The next morning, I went down to the lobby, where I found Raman sprawled in a chair with his eyes closed, sipping a drink through a straw from a floating glass near his chin.

  “No, Aney, I have two quiet days left before the competition starts. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Uhh, Rector, that’s not why I’m here…”

  “Then what do you want?”

  “Can a flying boat be purchased at the capital’s Craftsmen’s Guild?”

  At these words, Raman sputtered so hard that his drink sprayed everywhere, forcing him to use a cleansing spell.

  “Did you rob the royal treasury last night?”

  “Not exactly…”

  The rector got up from his chair and began circling me, examining me carefully from all angles.

  “Strange. You’re dressed rather poorly. But you live lavishly in Matana… Promising everyone a sixth-class marionette… Renting elite housing for us here… By the way,” he waved his half-empty glass, “I charged this drink to your tab too. And now you want to buy a flying boat… What is wrong with you? Do you have a wealthy family? Or maybe a rich patron?”

  “Nothing like that, Rector. I just had a good raid in the Vangan dungeon once.”

  Raman immediately lost interest in me.

  “You’re boring. Go away.”

  He returned to his chair.

  “Rector, about the boat…”

  “Oh, of course. There’s one, seventh-class, but unarmed—weaponry is prohibited on boats in the kingdom. And the price… You could buy a small city for that. Along with its inhabitants.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Now go, don’t disturb my rest.”

  He took the straw back into his mouth and closed his eyes. What a man—he could relax anytime, anywhere.

  I waited for my team and, after grabbing a city map from the counter, we headed to the central branch of the Craftsmen’s Guild, which was just around the corner.

  Inside the guild, it was crowded and noisy, so when I finally caught one of the managers, I didn’t dare let go of his hand.

  “Could you help us? It won’t take long—we just need to sell some cores.”

  “Ah, fine. Class of the cores?”

  “Second.”

  He wrinkled his nose and looked at us with pity.

  “Seven silver per core. Quantity?”

  “A little over three hundred thirty thousand in total.”

  “Uhhh, sir, excuse me…?”

  I confirmed the amount again.

  “Dear guests, why didn’t you say so sooner? Come, come with me to a private room—such matters shouldn’t be discussed in a crowd!”

  He led us to a room, where I waited while he finalized deals with all my subordinates. By the end, everyone was glowing with satisfaction—even the manager.

  “Sir, I have one more question.”

  “Ask away, dear guest!”

  “I want to buy a flying boat, but this is my first time doing so. Could you show me what you have and explain all their advantages and disadvantages?”

  His expression became even more pleased.

  “You’ve come to the right person, sir! Follow me!”

  We walked into a large hangar inside the guild, where about a dozen flying boats stood with their wings folded. One immediately caught my eye—a medium-sized vessel made of dark cherry-colored wood, coated in several layers of transparent matte lacquer.

  “Excellent choice, sir! This is one of our fastest models! A comfortable fifty kilometers per hour with magical shields off, and up to three hundred kilometers per hour with shields! The only downside is rapid core consumption when flying with shields. If in comfort mode a sixth-class core lasts for fifteen thousand kilometers of flight, then with shields—only two thousand. The boat is powered by two sixth-class cores, but you can use a seventh-class core if you have one. The hull is made of sturdy Eastern Empire wood… A retractable cockpit roof… Deck finishing… Four double cabins… A spacious common room…”

  He went on for quite a while, but it was pointless. Even if he had stayed silent, I would have bought this boat.

  “Is there a warranty?”

  “Yes, of course! Ten years or a million kilometers of flight. Plus, the package includes four pairs of spare wings and two thousand liters of anti-icing fluid for the wings, in case you travel to the northern regions or enjoy high-altitude flights. The practical flight ceiling is ten thousand meters.”

  “Alright. What’s the price?”

  “You’ll be pleasantly surprised! Only four hundred ninety-nine thousand gold, sir! A very fair price!”

  I coughed a couple of times. This was outright robbery! For that amount, you really could buy a small city—along with its residents.

  “Four hundred fifty thousand, and I buy it right now!”

  “Sir, please, that’s too big of a discount! My superiors would never approve! Let’s say, four hundred ninety-five, and we seal the deal!”

  “Do I look like a king to you? Four hundred sixty!”

