Chapter 3 – Out of the Capital

  I woke in the chill of early morning, my head hurting from all the alcohol st night, and my heart hurting from rejection. Me and Lisha, we had been having fun, and I had become certain that she was flirting with me. What went wrong? Should I have shaved? Maybe gotten a haricut?

  How about some balls?

  “In the adventuring days, I always scored game because of my wild appearance,” I murmured to myself ignoring the voice, “but maybe, the ink wielders have a different taste?”

  Hmph. You’ve lost your mettle, your courage. If it were me, I would’ve brought her home way before you even thought of trying.

  “It isn’t a contest of strength, kiddo,” I chided the arrogant brute, “for while might wins battles, it is wit that ultimately conquers hearts.”

  Ignoring any further ramblings, I ran a hand through my disarrayed hair. What kind of hairstyle should I get? And better yet, who will be able to cut my hair well enough.

  Once someone awakened aura, their whole body underwent an evolution. As I was now, a normal human might need to use garden shears to cut my hair. Yeah, I’m not taking that risk.

  Looking at myself in mirror, I’m feeling thankful that I can groom myself.

  A snort from Jericho interrupted my thoughts. I saw amusement in his eyes. “What say'st thou, old friend? Hath my spark been utterly extinguished, or doth it merely require a measure of refinement?”

  The horse snickered before wandering off. That answers it I guess, but seriously, these dark circles need to go.

  Let’s go back to adventuring – the cmor of battles, the thrill of exploration, that’ll bring life back to you. There’s nothing but drudgery in pushing papers all day, and you know it.

  A constant pressure to lead the adventurers – without having any leverage over them – had put me through a psychological wringer. Thankfully I won’t have that problem once I take charge in Niege. No one expects much from there.

  You won’t have anything once you take over in Niege! At least the dungeon in Raakwell is suited for us, we’ll be dealing with child’s stuff in Niege!

  Heh.

  Lisha had said that she was looking for something permanent, not a one-night stand, and I could honestly understand it. Though strong people, whether they be human, elves, or dwarves, live the same length, neither me nor Lisha are that young. Most people have a pn to settle by my age.

  I cpped my hands to get rid of the mopey mindset. I had finished informing the nddy of the impending vacancy of her house yesterday, and now it was time to just move out. After completing all the morning rituals, I grabbed a knife to finally get rid of the stubble and give my hair a decent trimming.

  A faint red glow enveloped the bde as I infused it with aura, employing it to effect a clean shave and trim the sides of my hair. When I finished, the sides of my head were nearly bald, while the top, initially a wild tangle, fell into pce after a deft sweep.

  Looking like a gentleman now.

  I took Jericho out afterwards, because while I had finished grooming myself, my friend had not. Specially to prepare for the long journey ahead, I had prepared herb-soaked warm water. After a wash, I meticulously removed every knot in his fur, and if I left anything behind, the voice was kind enough to bring it to my notice.

  After trimming the excess hair, and polishing his hooves, he was ready. “Well, aren’t you looking handsome?” I remarked petting him, and he perked up.

  With Jericho ready, I went on to make my own preparations. Looking over my armor, I spotted the battle-scars and the signs of multiple repairs it had been through.

  No point in dwelling on the past.

  Ignoring the occasional whisper, I donned my armor, strapped my single edged axe on my back and arming sword on my waist. With all the preparations complete, I headed out towards my destination, mounted on Jericho.

  When I had first gotten him, he did not appreciate the presence of either armor or me, however these days, he was waiting for me to take him for a run. Looking around the capital, I could see various points of history, and it still stung leaving it all behind.

  With a gentle prod, Jericho quickened his pace, and the scenery receded in swift succession. Before long, I found myself before a crystalline spire—the Tower of O’lzuth, colloquially known as the Radiant Obelisk.

  I had visited this pce on several occasions, and its architectural grandeur never failed to inspire awe. Adorned with shifting arcane runes both within and without, the tower was reputed to function as a spell array, endowing its mages with myriad capabilities—from instant communication to enhanced spellcasting and beyond.

  Maybe this spell was what helped them reach the top in Dreseon?

  I idly wondered for a moment if something simir could be implemented in Niege or Cujor, but quickly dismissed the idea as fanciful. Niege remained backward, and while I was no adept of magic, the mages of Cujor were reputed to be the worst of their kind.

  With these musings, I stepped inside the tower. From the exterior, one might assume that the entire edifice was fashioned from crystal; in truth, most of the walls were transparent while the floors and chambers were hewn from greenstone, likewise enchanted with runes. Yet, in contrast to the free-flowing grace of runes upon the walls, those etched into the stone moved with a measured, almost mechanical precision.

  What could be the reason for that?

  The interior brimmed with mana, so much so that even I, with my undeveloped mana sense, could feel it.

  Leaving Jericho at the stables, I made my way towards the reception counters.

  “I would like to use a teleporter to the Tower of Cujor. I have a tamed equine, two size 1 storage cubes, and one storage pendant,” I stated all the requirements to the clerk before he could ask. He looked over to the stables and I pointed out Jericho. His gsses glowed blue for a second as he seemed to take some measurements of both Jericho and me.

  “Two Large Golds, please,” he stated after finishing all the calcutions. I was to be unencumbered by material and familial possessions, else most of my allowance would have been expended just getting to Cujor.

  Two tickets were given to me after I had completed the payments, and I led Jericho to the first floor.

  While the ground floor teemed with activity, the first floor was much more subdued, poputed predominantly by mages – both neophytes and seasoned practitioners – cd in flowing blue robes.

  Being no stranger to this process, I led Jericho straight towards the teleportation chamber. An elderly mage scrutinized my tickets and belongings to ensure all was in order before returning one ticket and directing me to step into the chamber.

  The chamber itself was vast and circur, hewn from grey stone – a stark contrast to the prevalent green of the Radiant Obelisk. Across its floor, runes inscribed in concentric circles pulsed and warped with an eerie dark green luminescence. Though their glow was initially subdued, as Jericho and I advanced to the center, several of these runic circles began to intensify.

  Coincidentally – most probably by design – the intensifying circles converged to envelop us in an inverted, ephemeral bowl of light, while leaving the rest of the floor as is.

  “Brace yourselves!” called the mage from outside. I patted Jericho reassuringly and crouched slightly, as he assumed a simir stance. In moments, the runes’ brilliance became nearly blinding, and the teleportation was set in motion.

  First came an overwhelming weightlessness, as if I were plummeting at breakneck speed. Then, as abruptly as it began, the sensation ceased. In it pce, a pressure built overhead, causing me to strain briefly, only to vanish suddenly, leaving me standing in a chamber identical to the one before.

  Teleportation never fails to deliver.

  I had been an ardent fan of teleportation since the first time I took it. Granted, that time I had broken a few bones, and it wasn’t before I became an Expert Axeman that I was able to stay standing after a teleportation. Now I have awakened aura and teleportation is dangerous to me only in name, but I still find my heart beating at the thrill of uncertainty, not knowing when my knees may buckle.

  Retrieving the storage cubes and backpack that had been separated and put down for safe transfer, I walked out of the chamber to a completely different tower. I was at the Tower of Cujor.

  Brago130sf