“I… I'm.. I'm sorry. I really didn’t an to pry.”
“Haa… It's alright. It's not like you could have known. Felt nice to get this off my chest, too.”
Despite the heavy sigh at the start, his voice did feel lighter, as if so of the weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
“Besides, as a Wizard, there are certain jobs only I can do. Well, not just , but since there are hardly any low-level mages doing those types of jobs, the competition is basically nonexistent.”
The proud smile signified Jerold’s return to his forr self.
“Really? What kinds of jobs?”
Beside regular curiosity, I also wanted to have a few backup plans.
“Magic-related stuff. Most such requests go to the Tower, and are distributed between schools or individual High Wizards, to be given to their mbers and apprentices, but a few end up in the Guild. For example, last ti, I had to assist with the arcane seal maintenance at the Sli Chamber inside the water purification facility.”
“The.. sli?.. Wait, what is this facility?”
The mage gave a confused look.
“You.. ah, did you, perhaps, arrive in the city recently?”
“That’s right. Only been here for a few days.”
“I see! Ehem.. Do you know there's a large lake north of the city, not far from the walls?”
“No… I ca from the southwestern gate.”
“Well, do you happen to stay at a place with running water?”
“Yes. A sink and a shower.”
“That water cos from the lake.”
“Ah. So it gets purified upon flowing into the city?”
“That, too, but only partially. Most of the purification is perford on the sewage waters, before dumping them back into the lake.”
“Oh. This must be a pretty big deal.”
“You bet! There are over 200 thousand people living in this city, and many tons of water flowing to and from the main pipes every day. Every hour, even.”
“I see. But.. a sli chamber?”
“Those slis have low acidity, and can feed on the… nutrients in the sewage water. Of course, solid trash gets filtered before their chamber.”
“Wow, that's quite ingenious, actually. What do you do with all the slis, though? I an, if they eat, they must also grow from all that filth?”
“That they do. And multiply, too. The workers catch, kill and test the biggest ones. I heard most go to the farrs to be used as manure, while those containing toxins are incinerated.”
“That’s… quite sothing. Sounds like barely anything is wasted.”
“Of course. They even beca better at decomposing toxins over the years. I heard that the percentage of the toxic slis has halved over the last century, too. Those slis are masterfully designed.”
I was going to answer, but then his words registered, causing to pause.
“...designed?”
“Yes. Although those types of things are done at the Capital, not here.”
“Wait. I thought modifying living creatures is forbidden? Heretical, even?”
The young mage raised an eyebrow.
“You must have heard about lisandre's Accords, I assu?”
“I… probably? I only heard about it in regards to Imperial Abominations.”
“Ah! Well, I can understand your confusion. It's fine, though. Slis don't fall under the full accords.”
“They… don't?”
“Well, any biomodification still requires strict regulation, and must be approved for civil or military usage. That's why it's only done in the capital.”
“But then… what's even the point of those accords?”
“They fully cover mammals, birds, fish, and most other animal species. Exceptions are insects and natural abominations such as slis. Oh, technically plants, too, if you consider them alive.”
“Isn’t this just a bandaid, though? I an, the reason it got banned probably had sothing to do with the Imperial Abominations growing out of control. Wouldn't this still be a danger with the remaining species?”
“Indeed. But that's what regulations are for, isn't it? Secret experintation and research is treated no differently than the other violations.”
“Still.. sothing here doesn't feel right. What was all that talk about the sanctity of life, then?”
The young mage’s eyes narrowed, as he looked at in silence for a few seconds. Just as I began to wonder whether I crossed the line this ti, he sighed with resignation, and lowered his voice.
“Look… I understand you're just curious, and I personally believe in the right of discussion. But you should refrain from voicing those doubts out loud. Soone might take you for a Druid sympathizer, and if they decided to file a report to the MIS, you’d be in for so rough ti.”
“Wait, what? Druid sympa-”
“Ha. Look at that. A penniless mage keeping company to cheating scum. I guess it's true what they say – turds will always find each other in the sewer.”
The ones who approached us were three young adults, sowhere between Jerold’s and Sebastian's age.
One was a hay-haired man, with a sowhat square face, wearing a chainmail paired with leather armor, with a spear behind his back.
The second seed to be a half-dwarf, sporting a long braided black beard, similarly braided rich long hair, and wearing a full set of composite scale and chain armor. A mace was hanging from his waist, and a large tal shield strapped to his back.