  “Four hundred ninety—final offer!”

  “A measly two percent discount? Four hundred sixty-five!”

  “Sir, you’re tearing my heart apart! I’ll give you a whole three percent! Four hundred eighty-five!”

  “No, I want five percent!”

  “Sir, I can’t! Alright, let’s make it four percent! Four hundred eighty, and it’s yours!”

  “Five! I want five! So, four hundred seventy-five thousand, or I walk away!”

  “Sir, I would love to, but I just can’t!”

  “Alright, what’s your name? Mini? Fine, let’s make a deal, Mini. Four hundred seventy-five thousand—and a dagger as a gift from a High-Grade Battle Ancestor, personally for you, Mini.”

  I released my aura just enough so he wouldn’t think I was bluffing, then quickly withdrew it so as not to scare him.

  “Think about it, Mini. I’ll engrave your name on the blade and leave a trace of my aura on it. It won’t just be a formidable weapon for you, but a story to tell your great-grandchildren!”

  I saw him hesitate—just a little more…

  “So, Mini? How many of your acquaintances own a dagger gifted by a Battle Ancestor?”

  “Alright, sir Ancestor, I agree!”

  He looked relieved and even happy with his decision. I pulled out a fine third-class dagger, removed the sheath, and used my aura to inscribe: “To Mini, with gratitude from Aney.” Then, I infused the blade with a portion of my aura, which would linger for decades. After finishing the engraving, I sheathed the dagger and handed it to Mini. He took it with trembling hands.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “I can’t believe it! A weapon with a Battle Ancestor’s aura!”

  “Just be careful, Mini—people tend to be envious…”

  “Yes, sir, I understand. Don’t worry, if I ever get into trouble, it won’t be because of this… Now, let’s finalize the deal!”

  We quickly filled out the paperwork, I paid the money, and stored the boat in my vault. Mini also gave me a thick user manual for the vessel, after which we left the hangar.

  “Sir, you’re a maestro!” Irgen clenched her fists and raised them triumphantly. “You’re my new idol! I’ve never seen anyone squeeze a five percent discount out of the Craftsmen’s Guild!”

  “Well, learn from the best!”

  “Captain, from this day forward—I’m your loyal shadow! You can count on me!”

  For some reason, I took her words as a joke. But I really shouldn’t have been so careless.

  “Alright, everyone!” I changed the topic. “Let’s go eat somewhere. We should enjoy the moment while we can!”

  “I saw a nice place nearby.”

  “Then lead the way! What are you waiting for?”

  Lanko, a lean mage of the sixth circle specializing in metal and earth elements, walked ahead, and we followed.

  “So, show me how mages know how to party!”

  “Oh, captain, just wait! It’ll be a feast!”

  Half an hour later, our table was nearly buckling under the weight of the food they had ordered. There was plenty of alcohol too. I even started wondering how physically weak people could eat so much. Sure, the brain consumes about twenty percent of a person’s calories… Could it be that mages really think a lot? Eh, nonsense! I broke off a huge claw from some crustacean and joined in the celebration.

  “Aaaaaa, it’s the team of losers from Matan! Get back to your kennel, you mangy dogs! You’re polluting our air!”

  I turned toward the voice and saw a group of about twenty young mages dressed in identical blue uniforms.

  “What kind of riffraff is this?” I quietly asked Irgen, who was sitting next to me.

  “Not sure, maybe it’s the team from Laska Academy. They have blue uniforms too.”

  I shielded our table with an aura and we continued celebrating, ignoring the monkeys jumping around us.

  “I hope you’ll teach these bastards some manners the day after tomorrow?”

  “Consider it done!”

  We laughed for a while at the twisted faces beyond the aura barrier until they moved to another table.

  “Irgen, I have an idea. Can you draw the rector’s magical seal, the one he used to steal our laundry?”

  “Mmm, I think so. But you’ll have to specify the destination yourself since it’s not just dirt that gets destroyed by a spell.”

  “Got it.”

  She quickly sketched the seal on a napkin, leaving one area blank for the destination. Of course, I chose my stash—where else?—to avoid getting caught. I modified the seal and engraved it onto my bone. It was only second-circle magic, so it didn’t take long.

