Julia seemed to read the query etched on his exhausted face. She shifted, rubbing her temples as if Borin’s forceful arguments had left a lingering echo. “Why did he approve you?” she sighed, weariness momentarily replaced by a flicker of lingering surprise. “Well, you acquired some... unexpected advocates.”
“First,” she began, leaning forward slightly, “there was Jett.”
William blinked. Jett Shadowfox? The A-rank scout, the near-mythical woodsman? Stakeholder Input: Jett Shadowfox. Probability of Positive Recommendation: Estimated low.
“Apparently,” Julia continued, confirming William's surprise, “Jett was… impressed. Not by your swordsmanship,” she added, a ghost of a wry smile returning, “but impressed nonetheless. He respects Yegun’s speed immensely. He said anyone who could force Yegun to use Haste, endure that assault, and then incapacitate him, regardless of method, possessed 'significant, unpredictable survival instincts'. His words were something like 'results trump rank, and that F-Rank got results'.”
Assessment: Jett values empirical field data over theoretical capability. Pragmatic, results-oriented. Less concerned with methodology, focused on outcome. Logical. William could respect that.
“Jett also argued,” Julia went on, a thoughtful frown creasing her brow as she recalled the scout's points, “that your... unconventional thinking... might be necessary. He suspects Tallenwood holds surprises, and Lumenar definitely will. He thinks someone who doesn't process threats like a standard adventurer might see solutions others miss. He even speculated,” she added, bemusement clear in her tone, “that the elves, with their supposed fascination for the novel and obscure, might actually be intrigued by your... 'creative application' of basic mana principles.”
Hypothesis: Unconventional approach designated 'feature, not bug' by key operative. Potential asset in complex, non-standard environments. Confidence: Moderate. Interesting take, Jett.
“Okay,” William absorbed this. “Unexpected, but logical. One 'yes'. Who else?”
“Prince Caspian,” Julia announced, and this time her smile was genuine, lit with amusement. “He practically vibrated with academic fervour after Borin recounted the… finale.” She adopted a higher, more enthusiastic pitch, mimicking the scholar prince. “'Astounding!' he apparently declared. 'Completely unprecedented! Overloading a foundational Light cantrip to induce a concussive photic discharge? The theoretical ramifications alone! We must document this! Mr. Shard clearly possesses an intuitive, if dangerously uncontrolled, grasp of mana dynamics! A potential paradigm shift!'“ Julia rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Basically, William, he voted yes because he sees you as a fascinating, potentially explosive, research subject.”
William couldn't suppress a real laugh this time, though it sent jolts through his bruised ribs. A pragmatist scout and an eager scholar prince. Right. Typical project backers: the 'Does it ship?' guy and the 'Ooh, shiny new tech!' guy. Comfortingly familiar stakeholder dynamics.
“And Borin?” William asked, needing the final, decisive piece of the puzzle.
Julia’s expression sobered. “Borin heard Roland’s objections. He heard mine. He acknowledged the risks, your inexperience, your potential to be a liability, the sheer danger.” She met William’s gaze directly, conveying the weight of the Guildmaster’s decision. “But he overruled us. He said the trial showed more than just survival. He saw you observing, analysing, preparing. He saw you adapt when Yegun changed tactics. And critically, he saw you take an enormous, calculated risk when cornered, weaponizing the only tool you had in a way nobody anticipated.”
She leaned forward slightly, quoting Borin as best she could recall. “'Wars,' he said, 'aren't won by textbook manoeuvres alone. They're won by resourcefulness, adaptability, finding solutions under fire.' He believes you demonstrated that potential, William. Raw, unorthodox potential. He decided that potential benefit, especially for a mission steeped in uncertainty like Lumenar, justified the undeniable risk. He's gambling on you, trusting his gut over Roland’s experience and my caution.”
A warmth spread through William, chasing away the last of the backlash chill, profound and validating. Borin hadn't just seen an F-Rank flailing, he'd seen the process. He'd recognized the analyst struggling to apply logic in an illogical world. Guildmaster Borin: Recognizes value in analytical approach despite unconventional execution. Leadership Trait: High Risk Tolerance / Potential Insight.
The immediate tension eased in the room. Julia, having delivered the verdict and rationale, visibly relaxed, though her curiosity immediately took over where her frustration left off.
