Charles was dead in the saddle the next day, and had to be tied to his horse to make sure he wouldn’t fall off.

“I can’t believe the two of you stayed up all night training.” Caesia said in an exasperated voice as she looked at her young Lord.

“I can’t believe that Scarlet still looks fine after doing it.” Andy said, his eyes going from the nearly dead Charles, to Scarlet, who was sitting back on her horse, looking up at the sky and mumbling spell words too fast for them to understand.

“Skipping out on your rest is not a smart move during an expedition, young master.” Mehal scolded the boy with his usual smile. 

“I was just planning on staying up until Scarlet went to sleep. I didn’t think that… uh…” Charles groaned, his eyes closing.

His stamina and health were all topped off by Scarlet’s magic, but his mental fatigue still remained.

“You should never try to outlast the young lady in such a contest. After all, she hasn’t slept once in the last six days at least.” Mehal said, surprising the group.

“Six days!?” Andy shouted. “But how!? There isn’t any magic that restores mental stamina! At least, not any that doesn’t cost more than it restores.”

Scarlet laughed weakly, scratching one of her cheeks. “Actually, it's been a few years since I last slept.”

“How? I thought people are supposed to go crazy if they go too long without sleep.” Charles said in disbelief.

“...I meditate.” Scarlet said, twiddling her thumbs. “If done properly, meditation will put your mind and body into a deep sleep state without having to sleep. So if you can meditate for eight hours without disruptions, it is about the same as sleeping for eight hours. Or that’s how it used to be. As my [Meditation] skill became a higher level, I stopped needing to do it so much. Now, with a [Meditation] level of 90, and help from [Body Enhancement Magic] I can get by pretty comfortably with 3 hours of meditation a day.”

“...She isn’t serious, is she?” Caesia asked, looking to Maria for confirmation. 

“It’s something that I’ve just learned to accept.” The mother said with a sad smile.

Charles’ tired mind was spinning. She managed to get a skill up to level 90 without any of her hereditary bonuses or her Talent Points helping her. It showed just how much time she had spent meditating over her short life.

“You’ve seriously not slept in years.” Sidney said, completely baffled by the idea of it. “Haven’t you ever just wanted to sleep?”

“...No. Sleeping is a waste of time.” Scarlet said, looking away from them.

“And here I thought Charles sleeping in his resistance training clothes was a weird extreme to go to for training.” Raphaela mumbled. “I don’t think I could ever give up my beauty sleep.”

Charles pondered it. If he could reach the level of [Meditation] required to simply forgo sleep all together. But he couldn’t continue to meditate for more than ten minutes without actually falling asleep.

He also didn’t know if he could give sleep up. A comfortable bed was one of those luxuries that he had indulged in. He’d certainly like one at this particular moment.

“Sorry. I guess I should have let you get some sleep.” Scarlet said, as Charles let out a long sigh.

“Don’t be. I chose to stay up, and the training was good.” Charles said with a shake of the head.

The training had been good. While Scarlet’s [Sword and Shield] level was only about half his [Two-Handed Sword] skill level, she was able to keep up with him pretty well. She was surprisingly sure of her footing and quick to parry attacks, keeping Charles on his toes.

The lack of caution she displayed was completely different than what he was used to dealing with, as most of his normal sparring partners showed some form of reservations about risking taking a serious hit, even by a blunted weapon that threatened only bruises.

Combine that with her large array of [Invocationless Magics] and [Faints], and you have a very unpredictable fighter. Something which greatly assisted in training Charles’ [Combat Sense], as he struggled to predict what she would do next.

He was still able to win 6 times out of 10, but given his higher skill levels when it came to combat, he should have been winning more than that.

“It was nice, having some company for a change.” Scarlet mumbled as she gently brushed her finger against the chin of her Bond. “Branwen tries to stay up with me, but sooner or later, she needs to roost. While there are always things to do, it has been pretty lonely since...”

