like this. Like, he even straight forward said so when they first talked to each other. He would much more prefer if she joined him willingly, he is really trying to avoid the whole Sith rule of two thing, even more so when she could be his last apprentice.
Njordt
He has raised so many death flags about himself, he is an entrance to a EU building at this point. The main question; at what point in the story does he die and how much does his passing affect the world, including the mc. Also, despite being a super cheeky bastard who would kill his step-brah for a wheel of cheese if his brah had a high level, he is morally consistent and more honorable than most people he is fighting against, like Pitz and the kingdom: Which is so corrupt it practically left their 120 lv General to die cuz of internal powerplay
Ambrose Puttmann
Also, Kosnik could just have her political rivals accuse her of betraying Olebert. Then they refuse to buy her back saying she is a traitor. Consequently, Pacore retains her as a permanent prisoner who then gets to teach Aaliyah in how to be a badass and fight monsters!
Ambrose Puttmann
I think Pacore should actually consider whether it is worth ransoming General Pitz because she knows so much. If he was so upset about his level being leaked (unless that was just a bluff) then it should stand to reason that Aaliyah's abilities, age, and potential should be an even bigger secret. I'd imagine that the moment Olebert discovers their invading neighbors have her under an apprentice/disciple contract they might take drastic action. Killing a 15 year old, who makes level 110+ weapons, trained by stonekin (possibly by their secret methods because how else could she do this), able to perform magic, sense precise levels, etc. just seems like a prudent decision by a ruler. Just her level alone might necessitate kidnapping her and torturing her for her methods.
Timo Immig
Please no. The downfall of these skill levels transfers is that you inhibit growth for the transfered skill. Story about nobels having trouble after skill transfer. Skill levels are proficiency based. If she doesn‘t learn it, it won‘t level.
Quintuscus
I really love this. Aaliyah powerleveling in Scholl Lands is going to be an amazing montage. A slice of life involving actual learning/education and lore-dumps for days make me really happy. I really hope you can give the whole apprenticeship a positive twist once she understands he actually has good intentions for her. I mean, this is really nothing different from going to the capital and getting sponsored by the general. The power-hungry Scholl are really the best match-up for her. Anyways, thanks for an incredible end of an arc, and sewing it all together like this. I enjoyed it!
Crackafilenight
Great chapter, I like both Pitz and Deathless maybe they'll hook up lmao unlikely! I m just hoping for Grey to get his just deserts and maybe Ezekiel and that other dude seem to be fairly shitty guys through and through. I'm wondering what's going to happen are she, her family and Del perhaps going to move. Though maybe Deathless will see a combination of training her with the enchanted forests (magic beasts and great materials) and his own apprentice will be enough probably not. I've always wondered why she never decided to get some basic archery skills would help and can be combined with magic but then again she's always on the frontline so far in conflicts. I'm hoping she gets a role to make equipment and be a lastish resort type of fighter so she would be free to pursue her own interests. Deathless definitely noticed her talent in fighting, magic and blacksmithing. Well she'll likely be able to shore up a lot of weaknesses proper training with human/humanoid combatants, potentially formal magic training (though she seems to be beyond most if not all mages in baseline skills i.e manipulation (not baseline but still), mana sense) and enchanting tooo!! She's going to be way too OP with resources and mentoring though at the cost of her freedom she's going to under heavy scrutiny likely all the time. Considering the instability that's going on in the country King about to croak and different factions popping up its going to be a bit messy with likely some assassination attempts hopefully enough time for her to train and become OP as possible. Maybe she could hinge her freedom on taking down that dragon or finding a way to compromise with the dragon that would be cool. If they got communication devices she could just come through in case of emergency and be a general deterrent to other nations/empires and do whatever she wanted. I wonder what's going to happen to Silver Herd seems like they'll switch allegiances officially. I don't like the general apathy from the merchants (maybe Giovanni since he worries about his kids at least) they seem to hold little if any value on anything besides wealth and by extension likely a number of the nobles (i.e poor governance). General Pitz was it seems the last stand against Deathless how the hell is the nation unable to provide support of weapons (i.e no blacksmiths seem to have been on site to make weapons as needed) gold or manpower, piss poor planning that sacrificed Pitz and several cities. Deathless did super well even Pitz know's it's highly nearly impossible or those regions to be reclaimed.
