Chapter 19 - Newcomer

Few weeks have passed since then. I've been tackling the mission board all by myself. Initially, there was a bunch of recovery missions for the fallen in the Perilous Ruins which I assisted in. After dealing with the minimal resistance that still persisted around there, we were able to take back most of the Crimson Blade Mercenaries and the Royal Army. Some cannot be found as that was inevitable. It's unlikely and unrealistic to know the position of every death in such a large place

Then we held a burial ceremony for their honorable duties. As the oracle, Tieve commended their courage and bravery to fight against the Fomors and offered them to the Goddess. Everyone in town was present. Afterwards, I stayed at the graves of my friends for quite some time, reflecting a lot on what happened. Their deaths could have been avoided if I wasn't so powerless... If only I acted more...

Once the recovery missions ended, I stayed away from requests that asked for gnoll leathers or collecting things in the Perilous Ruins, so I've been going after elimination missions, such as removing Fomor threats from certain areas. Collection quests are not my cup of tea. Too much trouble for little reward. There are countless others who are interested in this type of work, not me though. I have also been avoiding joining up with any parties. After everything that has happened, I don't think I can handle another loss related to me. I can't take the sadness that overwhelms me each time a friend dies. Thus, I've been avoiding everyone that I know.

In this time, I've familiarized myself around town and Perilous Ruins. Ever since the information of the migration of gnolls in Perilous Ruins disseminated, there has been an influx of missions related to the ruins. Gnoll leathers have become a common request on the mission board. This sudden transition transformed the boring Colhen into an active and lively village. Economy in the village has been improving and more merchants are seen traveling in the area. With all the activities here in Colhen, I reckon trade will open up a variety of selections within the booming marketplace.

I've accumulated enough gold pieces to afford a new set of armor. I no longer have to stick with the veteran raiment set provided by the mercenary outpost. I talked to Kirstie already and she has started working on it. Who knows when she'll be done but she will come fetch me once it is finished.

My nightmares are as vivid as ever. The occurrences of my headaches are nothing to ignore either. However, lately I've been experiencing sudden surges in power. In one instant I'd be fending off the claws of Wendshardt, in another moment I'd puncturing through its tough exoskeleton with my bare hands. But every happening forces me out of my bed unconsciously. As a result, I'm living my days in constant fatigue and migraines.

Sigh.

When will this cycle end?

I had one exceptional nightmare that left me clueless. The surrounding darkness swirled all around as a slow progressing hurricane. I felt like I was imprisoned by boundless chains yet I wasn't at yet at the same time, I wasn't. It seemed like another part of me was restrained by these unwavering chains.

A pulsating whisper vibrated through the darkness in a stable rhythm. It kept calling...

'Lethita.'

'Lethita.'

'Lethita...'

Tieve comes in to deliver a message for me one morning. I am to be present in the outpost as soon as possible.

So I gear up and hurriedly scramble my way down to the mercenary outpost. My brother's and Lucas's sword clatters noisily on my hip.

The inn is now busier than ever. With the improving economy, mercenaries spend their time drinking away their free time whenever they're not on a mission. I hop past the horde of people and slip out the entrance. I almost collide with several returning mercenaries but my swiftness enables me to dash out of the way.

I arrive inside the building to be greeted by Marrec, Ceara, and...a hooded mercenary.

Marrec: "Ah there he is. Lethita, meet our newest member of the Crimson Blades Mercenary. Why don't you introduce yourself, rookie?"

The hooded mercenary steps forward and bows politely. Her long and silky black hair flows out smoothly as she leans forward. Noticing this, she quickly pulls back her hair and tucks it neatly inside the hood. Then she brings down the hood in an elegant manner.

In the corner of the Outpost, Gallagher nearly jumps out of his seat out of shock. Certainly, her image is quite surprising.

Gallagher: "…Oh dear goddess, she is a cutie!"

He mutters to all present around him but is ignored completely.

"Hi! My name is Evie. Pleased to meet you, Lethita! I leave myself in your care!"

My ears ring as her loud high pitched voice vibrates the entire building. I exhale silently and slowly. Ceara takes notice of my tired self and speaks up worriedly.