Scarlet’s words tapered off as she thought about her previous life.

One advantage of the online world was that it was just about always populated. So long as she looked, she could find someone with a mic who would be willing to keep her company, even if she got annoyed when they accused her of really being a ten-year-old boy.

Spending all of his nights completely alone was something that Scarlet had to get used to again.

While she didn’t regret getting reincarnated and getting to live with mama and Judith, there were definitely things she missed about the modern world and the escapism that it offered.

The entire party went into high alert when they heard Scarlet gasp and saw her eyes widen. She had been periodically scanning their path for danger using [True Sight], and her look of dismay set them on edge. “Up ahead, there’s…”

“Yes. I know.” Mehal said. “We’re about there. The rest of you should be able to see it after we reach the crest of that large hill in the distance. Scarlet, cast your blessings now, just in case. Focus on those that dispel corruption. The rest of you, if anything happens, leave it to me and keep your distance. Don’t even think about fighting.”

The others were confused and wanted to ask questions, but Mehal was brickwalling them and both Scarlet and Branwen’s mouths started to rapidly cast spells.

It seemed that her Bond could cast General Magic, as long as it was Scarlet shaping the mana and telepathically supplying the words.

(...She was able to form two spells at once at an accelerated speed?) Caesia wilted a little as she looked from Scarlet down to her own Bond, a purple cat named Minerva, hugging her for comfort. (She’s really just so much stronger than me.)

(Don’t let your uncle ever hear you say that. You know how he gets.) The cat replied in a teasing manner, trying to distract Caesia from her problems.

Everyone in the party understood that Scarlet was an oddball, but Caesia, being the party’s spellcaster, and up until this point, their healer, was placed in the uncomfortable situation of having to compare herself to the younger girl.

At the age of 7, Caesia had managed to train one of her magic type skills, [Water Magic], up to level 72, which was pretty damn good. Magic was notoriously hard to start training at a young age, so while being a Tier 3 in a weapon skill was an embarrassment to the family, being Tier 3, like Caesia’s mother, was considered exceptional for a viscount family. And it was possible that Caesia was going to surpass her mother’s achievements.

Because of her hereditary bonuses, Caesia grew 2.5 times faster than an ordinary person when it came to magic, and she had trained much harder than almost everyone she had ever met, besides Charles. 

Then she spent some time with Scarlet.

The girl was never not using magic. She used [Invocationless Magic] as she talked to others and spoke out [High Speed Invocations] whenever she was elsewhere. Caesia had no idea how she had so much mana to spend. It seemed inhuman. She trained so much that even though she had no hereditary bonuses for magic, she was leagues ahead of Caesia.

The girl didn’t even sleep.

It made her feel like her own training was inadequate. Like she was failing to live up to her own potential. And to make matters worse, Charles, the young lord she so admired, was much more interested in this new girl than in her.

Caesia moped as they rode along, until something caused a shiver to run up her spine. “What IS that?” She mumbled, looking ahead as her [Mana Sense] was setting off alarm bells.

It was like no mana she had ever felt before, and it was making her survival instincts tell her that she needed to flee. “Don’t worry. It’s just a remnant of the pact you are feeling. No need to run away.” Her uncle told her. “Your [Mana Sense] is pretty good, so you’ve picked up on it first, but all of you will start to feel it soon. We’ll have to leave the horses behind and proceed on foot. We’ll lose control over them if we get too much closer.”

They dismounted and Mehal placed an illusion over the horses, to protect them until they got back. Those who had Bond that could be ridden did so, Scarlet climbing on top of Spindle with her mother after the spider expanded to the size of a rhino. Leon carrying four children on his own back once he took on his true size. Only Mehal was on foot, though he moved faster than any of the Bonds as they moved forward.

All the while, Scarlet was still stacking on more Blesses. She’d cast six already, between herself and Branwen, and just kept going.

