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An Otherworldly Scholar - 198
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 21:24:51 +0000 UTCElincia was still sleeping while I prepared my backpack. [Invigoration] halved the amount of sleeping time I needed, so I was well-rested even after our nightly escapade. Dawn had already broken, and Elincia softly snored with the blankets up to her chin. She looked comfy, and for a moment, the desire to go back to bed almost got me.
I grabbed another change of clothes and put it in the backpack. There wasn’t much I needed—or wanted—to take with me.
Much like any other crafting Class, Enchanters followed strict recipes provided by the System. Only seasoned, high-level Enchanters experimented with original enchantments. My enchanted items would stick like a sore thumb, so I favored non-enchantment equipment.
I took off my Notification Bracelet and left it on the desk. It wasn’t like I could use it in the capital. The effective range was about seventeen kilometers, and the connection with the detection pins and other bracelets was lost outside that range. My only connection with the orphanage would be the Twin Ring.
“Good morning,” Elincia grunted behind me.
Her eyes were sleepy, and her hair was messier than usual, probably due to last night's wind-jump traveling. She looked vaguely like a banshee—a very cute one.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked.
“I dreamed about rollercoasters,” she replied, sitting on the bed and rubbing her eyes. “Let me help you.”
I knew there was little I could say to convince her to stay in bed, so I let her rearrange my backpack. She noticed the bracelet on the desk.
“The capital is far away, huh?” She said as she folded a shirt.
“I wonder if I could cut the trip in half using [Aerokinesis],” I pointed out.
Elincia grinned.
“Lord Vedras won’t be happy if a Prestige Class scares every farmer between Farcrest and the capital. Take Bucko. Don’t stray from the royal road; he will take you safely.”
Elincia grabbed a potion pouch from the chest and filled it with a few Health Potions and other handy stuff. I still missed the Holone Grapes I lost years ago during my duel against Janus. My old potion pouch had ended up lost in the parallel dimension. Elincia then grabbed a smaller potion pouch and put six potions inside.
“Isn’t that a bit too much?” I asked.
“These are specially crafted for horses. They are probably safe for human consumption, but don’t test your luck,” she replied.
The Swiftness Potion would make Bucko faster for a short period. Great for urgent escapades in case low-level bandits attacked me. The Endurance Potion was a Stamina Potion that had to be administered beforehand and would allow Bucko to travel for a day without stopping. The third potion was a Hoof Regeneration Tonic in case Bucko’s hoofs got damaged.
“So… no great demonstrations of magic in public?” I asked, hooking the potion pouches to the backpack.
“Your [Aerokinesis] can blow out a village, so be mindful,” Elincia replied.
The thought of sending a person flying assaulted me last night during our escapade, but I’ve never thought about blowing up a whole village. I probably could.
“You don’t seem very concerned about my powers,” I pointed out.
Elincia gave me a smug glance.
“You wouldn’t even hurt a Stonemason Ant, but that doesn’t mean other people know,” Elincia said. “You are technically a Combat Class now. You better pick up the etiquette quickly.”
“I will have it in mind,” I replied.
Everyone was up early in Lowell’s manor, so we crossed the orphanage’s grounds to Whiteleaf Manor through the grove. Elincia put a candle on Mister Lowell’s gravestone and asked him to protect me during the trip.
The people of Farcrest incinerated their deceased to prevent the body from turning into undead, so the gravestone was just a memorial.
In Whiteleaf Manor, Astrid, Izabeka, and the orc ladies prepared breakfast while the kids slowly dropped into the kitchen. The news about my departure spread like wildfire. The older kids complained, not because they would miss me but because my absence meant Izabeka was in charge of their training sessions. Shu and Nokti seemed more excited about my trip than the average kid. As expected, they instantly asked for gifts and souvenirs. I couldn’t say no to them, so I added a bunch of random trinkets and oddities to one of my many mental lists. In exchange, I made them promise to study twice as hard and obey Elincia in everything she said. The kids accepted the terms, although I knew only half of them would comply.
Despite Lord Astur’s letter, breakfast had a festive tone.
Traveling to the capital was quite an event.
After breakfast, Elincia packed food for the trip, and the whole orphanage accompanied me to the entrance. Risha was already waiting for me with Bucko by his side. He grabbed my backpack and secured it on Bucko’s rump. Jorn Mountain Horses were shorter than regular horses but a lot stronger so the extra weight didn’t make a dent on Bucko’s mood.
“Bucko is faster than a loaded cart, so you should be able to complete the trip in ten days,” Risha said.
In the best-case scenario, I’d return in less than a month.