Christopher Gray
I feel like its a bit of a fast joining. Its not bad or out of character but it seems a bit rushed. Maybe its just the way it was written. Its not bad. Just feels fast.
Tom Henman
One way for her to break contract with Grey without giving away her secret would be to do so while Grey is being "questioned". (accidents do happen.) She also has a tier 6 skill now, do not forget that has not really been used. Seems a good setup to allow her to use it. The open contracts "could" protect family and village but only if breaking really hurt or killed Deathless. Now I don't think it is headed that way but breaking all of them if enough levels to kill him would get her out of leaving. Now it's also possible she could get mage, blacksmith, enchanter, and combat instructors as Deathless's apprentice. Not all bad. As for folks complaining and her agreeing remember she would have been captured and forced to leave; however, she thinks she may well be killed along with those she loves.
Steven Palmer
My god still another day to go. Waaaa
Nicolas Milonas
I was honestly expecting them to challenge him to a blacksmithing contest.
Chemnerd263
Maybe I'm coming from a strange place, but so far I have no problem with either kingdom. I dont care about either Scholl or... I cant even remember the name of the kingdom, that's how little they matter to me. Everyone has a reason for what they do, and so far the only character I really dont like is Mr. Gray. Fuck that guy. I am currently fine with Mentor!Pacore, I just wish it hadnt happened because he forced the issue. It would have been awesome if he had done a better soft sell, she probably would have been fine with it if he had just given her time and threw some resources her way. Hard not to like someone even when you KNOW they are trying to buy your cooperation, if they are honest about it.
Wewwew2
I have read all the comments... my wish about the story is quite different. I wish Scholl to fight a modern military superpower(USA or late Soviet Union). And yeah, waiting for Pacore to die...
Goldarch
Had the same thought.
The Tallest Tree
Quality. Just wish Aaliyah & Emily could be bffs
Stephen Pearson
I'd like to point out that her reasons for not getting a teacher for enchanting were to not come to the attention of nobles and be co-opted; that ship has sailed so hard that the docks blew up behind it. Considering he told her that he's sending someone to train her while he's fighting his campaign, hopefully she tells him to send an enchanting teacher. For that matter she's way overdue to ask about / figure out more enchantments. I've been cringing at the thought of her inscribing her weapons with kitchen knife enchantments. Similar for spells - she didn't want a contract? Too late now, have someone show her a few (dozen):-p
Monika Djomi
Ooh ok, I thought the break would be on the Friday chapter
Sondadir
Kosnik warned he would take a break for the Sunday / Monday chapter. He wants to be at least a chapter ahead of Patreon. The next chapter is that of Thursday / Friday.
Monika Djomi
I thought there was a chapter slated for Sunday/Monday???
Timo Immig
She still has to write one. They just had their initial negotiations.
ShadeByTheSea
his prices are in $ not €, so it's $5 for the level 40 tier. patreon adjusts it, I assume on exchange rates or something.
ShadeByTheSea
I agree with some others, Her contracts should have included things like "I won't have to directly act in large scale battles"
Roman
This is a good development. Seeing her try to figure stuff out by herself was fun but she's been extremely limited by information and materials, and now she can explore more of the world and grow at a faster pace.
Sondadir
Does Kosnik offer us a discount for this Tier? I was convinced that the price was 5 € for Tier 3, not 4,50.
Steven Palmer
I can't wait until he meets the mother. That's gonna be a tense conversation...
Sondadir
"Pacore snort at my comment. If you don't want to tell me, it's fine. " I think he's quite tolerant of secrets.
Stylemys
I think chances are high that Pacore is going to expect his new apprentice to share her status screen with him.
Sondadir
She has already declared to Giovanni that Grey's death was something she wanted. The fact that she informs Pacore of the contract only changes one thing. Grey will die at Pacore's hand rather than Aaliyah or Reel's. Did you really think Giovanni was going to leave Gray and his insurance alive?
Spectacular
Typo: Even with ariel superiority, I can't get him! Should be: aerial superiority “I’m fine,” he grunts. “Just some fantom pain.” Should be: phantom pain.