Normally, the children would wonder if it was excessive, but as they drew closer, and the unnatural feeling grew stronger, they stopped thinking that. Even Maria, who has a very weak [Mana Sense] could feel it.

“We’re here.” Mehal said as they reached the top of the hill.

“...Mother preserve us.” Scarlet said the last words of her final Bless. It happened to be the same as the words people used to swear. Someone else would have said it, but the foulness of the air stopped them from opening their mouths.

So they just stared at the utterly ruined landscape in front of them.

About five miles from where they stood was what appeared to be the remains of a long forgotten civilization, its city walls had crumbled away. The house, shops and roads within had turned back and fallen to the ground as their supports rotted away. 

From their vantage point, they could see large chunks of the city missing, as if meteors had fallen from the sky and blown away pieces of it and no matter where you looked, not a single patch of living grass was anywhere to be found.

But the most disconcerting part was the way that the shadows on the city moved.

With her [True Sight], Scarlet could see the monsters that were crawling all over the structures. The eldridge abominations with the eel-like necks and arms made out of twisted together limbs, their bodies writhing in unnatural ways.

She cast a long ranged [Divination Magic] spell in order to learn more about what the creatures were, and the results told her that they were ‘Corruption Beasts’. Their levels seemed to range from the mid twenties to the high eighties.

If it hadn’t been the fact that she has seen this kind of thing a hundred times before in VR, Scarlet would have probably been more sickened than she currently was. She was doing a lot better than the others who couldn’t see it in such detail.

“As expected of an apprentice to the Archbishop. I can breathe so easily, despite the thick miasma in the air.” Mehal said, taking in a deep breath. “Normally, it would burn our lungs to be standing this close.”

Miasma. A slang term used to describe extremely dense necrotic attribute mana in the air.

How could there possibly be this much dead mana in one place?

“Teacher, this place is…” Charles started, trying to find the words, but failing.

“It's the former capital of our Kingdom. The once great city of Azuros. 24 years ago, this was the crown jewel of our people, now it is just an unpleasant husk.” Mehal said as he looked down at the ruins with solemn eyes.

24 years!? How could anything fall into such a state in just 24 years!?

“You kids have heard the stories of the mana serge that occurred in the Labyrinth in the North and the level 250 monster that emerged from it. About how the 4th Prince Edmer led 10 heroes from across the globe in order to destroy the beast and ascended to the Tier 8 Class Exalted Guardian, gaining him the throne and the mantle of the ‘Hero King’. Well, this is the reality of those stories.” Mehal said, gesturing to the landscape ahead of them. Scarlet remembered the stories, but didn’t realize they were close to that site. If she remembered correctly, the Kingdom lost nearly a fifth of its total territory to that disaster. An equivalent land mass to all of Texas and New Mexico put together. “Never forget this sight, because this is what you are training for. To defend the land and its people from whatever it is that threatens them. That is the reason for the strength you are seeking. Not petty things like pride.”

Charles stiffened at his teacher's words, realizing they were directed at him. “I…”

“A Noble’s Pride should never be measured in the strength of his arms, the wealth of his house, or the glory of his name. It should only be in the safety and wellbeing of their people and the righteousness of their actions.” Mehal said, cutting the boy off. “Or do you think your father should be shamed for using his youth to help lead the people rather than growing strong?”

“Of course not!” Charles shouted.

“Then don’t ever let me catch you saying something as selfish as wanting to grow strong so that they ‘don’t laugh’ ever again.” Mehal said, giving one final scolding before his expression softened. “Being motivated is good, but you must guard your heart against feelings of anger and resentment. Don’t ever let your noble purpose be forgotten behind pettiness, or you might end up doing something that you will deeply regret. Trust me… I speak from experience.”

The children were solemn for a few moments until Scarlet spoke up. “There is a large group of people moving towards the city.”

They all looked in the direction she was pointing in and could just see small blob in the distance that was moving towards the edge of the city.

