Planet Areana. The Great Forest. The Border of the Largot Empire and the Great Forest.
Third day
"What's this we've got here?" I asked, looking at some strange movement near the road I was walking along through the forest.
The previous days of my short journey had passed peacefully, save for a couple of skirmishes with the local game. But then I learned to make peace with them, trying to avoid their notice. It was enough to spot them early and move out of their way, either toward the highway or deeper into the forest. And as soon as I left their hunting grounds or some other habitat, they either stopped pursuing me or ignored me altogether.
Otherwise, everything was fine.
At the same time, I studied this world, or rather, that part of it that significantly distinguished it from ours.
I took the fact that magic existed in this world in stride. Moreover, I had developed some clearly magical abilities myself. For example, my vision when I wanted to see something. It was very helpful when moving through the forest. Now I always knew who or what was nearby. This advantage allowed me to avoid most encounters with animals, although a few particularly stubborn ones required a little training. After all, these are the basic instincts of any predator: if it runs, it's prey. So after that, I simply walked away, trying not to be too brazen, and didn't approach them.
True, for the vision to work consistently, I had to constantly maintain the desire to see something. But I got used to it practically within a day.
The main clashes with animals took place on the very first day, fortunately there weren't many of them along the road.
Well, then everything went much easier. When I noticed something, I focused on it and tried to examine it more closely. And then I learned even more details than before. This method didn't strain me much while moving, and once I got the hang of it, it actually turned out to be beneficial.
This is a world of magic. And a journey through the forest demonstrated this beautifully. Animals, plants, stones, branches, various small debris—in all of this, one could sometimes detect a strong magical element.
And since I'll have to settle into this world sooner or later, I'll have to start somewhere. Where there are mages—I've met at least a few myself—there are bound to be those interested in such goods. So, without delving too deeply into the forest, I walked along the road and collected everything that struck me as interesting. If it all turns out to be trash, I'll simply throw it away; fortunately, this gathering didn't require any special effort on my part. Just keep an eye on the surrounding area and check out interesting spots.
However, logic dictated that most of the items would have some value. Especially various stones. Even I now have talismans, or amulets, as they're properly called, in my knapsack—I don't know what they're called—that I took from the corpses of shamans. And at least one of them contained exactly the same stone I'd already found here. Whether they were precious or not, I don't know; I can only discern very few of them at a glance, but the fact that they were used to create magical items suggests they have some value, and that's something.
As I understand it and remember from books I read as a child, magic—which in this world can be equated to high technology in our world, something isolated in a separate, semi-closed sphere of activity—is a very expensive pleasure. Therefore, everything connected with it must have a certain value. So, I kept all my finds in one of my belt pouches, which I believe belonged to that same shaman.
Incidentally, the bag turned out to be a bit odd. It was clearly a magical object, as its properties were quite unusual. At first, I thought it was completely empty, as it was light and not particularly large, but upon opening it, I was surprised to see about a hundred gold coins and several amulets that emanated a magical aura. However, upon closing it, I felt and noticed nothing. So, neither its weight nor its interior volume corresponded to its appearance.
This gave me another thought. This is a powerful means of concealing one's presence. And although I myself didn't particularly stand out from the crowd, what I had collected shone like a fire in the darkness. However, if I hid such magical items in this small bag, then I, at least by them, would be impossible to spot. And so I placed all such goods there.
Unfortunately, my bag wasn't oversized, so I had to transfer the gold to another one. Although I felt a little heavier on my shoulders, I was less noticeable to those around me.
This is what saved me several times from encounters with predators, who, it seems, were following exactly this trail.
And from here I made another completely logical conclusion.
I'm probably not the only one who's unique, and other magicians should either have similar abilities or be able to somehow replace them, because it would be difficult to get by in their profession without them. Moreover, apparently, there were some other creatures, animals, and so on, who should also be able to sense magic.
I've observed something similar several times myself, when animals would approach a particular tree or small stream possessing a special magical field (or perhaps an aura?) and rest there. I was particularly intrigued when I observed a wounded predator choosing a small clearing to rest in. In the middle of it was a very bright and powerful channel (?) of green energy, gushing directly from the ground.
But what's even more interesting is that in such places, just like at watering holes during a drought in the desert, predators didn't attack other animals. I liked this observation, and I tried to use such places for rest and overnight stays.
Once, precisely because of this, a very funny incident happened; I would have even laughed, if, of course, I hadn't almost shit my pants from fear then.
I wake up under a tree just like this, and right in front of my face, almost touching it, lies the enormous, fanged muzzle of a beast five times my size. It looks at me silently, sadly. Probably because it regrets that it can't eat me.
