Never make wishes, they always co with a price.
- The Journey to the Afterlife
***Kingdom Newerth, Capital City***
***Seria***
Four weeks. I managed four weeks without getting bored and playing pranks on people! I think that may be a new record. Well, I had a lot to do... so maybe not.
I spent the rest of the first night in Jimmy's apartnt, which was filthy, so I forced him to clean up until morning ca. It didn't take long for one of Don's ssengers to appear at Jimmy's doorstep. I suppose it was only logical that they would keep an eye on after I left Don's office. The ssenger had all my docunts including the certificate for the store. So I gave them the platinum.
The rest of the day was reserved for hamring the details of my new identity into my brain. I grew up in an orphanage, parents unknown. Then I worked as an assistant, travelling to different places and doing all kinds of odd jobs. The last three years I stayed in the capital until I hit it big with an investnt. From the money I bought the store to realize my dreams.
The biggest problem was morizing all the different locations I worked at.
Once our transaction was done I didn't hear a single word from the criminals. Except for Jimmy. He is handling the gangs which remain in my territory, or better, he is organizing their retreat from my part of the city.
I on the other hand had better things to do. Like remodelling the old store into a nice coffee shop. We bought all kinds of chocolate and cakes, and I even arranged for a little garden area in front of the shop. There is an apartnt for in the second floor and it turned out to be quite cosy. I forced Jimmy into a butler uniform and now he is working at the shop. It's probably the first decent job he ever had in his life.
Once the pathways reach this city I imdiately have to send word to my father. He'll never forgive if I don't make that a top priority.
They have chocolate in this world.
That alone is a reason to invade them. But that will take another eight to nine months, so until then I am in dire need of sothing to do. I certainly won't return to the mana storm just to send a ssage. The newspapers say that they added additional troops to stop any further spirit incursions. But the pathways grow on their own. Once they reach outside the military zone I will be able to send ssages back to Dedessia. I just have to be patient.
So setting up the shop took one week, then I spent another week with drawing runes to protect the apartnt and to practise hearth magic in the shop. The small apartnt above the shop is probably one of the safest places in this town. I simply needed a place to lean back and relax. I filled the whole building with so much of my magic that it is safe against any thod of spying I can think of.
All of that took two weeks. The rest of the ti I was sitting on my ass, reading the newspaper and drinking coffee while keeping a low profile. It makes crazy. Especially since I can't allow myself to have any close relationships. I simply don't know enough to play a person from this realm. There are still so things which give away. Like figures of speech or my accent. Luckily the people I talked to so far didn't notice, but according to Jimmy I am always lisping when I have to deal with the odd consonants.
I myself don't notice it, but apparently the natives will catch on during long conversations. I need an explanation for that.
In absence of a better solution I put up so wards which divert interest from . I can't have anyone getting the idea to befriend . It's subtle mind magic, so I guess it won't be a problem. There is more than enough interference from the city. The people of this realm are using magic for almost everything in daily life.
I sigh and scratch another rune into the park bench. The magic doesn't make invisible, but it makes less noticeable. People still see , but the fact that I am there doesn't bother their minds.
I always visit the park in front of my shop when playing waitress or shop owner gets too annoying. The green is my safe haven and since I excel in life magic the plants feel like a part of . The forest around the mana storm felt even better, but I suppose I can't have that in the city.
Suddenly a girl sits down right next to . I am not sure what startles more, the fact that she sohow managed to break through my wards, or that she is crying and sniffing like a baby. I look around to see if there is soone who could be the reason for her emotional outbreak, but there is no one. This is pretty much the centre of the park. It takes about twenty minutes to walk here, so not many people head this deep into the Royal Park. I am still a little baffled that the nobles allow public access to their greenery.
I return my attention to the girl. She is maybe sixteen or seventeen? Her hair is brown and she has a nice mouth with full lips. Maybe she is a little on the plump side, but certainly not ugly. She is still growing, so that could solve itself in two or three years. Of course only if her emotions don't drive her into an eating frenzy. Back at ho I knew a girl who grew to the form of a balloon because she drowned her troubles with snacks and soft drinks.