Miguel Wolmers
He already stated several times hes going to sell pitz back to her country, they plan on keeping the territory so they don't want to push olebort too far
11037
Straven
Just for the record as this my second post, I've already read through the chapter 3+ times and still loving/enjoying it quite a darn bit! Thank you again and again for this great story and most of all thank you for keeping earlier chapters posted on royal road, only reason I found your story when one of the new chapters there popped up when I was browsing through updates.
Todd Kloos
What can Pacore do about Mr. Grey though? If he kills Mr. Grey the contract would just be inherited by someone else. To really get out of the contract Aaliyah would still have to cancel it with her skill, revealing to Pacore a skill that she wants to keep hidden.
Benjamin Lewis
I enjoyed the chapter. I read it multiple times actually! It has a bit of a different feel, but that's not a bad thing. They didn't question him much, but even if they had there would be a change. She was either going to die, or join him. Adding in a lot of questions would have bogged the chapter down with maybe too much dialog, and some exposition. Aaliyah will have plenty of time to speak with dastardly deathless later on. She was going to be his apprentice, but this way she at least got to have a last stand, ensure the safety of the people she cares about, and see a little of what he can do. Also, since she's agreed to be his student, she has some bargaining power. He's willingly letting her stay at home until the war is brought to a close. Plus we're getting to see his other student interacting with Aailyah and her family as part of a transition.. We're seeing the close of one chapter, and the opening of another. Thank you for your work, I look forward to your story!
Melnik5
She maybe turning 15 years old on their world, but you have to remember that each year is 15 months long. So she is closer to 18-19 years on Earth.
Jeff Scott
"I give a few curtsy..." Imaging him doing a curtsy like he was wearing a dress is an image I can't get out of my head now.
Dikfor
He's going to ransom her back to the kingdom. I doubt for money though.
Lesley Douglas
Thanks for the chapter. The chapter started off kind of fun and light. But Aaliyah and company where dumb in the negotiations. See what he did to convince her before putting their plan in action, he wants Aaliyah what is he willing to give? Granted they don't know how much of a monster he is, but just giving in what if he is a beast? First, they jumped the gun and agreed out of hand before hearing what deathless was offering. Then they ask for bull crap, for basically selling a 15 year old girl into hell's know what. If that was my village it would not happen. This is Grey's contract all over again: 1) She does not want to kill, so how is she the student of a killer? 2) She is a blacksmith what is he going to teach her? 3) Enchanting ink? 4) Terms of apprenticeship? 5) obligation to Scholl? 6) Length of service , does she have to fight for them or can she be a non-combatant? The fight scene, my problem is she fought of the monster and invisible spiders with combined smarts of earth and her new world. Yet knowing all she knows about his gear blowing him up was her big trump card not even something new or a twist on it? She is working on enchanter's ink and couldn't think of a way to destabilize his magic gear before blowing him up. Also seriously announcing out loud and giving away all element of surprise that they know where the gem is, and they are surprised they lost. She needs to let him know that while she agrees to keep her word, she needs assurances for herself and bring her black smithing master with her. But it was a good chapter unless she was willing to truly kill him, she was just as handicapped as he was, her best chance would have been to find a way to free the General.
Cobbly
Uhhhhhh?! Is... is Pacore going to sell Pitz into Slavery?!
Space Cadet
One hopes that she got a lot of advice from her mother and Camden the night before
Stylemys
“You can stay in the village until I finish my campaign and auction off the general.“ Wait... is General Pitz going to be AUCTIONED off or RANSOMED off by Pacore? Those 2 words have very different implications as to her possible fates.