That's when I realized that, firstly, my observations were correct, and secondly, without magic, there was nothing I could do with the weapon I had in my hands. I couldn't even imagine how I could defeat such a huge monster. But after that encounter, I began to move through the forest with even greater caution. True, there were no more such encounters, but that didn't change anything; one was enough for me.
But it was while resting near such energy sources that I noticed another oddity, this one directly related to me and the other beasts present there. This was especially noticeable in relation to that monster and me.
All the animals, while in such places, seemed to recharge, filling with energy. Their fields began to glow significantly brighter. At the same time, a small virtual channel was established from them to the source itself, through which, as I understand it, the energy flowed. And the stronger the animal's magical potential, the wider this channel became, and the brighter the creature's field itself ultimately glowed.
The same thing happened with that enormous monster. A channel between it and the source was established, about twenty centimeters in diameter. And it was pumping out so much energy that even the source itself began to glow less brightly.
But with me, everything was different.
First, I saw that animals' channels don't change. If it's small, that's just how it is. I thought back then, before I met the monster in the clearing, that everyone else's were like that too. And mine was about the same. But when I saw that monster and its channel, I was surprised to realize that their diameters could vary. Just for fun, I wanted to pump in more energy. And my channel began to expand. Now it's ten centimeters, twenty, like the monster's, thirty, forty. Maybe it would have grown further, but the source dried up.
The ugly creature looked at me like I was a complete idiot. And this thing is so stupid? I won't believe it! Then she calmly got up and disappeared into the forest.
I realized with surprise that even the sources weren't eternal. True, a small trickle of energy still flowed, but it was tiny, even smaller than my original channel.
"Perhaps it will recover over time," I thought and was about to move on, when I came to my senses: "What about my field?"
That monster glowed so much that I could still see its aura through the forest.
But then the second thing emerged. My own field remained completely unchanged. It remained as barely visible as before. What this could mean, I couldn't understand.
There was only one conclusion. The locals accumulate energy in their field, and as it replenishes, it becomes more visible and brighter, while I am transferring it to who knows where. But where this "where" is located, I didn't know.
If I want to figure all this out, I need to find someone knowledgeable in all these matters. And as I understand it, if there are magicians here, and quite a few of them, then someone has to teach them something. They're not all self-taught, after all.
I remember the spell the elf cast; it's hard to come up with something like that myself without knowing at least some of the basics and general rules of working with magic. So I need to get to a place where I can figure it all out.
Now there's at least some kind of goal, beyond simple survival and trying to fit into society. It's more interesting and more meaningful.
But then again, this requires money. If this is some kind of educational institution, then I'm sure it's definitely not cheap. And so I began to look even more closely at the space around me and returned to magical gathering.
And as it turned out, there were practically no such magical finds along the road itself; everything had probably already been collected before me, so I moved a little further into the forest. There, I found significantly more of the items I needed.
That's how I traveled.
The only problem was food. But here, as they say, I had to act like the survival books and eat what the locals ate. With one exception. I immediately discarded anything magical and generally tried to avoid hunting magical beasts, not knowing what to expect from them. But there were almost none. So I ate what all the other predators ate. True, I carefully gutted the carcasses and tried to cook them well. It's a good thing that Petrovich, as a child, taught me how to make a fire without matches, using improvised means, which is what I used. Flint and steel, sparks from a steel blade. I had something to ignite dry moss and then fan a small flame.
Well, the animals showed me where to drink. There were no particular concerns here.
This is how these days passed.
And now something new. Only because I wasn't walking along the road or its edge, but a little further, I noticed some movement there and a gathering of living creatures.
I'm getting closer.
A crowd of armed men. Hiding along the road. Weapons of various kinds. A pair of commanders. One group on this side of the road, the other on the other.
Somewhere on the other side of the road, I see four more figures, two of whose auras stand out especially brightly against the background. Most likely, someone with magical powers. However, the ambush is clearly not for them, but for someone who is supposed to follow the road.
If I'm not mistaken, these are either bandits or robbers. They don't look much like fighters for an idea or partisans. However, who knows about these locals? But I need to check.
I crawl closer. And as if by surprise, some brute passes right next to me, dragging a tied-up girl and an old man behind him. So I creep after them.
Seeing this, I understand: "The partisans are out of the question, at least for me." I don't like it when people, especially children, are treated this way.
The bull dragged his captives into a gentle ravine, in the middle of which grew a large tree, and began to tie them to it.
Ideal shelter, suitable for my purposes.
We need him alive, so we act when he goes back.
There's a good spot here, I'll jump out like a jack-in-the-box. The big guy won't even have time to react.
I crawl back a little and climb into some kind of cavern in the ground. I wait. A little time passes. I hear footsteps. He's coming. There they are, right next to me. A few more moments. It's time.