The one who spoke was another human, wearing a leather armor made from so scaled beast, with those very scales glimring with erald hue under the lamplight, and an exquisitely carved long bow behind his back.
His features were soft, and his ears were also slightly longer and more pointy than those of regular humans, but less distinct than those of the half-elves I've seen so far.
“...you know those guys?”
I was more taken aback than anything else.
“T-they.. they are a pretty well known Iron-rank party. They’ve been on a roll lately, and two of them are minor nobles who receive personal training-”
“A slum rat like you has no place calling any noble family minor!”
The youth with the spear burst out in sudden anger, stepping forward to tower over the seated mage.
“Apologize, you lowborn scum!”
“Eek!..”
Jerold, spooked by the sudden approach, recoiled in his chair, his eyes filling with fear.
“I’m s-”
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“Who are you, again?”
Before he could finish his sentence, I stood up from my seat, coming face to face with the spearman.
The latter looked at with an aggravated expression.
“Stay out of it, you pathetic fraud.”
The one to speak was the archer.
“Shouldn’t a noble properly introduce himself, first? Or are the minor houses exempt from the rules of courtesy?”
Seeing the archer's eyes, who were focused on Jerold once again, rapidly turn my way, I knew I hit a nerve.
Before he could open his mouth in anger, a hand fell on his shoulder – it was the dwarf, who, until now, remained silent, watching the situation with so concern.
“Archibald Greenwood. Engrave this na onto your mind, scum.”
The archer spoke first.
“...Brandon Orwick. You may address as ‘sir’, or ‘your excellency’, though. The Orwick na should not be uttered by the lips of an honorless miscreant.”
I threw a glance at my empty plate, then at Jerold.
“Let’s go.”
“...huh?”
“Where do you think you're going?”
The mage's confusion was followed by Archibald’s threatening question.
“I know this type of trash. Look at their weapons – they were clearly sent here by their trainers. Those clowns aren't worth wasting an extra second on.”
As I spoke, three of the faces before slowly grew pale – one with fear, two with anger.
“You!.. You dare!”
The spearman looked like he was about to explode, while the archer's bewildered eyes narrowed in hatred.
“Apologize to the young master.”
I found the half-dwarf standing in front of .
Although the top of his head barely reached my chin, his wide, muscular fra was solid as stone.
Analyzing the subtleties of his movent, I guesstimated his Strength and Endurance to be in the early 2nd realm, while his Agility was on the low end of the 1st realm.
The archer seed to only possess a 2nd realm Agility (although I couldn’t be sure about Awareness or other ntal Attributes), and the spearman actually felt the weakest, with all three of his physical Attributes likely near the 2nd realm threshold, but not quite there yet.
‘I might be able to take them.’
As long as nobody drew their weapons, I was pretty confident I'd win in a fist fight.
However, I noticed more and more people turning their heads our way – and while most were clearly newbies, so looked like veterans, and extruded a relatively powerful aura.
“You heard Kornred! Apologize, you cheating scum!”
“Hey, if you want to fight, take it outside!”
The one to scream the last part was the lady near the entrance, the one collecting the gold coins.
I looked around, ascertaining the situation.
“You really like demanding apologies. If you want us to apologize, how about we go to a sparring arena over there, and you try to make ?”
“Ha, It’s on! Don’t even think of taking back your words, honorless trash!”
I was addressing the dwarf, but the one to answer was the spearman, Brandon.
“Hope you aren't planning to run off and get a few enhancents first.”
Archibald also joined in.
“Ha. Ha ha ha ha!”
“What’s so funny?!”
The spearman's question only made laugh harder.
This situation was so cliche, I simply couldn't hold it. And the last straw…
“You- ha… you actually speak about honor, with a straight face, while being this eager to jump on the opportunity to fight 3 on 1? This is the honor of a minor noble in Valoria?”
“Shut up, you Luskar trash!”
The one who exploded in anger this ti, surprisingly, was the archer.
“Why don’t you go back to that shithole you ca from, mage-slave? Maybe they’ll let you return in one piece of you suck their-”
“Young master! Please!..”
The half-dwarf, whose solemn expression didn't change ever since our confrontation escalated, seed to have been the party’s babysitter, judging by his attempts to hold the ‘young masters’ back from going too far.
“You have insulted the honor of both young masters. It is, thus, only just that they both seek to restore it. As young Greenwood’s attendant, I must stand by their side as well.”