The girl raises her hands and I feel her magic. It gathers in her hands and forms a sphere of water. The spell is poorly executed and soon fails because she is unable to counteract the wave-front which is caused by the city's magical interference. A typical beginner's problem. The sphere splashes onto the ground and the girl covers her face with her hands. Another crying outburst destroys my peace and I take sip from my coffee, then I try to read the newspaper.
I really try my best to ignore her, but sowhere deep inside there must be a soft core. Otherwise this wouldn't bother at all. After five minutes of continuous crying I give up. Oh, shut up! I am trying to read!
She shrieks and jumps a good tre into the air. Oh, gods! I didn't realize that soone else is here! Sothing must be wrong with .
Sothing is wrong with you. What happened? Were you raped? I ask.
She pales. N- n- no!
I study her uniform. Are you a student at the Royal Academy? Maybe I can use a young and stupid child like her to get accustod to the people of this realm? She should be less receptive to my slip ups. Young folks always try new stuff, especially when they didn't regain all their mories.
She bows and wipes the tears from her face. Yes, Adea Milowies.
Seria Havenforst, sit. Want so coffee? I pat the bench next to . If you want to talk, I have ti to listen. It's better to share trouble than to bottle it up. At so point you will break.
The girl sighs and sits down. You will probably laugh at . I just had a really bad day with my teachers and my schoolmates aren't accepting and the boy I have a crush on doesn't even recognize my existence and my Mom- Adea stops for a mont. Sorry, it simply beca too much.
I nod and slurp on my coffee. Then why aren't you doing sothing against it?
I am trying, but it seems like I am a dud. When the academy tested and it was revealed that I have potential to beco divine... I had hope... Adea continues to spill her life story. It's like a dam broke. I listen dutifully, mainly because it's the first ti I get a glimpse at the workings of this realm's high society.
Adea's mother is a prostitute, although, that's too harsh a word. It's closer to a geisha. She is paid by n to service them for the evening. That can include sex, but mostly only ans that she is cooking and playing wife for them. Adea doesn't know her father, but it stands to reason that he is nobility because she tested positive for divinity.
Her mother claims that she never served a noble, but we all know how these things go. That bastard probably has a nice little family of his own and when his wife learns of his adultery... snippety snip! It's unlikely that he will ever step forward on his own.
The people of this world rank the strength of their fighters in seven categories. That's warlock, immortal, archmage, spiritualist, demigod, deity and divine. The nobles of this world rank at spiritualist and above. Anything less and you are dirt on soone else's shoe.
There is only a handful of people who rank as divine. I suppose those guys count as really strong.
The fact that Adea tested positive for divine potential puts her in a complicated situation. It ans that her father most likely was soone with power. We don't know the exact reason, but gods very likely give birth to other gods. It's very unlikely that a god is born between two immortals, or lows, as they are called in my world.
At ho we have it much easier with our ranking system. You can blast a few people, you are a low. You can blast a city, fine you are a mid. You can obliterate a mountain and reshape landscapes? You are a high. Easy. I don't get why they need so many ranks. Maybe to elevate a few more people to nobility?
Back to topic. Adea was tested and forced to join the academy. If soone has the potential for so much power, he or she needs to learn control. Add in the fact that she will be enlisted in the DF and forced to fight spirits. But because of Adea's uncertain lineage she is treated like mud. Her mother's job doesn't help her reputation either.
Adea hoped that the school would open perspectives for her, so that she and her mother could get out of their social situation. But Adea is doing really bad at school, she fails at the simplest tasks while her classmates have no problems with classes.
By now it looks less like a bright new future and more like training for the shambles. Maybe I judge them too early and they will give her a desk-job, but it doesn't sound that way.
Everything ca crushing down on her when she fell in love with the third prince. They had a nice conversation and she fell for him because he didn't judge her. But because of her situation she is too ashad to speak to him. And the fact that he is always taking advanced classes ans that she only sees him during theoretic lessons. In other words, she doesn't even register on his radar.
Her crush is only the tip of the iceberg. I understand that it can co crushing down on you when you exist like this for years. And she is a teenager with her hormones going rampant. A good hour of crying doesn't seem that wrong.