Mark Bird
this chapter felt weird not bad but definetly weird I think it is because of how this works with a chapters being released days apart there is a logic to the challange and why she agreed despite her earlier words but I can see why others are put off by this chapter all that said I enjoyed the chapter and am looking forward to the next
Your future friend
The part about accepting the offer sort of makes sense to me. Aaliyah has no reason to be exceptionally loyal to any particular country. She could have warm feelings towards people around her (and she did negotiate for their safety), but the country itself did absolutely nothing good to her or them. The entire village paid taxes and received no help during both the goblin and spider events. Looks more like "paying tribute to evil occupants" than anything else at this point. If Aaliyah was a bit more rational, she would jump on the emigration train as soon as the possibility arises. Moreover, being reincarnated should give her a fresh perspective. If she was reborn a few kilometers away, her "default nationality" would also be different. Her cultural background is also defined by her previous life, so clinging to the current culture would be narrow-minded. So in a sense, being born where she was is a misfortune, and now that more competent and caring people are replacing the previous rulers, being patriotic just doesn't make any sense. What I'm surprised about is how Del agreed to her seemingly meaningless plan to attack Pacore with her. The conditions are too arbitrary (why "2 vs 1", not "1 vs 1" or "5 vs 1") to begin with, and not very honorable. Not following the thought process here at all.
WinkyFace
I don't mind the battle so much but can't say I'm a fan of how easily she accepted the offer. When he asked if she'd reconsidered, she didn't even try to negotiate. Surely it's obvious to her, or at least Del or someone, that her talent is incredibly valuable, and that Pacore is the one that wants her. Can't say I'm not a little disappointed in the resolution, but it was fine I guess. I was really looking forward to seeing Pacore's compromise, which obviously never came.
WinkyFace
Yeah, I never understood those. If you want to use a different type of arrow, just switch to that arrow. But with the removable tips you now have to spend time unscrewing and screwing on these tips.
Your future friend
Okay, there is one thing I don't understand at all. The universal admiration of her arrows. Talking about the ones with screw-on tips. It just doesn't make any sense. Option 1: the number of arrow shafts was greater or equal to the number of tips she shipped. In this case, the replaceable tips make no sense. You have as many arrows as you have tips. Option 2: there were MORE tips than shafts. In this case, the army was left with unopened boxes of useless tips that she made for free for no reason whatsoever. It's not like a defending soldier is going to look at the advancing forces, scratch their head, and decide which tip to slowly screw on for the next five minutes. "Could you please attack us a few minutes later? I ordered my arrows from IKEA so they need some assembling." IRL this is a typical "tacticool tax" where people are happily overpaying for something that makes the product objectively worse just because it looks cool. Since she received an order for arrows, and all of them are single-use (not like enemies are going to return them so that you can try a different tip next time), I'm surprised everyone is not commenting about how incompetent the smith must have been to deliberately make the product both worse and more complex for no reason. A reputation of a "novice smith who has no idea what she's doing" makes much more sense than what she has right now.
Helland
Thanks for the chapter! I have a theory of where this might be going. What if Pacore does something as foolish as take over the terrible contract? His last 20 levels should be worth more than 600 million experience (compare that to Aaliyah's current total at around 15 million). Even if she only gets a tenth of it on breaking the contract, she'd hit level 100. Could be interesting! Perhaps later on, after she's milked her new master for all the useful information he can give her?
Sondadir
The gem is inside the armour and protected by a plate. But the thing is the size of an apple. If you strengthen this particular region, the weak point will become obvious to everyone.
Kapelteta
Didn't particularly care for this chapter, but didn't hate it either. Just emphasizes how absolutely terrible Aliyah is at negotiation which is a reoccurring theme at this point. My biggest gripe is that she made no attempt at finding out what being Pacore's apprentice actually entails.
Harb
Fun chapter, think you will have to come up with a reason the magic gem isn’t inside the armour and protected by it.
RabidSquirrel69420
UwU master Pacore
Man, that was great. To be honest though, I'm way too attached to this story and chapter waits are killing me. Gonna peace out for a couple months. Best of luck Kosnik4!
Timo Immig
Multiple times she sensed things even with obscuring. It's more like Reels void is the most easy indicator for his presence.
Timo Immig
Are you sure he will have time to talk after all Pacore is pissed. (We have to wait less then a week. )
Dantalia
'shiver' gaaa!! i almost can't wait for the next chapter! so exciting!
Chad Hagner
Good chapter, glad to see them plot move to arc 2 and her being trained. This should be fun!
