Cliffs should have railings.
It has been now about a month that I, the one and only, the great, the amazing, the ultimate thinker in all things herbs, Professor Tin Blumentopf, have been foraging for rare herbs and materials in the Endless Forest - and I must say I have been making quite the excellent finds.
Well, who would expect less of me, yes?
Even though I had been coming here for many decades to gather resources, the forest was ever changing - it lived and breathed in many ways the same a living creature. So other than the map showing the few merchant roads that cut through the forest, I had no real guide other than my own experience.
Which was more than enough, of course.
And, not being a fighter in any means of the term - this even the magnificence that is I, have to concede on - I kept a constant vigilance for any dangerous animals and monsters.
This morning my search magic indicated something... strange... coming from up ahead near the stream that I had been aiming for, where I could find the rare purple nosed flat-plated asparagus. A valuable herb I used in my 'Hair, Hair, come again!' restorative tonic that even the Emperor seemed to be very much a fan of.
At first I thought it was a mutated wild boar type monster, what with its shape and size - but the closer I got the more I noticed it was almost translucent rusty-red, with small blue sparks firing off periodically just under the surface.
Using the very rare skill Aura Detection, I squinted at the rusty-red blobby mass at the edge of the stream.
I could just about make out tendrils of pure evil reaching out around the mass, sucking up the very mana out of the plants around it.
Even for the genius that I am, it had taken me more than a decade to learn Aura Detection from my teacher, the Great Sage - being that this spell was a more advanced version of Mana Detection, it required many, many hours of concentration to come to grips with the skill.
Of course I am one of the very few now who had mastered Aura Detection, heh.
What I knew instinctively was... this outlandish monstrous mass was not something I could ever hope to damage, let alone defeat.
And even though the rusty-red mass had no eyes, I knew that it had perceived me - and a moment later is started moving towards me.
I did not need an invitation - I turned and ran as fast as I dared away from the monstrosity.
And even though I was not a fighter, when it comes to running, few would be able to out pace these muscular legs of mine!
Stupidly enough, I was concentrating so much on escaping from the rusty-red mass that I didn't notice how close I got to a cliff edge.
Do I need to spell it out?
Sigh, yes, I noticed too late that I was already falling.
Luckily for all of you, it was only five stories high and being the ever quick thinker, I simply used wind magic to slow my fall down - and so I am still alive today to tell the tale!
Of course, even using wind magic, on landing on the jagged rocky cliff-bottom, I still sprained not one, but both my ankles quite badly.
Immediately I pulled several packets of my own patented medicine out of my item-box - another spell I had at heroinic effort on my side learned from my teacher, the Great Sage, oh so many, many years ago.
After decades of diligent practice, I could now fit a whole room's worth in my item-box.
Of course this still paled compared to my teacher, who seemed to have command over endless space... but she was many, many centuries older than I was, so one day, I will reach that level, too - just watch me!
The item-box skill was invaluable to me - next to my most treasured possessions I also carried over an year's worth of drinking water, dried food, a tent and cookware - and yes, as we saw, even precious medicine!
So being stranded in the Endless Forest for a wee bit until my ankles healed would no issue for me.
Because of my genius with herbology, I must admit my healing magic ended up a bit... non-existent.
Luckily I could depend on my self-crafted powders and poultices to get me - quite literally - back on my feet.
For now, I needed to make some more space between myself and whatever that... rusty-red thing... was.
Quickly mixing several powders into warm water, I drank the mixture - not a pleasant taste, I can assure you, but I am still working on that.
Hm, maybe adding powdered berry juice?
For the next hour or so my ankles would be perfectly fine - with the un-enviable side effect of both of them being twice worse off once the medicine wore off - still, a small price to pay when the alternative was having to face that rusty-red mana eating mass.
Obviously with the rare amount of mana I possessed, I would look like a very, very tasty morsel to any being that ate mana!
And about an hour later running at my full speed I discovered a cave - an occupied one at that.
Obviously no law-abiding citizen would camp out here in a cave, so these were either goblins or bandits, of course.
But in either case, whoever - or whatever - they where, they could prove useful.
While, again, I was not a fighter, I did have other skills and resources that I could rely on when dealing with beings I could communicate with.
I am, after all, the most celebrated Professor Tin Blumentopf!
I make an arrangement.
As I got closer to the cave, I was quickly surrounded by nine unwashed individuals of morally suspect background.
One of them stepped forwards - obviously the boss.
"Oho! Looks like some poor traveler has gotten himself lost!" [Bandit Chief]
I plumped myself down on a handy tree stump - the effects of the medicine had started to wear off... with a vengeance.
"Yes, I could use a bit of aid. If you could get me to the capital, that would be... capital."
The bandits all grinned.