“Alright,” she said, leaning forward again, the skilled mage now intensely interested in the anomaly. “Now that we know why you're coming... William, how? That Light spell. It's fundamental, designed for minimal, stable output. What you produced… wasn't just bright, it was concussive. It overwhelmed Yegun's senses completely. How did you force that?”
William hesitated. Time for the curated truth, the explanation stripped of its core component: EMMA. He owed her honesty, but the full download felt… premature. Like trying to explain network architecture using only smoke signals.
“Honestly? Pure desperation informed by frantic debugging,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Debugging?” Julia prompted.
“Ah, reviewing errors,” he quickly translated. “I failed miserably learning the basic Light spell for days. So I started breaking it down, analyzing the mana flow, just observationally,” he added hastily. “It uses minimal mana, drips it out slowly. Predictable. My own control is… less predictable. More like trying to control a fire hydrant with suggestion.” He gave a self-deprecating shrug. “So I wondered… what if I stopped trying to control it? What if, instead of carefully regulating the flow, I just… opened the floodgates? Shoved far more energy through that simple rune pathway on the stone than it was ever meant to handle?”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He saw understanding, and maybe a little horror, dawn in her eyes.
“My hypothesis,” he continued, falling back on the familiar language of analysis, “was that the structure would fail catastrophically. Best case within that failure spectrum, a significantly brighter, shorter flash due to rapid energy release. Worst case…” he grimaced, recalling EMMA's less encouraging projections, “...involved various energetic mishaps, potential shrapnel, maybe spontaneous personal combustion. The intense flash seemed the most probable useful outcome, maybe 40% likelihood based on a rough mental model.”
He shrugged again, trying to appear nonchalant despite the remembered terror. “It was a Hail Mary. Yegun had adapted, Haste was active, my defence was collapsing. I needed a system interrupt. The overload theory was the only variable I could manipulate. So… I deployed the experimental protocol.” He met her gaze. “Turns out, sometimes forcing a system overload yields… interesting, if highly volatile, results.”
Julia stared, momentarily speechless. Her expression was a fascinating mix of disbelief, professional curiosity, and residual alarm. He hadn't just cast a spell, he'd bypassed conventional methodology entirely, analysed a basic magical function, and deliberately induced a controlled(?) catastrophic failure based on theoretical extrapolation. It was reckless, insane, and… it had worked.
He doesn't just use magic; he stress-tests it, she realized, a disturbing thrill warring with her ingrained caution. He ignores the 'how' and focuses on the 'what if I just push this until it breaks spectacularly?' The implications were both terrifying and revolutionary.
Before she could articulate the storm of questions brewing, a firm, polite knock sounded at the infirmary door. It swung open moments later, revealing the other members of the expedition team.
Sir Roland stood foremost, tall and straight-backed in practical travelling leathers, his stern expression perhaps a fraction less severe than William had anticipated. Jett Shadowfox leaned casually against the doorframe, a wiry, almost unassuming figure who somehow radiated competence; a knowing glint shone in his sharp, observant eyes. And beside them, practically vibrating with suppressed energy, was Prince Caspian, his intelligent face alight with eager, almost predatory, curiosity.
“Ah, good. You are awake,” Sir Roland stated, his voice a formal baritone that commanded attention. He stepped fully into the room, giving William a curt, precise nod. Not welcoming, perhaps, but acknowledging. “Allow formal introductions. I am Sir Roland, Knight Captain, assigned operational command of this expedition.” His gaze was direct, measuring. Still sceptical, William noted. Professional distance maintained.
Jett offered a crooked grin and a lazy, two-fingered salute. “Jett Shadowfox. Scout.” His voice was rougher than William expected, carrying an undertone of dry humor. “Heard you gave Fastblade something to think about besides his footwork. Good on ya. Keeps the high ranks humble.” Genuine approval flickered in his eyes. Okay, Jett = Ally (Confirmed). Pragmatic approval noted.