I stand up, his broad back is right in front of me, one step – and the knife is at his throat.
"Quiet," I say in his ear.
And I slowly retreat with him into the same ravine from which he climbed out.
"Who are you and who is being ambushed?" I ask, still quietly.
"These are Count Teran's men," a voice comes from the tree.
Look, the girl has good hearing.
Great, we'll talk to them later. But right now I need other information.
"Who's the ambush?" I ask the count's man again.
He remains silent.
I press the knife to his neck and slowly move it, cutting the skin.
"There's a caravan coming from the north," he quickly begins to answer, fear in his voice, and his voice is somehow squeaky, as if he's used to screeching. "Carrying gold. There's a lot of security. But we're prepared; we have two mages in the forest (oh, what did I tell you, the ambush isn't for them, they're part of it). On the other side of the road," the brute waved his hand, "they should block their mages and their defensive artifacts."
"Thank you," I thank him and calmly cut his throat.
As soon as I saw that girl among the captives, I immediately decided I didn't like them and they definitely wouldn't be my friends. I've always had a strong aversion to such individuals, ever since the orphanage. Sometimes there were some real bastards there who treated women, girls, and especially girls like that. And surprisingly, it wasn't just me who disliked them, and that's why I caught them. In the past tense.
But here we have simple bandits, albeit with the coat of arms of some count on their backs.
"I'll untie you now and take you deeper into the forest," I say to the captives. "Wait for me. I'll sort this out and come back, and then we'll talk. Can you hold out in the forest for a couple of hours alone?"
"Yes," the old man nods confidently.
"Okay," I answer and cut the ropes.
We move a little further into the thicket. On the way, I asked who they were.
It turned out the grandfather and granddaughter were traveling to the capital of the Largot Empire on business and decided to take this route as a shortcut because they were running late. Both, I noticed, possessed magical abilities.
I didn't ask any more questions for now. I needed to act.
"Here," I leave them two knives and one of those gorillas' swords, "just in case. But best if you try to keep a low profile. I'll be back."
I left them in a place where there was a safe zone, with a source emitting green energy. They weren't supposed to be touched there.
Turning around, I disappear into the forest.
* * *"Grandpa," a girl of about twelve asked the old man, who was looking thoughtfully after the young man who had disappeared between the tree trunks, "who do you think he is?"
"Huh?" he broke away from his thoughts. "What are you talking about?"
"Well," the girl thought, "I mean, who is he anyway? And what's he doing here alone?"
"I don't know," the old man admitted honestly. He turned and pointed toward the center of the ravine where they were hiding. "Look there with your magical gaze, like I taught you."
The girl obediently turned in that direction.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, but then, frightened, she covered her mouth with her hand and asked, almost in a whisper: "Grandpa, that's where the source of life is, right?"
"That's right," he nodded, "and I'm sure that this human brought us here for a reason."
"Why?" the girl asked in surprise.
"Because," the grandfather replied, "this place is safe; at least the predators won't attack us here. Hunters, seekers, elfars, and others accustomed to dealing with the Great Forest usually make camp in places like this."
"So he's one of them?" the curious girl asked, but then corrected herself: "Of course, I didn't mean an elfar."
"Unlikely. They're usually much better equipped. He's more likely from somewhere on the outskirts of the empire. He just knows how to live in the forest. He looks more like a northerner. Although they vary. So he could very well be an Imperial. He speaks clearly, without an accent. He's probably just looking for a better life. I saw myself that he wasn't dressed particularly well. However, he has a good weapon."
The old man examined the sword, but suddenly, for some reason, he lifted it and peered at the blade, then pulled out a knife, which he tucked into his belt. The next moment, the one he had given the girl also asked for another.
"Strange," he muttered.
"What?" asked the granddaughter.
- This is a weapon of the Tarrloks.
She looked at her grandfather with incomprehension.
Remembering who was standing in front of him and that his granddaughter had never been particularly interested in such things, he explained:
"They won't sell it to us," he added, glancing after the boy who had disappeared into the forest. "It can only be taken in battle." And then, much calmer, he said, "So he's most likely a northerner. Those who would only set out in search of adventure with a family sword at their belt and an empty knapsack on their back. Looks like the one we met. So it's not surprising he was traveling along this road. It's much closer from their kingdoms, especially if he wants to reach the empire by a certain date."
The old man looked at the spring in the center of the ravine. He didn't sense much power in the boy, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. It might just be weak.
"Grandpa," the girl called, "do you mean to tell me that he's going to the Academy of Magic?"
