Suddenly, I get shaken awake in the middle of the night.

  “Alright, you two wake up.”

  “Huuuuuh?”

  Rayla sits up and rubs her eyes, “Nekara, it’s practically still the middle of the night.”

  “It’s five am and you two need to get ready. We’re going clothes shopping with Thoma.”

  “Right now!?”

  “Please…No more grannies.”

  “We need to go now because you told me you wanted to train everyday for the next two weeks. Now is the only time when we can get the clothes shopping done, especially since Thoma needs them for his training.”

  Sluggishly, we get out of bed and have breakfast under the watchful eye of Nekara.

  Getting serious, Nekara says, “Alright, there is one important question we need to answer before we go. Should Thoma dress in a way that suits his looks or his personality? I’d love to do both but Rayla, we both know it’s not a very realistic goal.”

  Rayla seems to give the question a lot of thought and says, “Hmm that’s true…If we dress him up in a way to suit his personality he’ll probably be more approachable but he’ll also get made fun of more and people will be confused.”

  “But if we dress him for his looks people will probably avoid talking to him and assume he’s a shifty individual.”

  “Yeah…But when they talk to him they’re gonna realize he’s not shifty, right? Can we maybe go for a bit of a dark knight sort of look? Make him look intimidating but still well dressed and chivalrous.”

  “Hmm…He doesn’t really have knightly features…I’d say the best we could go for is Mercenary.”

  “Gaaaah….Why is this so hard!? Okay, okay. Hear me out. I think we can agree that the main problem is the face, right? Thoma otherwise is just an above average looking guy, right? So how about we give him a mask? We’re already going to a clothing store for entertainers so they’ll have masks that are easy to workout and breathe with. It will give him a sort of mysterious vibe and people will be intrigued to get to know him. Also, if he finds a girlfriend that way, she will be positively surprised when she takes off Thoma’s mask. Because he isn’t really ugly he’s just under average and shifty looking.”

  Nekara seems apprehensive, “Hmm…But a mask is a little much isn’t it? That’s like saying he should be ashamed of how he looks which he definitely shouldn’t. Thoma, what do you think about this?”

  Feeling uncomfortable about this conversation, I poke around my breakfast and answer, “I don’t really know much about that sorta stuff…But it does hurt my feelings a bit that I’m so ugly it’s best that I wear a mask. But I also know that you guys just want the best for me so I think it’s okay to try it out and then see if I like it or not. If I do this, do I have to wear a mask here too or when we’re not on the job?”

  “Oh my, not at all dear, you can put it on and off whenever you want.”

  “Yeah, what Nekara said. Although it would be kinda cool if you always wore it on the job. That could be your thing. ‘The Masked Adventurer’. Who is this gallant person truly? No one knows, yet he shows up and helps people! That sounds kinda cool right?”

  “It does sound cool…”

  Excited, she adds, “Then let’s go for that! We’ll buy some dark clothes that fit well with your looks and the mask will be like an accessory.”

  “Alright.”

  This time instead of getting our own cloth first, we instead go to a specialist shop for entertainers where Ms. Nekara is about to finish explaining our situation to the head tailor who looks like a short man in his mid forties with a well taken care of black beard and frilly clothing.

  “...So that is what we’re trying to achieve.”

  “Hmm, I see. I think I have an idea in mind that could work well but it will go over your budget. I will need to work with silk, so even with your discount in mind, if you want two sets of clothing it will cost you one gold and five big silver.”

  Rayla interjects, “So one set is seven big silver and five normal ones right? We can pay you that upfront now and then probably get the rest later today or tomorrow. But first I’d like to know what you have planned for my lil brother.”

  Taking out a pen and paper he begins sketching a design for us,

  “Well, essentially what you’re going for is freedom of movement paired with a well dressed, clean and eye-catching attire that can be worn in winter with some slight changes. What I’m thinking about, is creating attire that imitates the look of formal wear in the middle kingdoms. Specifically that of the Holy Meridian Empire. It consists of baggy pants, which in summer are good for cooling and in winter you can wear thick wool stockings under them to keep warm, a tight fitting shirt and a short sleeved overcoat which you can easily wear a winter jacket over and due to the multiple layers it will help with keeping warm. As for the shoes, you have multiple options but for your needs I recommend leather boots. With them, you can tug the end of the pants into them, leading to both a stylish presentation and good environmental protection. It is also customary to wear a turban with it, which is a long piece of cloth that is wrapped around the head in a specific way. It is very time intensive though and as it is just a piece of cloth it only works well to block out the sun, as such I will recommend a fake turban, which is essentially just a hat with the outer design of a turban.