Prince Caspian practically bounded forward, bypassing the others, hand outstretched, eyes gleaming with the intensity of a researcher who’d just discovered something new. “William Shard! A distinct honour! Caspian Aver, entirely at your service, though I daresay soon I shall be serving the advancement of applied magical theory, thanks to your astonishing demonstration!” His handshake was firm, surprisingly strong, charged with infectious enthusiasm. “That light! Utterly fascinating! The mana cascade dynamics, the uncontrolled energy release! Does it produce significant thermal radiation? What was the perceived duration of the photic saturation effect? Did you observe any localized spatial warping, however minor? We simply must document your process! I have several theories already!”
William found himself returning the smile, genuinely this time. The prince’s academic zeal was strangely charming. “Your Highness,” he managed, extracting his hand, “the honour is all mine. I'd be happy to share… my observations.” Mental Note: Prepare heavily redacted version of experimental data logs.
“Welcome to the team, William,” Sir Roland interjected smoothly, cutting off Caspian’s bubbling stream of questions. The formality returned, a clear assertion of command. “Guildmaster Borin has sanctioned your inclusion, citing… unique potential.” The faint emphasis suggested Roland still mentally filed it under 'unacceptable risk'. “And Julia vouches for your character, which carries weight.” He met William's eyes, his gaze stern. “Understand this: this mission permits no errors. You are F-Rank in a team of seasoned experts accompanying royalty. You will follow orders explicitly. You will maintain pace. You will strive, above all, not to become a liability. Is that understood?”
“Crystal clear, Sir Roland,” William replied, meeting the knight's gaze steadily, projecting calm confidence he didn't entirely feel. “I understand the stakes and my own limitations. I'm here to contribute, not endanger the mission.”
Roland gave a single, sharp nod. “Acceptable. We were scheduled for departure tomorrow dawn. Given your recent… exertion… and the value of integrating a new asset, I have postponed departure by one day. Use tomorrow fully. Recover your strength and mana. Jett will provide you with appropriate field gear. The rest of us finalize logistical preparations.” He addressed the room at large. “Departure is dawn, the day after tomorrow. South Gate. Be ready.”
The orders delivered, the meeting was adjourned. Roland offered another curt nod and departed with disciplined strides. Jett gave William a quick, conspiratorial wink before melting out the door after him. Caspian looked poised to reignite his interrogation but allowed Julia to gently steer him out, extracting a promise of future theoretical discussions.
Left alone again in the quiet infirmary, William let out a long, slow breath, the tension finally easing. He was in. Officially. Part of Operation Hail Mary. A high-risk deployment alongside seasoned professionals, a pragmatic scout, a worried friend, and an enthusiastic royal research subject. He had one day to recover, integrate, and mentally prepare.
He cautiously activated EMMA again, checking his status. The mana bar was slowly climbing, 15 / 105. Wait. He blinked, rerunning the diagnostic. Maximum Mana Pool: 105. It had been 100 before the trial. Hypothesis: Catastrophic mana depletion event followed by recovery cycle may trigger adaptive capacity increase in user's mana system. Consistent with anecdotal evidence regarding 'pushing limits' from library texts, potentially accelerated by EMMA interaction or backlash stress. Interesting. Another variable discovered through unscheduled, high-risk testing. Iterative capacity building via near-system-failure events. Not a recommended development pathway, but results noted.
He still had a mountain of deficiencies. But he had his analytical mind, the enigmatic EMMA, and now, officially, a team. Tallenwood. Lumenar. The variables were daunting, the risks enormous.
Okay, William, he thought, settling back against the pillow, a flicker of grim determination cutting through the exhaustion. Time to update the project plan. Phase One: Recover and Equip. Phase Two: Don't Die Horribly In The Woods.
William Shard - Character Sheet
- Level: 2
- XP: 0 / 2000 (Level up after trial against Yegun)
- Titles:
- Novice Magic Analyst - Effect: +5% Mana Regeneration Rate
- Light Weaponized - Effect: +10% effectiveness to Light spells
- Class: Magic Analyst
Stats:
- Strength: 15
- Agility: 18
- Magical Power: 20
- Vitality: 15
- HP: 150
- Mana: 105 (+5 from continual mana exhaustion and training)
- Unallocated Stat Points: 3
Skills:
- Swordsmanship: Basic
- Magic (Conventional): Basic
- EMMA System: Basic
- Language (Averian Common): Basic
- Healing / Regeneration: ??? (Unknown - Nature Undefined)