The girl, though young, was precociously intelligent, smart, and talented. That's why they were traveling to the empire together. Or rather, to the Largot Empire Academy of Magic. Although they would have gone together anyway, Deya had no one else besides the old man.
Her grandfather was an artificer mage, not particularly powerful, but very experienced and possessing a wealth of knowledge. Therefore, he was invited to teach at the academy's artificing and runology department. The offer came at just the right time.
Firstly, this particular faculty didn't require great magical powers, making my grandfather a good candidate for a teaching position. Secondly, his experience and knowledge in this field could only be rivaled by the one mage who was the dean of this faculty, his old friend, Cornol Leniaves. But, as the old man had heard, he had disappeared without a trace a couple of weeks ago. And hadn't been seen since. That's why they invited him. And he agreed, but on one condition.
And this condition now stood opposite and bombarded him with questions.
He asked the rector to allow his granddaughter to study in the faculty where the old man himself would teach and supervise. With her abilities and perseverance, it wouldn't be too difficult. But by the time she could enroll in the academy on a regular basis and have a wider choice of specializations, she would already be a fully trained runologist mage; her grandfather hadn't even considered artifice. Deya wasn't a universal mage, but she would easily master the other disciplines.
And the rector agreed.
But here's how it happened.
Their small caravan was attacked by bandits. If it hadn't been for the northerner, the grandfather couldn't even imagine what would have happened to them. No, he imagined what would have happened to his little girl if that had happened, but he didn't even want to think about it. And so he was extremely grateful to their unexpected savior, who had vanished again.
"Grandpa, something's going on there," Deya said after an hour and a half of waiting and pointed in the direction of the road.
And no wonder. Even here, the echoes of battle could be heard. But Grandfather sensed something else, too. The mages had activated their protective weaves. This meant the trap hadn't sprung, and the Count's mages, who were supposed to block the caravan mages and their protective artifacts from using magical energy, had somehow failed to do their job.
And the grandfather was completely sure that he knew exactly the reason for this: a young northerner with straw-colored hair.
Having approached the bandits holed up at the edge of the highway, positioned on the other side of the road, I realized that it wouldn't be possible to take out the mages quietly. They were too close to see each other at all times, and too far away to destroy them simultaneously. Besides, one of them had some kind of strange field. Logic dictated that since I could see the mage perfectly well, even without my own vision, it certainly wasn't a camouflage field. But it could very well be protective. Besides, they were positioned close to the main squad, and they would be perfectly aware of any noise that arose.
What to do?
There's some caravan. They want to seize it. In fact, I couldn't care less about who was riding in it. But it's like with those elves in the clearing. I've already chosen a side.
This is my world now, and here I don't have to pretend or hide, like we do, when every bandit and freak is covered by a crowd of lawyers and a bunch of laws written by bastards just like themselves.
Of course, not everyone there was like that. There was Petrovich, and Lera, and Anyuta, and Nilych, and his elderly sister, Grandma Agrippina. But there were also those who used the law as a cover to carry out their own affairs. People like that FSB general and his henchmen, or the bandit Gosha the Borets.
And here it was like everywhere else. There's a count. It seems like a grand title. But behind it, clearly, lies some simple highwayman.
But there's one significant difference: here I can be myself. Within reason, of course. And if I have a chance to help, why not do it? Moreover, I really don't like people who treat girls like that, like the grandfather's granddaughter I met.
Their fate wasn't hard to guess. We kidnap girls and young women for roughly the same reason. And then resell them. The profession is ancient and eternal, just like men's instincts, so I don't think it was without that.
I need to think. At least the mages' guards don't have any thrown weapons or firearms. I wasn't particularly worried about the knives. Throwing them only at close range is truly dangerous, but throwing them far and effectively requires considerable training and skill.
But the magicians... We'll have to take a risk and shoot the one with the field first.
Although it could be done more simply. I have no problem throwing knives. And I can do it quite quickly. So, in five seconds, which is exactly how long it will take, I'll take out the unprotected mage and their guards. And then I'll go after the one with protection. And here, as in any physics, if it's overloaded, it's bound to fail sooner or later. But if it's completely overloaded, I wonder what then? Will it be possible to penetrate it immediately?
Petrovich always said that the heaviest thing a person can carry around is himself.
What if we do what Hannibal's warriors (perhaps they were Assyrian warriors, since they were considered the best lone killers at that time, who by that time had been assimilated into Carthage after their conquest of the Phoenician kingdom) used in the Battle of Carthage?
When the Romans attacked them, they simply couldn't penetrate their armor with their swords and spears. So they tried the following: They tied spiked blocks to their feet and jumped on top of them, using their spears as poles, or performed similar leaps from various elevated positions. The acceleration and weight did the trick. The armor was stitched. This is precisely what could be used.