“They must be part of the reclaiming team.” Mehal said. “There is currently an operation meant to lower the amount of miasma in this area over the course of the next 20 years, so that we can push back the line and reclaim more territory from the Wildlands. They are likely soldiers escorting a large number of Priests to perform a cleansing ritual on part of the area.”

“Is there a ritual that can cleanse this?” Scarlet asked, looking over the massive city.

“Over the course of 20 more years, sure. The taint actually used to be spread a lot further than this.” Mehal said with a shake of the head. “It might be something you will have to deal with in your lifetime, but I’ll be retired by the time it is finished and we have to worry about the politics of who rules this section of land now.”

“The monsters are starting to attack them.” Scarlet reported. “Should we help?”

“No need. They won’t be some low grade hunter group. They are the army.” Mehal said with a shrug. A golden barrier appeared around the soldiers, repelling the dark beings and allowing them to attack from safety. “See, what did I…” One of the collapsed buildings within the city exploded outwards and a massive Corruption Beast, over 50 feet tall with bat-like wings emerged from the wreckage. 

[Corrupted Monstrosity: Lvl 153 | Monster Skills: [Body of Taint], [Miasma Breath], [Piercing Shriek]]

“...That’s not good.” Mehal said as the monstrous creature let out a scream that caused everyone to tremble. It rose up into the sky and then slammed its body against the golden barrier that protected the soldiers, causing it to crack. “Everyone get back to the horses! Maria, guard the children! I’ll deal with this!” Shouting his instructions, Mehal rushed forward, tossing aside his straw hat. “Let’s go Morty!”

Morty, Mehal’s weak and tiny Mantis Bond started to grow, until it was 4 feet tall.

A fully evolved Bond being such a size was considered abnormally small, as most would reach heights in the several dozens of feet, but the sky blue mantis had always been small. When Mehal first got him, the male mantis had been the size of his pinky nail, and he had no high damaging skills.

But Mehal had long learned to accept his low attack power Bond. Morty gave him everything he needed.

Mehal activated Spirit Merge and absorbed his Bond into his body, causing sky blue chitin plating to appear across his body, and a pair of glass-like wings to grow from his back. 

Mehal’s already high stats increased, his strength, fortitude, magic, and other such stats getting extremely small boosts for a level 140 Bond, but Mehal didn’t need them. He gained everything that he needed from his little friend.

[+8640 Dexterity] [+8640 Agility] [+10800 Reflexes]

Mehal rocketed through the air at speeds that were hard for normal people to even follow, moving in to help assist the soldiers.

As he did so, Scarlet was watching the battle through her [True Sight] and saw as the barrier went down, the giant monster rearing its head back and letting loose a breath attack on the people, causing widespread injuries, and giving the smaller monsters a chance to attack.

So many were injured and dying. Even if Mehal managed to handle the larger beast, they would still be in trouble.

“Scarlet, what are you doing!? You get back here right now!” Maria shouted in panic as her daughter merged with her Bond and jumped up into the air, flying after Mehal. 

The mother didn’t hesitate for a moment before she and her spider Bond were charging after them, leaving the other children by themselves.

DyslexicWriter

Taking a slightly different turn that I was originally going to have.

It was really just going to be something to hint at the King's back story, in which he was never supposed to have become King. He was the 4th son, and obsessed with adventure rather than politics, his family letting him travel the world in order to keep him out of the way and without any care if he lived or died. 

Him becoming a Hero made it so that the general populous would accept no one else as their King, making a very complex political situation, as there had been several factions supporting the older Princes, and the new King's ideals were very different from the country's because of his travels abroad. Leading to him being extremely popular with the commoners, but not so popular with the nobility. 

Caesia is also supposed to have a crush on Charles, who is a bit of a dense. She's not going to go full villainous over it or anything though.

DyslexicWriter

For anymore who wonders why things are going to be slowing down, classes are restarting. I'm taking 4 graduate classes and am in a research group. I got a lot on my plate. So take whatever I write on my free time and don't be rude.