Chapter 42: The Earth Wizard
Beth Vanderwood was not your typical wizard, she was a tomboy, she refused to wear long flowing garments or the typical pointed hat. Dressed in blue denim coveralls and a green T-shirt, she proved her strength to not be conformist and her brown hair was tied into to braids either side of the head. Beth wasn't even from a rich magical family, Which in her home continent of Alakitasia, was everything. She had gotten into the Ishgarian wizard guild: Mermaid Heel on character alone. Her perseverance and kind spirit had been what caught the attention of the wizard saint Warrod Sequen, who named her to his new magic knight squad The Green Ores. At sixteen, she was one of the younger knights of the World Republic. That had been one of the happiest moments of her young life so far, sure she'd had to leave her friends in Mermaid Heel but now as a fully licensed Magic Knight, working for the Republic, it gave her the chance to be adventurous and explore the wider world. Never did she once regret running away from home and joining Ishgar over Alakitasia.
Her chest swelled with pride at being specifically requested by Company merchant traveller, Polina Sa. Apparently the task of creating an outpost in the the east and south blue, known as Paradise, was more difficult than expected. The merchant led colonists had founded New Bosco, however what they found on their island were dinosaurs and long thought to be extinct creatures, as well as two rampaging giants. As a result of discovering dinosaurs, some of them were sent back to the Republic scientific research facility in the country of Desierto. It was also around this time that Beth was dispatched to New Bosco to gather information about the two, recently, killed giants and why they were there and to protect the facility.
Beth looked down at her latest report to Sir Warrod:
'Giants were called Broggy and Dorry. Two, hundred million berries bounty wanted posters found amongst their camp indicating that the giants were pirates wanted by the World Government. Along with the posters a log book was discovered from which I have learnt that both giants were from the Giant Warrior Pirates, and they'd come here to challenge one another to the captaincy of said crew. However, the logbook explains that neither giant had ever managed to best their opponent thus the toughest crew, not strongest, remained disbanded awaiting new leadership. Yet, the most striking theme in Dorry's notes is that the "Giants of Elbalph" are regarded, by emperor of the sea Big Mom, as the strongest species in Earthland today, but that title centuries and millions years ago belonged to the dragons and oni. Which may shed light upon the reason why Charlotte LinLin (Big Mom) is still undecided towards her newest rival.
But I digress, mineral extraction of Copper and Platinum is continuous, another shipment is heading back to Ishgar now. As for the matter that Prime Minister Raiko wanted done, the locating of the Magic Stones, I have recovered two and found a third in the possession of the Alabasta Royal Family. Of which I will recover, the forth is still elsewhere but I will find it for the good of the World Republic.
Magic Knight - Beth Vanderwood
She was interrupted by a Company man coughing, folding the parchment in two and placing it into a file, she stood up and turned around. "Is there something the matter Colonel?" Beth asked, wearily. "A couple of scouts reported seeing a pirate ship approach, we...", his own men, "were ordered to continue mining minerals and conducting research..." He didnt finish his thoughts as Beth walked past him "leave them to me. Pirates fall the jurisdiction of the Magic Knights". Walking past the soldier she grabbed a small golden compass, and left the command tent.
Leaving the tent and heading towards where the scouts said the pirates were, a thought suddenly struck her; this was going to be the first time she'd be 'fighting seriously' with her life on the, and disregarding the old Council policy of 'taking prisoners, not taking lives'. Sure enough that thought made her uneasy, killing wasn't something to be done lightly; if your job involved protecting people but if not then it was absolute abhorrent. Yet the Republic and the Company both expected her to keep "all options open" when dealing with criminals outside of the New World.