Of course, I don't have any pads, but I do have knives. And the distribution of force won't depend too much on whether I strike with my feet or my hands; the main thing is not to miss.
Plus, I see a launch pad near the mage in the form of a fairly tall tree; I need to use that. Climb it. And then start acting.
But they need to be distracted. And those by the road shouldn't pay any attention to what's happening here. That means I need help. And the best way to help is to completely redirect the entire gang's attention to the road. Therefore, I need that caravan the brute mentioned. Let them work a little for their own salvation.
On the highway
Twenty minutes later
Well, here are those I'm waiting for.
There are five, but only two are suitable. They're all well-armed. The ammunition is the same. There are three mages and several artifacts, as the brute said.
There's probably gold, too. But I'm not particularly interested in it. I've never had any particular desire to grab what belonged to others. But I wasn't ready to give up what was mine to anyone either. So we often disagreed with some less-than-scrupulous individuals.
True, in the last two months of my life on Earth, I had to abandon my principles. There was no other way. But that was later. Before that, I tried to live as my conscience dictated.
Orphanage
Eight years ago
"Listen, small fry," Vitka Zherdyai, the local boss and terror of all the youngsters, addressed a skinny, short guy, "you've become really cheeky, they say you don't want to share?"
The boy didn't even bat an eye; he continued to sit and eat.
"Listen, I'm talking to you," said the overgrown boy, turning purple with anger. He should have been kicked out of the orphanage three years ago, but it was unclear why he was still here.
And, pushing aside the others, ignoring the fact that he was scattering their food, he headed toward that very boy. His supporters from the older groups followed him.
Everyone looked at the loner with fear.
He's a good kid, basically. Quiet. Doesn't bother anyone. He's always either doing his homework in class or helping the guard out in the yard. The guard feeds him for it.
Then word got around that the kid had made some money somewhere—not stolen, but actually earned it—and Zherdyai found out. He didn't like working, but shaking down the little guys was his favorite pastime. Especially those lone wolf types. You could then pin them on the scoreboard and have a good time. Zherdyai loved the feeling of his strength and impunity; he loved practicing on those unanswered blows, showing off what a tough fighter he was.
And everyone knew it.
There's nothing to say about the girls. They were even worse off.
That's why there should always be someone who can cover for you.
So this little blond guy had no one. Never had.
And now the reckoning for this has come.
But strangely enough, it didn't seem to bother him at all; he continued to sit calmly and eat, not paying attention to anyone.
Vitka was only a few steps away when the boy took the second step. This enraged the local thunderstorm even more. He lunged forward. One step. Two. Three. And loomed over the table. Bent over.
And then suddenly he started screaming hysterically.
Everyone looked at him in fear. No one could understand anything. All they could hear was screaming, crying, and some pitiful whimpering from Longshanks.
And then a boy appears from behind his body, holding a tray in his hands.
"He ran into a fork," he says calmly and carries the dirty dishes to the sink.
A week later, Vitaly Zherdyaev was evicted from the orphanage after his documents were finally reviewed. The question of why he was still living there remained unresolved. But the director insisted it was some kind of mistake or oversight.
Well, it turned out that Longshanks, in his stupidity, had indeed rushed toward the guy, not noticing him rise with a tray in his hands. His groin had been slammed into a fork that had slipped over the edge, and he'd been hospitalized afterward. His voice has remained squeaky and ringing ever since.
And no one bothered the boy after that. Longshanks had stumbled upon a fork too luckily. Few believed it. And it was better for the quiet and calm boy to remain that way.
On the highway
Twenty minutes later
Two fighters on some strange mounts, I don't even know what to compare them to, they looked like wolves, but they were tall and somehow lean, rode up to me and stopped.
I sat like that on purpose. They couldn't hit me from the highway now; those two blocked my view.
One was older, mature and sensible. The other was younger, but his habit of giving orders and taking responsibility for other people's lives was still evident. Good people, basically. They came to talk. They did the right thing. If they had acted differently, I would have simply turned around and forgotten what I was about to do.
"Hey, traveler, what are you sitting here for? Waiting for someone or keeping watch?" the commander asked.
I looked at him and replied:
"I'm resting. There's a large force waiting for you about a mile away. So you better get ready."
And he looked at his overly relaxed fighters.
Even though I know I'm safe, I don't usually behave like this, but these guys just let go of the reins, as if they'd already gotten home.
I understand it's only two days' journey from here to this very Largot Empire, but I can't be so careless! It's precisely on such stretches of road that ambush can be set up, when everyone thinks they're almost home and lets their guard down.
That's exactly what the bandits did a little further on.