Izabeka and Astrid gave me a few tips on traveling. They told me what towns to stop in to rest, what places to avoid to make the journey more efficient, how much to pay for accommodations, and what to do if Bucko got injured. After a while, they sounded more like worried aunties than my friends. Although it was my first time going out to Farcrest, I wasn’t nervous in the slightest. Elincia, on the other hand, was restless.
“If the kids are really in trouble, I will ask Prince Adrien for help. I’m sure he will not ask for my soul in return for a favor,” I jokingly said.
“Weren’t you against nepotism?” Elincia replied.
“We’re not related, so it’s not nepotism. It’s business.”
Elincia gave me a tight hug and a goodbye kiss, ignoring the kids' disgusted reaction.
“Write as soon as you arrive, and tell the kids we miss them so much,” she said, giving me the last-minute instructions. “Oh, and don’t forget to interrogate them. I’m sure there’s a lot they haven’t told us in the letters. Check if any of them has landed a boyfriend or a girlfriend. If they did, make sure they aren’t shady.”
Astrid covered Elincia’s mouth with her hand.
“Enjoy the trip, but avoid the Imperial Library. They have ten million books, and we know how much of a Scholar you are. You won’t be back in a year,” she jokingly said.
“And remember, no bird-watching,” Ginz added with a mischievous grin.
Elincia mumbled something under Astrid’s hand.
“I’ll be back before you can miss me,” I said.
After a dozen hugs and handshakes, I grabbed Bucko’s reins and was on my way. Everyone waved their hands from the manor’s entrance. It felt strangely good.
Elincia managed to get free from Astrid’s grip and ran down the path to give me one last kiss. I leaned to Bucko’s side, and she hung from my neck, her feet detached from the ground. The horse complained as Elincia pressed her lips against mine.
“Don’t do anything crazy,” she said as she dropped to the ground.
“I’m a Scholar. The craziest thing I’d do is to stay up all night reading,” I replied.
Elincia gave me one last smile before the path turned into the mountains, and I lost sight of the orphanage.
****
It has been a while since the last time I was alone.
Since my arrival at the orphanage almost three years ago, I hardly had time alone. Someone was always around: I worked with Ginz and Lyra in the workshop, went for a drink with Risha and Astrid, sparred with Izabeka, or simply looked after the kids. Even while locked in my studio, working on my enchantments, I could hear the kids playing nearby.
Bucko took me through the steep mountain path, into the valley, and across Fracrest streets. We exited through the southern gate, dodging carts and stagecoaches. Farcrest was experiencing a renaissance. Smelling the influx of riches from the elven kingdom, workers and craftsmen from the nearby towns and cities arrived in droves. In many regards, leveling up a combat Class was more simple. Leveling up and cultivating a crafting class required an enormous amount of materials, creativity, and dedication.
I noticed several carts loaded to the brim with crates with the Vedras sigil.
Lord Vedras seemed to be taking advantage of its proximity to Farcrest.
Bucko guided me down the road, snorting at the passing carts. Two hours into the trip, we stopped by an affluent of the Azure River to rest. I refilled my waterskin and poured a few drops of Elincia’s Water Purifier Potion inside while Bucko drank directly from the stream. Then, I let him graze while I sat under a tree by the roadside. Carts and travelers passed by, ignoring me. My beige traveling cloak and my simple attire made me look unremarkable. Even Bucko looked painfully ordinary by the side of the tall and elegant horse breeds of the Vedras Dukedom.
Bucko seemed to detect my impolite thoughts and snorted in my direction.
“Don’t worry, buddy, mountain horses are beautiful too,” I said.
Suddenly, [Foresight] pinged my brain. Three travelers had abandoned the road and walked directly to me. It took me a moment to recognize them. It was the fox-faced messenger and his two bodyguards. The robe of the Imperial Library pulled him apart from the other travelers. The yellow hem told me he was a magical combatant.
The group was traveling on foot.
“Robert Clarke?” Fox-face greeted me with a sly smile.
“The messenger,” I replied.
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself. I am Joan, Adept of the Imperial Library’s Magicians Circle, hopefully, soon-to-be Preceptor,” he said with the nonchalant tone of those who found a certain irony in rank systems.
Lyra had instructed me on the ranks of the Imperial Library. The lower rank was Novice, reserved for new apprentices. After two to four years of instruction, a Novice was recommended for promotion to Adept. Most people at the Imperial Library ended up on that rank. Adepts were graduates, but most remained at the Library as part of the Preceptor’s research teams. Only those Adepts who had shown outstanding contributions to their discipline and great personal potential became Preceptors. The Preceptors were the professors of the Imperial Library, and most also had personal workshops with tens of apprentices or led research teams. Preceptors were the real deal. Above the Preceptors were the Archivists, the leaders of the different disciplines, and above the Archivist was the Grand Archivist, the leader of the whole Imperial Library.
