Henry, seemingly a battle-hardened veteran with a stern expression, carefully observes our group as we gather in the training hall. His keen gaze sweeps over each one of us, pausing briefly on Biscuit.
He shakes his head, mumbling under his breath, "What kind of monstrosity…"
His brow furrows slightly when he sees my missing arm, but he quickly moves on to assess the others.
"You're drifters, and that means you're expendable. Don't expect any special treatment or protection. You're on your own."
Nice start.
"You might have come from another world, but you're nothing more than fodder for our enemies if you can't pull your weight."
Emeric is smiling brightly, standing to the side. Finnegan is already gone.
"The weak die and the strong survive. That's the law of this land. If you can't keep up, you're better off dead."
As if to make a stronger impact with this sentence, I feel a wave of his mana hit us with an effect similar to Cinderbear's fear.
"Your background means nothing here. You're starting from scratch, so you better work twice as hard as everyone else."
I guess that means we will be forced to work for them? What about the floor quest? Will the end of the world come out of nowhere? Is it already coming, but people around here don't know about it?
Will it happen in a few years? Few days?
“Drifters often have more gifts than us, natives of this kingdom, but if you think you can coast by on your gifts, you're sorely mistaken." his walk stops in front of me, "You, I heard you are decent with manipulating your mana.” His eyes turn to me. “Too talented for your own good but too dumb to take advantage of that.”
He puts his hand on my shoulder, and I do not attempt to dodge.
“Defend yourself against my mana. If you hold back and try to hide your skill, you will be punished.”
Then I feel his mana entering my body in a similar way to how Lily does when she is healing. Even the amount of mana is similar; the man is most likely holding back.
My mana resists his and doesn't let it enter my body, even without me doing anything.
But out of nowhere, he starts sending mana towards multiple places.
The attacks are still weak, but they are quicker and quicker. Soon, he is pushing against my mana at a dozen places, and my automatic defense becomes confused.
How much should I show? If I show too little, I will be punished and probably thrown away as someone useless. Maybe even killed? If I show too much, it might become troublesome. The question is, even if I show him my all, how does it measure in comparison to them?
This seems to be a kingdom that is used to handling mana, and there are massive amounts of people handling it, probably for years. What is my 30-day experience in comparison to them?
So, I show it all and do not hold back at all.
I concentrate my efforts on maneuvering my mana, effectively neutralizing his attack. I not only manage to block his attacks but even exert force to push back against him. I carefully observe and mimic the way he handles his mana.
At first, it's challenging, but gradually, I grow more adept. I manage to simultaneously attack in two places, then three, five, and eventually ten. As the battle progresses, I continue to adjust and adapt my mana manipulation in response to his tactics.
He attempts to confuse me by reducing the size of his attacks, luring me into a false sense of security. I also take note that he consistently attacks in 12 places, so I strategically limit my own offensive and defensive maneuvers to match this number.
The experience is exhilarating.
I genuinely enjoy it.
Though it proves more difficult than it appears, the challenge is incredibly rewarding.
Adapting once more, the man begins to combine several attacks into one powerful strike. He executes this new strategy with impressive speed, forcing me to respond. The intensity of our confrontation escalates, yet I am determined to keep up with his every move.
Out of nowhere, he stops.
"That should be enough." The look in his eyes is hard to discern.
He continues to look at me.
"What is your level?"
Huh, can he not see it? Is he seeing a question mark because he is at a higher level, or are natives here unable to see levels?
Oh, that would explain why it's so rude to ask for levels. Knowing someone's level means that you can measure their strength and might be seen as sizing them up for a fight.
"Isn't that rude to ask?"
For the first time, he smiles. His smile shows his teeth, and he continues to shamelessly look at me.
"It is," he nods.
"Twenty-four," I say shortly.
"Hmmm," he scratches the back of his head, "get back, I will think about what to do with you later."
He then continues to repeat the test with all of us, and they also tell him their levels.
Tess is 20, Sophie is 21, Isabella is 16, Hadwin is 18, Maya is 17, Kim is level 18, and the twins are the lowest, level 13. Well, the second lowest. Lily is at 8, mostly thanks to assisting with Cinderbear.
"Now, what to do with you," he stops in front of the corgi. "You have decent mana in your body, but I've never seen such a weird breed of dog." He squats in front of the corgi and reaches his hand towards him. Biscuit only sniffs it and continues to look at the man.
The man then stands up and turns towards Emeric.
"I heard it right that you want to help?" the looks they exchange look suspicious.
"Yes, sir! I already became friends with the one with the missing arm!"
"Alright, and I would appreciate it if you could come by from time to time to share your guidance and mentor them in proper etiquette, especially the girl," he points at Lily. "She has healing powers."
For the first time, I see the honest surprise on the face of the young noble.
"That's amazing; the lord will be happy!" Immediately, his behavior changes a bit, and he gives Lily a warm smile.
Are healers rare?
"Yes, her current level is low, but we can help her improve before informing the lord. I am confident he would value a more proficient healer, and as a result, the rewards he bestows might be even greater."
"Ahhh," the blonde noble only nods.
Lily's eyes become more scared as we continue to listen to their dialogue.
In the end, even the oh-so-proud Emeric seems to be a bootlicker.
A few hours later, they escort Lily away. She remains in shock after the events on the first floor and is visibly frightened as they guide her along.
We can do nothing but observe them leading her away, silently hoping she will be alright. Based on the previous conversation, I doubt they intend to harm her.
Prior to this, we had made arrangements to use the Community for communication. I hope that she will be safe and able to join the forum at the designated time.
Considering the swiftness with which they discovered and took her before Henry and Emeric could help her improve her skills, it seems that healers might be even more highly valued than I initially believed.
A woman dressed in a black robe comes another hour later day. Her presence exudes an air of authority, which is immediately apparent to everyone in the room. Even Henry acts humbly in her presence. He bows to her respectfully and proceeds to tread cautiously in her vicinity.
The woman's attire is immaculate, and her gray robe is without any embroidery. Her posture is confident, and she moves with deliberate grace.
As she scans the room with a piercing gaze, the atmosphere becomes tense with anticipation. It is clear that her arrival is no coincidence and that she is here with a purpose.
She immediately goes to Sophie.
[Aura Manipulator - lvl ??]
The first two question marks we saw since coming here.
No words exit her mouth, but it looks like a conversation going on between them.
After that, she takes Sophie and her sister, and they leave.
Maya stays behind.
After eating simple food and cleaning ourselves with cold water, the rest of us are led to our rooms. Tess and Maya get one for themselves, and I end up with Hadwin and Biscuit, while Kim is put in the room with the twins.
The room features two four-poster beds with carved wooden headboards, exposed stone walls adorned with wrought iron candle sconces, and a handwoven tapestry.
A modest wooden table sits near a window with thick drapes and a simple carved wardrobe for storage.
The room is simple but comfortable, especially after the first floor.
The best doggo immediately jumps on the bed and puts his head on my thigh.
(Food?)
You just ate, you little twerp.
Also, I really hope you didn't mean to eat Hadwin.
Once again, recalling the beginning of the second floor, I glance towards Hadwin, who meets my gaze as well.
"I think we have some unresolved matters."
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