Having said that, I decided my help would no longer be needed here and headed towards the mages. I needed to sneak up behind them unnoticed. Climb that tree and wait for the skirmish to begin.
I reached the spot quickly. The same twenty minutes. Then I stripped off everything unnecessary, leaving only the knives. I'd be using them, so anything else would just get in the way. I secured them to my body, checking that they weren't loose or making noise. Then I crawled toward the mages lying in ambush. I had to move quietly and stealthily, and as a result, very slowly, but I made it in time.
I found a comfortable spot in a strange fork in the tree's crown. From here, I could throw knives at targeted opponents and easily leap, when necessary, to the protected mage.
All that's left is to wait. Not for long, though.
The caravan had almost reached the place where it was ambushed.
I didn't see whether the caravan guards heeded my advice or not. But if they didn't, that's their problem.
I'm waiting. We missed the forward patrol.
"It's strange that they didn't notice anything, since the bandits weren't exactly hiding?"
But upon closer inspection, I realized. They were disguising them. One of the mages, the second one, was the one without any protection.
"So now it's all about to begin," I decided when I saw that the caravan was already completely trapped.
Now the first magician came into action.
A few seconds later, the caravan covers some field, and then, almost instantly, bandits rush towards it. I hear the clang of steel, not cries of pain. So, they listened to my advice after all.
But it's time for me to act too. The knives are lying in front of me. All five of them.
Goal number one.
Throw.
The hardest target. He's a ranged mage. He wasn't positioned very well. But I hit him. The dagger went straight into his neck. His body falls. The second dagger hit his guard; I need to take him out of the fight.
No luck there. The knife hilt caught him in the temple. Not fatally, but he lost consciousness. I don't need more for now.
Third throw. Everything is clear here. The blade entered precisely into the collarbone, near the heart. Also a dead end.
And now the last thing. And the most difficult one.
I run along the branch right in front of me. Leap. Raise my hands, clutching daggers. And bring them together in a strike.
I must have overestimated this mage's defenses, or they weren't designed for this type of attack. But the knife blades sank into his body up to the hilts.
That's it. The job is done. Incidentally, the mages in the caravan noticed this too, as they began actively casting their spells.
There's nothing more for me to do here. Soon there will be an empire. And there I'll need money. And I don't even know how much. So I need to collect trophies.
There were several purses of gold and silver. The mages had the most. Some amulets and strange scrolls, also tinged with magic. And weapons. After looking at the guards, I removed my armor. It was decent chainmail and plate armor.
I finished off the last guard. You can't leave enemies behind you, even if they don't know about you. But sooner or later they might find out. This was also one of Petrovich's pieces of advice.
Then I circled the battlefield in a wide arc and returned to the ravine where I'd left my grandfather and granddaughter. I needed both companions and anyone who could tell me anything about this place, and I found them.
Our path lay towards the empire.
Outpost on the border of the Largoth Empire
Two days later
"Here we are," said Kasis, the old man's name, turning to me and pointing to a fairly large building by the road. "Beyond that is the Largot Empire. And this is the outpost and customs house."
The large, massive structure, made of stone and some kind of brick, exudes magic, both in its walls and the small perimeter surrounding it.
"What's inside?" I ask.
"Well..." the old man drawled, "usually a customs office, a garrison, stables for riding animals, probably an inn, and most likely a trading post for seekers and hunters. This outpost is essentially a small settlement. So there are mages and healers there. And..." He wanted to add something else, but, looking at the girl, he fell silent.
"I see," I nodded, including what he hadn't finished saying.
I already figured out what it was. It's just like the Wild West, where there are plenty of lonely men, and they need something too.
And then I remembered something incomprehensible.
"Who are the seekers?" I asked.
- Well, these are the ones who search for various magical artifacts in the Great Forest.
I didn't need to explain further. I've done the same thing myself. So, there's a whole swathe of people doing the same job.
"Hmm, interesting." This gave me an idea, but without my grandfather's knowledge I can't figure it out.
Deya walked beside me. A strange girl, wise beyond her years. We'd call her a prodigy. But here, as Kasis said, such unique individuals are a dime a dozen. And all because of the strong mixture of human and other bloodlines. Deya, for example, is half elf. Her mother is an ordinary woman, Kasis's daughter, but her father is some visiting elf—here they're called elfars.
Interestingly, the opposite pair—an elf and a human—had no children, as the elf women generally paid no attention to humans, and I now understood perfectly why. For you to be able to attract the interest of such beauty as the one I encountered in the forest, you yourself must be something special.
There were many other races as well. The Empire was a very multinational state.
And then I tried to find out who my fellow travelers were. And as it turned out, Kasis was an artificer mage. This surprised me.