The dwarf’s tone was heavy, perhaps even laced with a tinge of sha, but his eyes were resolute.
As for the small crowd, who had already gathered around us, its murmurs, which were not favorable to the young nobles after my last words, grew quieter and more divided again.
“I-I will fight too!”
A nervous voice, of a man whom I had nearly forgotten throughout all this ss, rose beside .
“It’s alright, Jerold. They were sent here to pick a fight with , not with you. You can sit this one out – I can take them.”
Archibald, who opened his mouth to object, closed it again in a mix of bewildernt and insult, clearly expecting to readily agree.
In truth, even fully ard (with training gear), I stood a decent chance to win this fight. Had the spearman been soone like , with multiple physical attributes in the 2nd realm, this might have beco a serious problem.
However, as it was, his attempt - or his family’s ill-fated plan - to keep his Attributes evenly split only made him weaker, at least before he attained Silver rank (which I didn’t believe he did as of yet). And above all, teaming up with soone who was clearly reluctant and hesitant could be worse than going solo from the start.
“No! I.. I am Jerold Brightdale, apprentice to Soliman Goldmir. If I let those two insult my honor, I’d let them stain the honor of my master. I cannot allow it!”
It seed like a spark was ignited in the young mage's eyes, who looked at both and the nobles with conviction.
“Yaaawn… What a bother.”
The one who spoke was one of the n in the crowd – a large, muscular man with short black hair and a scruffy chin.
“Who are you?”
It wasn't like I knew many of the guild mbers, or staff, for that matter.
“I’m the Slayer trainer, John Black. As a senior staff mber of this branch, I'll officiate your fight.”
I opened my mouth, but closed it again, finding no reason to protest…
“This is none of your business! Oxilor can officiate this one.”
The one who spoke was Archibald, also confirming my suspicions.
However, surprising the young master's expectations, the man did not budge.
“I rember you. You think I'll let your trainer officiate your match?”
“Why in the hells do you ca- wait, you are a Slayer…”
His eyes darted between him and .
“You! You-”
“Oh, shut up, you damn brat. I’ve never even seen this guy before.”
“Ha! Sure! And even if you didn’t-”
“Do you want to go fetch the vice guildmaster? Perhaps you want him to adjudicate this matter?”
“...”
The faces of the two nobles tensed, but none of them had the courage to continue arguing.
Clearly, much of the current ss had been planned from the start, but they weren't counting on a trainer - and an impartial one, at that - being present at the scene. And now, they likely ca to the conclusion that further escalation would end in their embarrassnt.
“Fine. We'll teach this filth what it ans to insult the honor of a noble!”
“Lead the way.”
And so, after just leaving the walled training grounds, my unexpected return beca imminent.
***
“Why did I say yes.. why…”
Jerold’s quiet mumblings reached my ears, prompting to slow down and move to his side.
In front of us walked John, the Slayer trainer, and ahead walked the trio of two nobles and one attendant.
Behind us walked a small crowd of onlookers, presumably bronze and iron ranks.
From their earlier whispers, I surmised that my conflict with the trainers yesterday gathered quite a bit of attention as the latest rumor, and now that I was ‘the cause of a commotion again’ so of the onlookers at the cafeteria decided to enjoy the show to the end.
I even heard a few of them betting on the fight – most were betting on the nobles, but a few brave souls matched those bets, albeit at a very high coefficient.
“What’s the problem? Weren't you the one who insisted on fighting?”
“I.. I did! But.. maybe.. I've gotten a bit hasty…”
The mage lowered his eyes.
“Well, if you want, you can just withdraw-”
“N-no! Everybody heard back there. If I withdraw now, I won't be able to show my face in the Guild again.”
“But.. sigh.”
Clearly, he was in over his head. Still, any advantage I could get in this stacked fight was welco.
“Alright. What’s your specialization? Or rather, what combat spells can you cast?”
“I can cast [Minor Barrier]…”
Jerold lowered his eyes, and his voice trailed off so fast that I could only make out the last word with my superhuman hearing.
“Alright, that's good. You being able to protect yourself will free up to run offense. What else?”
“...”
Watching the young mage's face turn red, his continued silence beca more and more ominous.
“Jerold?”
“..ne.”
“What?”
“None. There are none.”
He looked at , desperation in his eyes.
“I don't know any other combat spells. In fact, I've never fought with magic in my life!”
This fight was going to be harder than I thought.
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