Chapter 4: The Budding of Doubts
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The opening of my magic attributes left me with many questions. I rented an apartment that same day and spent the evening locked inside, contemplating about the information I just received this morning

First off, what the heck are two mythical-grade attributes doing in my body?

In the game, Attributes are considered to be a person's guiding path to mastering their magic

If a person's Mana is the bullet, their Attribute is the gun. It is a conceptual magic tool shaped to accommodate their user's will and very essence in the form of standardized ammunition. You can say a Wizard's path in life has already been determined the moment they discover their Attribute 

Often time one can increase their magic proficiency at an accelerated pace if their attribute aligned with a certain school. For example, "Explosion" is related to burst-type spells, which is relational to combustion, and is thus most suitable for magic of the fire element. Another example is the legendary "Crownmaker", which is said to grant their user an absurd amount of charisma and influence over others due to the concept of "crown" being the mark of apex nobility

Furthermore, each attributes are divided not by power but by rarity. It goes from common- the most ordinary of elements like water and earth, to rare, then unique, then mythical. There were two more realms of attribute above them, but they are irrelevant at the moment

This had lead to many misunderstanding from me in early games. I had initially thought that "rare" = "powerful", but it was a mismatched game of affinity. While certainly most of the remarkable characters in the game possess rare attributes, that does not mean they are powerhouse in their own right.  

"That's right. A rare attribute doesn't make you a genius. What matters most is how you use it that count. Even is a guy with fire common attribute can become highly versatile due to his wide repetoit of spells available for him from the start"

I rolled around in my bed for a bit

"But what does my Attributes do, exactly?"

Growth Acceleration and Empyrean Observation. The title sounds like it comes straight out from one of those cheat isekai shit the kids in my world like to read. They are Mythical rank as well. Problem is, I don't know exactly how to use them at the moment

Should I invest some time to learn more about magic?

Or should I just focus on getting a job here first?

I silently weighed the two options. Right now, the former could wait. I should prioritize a source of income since the unlocking my magic ocst a huge chunk off it. After the ordeal at the magic shop, I already purchased several books on Mana control, Mana refinement, and Mana enhancement. Just basic stuff that can provide the very basis of my energy so as to prevent it from leaking out like yesterday

"Well, teaching doesn't seems too bad" I murmur

Johann Brown's might be a critical asshole when it comes to educating kids as a whole, but I feel like his passion for the art of cultivating young talent is genuine. 

Resolving to what I'm going to do tomorrow, I reached out a hand to turn off the light. As the light went out, it only leave me with a peaceful silence. The darkness lulled me to sleep moments later

From the shadow, ember eyes observe the slumbering figure with uncertainty, before they fade into the boundless night

 

 


 

While the Capital is a land of hopes and dreams, it is also one where opportunists operate. This is a fact not many know

At day, it is a normal city filled with promising new talents seeking to achieve their dream. At night, it turns into a slum infested with dark forces moving behind the scenes, manipulating others for their own gain.

Of course, it is a well-concealed facade. Nobody ever expected the very people surrounding them in broad daylight to be agents of their organization, which is exactly why they were able to get information on almost anyone who enter and exit the city. Their eyes and ears are everywhere

To them, this is a breeding ground to recruit those whose lights still shine into their own grasp, extending their network like a spider would its web.  Naturally, the appearance of a troublesome factor would catch their attention the moment he arrived and caused a ruckus

"Are you sure that's him?"

Inside the dimly lit room there are two people sitting opposite of another. They are both wearing long black cloaks that hid their feature from sight. A hood pulled down from their head, concealing the figure's facial expression. 

The voice who just spoke is feminine in nature, as a hand reached across the table to give back the report to the other cloaked figure

"I am positive, Master. It is the very same one Leslie met yesterday. He rode as a passenger in his carriage"

The male one spoke. He raised a hand and swept back his hood, revealing a wrinkled face twisted in a tired expression. It was the same man in the Magic Shop Johann had encountered hours ago.

His eyes gazed down at the report with a complicated look

"Accoridng to him, this one carries a sharp sense of perception. He figured out our spy was hiding his magic in their first encounter" 

"How would Leslie know that?" 

"Johann Brown asked him a single question before they parted ways" The old man inhaled deeply "He asked which school of magic he specialize in"

The answer brought a frown to the woman's face. 

Only a magic caster above Apprentice rank is qualified enough to adopt their school of magic. Those who are ranked higher often have finer control over their Mana, and is thus more adept in casting specialized spells.

If it was a question aimed at someone who is known to practice on a regular basis it wouldn't look out of place

The problem is that this Johann Brown had asked that from Leslie, who is disguised as a coachman serving the kingdom's transportation network. Those type are paid worker and is only at a civilian's level in term of strength.

In essence, it's like asking a commoner what type of gold they prefer when they can't even afford one

There are only two viable possibilities that could lead to this. The man is either clueless of what amounts to basic knowledge in this world-- a country bumpkin, or that he had seen through her subordinate's facade at the first glance. The second possibility would point to him being at least a reasonable theat to them

"According to the report, your shop is the next location he visited" She pursed her lips, unbelieving "You are the one who unlock his Mana. Maybe the reason this man ask Leslie about his magic is simply because he's curious?"

When speculating something, it is best not to leave out hindsight. Maybe they are just overreacting to this supposed threat without concrete evidence to support their credibility

However, the old man shook his head, instantly dispelling her notion

"Despite it being his first time experiencing Mana fluctuation, this guy already figured out how it works perfectly just from looking at my palm. Would you say that is a coincidence in itself?"

"Still, there's a chance he is lucky. Or he's a magic prodigy. Those aren't rare in this place"

"I can't control his Mana"

The woman's eyes widened beneath the cowl of her hood

"I've been in the business for over a century now. It was the first time I've seen such unrefined Mana when unlocking another's magic. They are like a storm waiting to swallow me" He gulped "His Attributes definitely weren't normal. But what scared me is how easily he had reigned it in afterward, as if he already had prior experience with it"

"You mean this man explicitly feigned ignorance to being an experienced mage?"

"He didn't bother to learn about the property of his Attribute. Yeah, I would say that's the case"

Her eyes narrowed in disbelief

Attributes might be a common concept, but it is considered by many a taboo to reveal it to another stranger. That's why those of the old man's profession has sworn an oath not to reveal these information. 

While his oath has been revoked, there's no reason Johann Brown would refuse an offer from him to tell more about his Attribute considering he has no knowledge about them himself

Did he knew about it beforehand? The man could have seen through the old man's intention from the start. Maybe both are simultaneously plausible. The more she think about it, the chance of his meetings with Leslie and the old man being a coincidence gets less and less likely

What's the reason behind this action? Is he probing them? Is this Johann the person from an enemy organization sent to investigate their activity? Such thoughts filtered through her mind at a swift pace as the woman calmly analyzed the given clue 

"I think that's sufficient information" She sighed "Thank you for the intelligence, old William. Be sure to keep an eye on this Johann person for the mean time"

"Understood, Master"

The candle flickered. When the light reappeared, the hooded woman was already gone

Sitting alone in the room, William could only pursed his lips in displeasure

The appearance of this guy deeply unsettled him. William is not one to be paranoid, but he could not help but feel like there's something wrong about that man the moment he met him. It is imperative that they investigate the matter now

Better to be prepared than to regret

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