"The magician was captured?" I asked.
To which he replied with a smile:
"I create artifacts, magical scrolls, and I can work with them, but I'm not a battle mage or even a life mage. And to be honest, I'm not much of a fighter anymore—I'm practically approaching my fourth century, after all."
When I learned his age, I was almost stunned. It turns out that mages here live for five or six hundred years. Some, like life mages, can live even longer. Ordinary people, on the other hand, live for two or three hundred years.
"I wonder how I'll fit into all this?" I thought then. "With my practically unattainable maximum of 100."
That's why I really wanted to understand what interesting things these very life magicians were doing there.
During our conversations, the following became clear.
Kasis was invited to work at a local Academy of Magic. He was to take over as dean of the Faculty of Artifact Science and Runology, replacing his old friend, who had disappeared a couple of weeks earlier. He and his granddaughter traveled through a forested area to save travel time and make it in time for the start of the admissions process at this very Academy, as Kasis was required to be present for the opening.
Incidentally, they thought I was going there too. At that time, admission to all other educational institutions in the empire was temporarily closed to free up the roads to the capital, Parn, for candidates seeking admission to their Academy of Magic.
When Kasis told me all this, he thought his words would make the desired impression on me, but to me they were just words. The only thing that interested me was that this academy actually existed here, and that anyone with even the slightest magical ability could try to enroll there.
I also learned that the first year at the academy cost five hundred gold pieces, the second a thousand, and each year after that two. There were several payment options. A sponsor. The government. Or your own pocket. Yet, tuition at the academy was considered inexpensive.
But that wasn't all. For example, their faculty was always short of students, and they could offer certain discounts on tuition. Furthermore, the academy provided housing and meals for both students and faculty. But if necessary or desired, no one prevented either of them from living and dining in the city. After all, many of the students were well-born aristocrats who owned their own mansions and residences in the capital.
However, students were still required to live on the academy's campus for the first three years of their studies, and only then were they free to live wherever they chose. This was believed to bring students closer together.
The faculty of study and the level of ability were determined by some distributional artifact.
That's essentially all the interesting information Kasis told me. Well, except for the fact that he wants his granddaughter to be accepted there too, and, as always, he was willing to keep an eye on her during her studies. And the rector of the academy accepted his terms.
It seemed the old man really was quite a specialist in his field, if they agreed to this rather unusual condition of his. The girl, it turned out, was also an orphan, like me, and her only relative was Kasis. This is what brought us together.
When she found out I had no family at all, in her childish naivety she immediately offered to be my little sister. She said that at least she'd have someone to play with and visit, and besides, she'd always wanted an older brother. And I'm a good one.
How can you refuse a child? Even though he's very smart, he still remains a sweet and kind child.
So I agreed. Kasis didn't object. He even said I was a good example for her.
This is how I got a sister in this new world for me.
She told me everything and anything. Deya loved to talk.
True, she liked to ask questions much more, but then there was a big bummer: I turned out not to be one of those who gives answers so easily even to the simplest questions.
For example, they only learned my name a day later. And that's because I was tired of being called "young man," "respected sir," "Mr. Northerner," or "uncle" all the time. Better to just call me by my name: Stepan.
My name didn't surprise them. It turns out Stepans were around here, though very rarely. Not a very popular name. And it was translated... I know how it was translated myself, I just didn't think about it until I said it.
Well, I didn't believe it at first, but it translated as "able to survive." Not "to live," but rather "to survive." Or simply, "Tenacious."
It's interesting how it works. In fact, I don't even have a last name anymore. Because my first name and my old last name were the same.
"Well, if it's Tenacious, then so be it," I decided, and forgot about it; I'll make do with just that one. I'm used to it. After all, that's all anyone called me for seventeen years of my previous life.
* * *
Now we are standing and waiting to be allowed first into the outpost, and then into the territory of the empire.
But then something rather unpleasant came to light. All the documents proving Kasis and Deya were citizens of the empire had been left behind in the lost caravan, and now they had nothing on them. Now, to enter the empire, they had to pay an entry fee. There was no mention of me at all. Everyone immediately stamped me as "northerner."
"I guess he does," I thought, chuckling yet again. At least there are fewer questions about where I came from, looking so handsome. It's easier for us.
I didn't really see the toll as a big deal, but it turned out we had to wait for some captain to arrive and collect our entry fee. In the meantime, we were offered a place to stay at a local tavern.
Kasis was upset. If they'd let us through right away, we might have made it on time. But now he was definitely late.
"What else can be done?" I asked him.
In response, he simply waved his hand somewhere to the side.
At first I thought it was out of desperation. But when I took a closer look at the sign, I froze.
"Pegasi for sale or rent," it said.