Ceara: "What's wrong, Lethita? You don't look too well."

"...Just a bad night of sleep... I'm fine, I think."

Marrec: "Anyways, the line of duty for rookie training has always been passed down to the former rookie. Fiona trained you when you first came. Now it's your duty to train the rookie, ex-rookie."

Ceara chuckles as Marrec struggles a bit with that last sentence.

Ceara: "That's a mouthful to say, isn't it? Well, we're counting on you, Lethita."

"...Yep. Can't wait..."

I say that with a tired voice while glancing at the new recruit. She glances back with a beautiful smile.

"So what's your style? We've got swords and shields. Well, we only have swords and shields available. I hope you're good with swords and shields."

After leaving the mercenary outpost, I lead her to the training site. Apparently it's my duty to gauge the rookie's combat abilities. Just like Fiona had done for me.

Evie: "I don't need any of that! I use a staff!"

I look at her skeptically as she flashes another big hearty smile. Her trusty wooden staff is attached to her back of her robe. It has a rather simple design; a head curled like the center of a tree trunk. That's a rather interesting staff. I thought a staff would be more uniform and not enlarged on one end.

"A staff is a blunt weapon. How can you even get anything done with that?"

Evie skips a bit before leaning forward and turning around with a mischievous smile.

Evie: "I guess you will find out."

I don't particularly care enough to dig more into it. If she prefers her own weapon, I won't bother with it.

"So what brings you to Colhen?"

I ask her non-melancholy, trying to make conversation.

She glances downwards, showing a hint of momentary sadness in her eyes. Then she brightens up and replies.

Evie: "I've always somewhat fancied adventuring! So I set out on my own to explore the world."

"Hmm... I see."

I give her a carefree reply. It seems like she isn't willing to open up. I wasn't exactly hoping for an elaborate answer anyways.

I notice that her tone and voice is peculiar. I picked up some cues of it in the outpost already. She seems overly enthusiastic. It feels unnatural and a bit forced. Why is she acting this way?

We arrive at the training site shortly. I give her the details of the training site along the way, nothing much different from what Fiona told me. The arena is as empty as ever. I wonder if anyone actually comes here for training.

I signal Evie to the middle of the arena and pull on the lever. Mechanical gears begin grinding underneath. After a loud click, the first wave appears with 5 wood golems.

I think there were only 2 that popped up for me. Since the trial is adapted to match your skills, that means Evie has significantly higher capabilities than I do. Considering that 5 appeared in the first wave, the following waves will be increasing exponentially. I wonder how she will deal with the sheer amount of them.

Evie brings out her staff in a fluid fashion and whacks 2 golems out of the ground. I did not except someone like her to wield enough force to push back enemies with ease. However, a closer inspection reveals her staff is wrapped in a bright light. That light mystifies me. What is that? Is that light giving her the ability to knock enemies into the air?

Evie cleans up the remaining three with ease. As soon as the last one falls, 17 more are immediately summoned without delay.

Wait...

17?! That's a big jump from 5!

The 17 of them slowly encircle Evie and drives her into a corner. I draw my swords in fear for her life. If it comes down to it, I may need to intervene. I prepare myself by stepping over the stands from where I'm at.

My worries are gone unneeded as a huge fire blast crackles from the center of the wood golems. The explosion incinerates most of them, burning them to ashes like firewood, literally. The remnants are slowly burnt away by the heat emission. From within, Evie walks out unharmed.

I slowly sheath my swords as I watch 25 new wood golems launch themselves at their single target. A blue pulsating light gathers at the tip of her staff. Evie slam her weapon down at the ground. Instantly, a field of icicles erodes from beneath and pierces every single enemy in sight.

What would take me at least a minute to accomplish is finished with 5 seconds by the hands of Evie. Is that the power of magic? She finished off 47 golems in less than a minute. And more importantly, it doesn't even seem like she worked up a sweat yet.

A bit of envy digs into my heart. I taste some bitterness in my mouth. I wonder how it feels to hold so much power in your hands. Think about the possibilities you can do. Though it is my first time seeing magic, I am absolutely impressed by the flashiness and effectiveness.

