The lake faded from his view mere inches away despite the ward key in his hand.
Hmm. Mana in the ward must be low…
He could infuse more mana into the key—recharge it, push through once more to the lake—but it would be a waste. He was leaving anyway. So instead he hooked it to his side and left with indifference.
Really wish those fairies would let us study them…
Nick did not delay, infusing a bit of mana into his step, pushing him along and letting the trees blur past. The town rose ahead sooner than expected. Nick was happy with the time he was making since he needed that ring and… human stuff?
What an absurd thing to ask….
Unless? They’re studying us… too?
The laugh that bellowed from Nick was clear and loud as he entered the town, drawing mixed looks—annoyance at the noise, and fear that he might be a mad mage to be feared.
He was neither of those things… well, he was a mage, but not mad…. And sadly not strong enough to be feared…
Nick made his way into the research branch of the mage guild. Few gave him more than a passing glance, lost in their own affairs. The smell of magic hung heavy in the air.
Random doors blurred past him as he dodged around the few in the hall, annoyed he was using mana to speed his steps. He slowed down, easing off his recklessness since he was near the door he needed. As he made it to the main research division door, he found his favorite colleague studying a vial, testing mana density effects to help in breaking past natural limits.
He only knew that from their last coffee talks. He was usually tasked with more mundane bookkeeping, but that was beside the point since both of them were more interested in the fairies!
And that’s why I’m here to see her. To let her know they called me to assist them!
She gave him a cursory glance before writing in her notebook.
“You’re empty-handed despite the excitement in your eyes. I doubt it’s anything good.”
She didn’t even give me a chance to speak…
“Please, Rusha, how do you know what news I bring before I even spoke?”
Never looking at him again, she pulsed the vial. It went from purple to blue to green, making Rusha frown and write more notes.
“How quickly you forget. I read the report on the fairies. You’re not the pioneer you think you are, Nick.”
They trusted me from our division to handle delegations. That has to count for something…
“Don’t sulk. What’s the news? This brew is annoying me and could use some good news to lighten things.”
Now I don’t know if I want to tell you… ah, damn it. She controls the distribution of supplies… I forgot.
“First, I am making progress despite what you think. And second, I need a storage ring with a week of food supplies and other human things. I mean more specifically a female mage robe and… I guess things in that area?” Nick scratched his chin, unsure since the fairy hadn’t been very specific.
Nick watched Rusha dispose of the failed vial and refill a new one, starting a new test, yet not moving to assist… much less showing the excitement he thought she would share.
“There’s a bit of a time crunch on this, Rusha. I—”
“You don’t find it odd?” Rusha asked calmly, finally looking at him.
“What?” Nick retorted, missing her point.
“An alleged king of fairies needs a human storage ring and human-type supplies? Are they harboring a fugitive mage and expect us to… what, feed and clothe them until they hunt us?”
“Rusha, you’re far off base. They came to us in peace. They never started any war, you know that…”
“I assume the ring is beyond them and they need help with a human-sized one. As for the supplies? I guess it’s true they could be bartering with others. But I thought it more likely they wanted to study us.”
Rusha’s eyebrow rose at that. “By studying human female clothes and our food supply amount—at least a week’s worth…. To learn… about us…?”
Well, when you say it like that…
“So that was the extent of your good news? More cost and no gains? Are they at least making progress on the potential power source? You do know the main branch expects me to answer for our division.”
“This… is untapped new ground. We’ve got to show restraint, you know that, Rusha. And I think their progress stalled. It did not look like much changed, if I’m being honest. That might be partly why they’re harboring a mage—if they are—but I think it’s more likely a test to see how far we go being generous before turning hostile.”
He saw the pause in Rusha’s demeanor as she thought. She nodded briefly before filling out a new mana tablet that kept info recorded and sent to the main division. Then she went back to her test before addressing Nick once more.
“Truth be told, the main branch cares little about the cost. But I do. We need to show some restraint, lest they assume we’re pushovers and will bend to any of their whims,” Rusha said coolly.
“Won’t we?” Nick asked, unsure.
Rusha glared daggers at him. “They don’t need to know that if we are to barter on equal footing.”
Well, she’s not wrong, but I still think we can bend on this and not break.
Nodding, Nick left to gather the ring with the required items. He knew Rusha was just stressed. She was more excited than him when they first found out the fairies wanted to settle and form a lake near their village. Yet she must be getting nonstop requests for updates that had been going nowhere quickly, and it was making her look bad…
Outside, the air was crisp and filled with varying levels of power.
Well, that was to be expected. They were literally outside a mage hall…
Even without mana sight, he could vaguely feel the various mana levels of the people passing by. He smiled and nodded to a particularly lovely black-haired mage with a strong mana level as something brushed his side.
“Sorry, Mage Sir, I didn’t see you!” a young kid bowed while going back to a note or paper he was reviewing…
It was always the mundanes that bumped into us… really wish they’d figure out a way to get mana to all, to stop the issue.
Well, that was literally what Rusha was researching, and he knew they couldn’t help it—they were mundane…
Retrieving the supplies was easy. The only issue was figuring out what to include beyond food and a basic survival kit to live in the woods—or items he thought a girl would like, since it was a female robe the fairy requested. He tried to keep it mostly neutral in case he was off base and they really were studying their objects and food.
He reached down to the ward and recharged it easily, then set off to the woods. He wasn’t sure how long he’d taken, but hopefully the fairy understood travel took time. Things were never as simple as ask and receive.
———
Even as Nick left for the woods, the glow of his ward never left Mika’s eyes as he watched from a nearby alley.
He hated how the mages never noticed them—even when they begged nicely for scraps, they seemed invisible to mage eyes, until they slammed into them.
True, this time it was some random kid Mika would probably rob first chance he got, but the point stood: they didn’t think twice about slamming into us, since they can’t sense mana from us…
And then the mages act offended they couldn’t sense their manaless presence, as if a normal human was the issue…
That’s fine. I saw what you had, mister money bags, and I won’t be broke forever. You wave your wealth around with indifference, and even a thief’s gotta eat. So you’ll be feeding me my next meal.
Just gotta wait for the right time. He’ll be back this way. They always come back.
Even with those thoughts, the hunger came back. He hated having to dig for scraps in the forest. Sometimes he was lucky, selling herbs or snaring small prey, but more often than not it was begging or praying the church would take pity and feed him another day.
True, he could work… but only a fool would do that. He knew there was easy money. He just had to get it.
And that was that.
As he pulled his cloak higher to help hide his presence—not that any mage would see him—he knew the other thieves could, and he didn’t want to be their mark while he was looking for his own prey.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0eEAg1FrP
and then Add to home screen.