"Well, as you can see, we are but poor woodsmen, so how much would you be worth... ah.. how much would our help be worth to you? We need to make a living, too, you know." [Bandit Chief]
"Yes, that seems fair. So how much ranso... ahem... how much reward money are you expecting?"
"Hm... one moment..." [Bandit Chief]
The leader huddled together with his main men and there was a quick whispered discussion amongst them.
"We will rans... ah, rescue you for ONE HUNDRED GOLD! We think that is fair market value, considering the location - here deep in the Endless Forest." [Bandit Chief]
"Eh? Well, I can cover that myself easily enough..."
With that I fished out one of my money pouches from my shoulder bag - in reality of course I pulled it from my item-box.
I tossed the pouch over to the leader, and it landed with a satisfying "clunk", showing it was quite heavy for being so small.
"Here is one hundred gold to start. And I do not want to toot my own horn, but Professor Blumentopf - who is me - is a most valuable member of the university staff. So when I am brought safely back to the capital, the university will surely award my rescuers with at least - and I repeat at the very least - one thousand gold."
The bandits' collective jaws dropped at that.
Even on one gold piece, a normal being could live comfortably for a month in the capital - and possibly for a whole year in a small village at the edge of the Empire.
"That said, if someone decides to be greedy and demand a larger rans... asks for more reward... well now... have you 'gentlemen' heard of JadeHeart?"
Several of the bandit's faces paled at the mention of that famous - or in their eyes I suppose, infamous - name.
Even the leader looked a bit shaken, but then decided to do the bravado bit I was half-expecting him to do.
"Tha... tha... JadeHeart's just a myth, that is!" [Bandit Chief]
"I don't think so boss... remember the stories the old timers used to tell us about the infamous highwayman gang with a bounty of five thousand gold on them? Old' Screech the dwarf was the only one who survived what he called a green glowing fiend of vengeance, and he used to scream each time he saw someone wearing bright green..." [Bandit 1]
"And then there was the legend of Buckle Leg Brandy - every time HE saw any sort of bright green, he just keeled over - dead fainted, he did!" [Bandit 2]
"Oh, and you know the whole Treddle Hill Gang? The last people to see ANY of them said the night the Gang disappeared bright shining green light was streaming out of their hideout - and all they heard was dull THUMPS all night. In the morning, not one Treddle Hill Gang member was to ever be found..." [Bandit 3]
"Those stories are hundreds of year old! No-one has seen this green lighted JadeHeart for centuries! This old geezer is just trying to scare... just talking nonsense!" [Bandit Chief]
"Well, it is true those are perhaps now ancient stories - I am just saying that the university has the resources to hire someone at the same level as the legendary bounty hunter, JadeHeart... best to just be happy to earn an honest reward, no?"
The bandit boss considered a bit before nodding.
"Well, OK. But we can only bring you to the village just before the capital. You'll need to get the university or whoever to send someone there with the rans... reward money. Bet you could send a message from the first village we'll pass or something. We... well, we are all a wee allergic to that high-tootin' air that the capital is full of, you see?" [Bandit Chief]
"That is acceptable, I quite understand - the capital does have a certain... hanging air quality, doesn't it."
My carefully chosen words had their effect - more pale faces all around. Only the boss didn't seem to register the veiled threat.
"Good, good - we'll leave once the rest of the boys are back. Where did they go to anyways?" [Bandit Chief]
This second part he addressed to one of his sidekicks, who answered with a wink and partially toothed grin.
"Ol' Gameswold went to check out a fancy log cabin with some of the boys - said he saw the owner leave a few days back. Wanted to check if the door was locked and all - never know what nefarious types are around these days, hehe." [Bandit Sidekick]
I find JadeHeart alive and well, if somewhat changed.
With that the bandits disappeared back into their cave, leaving me to my own devices at the entrance, sitting on my tree stump.
I was not about to wander off at this point - both my ankles were on fire, so it was time to bind them up and put some cooling gel on them - a special formula I had also learned from my teacher, the Great Sage.
As I was doing that I heard a commotion behind me - cracking branches and many disturbed shouts.
Several bandits crashed into the clearing in front of the cave hideout, collapsing exhausted just steps away from me in front of the cave entrance.
One of them had foam coming from his mouth and his eyes rolled back - out cold.
"It's insane! The scarecrow is insane!" [Panicking Bandit]
"GREEN! IT'S SHINING GREEN!" [Fleeing Bandit]
"#(#&@)@(@&$*$)(!!!!!" [Potty Mouthed Bandit]
"Gargle..." [Fainted Bandit]
With the big commotion the bandit boss and the ones that had greeted me came out of the cave to look what was going on.
Just in time to meet a green glowing scarecrow that had now at great speed entered the clearing, too.