  I activated second-circle magic and then cast a deep cleansing spell directly under Laska’s team’s table. A large blue magical seal erupted from beneath their feet and rose into the air, leaving the people completely naked. Seems like something went wrong… I deactivated the magic and looked at Irgen.

  “Pfffff… Pff-ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh!”

  “Having fun?”

  “Captain, I think you made a mistake somewhere!”

  My entire team was already laughing. I lowered the aura barrier, and suddenly, we heard their screams. The naked boys and girls knocked food off the table, trying to cover themselves with dirty plates. The commotion grew louder…

  “You! It was you!”

  One of them shouted, pointing at us. I smacked him in the face with an aura slap.

  “Are you out of your mind, accusing the Battle Ancestor of something like this? Do you have proof?”

  Their eyes darted around.

  “We saw a strange red magical seal burning around you! And then our clothes and all our belongings were stolen by magic!” a young mage girl screeched, pointing her finger at me.

  “Cover yourself, disgraceful. There’s nothing to brag about anyway.”

  The mage girl yelped and lowered her hand.

  “Oh, you mean this strange red magical seal?” I activated the magic, and a second-circle seal started rotating around me. I waited a few seconds. “See? Nothing happens. This is a sobering spell—I had a little too much in good company.”

  They fell silent, exchanging glances.

  “And yet, you immediately accused me instead of checking for mana traces… Is Laska’s team really so pathetic that they can’t even do that?”

  My words prompted one of them to check the restaurant for mana traces. Nothing. Not a single trace near their table.

  “Strange,” I continued, “but that means one of you did it. Is this whole show just a setup to frame me?”

  I pressed them down with my aura, forcing them to their knees.

  “Lord Ancestor! This is a misunderstanding! Please, have mercy, forgive us!”

  “A misunderstanding?” I took a step toward them, making the floor tremble. “Forgive you? Just like that?”

  I added a bit of bloodlust to my words for effect. I wonder what people see under its influence? I should ask sometime.

  “Do you really think you can joke like this with a higher-tier Battle Ancestor?!” I roared so loudly that the windows shook. “Have mages in your city forgotten how easily their guts can be scattered all over the place?! Should I remind you?!”

  I took another step forward, and the wooden floor creaked under my feet. Suddenly, a seventh-circle mana shield flared up between me and the naked students. Oh? Does someone really think this will stop me? Interesting! I crushed rock with my hands in dungeons… I touched the shield with my five fingers and pressed. A web of cracks spread across it, and it shattered to the floor at my feet.

  “Come out, since you’ve decided to interfere!”

  I waited, but no one moved.

  “Alright then. I’ll just kill them!”

  I had no real intention of doing so. I just wanted to draw out the seventh-circle mage and have some fun. So I took another step forward.

  “Wait, Lord Ancestor!” A voice came from the entrance. “Please, wait! I can explain everything!”

  “Hooo… And who the hell are you to explain anything to me? Do you think your qualifications are sufficient?!”

  Finally! Now it should get interesting!

  “Lord Ancestor, allow me to introduce myself. I am Vonz, the first deputy rector of Laska Academy…”

  Oh, they live well there. Raman had no deputies…

  “So what does the first deputy want to tell me?”

  “Lord Ancestor, this is all a tragic mistake! My students didn’t know, but everything that happened was the fault of an experimental magical device!”

  What nonsense is this fat guy spouting? What device?! But fine, I’ll listen to his fairy tale.

  “First deputy…” One of the students tried to voice his confusion, but I pressed him down so hard he couldn’t even squeak.

  “Shut your mouth when your elders are speaking. You’ve already talked enough with your filthy tongues!”

  I was genuinely curious to hear what kind of story they had prepared.

  “Guys, head back to the hotel. I have an interesting conversation here…”

  “Got it!” They quickly agreed and left.

  “Well then,” I put an arm around the deputy rector’s shoulders, “you’ve chained my attention to yourself. So what kind of device is this? I’ve always been interested in magical instruments!”

  “Lord Ancestor, if you would allow me…” He gestured toward his students.

  “Oh, fine.”

  I withdrew my aura and waited while he handed out some clothes to his students.

  “So, what kind of device was it?”

  “Lord Ancestor, you see, our academy is currently testing a new automatic wardrobe system…”

  I returned to the hotel in the evening after spending several hours tormenting the deputy rector and even making him pay our team’s bill as a goodwill gesture. My mood was excellent!