Evie catches her breath after expelling the two spells. Those must have taken a lot of stamina to conjure up. Considering the large explosion, it is no easy feat. She must be a prodigy...

With the next wave coming, she focuses more mana into her staff. Her staff is enveloped in a veil of while light. The next wave comes out unexpectedly. Wooden golems continuously pour out of mid-air without any sign of stopping. Evie strikes her staff onto the ground while executing a series of flickers and finger drawing. Once she is done with her conjuring, she casts forth her spell through the staff medium. Waves of lightning bolts surge forward to meet the endless sea of wood golems. Blue flashes of light illuminate the arena ring. Golems are burnt and electrocuted. However, the oncoming golems continue to walk past and over their fallen kin as if they were trampling on dead grass. Suddenly, an enormously thick bolt of lightning strikes down from the clear, cloudless skies, directly onto the unprepared wood golems. Their entire bodies turn to dust from the impact alone. Nearby enemies are scorched black as well. Two wood golems are launched to the side, heavily crashing into the stands and breaking apart the spectator seats.

A flicker of light escapes the staff in a split second. Evie seems to be casting yet another spell while the thunderbolt still crackles the enemies. As soon as the thunderbolt ended, flames begin erupting from the tip of her staff, encompassing an area of a cone in front of her, bathing the land in a sea of fire.

The entire arena ring has been annihilated, leaving nothing left but the finest of debris. The debris all radiates tremendous heat, as though testifying to the power of the battle they had just endured.

Evie: "Whew!"

With a hand that wipes the sweat off her brows, she plops on the ground with a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, I stand in my stationary spot dumbfounded. She just wiped out the sea of golems in less than 5 minutes.

In the middle of the consecrated arena, the air distorts in a mix of darkness. A strikingly familiar giant wooden golem slams down with a thunderous thud. Immediately, it leaps toward the resting Evie.

Evie: "Eh-"

The giant golem catches her off guard. Without having enough time to react properly, she quickly hops to the side but the aftershock from golem's swing knocks her off her balance. Evie face plants the ground pathetically. She gets up angrily with a bruised nose and teary eyes and launches a fireball at the giant. When the fireball comes close into contact, the areas underneath began to warp, crack, and even shatter from the intense heat as the entire ground chars black.

The poor giant golem watches as the fireball engulfs itself. It is incinerated within a second and a half. Given its large size, it was impossible for it to escape the trajectory of her fireball.

I check the sand in the hourglass. Maybe a tenth has dropped since she started, not even a quarter.

I smile bitterly at Evie, seeing her emerge victorious with a bright smile on her face. Is this what people meant by a world of difference? She stands above all others that I know of, including myself.

"Holy shit! What the hell happened?"

A group of mercenaries arrive at the arena, but seeing what remains of it is hardly distinguishable anymore. And I agree with them. Smokes and heat are giving off the charred earth. There are barely any spots where you can even stand straight. The group stares shockingly at the girl in the center of destruction. Evie waves her staff around naturally and stashes it on her back.

She appears before me with a clumsy look and her tongue stuck out. She scratches her head while surveying her work.

Evie: "I may have gone a bit overboard. Sorry!"

The mercenaries stare at the girl in disbelief as we walk out. I shrug in response and lead her back to The Mercenary Outpost as I don't know what to do either.

Marrec: "She what?!"

"She decimated the arena ring and trashed an area in the stands."

Aodhan: "Well how did she manage to do that?"

"She threw fireballs and lightning bolts around and what you see there is the result. She's a Battle Mage."

I report the events in monotone. I tried to sound enthusiastic and excited, but...

Marrec: "I know I should be more pissed that our arena needs repairs but that's incredible."

Captain Aodhan ponders a bit while giving Evie a few side glances.

Aodhan: "She will have a major impact in future battles. Having a Mage is a big asset in the Crimson Blades. We're lucky to have you here, Evie."

Evie bows down, embarrassed by all the compliments she has been receiving.

Evie: "Thank you very much, Captain!"

Aodhan: "Lethita, I'm relinquishing your duty as the rookie's guide and giving it over to Brynn at the Magic Laboratory as he has more experience in magic. Good work Lethita. You should go take a break. You look dead tired."

"Yessir..."