Before any of the bandits could react, the emerald green glowing scarecrow jumped them and with its broom handle arms whirling around in big circles, sent all twelve still standing bandits flying in all directions.
And... twelve "Knock Outs" in just a heartbeat!
Of course, I instantly recognized this green glowing machine of vengeance, even in its new form.
"Hey JadeHeart, I see teacher got you put back together. Interesting new look - suits you somehow."
The scarecrow's arms slowed to stop, and the green glow surrounding it died down.
I had known and respected this golem when it was still in the form of a suit of a knight's full plate armor, so many centuries ago.
It had - if I recall correctly - been crafted by a very dear friend of my teacher's to protect her - that had happened long before my magnificent presence had been granted to this world, and I never did meet the Great Sage's friend, all the more pity. I would have loved to learn the golem making craft from them!
With a couple of steps, the scarecrow with it's crudely drawn on face, came to stand in front of me.
It looked down at me, almost as if it had a question.
Using Aura Detection I saw the magic fabric of its jade heart - the Great Sage had never been one for naming things creatively, nor for drawing.
The three parts that the large jade gem had been broken into during its last great battle against the armies of evil several centuries ago were joined into one piece again - I recognized the magical "glue" was definitely my teacher's pure sun-yellow mana.
But... there was a new, much more powerful golden mana woven gently throughout the scarecrow's heart, pulsating in almost the same rhythm as my own heartbeat - whoever had added that was many times more powerful then even my ancient teacher had been.
"You don't remember me, do you? No surprise, your memory core did not survive at all during your last great battle - which is a shame. You'd remember that you saved so many being at the time. Truly something you should be proud of! So... I'm glad I can let you know that, now that you are reformed."
JadeHeart the scarecrow tilted it's head to one side.
"Well, do you at least remember your owner, the Great Sage? Tall high elf woman? Has a terrible naming sense? Can't draw for beans? Hm, let's see..."
I fished a small book out of my item-box that still had preservation magic imbued by my teacher on it.
"Here, this was her mana - recognize it? It is the same sun-yellow mana that is holding your heart together now."
JadeHeart looked at the book a bit with its button eyes, and then carefully nodded.
"Well, I am her greatest apprentice. Would you do me a big favor?"
Again a careful nod - perhaps something about me was familiar despite its memory loss, or perhaps JadeHeart just decided I was not part of the bandits
And JadeHeart had always helped those in distress - it was simply part of its very core nature.
"Fine - Let's round up these bandits, first - I have enough rope with me to bind them several times over. And then, if I could bother you to help me get to the Guild trading post that I think is near here, then that would be very helpful."
JadeHeart nodded once again, and then tottered off to collect the bandits it had catapulted all over the place.
"If you could just line them all up in a row- yes, good - now I'll tie them up to each other. And, now I'll wake them up with a little something I call 'no sleeping in class', hehe..."
Said, done.
And with that, I hitched a piggy-back from my ancient, now amnesiac, comrade.
I had tied the rope-end holding the bandits to JadeHeart's... waist.
All thirteen grumbling bandits followed along meekly - including the now re-awoken mouth frothy one.
Not one wanted JadeHeart to revert back to its green glowing self!
And so, we made our way towards where my map showed the Guild trading post #375 should be.
I bet if anyone had seen us, they would have decided they had had enough to drink - or, maybe they might decide they needed a drink!
Such a strange caravan we made, heh.
As we travelled, I wondered if I'd ever meet the amazing mage who had woven that new golden mana throughout JadeHeart's... heart.
Maybe I could learn from them as I had once learned from the Great Sage - after all, even a genius such as myself needed a great teacher!
Thank you for the chapter
Thx for the chap.
So this guy is our tiny hermit student maybe ? And the mana from the MC ?
PS: I was excepting a POV of the tiny hermit first before anything else tho ... a shame
Thanks for still reading!
While they both are part of the same university and very likely have met at one point in some professional capacity, Professor Tin Blumentopf never noticed much of anything about Anna the tiny hermit - other than that she is usually trying to be un-noticed. After all, it is considered rude - at least in polite society - to in any way "appraise" other beings.
Also, sorry - I had this semi prepped already before I got swamped with finals, so decided to pop at least this in... But the NEXT chapter is from Anna's the tiny hermit's POV! Promise!
@Fainswift Ok, when can we expect the next chapter if you have any idea of when you will end it lol
@Stonelight Now that my exams are over, I'm back on a weekly schedule.
But if I can, I'll try and drop more often, of course!
That mana is from our friendly neighborhood Phoenix isn't it?
Thanks for the chapter
@Fainswift nice to meet you Time, I'm tunefullcobra
@Tunefullcobra