From ti to ti so people co close to us, but my wards quickly make them turn around. I totally ignore them and concentrate on Adea's story. I can say that I learned a lot about the people of this realm.
...sotis I wish I had been born normal. Then I wouldn't be in this damn school and they would never send out to fight spirits.
Now that she ntions wishes, that gives an idea. That's a pitiful story. You have my sympathy and I really want to help you. Hmmm. I twirl a lock of my hair between my fingers. So what if I grant you three wishes?
Adea looks up. Her eyes are still red from crying, but now she has a wary expression on her face. Why would you grant three wishes? Just like that. We don't even know each other.
I tilt my head. I listened to your problems for over two hours. I have the feeling that I know you well enough.
Adea shakes her head. But I know nothing about you. And you are grinning like a Cheshire cat. Sothing is up. Are you a jinn? They can grant three wishes, but the wishes you make are always warped and co with a price!
I pout. She saw right through my intentions. Maybe she isn't that stupid. Okay. But that's simply the nature of the world. If you wish for sothing big, you have to be prepared for big changes. And big change more often than not ans that sothing cos back to bite you in the ass. The question is, are you smart enough to make the wish you need?
Adea's eyes widen and her lips quiver. You are a jinn!
I shake my head. Not really, but does it matter? I offer you three wishes to have fun. Let's play a ga.
Adea grabs the cloth of her trousers and focuses her attention on the ground. I can see the gears in her head working. Get ...
I ready myself. Probably she will ask for money to free her mother from her job.
Make ...
Okay, maybe she is the unreasonable type and goes for the big prize? Sothing like make a divine?
Teach !
I drop the coffee cup. Teach you? Now that's sothing I didn't expect.
Yes. The others in school are just better than because they have gods as parents who teach them everything they know. I only get instruction from my teachers. You are clearly at least a spiritualist, if not higher! I am currently ranked as an immortal and you easily played so kind of mind trick on . And not only that, you also bewitched all the other people who ca here. Or did you think that I didn't notice two of my teachers abruptly turning away after they already headed for this bench?
I bite my lower lip. Okay, you might be onto sothing. But you aren't allowed to tell anyone that I am tutoring you.
And I certainly won't tell you that that's the worst choice you could have made.
Why not? Adea asks.
Because that's my restriction. Because you made such a tiny wish? I return the question. And regarding the other wishes-
I won't make them until I need them! Adea intercepts.
I purse my lips. Pardon ? I am the one who is doing you a favour.
She nods and gets down to her knees to bow to in dogeza style. And I am very grateful that you are helping master, but my mother taught that I should only play my cards when I really need them.
That's certainly a good advice. Okay. Though I will make you wish that you had never asked to teach you. Do you know the coffee shop vis-a-vis the park entrance?
Adea looks up. The new one?
Exactly. I am the owner. Find there every day after you are done with your classes. We will go over your howork and your training schedule. I have to know what the academy expects from you.
And I will learn the skills of this realm. It's always good to know the opponent's capabilities.
She furrows her forehead, but says nothing. So I continue. First things first. Show that awful water spell again. And tell what you intended to achieve with it.
It's a ditation technique. We are supposed to levitate the sphere above our hands without losing control. For that purpose... Adea launches into an explanation of the spell matrix to create the water sphere, and the subsequent telekinesis matrix to hold the sphere in the air. At least her theory is good. She learned it by the book. Unfortunately theory and practical application are two different pairs of shoes when it cos to magic.
I want to bang my head into a tree. I answer when she is finished.
That causes yet another furrowed forehead. Probably I am running into communication problems. Don't worry about my speech. I am not from here. But why are your teachers making it so complicated? First we will train your mana manipulation until you can hold the spell formation despite the interferences.
Then we train the basic elents until you can summon them in your sleep. Once that's done I'll show you so short-cuts with the spells. If you have control problems, all you have to do is to compress the spell matrix to basic commands. Your teachers are teaching magic by the book, but that's not a good starting point for everyone.
Adea turns all teary eyed and I already start to fear that I said sothing wrong. But then she hugs my legs.
Thank you, thank you... you are such a nice jinn!
Gods! Let go of ! And I am not a jinn!
I am sothing worse!
.
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