“I presume you are traveling to the capital?” Joan asked. “If so, we can travel together. The more, the merrier… and the less chance for bandits to slit our throats.”
Gallows humor. I liked it.
“I’m traveling mounted. I might be too slow for you,” I replied, pointing at Bucko.
The horse seemed to take offense at my words.
Joan blinked, perplexed.
“You know we arrived at your orphanage using magic? I was sure nobody was watching when we landed at the orphanage.”
“Scholars have a good mana sense. It comes with [Mana Mastery],” I shrugged.
Joan laughed.
“I guess we can take it slow and enjoy the landscape. Astur will find another annoying task for us if we hurry back,” he said.
The guards nodded, mumbling something about guard duty.
“Glad to have company,” I said. I wasn’t so worried about having company but to get some information about the Imperial Academy. Joan seemed talkative enough to answer my questions.
I grabbed Bucko’s reins, and we hit the road.
Joan was a Lv.31 Wind Mage originally from Mariposa, in the Vedras Dukedom. He belonged to a family of Alchemists, but he knew he didn’t have the patience required to brew since he was a kid. When Joan turned fifteen, he refused the Alchemist Class and became a Mage. His father wasn’t happy. Joan then joined a mercenary group that operated to protect the eastern border. After the mercenary group was wiped during a Monster Surge, he was scouted by a group of magicians from the Imperial Library. He was offered a place as a Novice in the Magical Combatants Course, the Magicians Circle. Then, his nightmare began.
“To say the Imperial Library is competitive is an understatement. For the past five years, I feel like I’ve been scraping by,” Joan sighed as he continued his rant. “My classmates scared me, and the Preceptors scared me even more. But I got promoted into Wind Mage and finally became an Adept, although now I’m barely more than an overpriced courier.”
‘College’ students seemed to have the same gripes on this side of the portal.
“Better than spelunking with nosy Scholars,” a guard mentioned. “I don’t mind the ants, but I can’t stand spiders. No offense.”
Amen.
Both guards were dropouts from the Imperial Knights Academy. The Library was keen to hire dropouts to bolster their manpower. Non-combatants usually require protection or extra muscle for their field trips, usually both. The guards had been escorting Scholars and Alchemists around the kingdom for over two decades. Joan, as an Adept, had even participated in teleportation experiments. One time, he was teleported a hundred meters above the city. Only his [Feather Fall] allowed him to survive, but there was so much acceleration the skill could negate.
I drew two conclusions from our conversation. First, the Imperial Library selected the continent's brightest minds and then selected those who stood out. Second, the System might actually unplug a section of the Scholar’s frontal lobe. Considering the guards’ stories, the Scholars of the Imperial Library were the opposite of risk-averse. Maybe that was true just for the Scholars born on this side of the portal.
Joan was very talkative, and for the next three days, he told me every single one of his gripes with the Imperial Library, from his failed romantic partnerships to the brutal exams, the abuse of Stamina Potion among students, the best places to drink in the capital, and what areas to avoid.
On the night of the third day, we stopped at a road inn owned by a married couple. The inn was famous in the area because the husband was a Brewmaster. Despite the fame, the establishment wasn’t particularly attractive to the eye. The floor was spacious with furniture as old as time itself. The light stones embedded on walls and pillars gave a washed out light like old street lamps. I didn’t know enchantments could age. I covertly examined them and noticed the enchantment was fading, which was strange considering that even Farcrest’s enchanted ‘relics’ were in top-notch condition regardless of the fact they dated to the city's foundation.
As old as the building was, everything was spotless.
My attention shifted to my travel companions as they signaled me to sit down.
“What do we order?” I asked.
“There’s no menu,” Joan said, raising four fingers.
The innkeeper, a man tall as a bear with a huge belly, filled four tankards, and his wife made them float across the room. Joan brought the tankard to his mouth as soon as it touched the table. The two guards imitated him. For my part, I stopped to examine the contents. It has been a while since I’ve seen such a foamy beer. The beer at Farcrest was usually flat and too bitter to have any recognizable flavor.
I took a sip, and the flavor hit me like a runaway pumpkin cart on a downhill roll. The flavor was simple yet delicious. It might be the best beer I had in my life. Covertly, I froze the bottom of the tankard. The second sip was even better.
“So, Robert, what takes you to the capital?” Joan asked as he put his tankard down, empty.
It had been three days of travel, and all they knew about me was that I was named Robert Clarke, the caretaker at the local orphanage. Thanks to my contributions to the city, I attained the title of Thane. Joan had been busy talking about himself the entire time, which was a feat on its own. I could summarize my whole life in an hour.
“I was summoned to the Academy,” I replied, trying to avoid going into details.