  I can make it so it has a detachable fur lining inside, that you can apply for winter and will flow down at the back of the head for full coverage.

  As for the mask, due to the cost of the outfit I’m willing to give it to you for free.

  In terms of design, I’m thinking of going for dark purple as the base color with silver colored decorations for the clothes, a belt sash, black leather boots and a black mask made of the Aruba tree native to the ashen lands whose hardness might even be able to block a single arrow if you’re lucky. The mask will have a detachable mouthpiece that you can take out when you wish to eat but it will also have a small opening for breathing, speaking and drinking.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Obviously, there will also be eye holes and breathing holes for the nose but I will attempt to make the breathing holes not too revealing without impeding functionality.”

  “Welp, I’m convinced. How about you Nekara?”

  Picking up the design sheet, Nekara says, “Hmm I’m a bit skeptical about the winter functionality. I think the design is great but the Holy Meridian Empire is also known for being extremely hot and having many deserts. I have my doubts that you can easily modify their garb for winter in the north.”

  “You’d be correct Ma’am. Which is why it is just an imitation of the style. As a tailor for performers, it is my job to ensure clothing looks a certain way while behaving in a completely different way. The original formal wear of the Holy Meridian Empire is also not very easy to move in but I’m specifically designing something that will look like it but has all the functions he will need. But if you’re still skeptical, if you give me about fifteen minutes I can give you a sample of the feel for the winter wear.”

  “That would be great. As for the design idea so far, do you like it Thoma?”

  “I don’t really know or care much about how it looks. To me it’s just important that it works well.”

  “Alright I’m going to make sure of that then.”

  A bit of time passes and Miss Nekara seems satisfied with the demonstration. Afterwards, I get my measurements taken and we pay for the outfit. My outfit will be done in two weeks from now so until then whenever I go to train at Uli’s house I need to strip down to my underwear because my normal clothes don’t allow for that much movement. Uli also gave us another eight big silver to get a second outfit done and is commissioning formal wear for me from a tailor she trusts.

  About a week later, me, the pedo granny and Uli meet up in her garden during the full moon night to start the ritual for me to see spirits.

  Sitting down on a bench, Uli says, “Alright you two, if you don’t mind I’ll just stay here and watch.”

  “I don’t mind!”

  Meshir Bakan answers dismissively, “It won’t change anything whether you are here or not, just don’t absorb any natural mana.”

  “Alright.”

  The pedo granny then starts drawing different symbols on me, representing the six elements.

  “Alright Thoma Ahad, speak after me. I will be chanting an incantation with you in the spirit language. Few talented spirit mages have the innate ability to do so but for us ordinary mages it can be learned and I will pass it down to you over the next few months. Are you ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Spirit Kings hear my plea.”

  “Spirit Kings hear my plea.”

  “I wish to be able to see the spirit realm and touch it with my own hands.”

  “I wish to be able to see the spirit realm and touch it with my own hands.”

  “Please bestow that gift upon me so I can be closer to nature.”

  “Please bestow that gift upon me so I can be closer to nature.”

  Slowly, I begin to see blurry outline come into view. First they are just small flickering lights in the color of the elements, then slowly silhouettes come into view and I can hear whispering. Now that I can see and hear them, small little fairies dressed in different colors and shapes corresponding to their elements surround me.

  “Do you think he can see us yet?”

  “I think so, look he’s looking straight at you.”

  “He looks kinda ugly.”

  “Don’t be rude, Gust.”

  “Eh, it’s not like he can understand us.”

  “Uhm, but I can understand you.”

  “Eh!? Already!? Are you part spirit or something?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Don’t be stupid Gust, he’s obviously just human, but you do have a lot of dark element in you, why is that?” A little blue water fairy asks me.

  “Uhm that’s probably because of the curse on me. You can see the mark on my back.”

  They then fly behind me and the green wind fairy says, “Woah, that looks big. Did you meet the King Of Darkness?”

  “I don’t think I did.”