Henry Wartemberg
I just realised there might be an inconsistency. Aaliyah is able to sense his suit and magical Gem even though he mentioned here it is enchanted with some level of pretection against searching including sense magic. This sounds at lease similar/ the same as the obscuring enchantment that Reel uses. It was described that Aaliyah was only able to sense him due to the void of ambient magic rather than pinpointing him directly. I can't remember if she has broken past a sense magic barrier since then but she suddenly seems able to sense past obscuration
CyclopsSlayer
Hell, she could have merely looked at his soul, and not stopped...
Doom Furby
Yeah, this. It doesn't even make a lot of sense as to why she's been as pissy towards him as she has been. She never really had any ties to Olebert.
TaylorTot
Once his other apprentices learn that he named her his successor, she may need to watch for assassins.
Straven
Loved the bout, loved there reactions to finally finding out her age and know I'm going to love the coming conversation with a certain greedy merchant. Thank you very much for the chapter, sad to wait a week+ for the next one but getting some wiggle room by writing up some extra chapters will greatly help you maintain a set date and keep pressure off of you as well. Best wishes!
Luke Scheffe
It is a non-combat skill that can only be used on the recently deceased. an ancient monster needed a massive amount of mind magic and several uninterrupted minutes just to begin trying to eat her soul, and its level in the skill was probably in the 40s at least, compared to her level 2, and its actual level is more than twice hers.
Miguel Wolmers
Is it because chickens don't exist in this world?
Miguel Wolmers
Yeah at this point either scholl takes her or olebert does.
Alonzo garcia
Finally a discord !
tibbish
She probably knows she'd never get that out of him. Dude wants her locked in forever not for a short time period. Especially one that would result in her getting stronger, thus more dangerous and more valuable, when the contract was up. Its possible he won't be happy with her not wanting to kill people but realistically he'll probably be just as happy to have her as a crafter who make stuff. Remember how Pitz reacted to her arrow? And she'll only get stronger with time.
tibbish
Glad you did the right thing and made it so she'd lose reasonably. Too many would've taken the easy route and had her win ~somehow~. Though she is pissy about it Pacore is probably the best person she could have as a patron. Dude is a noble but for a noble he is relatively tolerant of sass and has lots of power to allow her to get resources and train up.
Kristaps Kramins
I don't understand why Aaliyah never even tried to give conditions for her ''apprenticeship''. For example a term limit, or things she will and wont help with. She is not a soldier and being apprenticed under Pacore means that she will be trained and expected to kill to grow stronger, about which she has expressed a big dislike since she loves creating. Also I thought she would try to get some measure of freedom, like specifically stating that she wants pemission to roam and explore Scholl.
Andrew
Thank you!
Schlofi
Thanks for the chapter, having fun with the direction of the story.
Pagemaster
I personally want the world building. Pancore is one of my favorite characters so far.
IJustWannaRead
Thanks for saving me 5 dollars a month. Was good while it lasted.
Nobody
Glad it was handled in a believable way for both the characters and the world. Some people here didn't appear to have read the parts about the world outside the village and seemed to think A could somehow still go back to just being an unknown smith after 2 generals from 2 countries found out about her.
Sondadir
The village and the whole surrounding area are now part of Scholl. I suppose if Olebert wants to see General Pitz alive again and the Soldiers of their army they will have to recognize Scholl sovereignty over these territories.
Obsidianking
Great chapter, I like how Aaliyah didn't have some stupid mc plot armor bullshit to win. Nice to see them become humble, yet again contracts are going to be tricky for Scholes since Aaliyah can break them. Greys going to get his ass beat when pacore gets back nice. I predict Aaliyah is probably going to sign the contract, but while traveling back to schole or with pacore, she's going to free the general, and maybe break the contract and run away, but that would leave her village in jeopardy unless she makes the sign two contracts one for the safety of the village nland one for her service. Or maybe she actually goes to schole and gets some world building
Talespinner Lore
toped-off >>> topped-off ariel superiority >>> aerial superiority fantom pain >>> phantom pain
Rui Lourenço
I like this. She’d have to leave eventually and Pacore sounds like a fun new master. And we get some more time to finish up the dangling plot threads in the village. Now what I’m fearing is that Olebert will retaliate and destroy the village. I really don’t trust this damned country of cowardly nobles.