  “What are you doing here?” I asked Irgen, who was sitting on my bed in complete darkness.

  “Captain! It’s time to divide the spoils!”

  “You pointy-eared bastard! I suspected you did it on purpose, and now I have proof!”

  “Only a little, but everything worked out!”

  “You damn thief! You made me an accomplice to robbery! Do you even realize that?!”

  We were already whispering so no one would overhear us.

  “How is this even a robbery, Captain? This is nothing but a proper mage battle! It’s not our fault those clumsy fools couldn’t defend against such a simple spell!”

  I had no words. I exhaled and waved my hand, dumping the loot onto the floor by the bed. Irgen nudged the pile of clothes with her foot, lifting a pair of girls’ underwear with the tip of her shoe.

  “Not a bad design. Like it?”

  She lifted them toward me with her foot, earning a flick on the forehead in return.

  “Ow! What was that for?”

  “Keep it down! See anything valuable?”

  Irgen cast a deep cleansing spell and then began sorting through the pile of clothes. After about half an hour, we had gathered around two dozen storage rings, several pouches, four magical staves, and some other trinkets on the blanket.

  “Too bad we can’t unlock the storages while their owners are still alive,” I said, disappointed. It was all just junk.

  “Who told you that, Captain? Unlocking them, maybe not, but breaking them? With your power, that’s a piece of cake.”

  “Is that true?”

  “Yep. Just destroy the stone, and everything inside will spill out.”

  “Better not do it here, in case there’s something dangerous inside.”

  Irgen hesitated, her caution battling with greed.

  “Fine, take all this,” I said, gathering up the rings and gesturing at the other items.

  “Where?!” she hissed.

  Damn it! I had completely forgotten that I had only recently given her a storage bag, and there was no way all this junk would fit in there. I stored the pile in my own ring, grabbed Irgen in my arms, and jumped out of the open window.

  “Captain!” she yelped in surprise. “What are you doing?!”

  I barely managed to shield us with my aura so she wouldn’t wake up half the city with her scream.

  “Be quiet!” I snapped. “Breaking the rings, where else?”

  The girl calmed down, only trembling slightly—probably from fear. Well, I had been scared too when Kruk first dragged me through the sky. Leaving the city limits, I found a quiet clearing within minutes and set Irgen down.

  “Hoo… That was… unexpected.”

  “Alright, tell me how to break them.”

  “Just crush them with your aura, what’s so complicated about that?”

  Listening to her, you’d think nothing in this world was difficult. But what if the stone exploded or something? I picked up the first ring and concentrated my aura on its stone. Tough little thing! But then it emitted a faint squeak, and the stone crumbled into dust. Instantly, the storage contents spilled out onto the ground.

  By the time I broke the last one, we stood beside a mountain of items spanning several dozen cubic meters. I tossed the rest of the loot from the hotel onto the pile.

  “Done.”

  “Alright!”

  Irgen cast some kind of spell, and a brown magical seal appeared parallel to the ground beside her.

  “What’s that?”

  “A disposal spell. Turns anything man-made into dust.”

  Hmm. Useful. But I didn’t remember her having such a spell in her grimoire. Irgen quickly began throwing all sorts of junk and personal belongings of the mages into the disposal.

  “Captain, maybe help me out here?”

  “Damn it! What do you think I’m doing?”

  A few hours later, the pile had shrunk to a fifth of its original size. But Irgen refused to throw away anything else.

  “Take whatever you like, Captain!”

  Oh! Was this some kind of grand gesture from the half-elf? I pulled out one of the rings that Tot had used to send me his puppets.

  “Here, activate it and take everything except magic literature and magic scrolls.”

  “Yes, Captain!”

  The sky was already starting to lighten by the time I finally stored a few dozen books and a hundred scrolls in my storage. Irgen watched me with an excited gleam in her eyes.

  “What a fantastic night!”

  “Yeah.”

  I agreed, scooping her up and leaping into the air.

  When we returned to the hotel room the same way—through the window—Irgen landed on the bed, wrapped her arms around my neck, and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

  “You’re my lucky charm, Captain!” she declared, then thumped a fist against her chest. “I am your loyal shadow!”

  Then she darted out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

  Damn long-eared trickster! You totally used me!