“But you aren’t a combatant, are you? You said you are a teacher,” Joan said, calling for another round.
“One of my old pupils might have gotten into trouble. Third-year Cadet,” I explained.
Joan scratched his chin, deep in thought.
The guards also seemed interested in the turn of the conversation.
“I don’t know how exactly a third-year Cadet can get into trouble. By that point, the weeds have been mown, and your chances of graduating are very high. If you survive two years, the Academy starts treating you like an actual human being,” Joan said, deep in thought, his face suddenly turning more fox-like.
The guards nodded in approval. One lasted six months in the Academy, while the other lasted a whole year. Both agreed that third-year students were treated more as Imperial Knights than Cadets, and Imperial Knights had a lot of benefits.
“For a third year to get in trouble you have to maim another cadet or something like that,” one of the guards pointed out.
A shiver ran down my spine but Joan raised his hand. He looked at me with his vulpine eyes and smiled..
“Maybe it’s not about your pupil, Robert Clarke. Maybe it’s about you,” Joan said. “Who summoned you?”
My reluctance to share personal details clashed with my curiosity. Under his guise of a jokester, Joan had a keen mind and knew all the details about life in the capital. If I had to guess, he cheated on every single one of his exams and tests.
“Grandmaster Astur summoned me,” I finally said.
The tankard slipped from Joan’s fingers, almost spilling its contents.
“Saint Baram! You must be a hotshot Scholar!” Joan said.
“I have expertise in both Maths and Physics.”
Joan gave me a grin of delight as if he had just solved an impossible puzzle.
“Grandmaster Astur is a Radiant Paladin but he has the rank of Archivist due to his contribution to the study of optics,” he said, drumming on the table. “Be careful, Robert. Astur is one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. No one ever tells him no.”
The conversation shifted to more mundane topics as the rounds came by.
By midnight, Joan and the guards decided to detour south into Vedras’ territory to visit a famous brothel. As curious as I was about how a magical brothel operated, I declined the invitation. Joan teased me, but I gained the guards’ respect for my choice. Both were married with kids.
Joan paid the tab, and the group got up.
“I feel bad for leaving a Scholar traveling alone. It would weigh on my mind if bandits attacked you. Your students will miss you,” Joan said, rummaging through his pouch. “Let me give you money to hire a proper escort.”
I tried to decline the offer, but Joan was relentless. He was one of those annoying drunks, so no matter what I said, he shot me down and pushed the silver coins across the table. Still, I felt guilty for making him worry. Eight silver coins weren’t exactly pocket change.
“I won’t be necessary,” I said for the tenth time. “I can take care of myself.”
“I insist! Don’t be stubborn, we are basically best friends!” Joan said, his eyes cloudy by the alcoholic vapors.
The innkeeper glared at us.
We were making a scene.
I was sober enough to know we were about to get booted out. I didn’t want to get kicked out since I wanted to revisit the inn on the way back to get some of the beer for Elincia.
Sighing, I summoned my character sheet and turned it around.
“I can take care of myself, see!”
Joan paled.
“I-I’m sorry if I offended you, sir,” he muttered, his demeanor suddenly changed. He bowed deep, almost hitting his face against the table. “I’m sorry for inviting you to a brothel, sir. That was completely out of place.”
“Come on, Foxface, we are basically best friends,” I said.
Although slightly annoyed, I couldn’t help but laugh. The guards joined an instant later, and the atmosphere relaxed. The innkeeper gave us an approving nod, and Joan cleared his throat.
“Who would’ve said it? It seems Robert has been looking after us this whole time,” he said.
After promising to get together for a drink in the capital, Joan and the guards left the inn, and I asked the keeper for a room. I ignored how Joan and the guards could travel with so many beers inside their bellies. Drinking and wind spellcasting didn’t seem to be a wise combination, but again, my modern sensitivities usually clashed with the life in Ebros.
Comments
Paul McGlynn
I can't put into words how badly I want this to actually happen.
Will
While levels are important I would rather have rune based rewards if I was Rob.
ElAyVee
@Frayo The system will reward him with 10 more levels for completing the original main quest chain.
Ben Bass
TYFTC! I love how Rob was able to get a huge amount of insider info about the capital by just listening. I think Rob is going to like the hopefully quiet ride to the capital, however I know he will get bored and probably try to do some runecrafting as he won’t have to worry about the safety of the kiddos when out on the road.
Frayo
I hope so too. He'll finally be able to complete his main quest.
ElAyVee
I unironically hope he goes full white colar worker on him, that would be hilarious.
Will
I really hope if he meets Byrne he says something along the lines of, "Oh Mister Byrne, we have been trying to reach you about your car insurance."
andreas
I mean we get some many case of drinking and driving, that drinking and flying must be the norm for them... Great chapter.