Melting Sky
I think she may actually have a plan. Notice she asked for three separate contracts in her conditions. It all depends just how iron-clad those contracts she had Pacore agree to are, but she can use this. Remember she can't be bound by contracts, but he can. She just needs to make sure that the four contracts are separate. If the contracts for the protection of her village, friends and family are separate from the one where she agrees to become his apprentice, then she can break the apprentice contract at her leisure and Pacore can't touch anyone she cares about because he is still bound by the other three contracts he just agreed to. The more I think about it, the more I think the duel might have been not just a free roll of the dice, but a distraction from her real objective. Those seemingly innocent contracts he agreed to may be her real hidden dagger.
Thank you for the chapter. Thank you for writing and for writing this story in particular. Oh and as a side note: Please ignore those impolite impatient trolls.
Carl Mason
Except for Grey's contingency guy who gets all his contracts in the event of his untimely demise, as stated by Giovanni. She still won't be free of her contract.
Melting Sky
There is never any harm in taking a gamble that costs you absolutely nothing if you lose, no matter how slim the odds. The only one who stood to lose something in this duel is Pacore regardless of how stacked in his favor the contest was. Dueling him would only be foolish if it cost her something if she loses. She was already stuck with agreeing to be his apprentice. That was a foregone conclusion from the start unless she was dumb enough to get herself and everyone she cares about killed by refusing. It's like somebody handing you a lottery ticket. Only an idiot would throw it away despite how slim the odds of winning might be.
Brisyngr
Well next chapter the contract will be made, i thin we will have some more negotiating then. After her last horrible contract i thin she will take more care this time.
Brisyngr
Liked the chapter. I thin the duel and her actions werde in line with her 15!! year old and sheltered Character. No shit there werde better options to deal with this situation as someone that sits at home and has knowledge of other stories and is not under pressure. Would have found her getting out of this situation way too convenient and kinda too much plot armour. And dont forget that there is still the possibilty that either pitz rescues her after she is sold back or she even flees into the magic forest after she somehow Managers to secure her family and the village from fallout.
Melting Sky
There is one condition she really should have demanded in return for her agreement to become his student which is that she will not ever be forced to break her own moral code when it comes to the killing of sentient beings. It's a reasonable enough stipulation to ask of an honorable man, yet it also ensures she can't end up with her entire life ruined by being forced to become somebody else's killing machine. It's by far her best bet for allowing her to continue on the path to becoming a master smith rather than a damn soldier.
Timo Immig
She currently lives in School. At most she will be sent to the capital for training.
Zarik0
............................... Im sry to say this but this chapter is real bad in my point of view, it make me face-palm so hard many time and im disappointed by it, that ruined the expectation hard. The multiple non-sense is too much, and how its so silly add to it (yeah "my conditions is fight me" (i hope if i win he renounce) blablabla) what are you? a 10 years girl in complete delusion? ALLO wake up of your dream And in first case fighting him resolve and gain nothing to her (so its total whole non-sense situation) and the "OMG he to strong" in the fight (yeah no kidding bru what did you expect for a old veteran in war lv136 or whatever who is a pillar of his country, you think you can touch him with your lv 10 sword art and no experience? fucking retard) The stupidity of it and the multiple non-sense in the situation is to much it make me want to vomit and say WTF! I dont understand the multiple people praising it Did they just see the pseudo "fight" and dont care at all about all the rest? (that so hollow reading if its this), or they dont dare to say to the author he screw up in the writing of this part afraid the impact it can have on him? Its clear the chapter and the resolution of this situation is poorly done and have many problem at the base and how its spinned. That a big big real black point in the story and totally unexpected vs the quality and consistancy of the rest of the story. Yeah we have some quirk and little black point but who dont have in a story? and globally it was really good and consistant. But here the inconsistancy and non-sense/irrealist/illogic is too big to let it pass
Timo Immig
This Sunday/Monday not, next Thursday there should be a chapter.
Imspinnennetz
I think the duel was a last throw of the dice based on knowledge of the magic gem that she probably realized is unique to her after talking to Sandra and Del. Her Plan A was a good attempt at a sucker punch that might have worked.