  While I talk to the spirits, Uli looks over to the pedo granny who seems to be quietly fuming, “Is everything going well Meshir Bakan? You look mad.”

  “I’m mad because that brat is speaking the spirit language better than I am.”

  “That’s good, right? That means he is very talented, correct?”

  “He’s extremely talented. It’s extremely annoying seeing him do things I worked centuries on, as if it's easy. Anyways, Thoma Ahad, I’ll be showing you how to cast the most basic and most fundamental of spells in the spiritual arts now.”

  “Alright!”

  She points at the wind fairy and says, “Bind.”

  A see through chain then forms around the fairy's neck.

  “Hey, what are you doing!?”

  “Blow out that candle for me.”

  “I don’t wanna you stinky meanie! Hey, what’s going on? Droppy help! My body is moving on its own!”

  “Eh? Are you okay Gust?”

  Gust then casts a spell. The air starts to move and a breeze blows out the candle.

  The pedo granny continues to demand, “Now create a whirlwind.”

  “Fine! But I won’t do anything else you bully!”

  She then casts another spell and a small tornado sweeps through the garden.

  “Release”

  The chain now breaks and the fairy starts to glow for a bit.

  “Tsk. At least you know how to pay a fair amount. But still, don’t do that again!”

  After blowing a raspberry, the fairy angrily flies away.

  Meshir Bakan then looks back to me and continues, “Bind and release are the bread and butter for every spirit mage. As you can see, when you are in a pinch, you can overpower a spirit with your mana and force a contract on them. They are then bound to assist you in exchange for mana equal to their efforts.”

  “If this is what spirit magic is like then I don’t want to do it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You just forced a person to do magic for you! That’s horrible!”

  “Calm down, spirits aren’t people. It might be mad now but it got a fair compensation for its work. It will calm down soon.”

  “What do you mean they aren’t people!? She obviously was talking just like a person and then you forced her to do something she didn’t want to do! That’s…That’s basically slavery!”

  Chuckling a little and waving her hand dismissively, she answers, “Psh, don’t be so dramatic. They might have simple personalities but they aren’t people, they’re just elements. You wouldn’t be angry if I used my fan to blow some air towards you either, that’s technically forcing the air as well.”

  “How is that in any way the same!?”

  Getting slightly annoyed but staying professional, the pedo granny tells me, “Look kid, even if you don’t like it, you will still need to do it when you are in danger. It’s not easy to convince a spirit to become your familiar and follow you around on their own volition. Most of them are either very territorial and don’t want to move away from their homes or they are so free spirited that you won’t be able to convince them to stay around you all the time.”

  “Still I’d rather ask a hundred spirits to help me out than force one to do things for me!”

  “Tsk You annoying brat. I admit you might be more talented than me but I still have thousands of years of experience over you. At least learn how to do it in case you change your mind.”

  Crossing my arms, I look away, “No I don’t wanna. If you want to teach me, then teach me how to do a contract with a spirit that they are okay with.”

  She shrugs, “Fine, it’s your funeral, not mine. There is no skill involved in that besides being a good talker. Tell them what the contents of your contract are, make sure they can’t exploit it and then if they accept, you have a contract.”

  “It’s that easy?”

  “Sure. Good luck with that. Tell me when you find a familiar and I’ll teach you more. I’m going out drinking.”

  She then angrily walks away, cursing under her breath.

  Sitting down next to me, Uli gives me a smile, “Seems like you two get along well…”

  “I just don’t understand! She might be a great mage but she is just a horrible person!”

  “Hmm, she’s certainly not without fault but I wouldn’t call her a bad person. Also, in terms of spirit magic she is probably one of the most informed and skilled ones out there. She’s most likely right about what she told you.”

  Looking at the spirits around me, I answer, “Even so…I just can’t do something so cruel…”

  Brushing through my hair, Uli then puts her arm around me and says, “And that’s okay, you don’t have to. Most of the greatest geniuses in their fields painstakingly carved out their own path. It’s going to be a bumpy road but if you think it’s the right thing to do then you should do it.”

  “Thank you for believing in me, Uli.”

  “Don’t worry about it, I’ll always believe in you.”

  Getting a bit teary eyed, I ask, “Can I give you a hug?”

  She answers with a warm smile, “Of course you can.”