?Wolfe stopped near a vendor selling falafel wraps when he noticed a group of well-dressed humans looking his way. The locals preferred to dress simply, and there weren't all that many humans here who weren't mutated, so he assud that they should be foreign envoys of so sort.
Of what nation, he could only guess, but once they noticed him placing his order, they all ca over to say hello.
"Greetings, Patriarch Noxus, or should we call you Continental Representative Wolfe?" One of the n asked.
"Patriarch is fine. For now, I'm not officially the representative anyhow. How might I help you?"
The n looked at each other, and then all but one stepped back, allowing a man in a military uniform that Wolfe found strangely familiar to be their representative.
"I am General Ko of Hiziros, appointed to Forest Grove to be our national representative. Even if you haven't gotten an official notice, it's quite obvious that you will be the choice. When the Fae and Demons started to spread, there was only one local option, and that was you.
But that's not exactly why we ca to say hello today. We heard that you had developed a number of new spells that would help with the evolution of the Witches, and we were hoping to get them to place in our Capital City. We're an almost entirely human nation, you see, and we are hoping to recruit at least a few of the best and brightest to co help us with the shortages.
The increase in mana has been a blessing for the witches, but it's only a small boon to us who have no magic, and our Guardian is an Incubus Prince, not well suited to gardening. The Gondian Empire has witches on their border, so Mister Jason here on my left has had better luck, but from their border east, Witches are very rare." The man explained.
"So, more than just the garden charms and the extra food, you also need soone that can actually work the charms? That should have been sowhat expected. I can ask around and see if there are any competent sorts that are willing to relocate long term.
It will probably take a fairly decent benefits package to get them to go tend to farms all around the Capital for a living, but I'm certain that you can work sothing out if we find the right witch for the job." Wolfe agreed.
It wouldn't be particularly easy, the witches liked it right where they were, but there had to be sothing that the General and his people could offer them that would encourage them to move away from their hos and take up a service job.
Wolfe felt a poke at his back, barely above his waist, and turned to see a small beastkin woman smiling up at him and whispering a bit of advice.
"I know of one that the General overlooked. Priscilla Ascot, a blonde witch originally from Myrrh Coven, has been dating one of their soldiers since last winter. She took him in after you ambushed his convoy and kept him as her own. They're living here in town now, since the coven didn't approve, but she might go back to his holand for the right price."
"Find her and ask her if she's willing. I will get the General to write up a deal for her." Wolfe whispered back.
"Well, General, I think that we have found your person. She's married to a soldier who she took in after last winter's failed troop movent, and with so allowances, they might be willing to go back." Wolfe explained.
"Married to a deserter? Well, I didn't expect that, but I suppose that it's not a problem to get an official pardon and dismissal from service added to a good benefits package." The General shrugged.
The others smiled in victory after just receiving news that one witch was willing to go to them and help. That was a big change in attitude from years past, and Wolfe was taking it as a good sign, even as the group said polite goodbyes and moved back into the crowd to allow others to co and talk to Wolfe.
The vendor handed him his falafel wrap, a vegetarian snack that was both savoury and slightly spicy, then Wolfe was surrounded by bunnies welcoming him ho with a round of hugs and cheering.
"Thanks, I needed that. Are you all excited about the afternoon shows? I've been told that they're spectacular this year." Wolfe asked.
"We are, we are. The Bunny Dancers are doing another show tonight as well, but with Fairies using their magic for the special effects. It's going to be amazing." One of the girls inford him.
"Then, the wrath Demons are having a big fight. It's scary, but fun to watch, and they're always in a better mood afterwards." Another one added.
That sounded like a combat tournant. From what he understood, those were an essential part of Wrath Demon culture, as they allowed them to vent their pent-up rage in a sowhat healthy manner and not kill each other.
For the people of the Frozen Wastes, the magic infused spectacle would be the peak of entertainnt, and even Wolfe was looking forward to it, despite being able to use most of the spells himself.
Then, he saw the strangest sight of the day. One of the feline locals actually cast a spell to activate the grill in his stall.
It looked like he had used a mana stone to draw from, but he had actually activated the spell remotely, not by touching the stone to the device and pressing the button. That required so level of mana control, and would normally be the sign of a witch, if it wasn't a man doing it.
He didn't feel like a Magi to Wolfe, and he didn't have a mana core at all, so Wolfe spent a few seconds trying to decipher how he did it. The mutants had always absorbed mana from the Wastes and so could use it to cast the occasional spell, but controlled and complex magic like this was definitely a new phenonon.
Was he seeing the start, or return, of a magic using species?
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