Imspinnennetz
I assume that Pacore takes her as an apprentice partially to train her but more importantly bind her to Scholl and his faction. He should have enough resources to hire any crafting trainer necessary to help her.
reeruse1
When you say no chapter next weekend do you mean Thursday, Sunday, or both?
luda305
The age reveal could stand to have a little more punctuation tonally to emphasize their shock. It's cliche, but inserting something like "you could hear a pin drop" would help. Also, next call with Giovanni will be good. "Yo Giovanni. Bad news good news. Bad news is Pacore the Deathless found me and now I'm his student. Good news is I told him about the contract with Grey and he is pissed off. Grab some popcorn."
Tera
Nice!! Wait what does a master, who can only fight. Teach a crafter? I am confused xD
Todd Kloos
I don't understand what Aaliyah was thinking with this duel. She could have asked for concessions regarding what she would have to do as Pacore's apprentice but instead she asks for a duel? I did not think her concerns about becoming Pacore's apprentice had anything to do with worrying that he isn't strong enough. Pacore is a level 152 combat specialist with impressive gear who has been training his skills for 100s of years, if his stat distribution wasn't so unbalanced he should be able to beat them extremely easily. Did Aaliyah really think that they would be able to beat him? Would it solve their problems even if they did beat him? Also, why didn't they try to grapple with Pacore during the duel? Hitting him with their weapons won't really do anything unless they hit the gem, but if they can grapple with him they should be able to win pretty easily due to having much higher strength than Pacore.
HardhatDoozer
I love the reveal after the fright that she is 15. Both General Pitz and Pacore’s reactions were totally worth it. Thanks for working in a little air walk in the fight. She needs more practice as expected but it was good to see her use it. We knew his deathless moniker wasn’t just for show, but it was totally worth it for Aaliyah needed to learn that first hand. Some nice village wrap up, negotiating with Grey for contract weapons work and a new training regime from Pacore’s student. I think we have a few chapters to go before she leaves the village. I can’t wait. This is going to be good. And that engraving ink is so close too.
Tetsuki
Thanks for the chapter. Looking forward to the discord!
StonedKnight
thanks for the chapter!
Imspinnennetz
Thanks for chapter. I wonder how the Silver Herd leader Giovanni is going to maintain relations with Aaliyah when she moves to Scholl. Is Reel and Kervin going to be in charge of the new branch and act as liaison with her?
Ikawaii
I do like that she has no idea what the outside world is like, "I didn't expect a military commander to be so experienced in combat."
Steven Palmer
Amazing!!!! Just finished. Gnight
Death2Shrimp
Loved it. Thanks for the chapter. I love the direction the story is heading. I do think this is the best outcome for A.
Frapz
thanks for the chapter, it's always worth the wait
Vyktor
Loved the chapter. I want to say it wasn't worth the wait, but I'll be lying 🥺 Thank you, happy that they didn't go down without a fight. A little sad she didn't try her Tier 6 Soul Skill in the fight, but knowing what happened to the precedent user, I can understand... Now I need to wait for the next chapter 😭
rasmus1070
Thanks for the chapter my dude
Timo Immig
Thanks. You made an awesome resolution for the conflict. She can stay longer in the village and gets additional combat training.
Vegetables
Thanks for chap :)
Viria
This was awesome ! I can't wait for this new Arc. She's going to become a legend.
Håkan Friberg
Really enjoyed the last couple of chapters!
J3_Haustkottr
That was everything I wanted out of this chapter and more. Absolutely awesome.
Alteron
Thanks for your great story
Vegetables
ready's > readies
Justin
Thanks and I like where this is going!
Neric
Thanks for this very good chapter
White Neko Knight
That was sneaky of her. Grey is going to die, and she's going to be able to hide the fact that she can cancel a contract. Very nice, what a way to use her smarts in a social situation for once.
EverP
Thanks for the chapter that was a good read! Totally worth the wait, hopefully the wait for Thursday/Friday won't kill me. I can't wait to read the next chapter!
Jonathan Seah
This chapter was really good!
EverP
Do you want currently active? Or are you ok with semi active/hiatus/discontinued also?
Az6
Thanks for the chapter! Can anyone suggest some good other good novels/books with crafter MC please?
Michael Kosarick
🤩
Patrick Schuldt
Thanks for the chapter 🙏
Kosnik4
Corrections