"Pegasi?" I muttered, amazed.
"Uh-huh," he nodded, "but they'll take at least a gold piece for each one. Everyone needs them now. And we need three. That's a lot of money."
Of course, I didn't mention that I'd never even sat on a horse, or whatever they have as a substitute here, let alone a pegasi. But I was very curious.
Kasis didn't even ask me where I got it from. He just pulled me aside one evening and said:
"I can only repay you when we arrive at the academy."
"If I wanted you to return something to me," I replied then, "I would have told you about it right away."
After that, we never returned to the matter again. But now, seeing how upset Kasis was, it became clear to me that the old man was deeply concerned about his future responsibilities, and especially about Deya, who would only be accepted into the academy if he worked there.
"Well, if that's the only problem, then why not?" I decided and headed towards the Supreme Leader [2] .
- Let's go and see what's there and how much it costs?
They followed me silently.
Hmm. Beautiful creatures and expensive. Very. And there were only two pegasi.
Moreover, it's no longer a gold coin, but five. And all because the twenty were only bought by the elfars who had recently left.
"Could these be my acquaintances?" I thought. "At least the numbers match."
For some reason, by the way, they were not detained here.
"They were probably afraid of the strong adrenaline and hormonal rush that the local men would get from the presence of elven women here," I chuckled.
This upset the old man even more. Well, for me, it doesn't matter whether it's a gold coin or a five-dollar bill; I still have no idea what the local currency is worth. I'll have to talk to my grandfather about this tonight; I've been meaning to for a while, but haven't had the chance.
I had an idea, but I don't know if it will work or not.
And now another issue needed to be resolved.
"Hey, my dear!" I called to the man sitting in the corner. He looked at us strangely and approached cautiously.
- Anything?
"What's wrong with him?"
- Who should we talk to about renting these two pegasi?
Kasis and Deya stared at me in surprise, as did the man.
- Sorry, but this is not the rental price, this is their cost.
"Now it's clear," nodded Kasis.
Well, that's good. If it's a purchase, then it's a purchase.
"Can you find a place for them somewhere in the capital later?" I asked Kasis.
"Yes, in the same academy, there seems to be a supreme leader there," the old man answered.
"Wonderful." I turned to the local caretaker again: "So who should we talk to about buying them?"
"I'll call the owner now," he quickly darted somewhere into the depths of the room.
"Stepan, but you didn't have enough!" Deya looked at me.
"I'll survive. As far as I understand, it's a three-day walk. So I'll make it. Just tell me where to find you. I'll visit you in town."
"Of course," she nodded, "and you'll come visit. After all, we're family," the girl finished seriously.
- Sorry, I didn't think about it. I'll definitely come visit.
"Okay," Dea replied. "Remember, I remembered the promise."
A sedate little man arrived.
– Do you want to buy?
"Yes," I answered.
- Ten gold and one silver for a day of using the stall.
I dug into my bag and gave him the money I'd found among the count's mages—it was probably the local currency. I also had some silver in there.
Having paid for the animals, we were about to leave. But the stall owner stopped us.
– Forgive me for being importunate, but I see that you don't have enough animals.
"That's true," I replied, why deny the obvious.
"I have a proposition, but I'm not sure it'll interest you. There's another mount. No worse than a pegasi. Even better."
This definition intrigued me. And it seems I wasn't the only one.
"Yes?" Kasis asked again.
"I'm willing to give it to you for the same price. But you must understand. You might not be allowed into the capital with it. If its owner isn't a life mage, you'll have to either hand it over to the imperial mages or sell it to another mage. And such mages are a rarity here." He looked at us.
"Are you talking about the dredge?" the old man immediately guessed.
"Yes," he nodded.
"Who is this?" I asked him.
"Haven't seen it?" he asked, surprised. "Although, yes. You probably haven't seen an elfar either, and these are their war mounts. The prince's rangers use them. Where did you get it?" Kasis looked at the caretaker.
"The patrol brought him here once. The owner hasn't shown up for months, even though the animal is expensive and well-trained. So he decided to sell it. He's no good to anyone here."
"Let's go and see," I suggested to Kasis, "I've never seen anything like it."
"Let's go, if you're interested," the old man agreed, "but I definitely won't be able to control it. Deya can't handle it either."
He didn't even talk about me.
But in vain. As soon as I saw this strange horse (let it be horse) of a satin black color with bone armor plates all over its body, I immediately knew: "Mine."
Perhaps it was my desire to become its master that made the animal notice me. Drag slowly raised his head and, ignoring everyone else, slowly approached me.
"We'll take it," I said, not even thinking that I had never ridden any animal.
With this drug, I knew I wouldn't have any problems.