Marina
We departed Glinda's residence in the morning, leaving Ortessa promptly from the northwestern gate. The maids had already prepared our supplies, so there was no need for us to make a trip to the shops in town.
My discussion with the court mage was more fruitful than I imagined. She gave me her personal notes on magic, knowledge she had to research herself, as the Academy didn't teach it to her. Of course, she asked for something in exchange, and that is, the grimoires I stole off Vera's library. I gave them readily, as I had taken care to copy them word by word every time I got the chance to do so. Like true mages, we exchanged knowledge for knowledge.
My first goal? To be able to perform Dual Casting, just like Vera did.
Unlike what they taught you in the Academy, you could learn how to Dual Cast. You didn't necessarily need to be born a special genius to do it. However, it wasn't easy, as Glinda warned. It took her years to be able to do it.
It made sense that the Academy would cover that fact up. You essentially would double the power of a mage if he or she learned Double Casting, the ability to cast two spells at once.
Skimming through her notes on the subject, it seemed the core of being able to do so was the ability to split your thoughts into two, which, naturally, was a really difficult thing to do. You would need to maintain equal focus on both spells, while at the same time, paying attention to the battlefield as well. It was a herculean feat. No wonder so little mages were able to reach that level of expertise.
I have no doubt the rest of the Council is already able to do it though, which is all the more reason why I should learn it as well.
We first went through the northwestern provinces of Marchen, before crossing over to the border into the so-called Duskglow Plains. It was mostly an easy journey, with only the occasional monsters and bandits trying to attack us, thinking we were easy prey.
Well, we weren't. Not in the slightest. In fact, they proved to be good training practice for me who was trying out new things with my spell. I needed to innovate if I were to be better at a fight.
After around three weeks on the road, we finally reached the border. There was a fortress there, along with a wall that prevented travelers from just going around it if they wished to reach the other side. I showed them the papers Glinda made for me, and they let me through without any problem. She was nice enough to make me a fake identity, along with Erika.
Going through said fortress, stumbling out on the other side, we were finally at the Plains at last—a no civilization zone between Marchen and Tolany, the kingdom on the other side.
Starting from here, I had to be vigilant. The monsters would be much stronger and if I were to be ambushed, Erika and I could very well die at their hands.
And I couldn't let that happen. I had promised myself that we would reunite with Hugo, no matter how long it would take.
The way the Plains worked was simple. At night, the unique grasses and small plants there would glow, and that glow would attract monsters. That means the wisest way to travel was to stop at night and prepare for monsters to attack.
I could burn the glowing plants to be sure but I doubt it would do anything other than attract even more monsters. The creatures here seemed to be attracted to light instead of being afraid of it, like most nocturnal monsters.
Since I couldn't have Erika in watch duty, given how young she was, that meant I would have to remain awake for the entire night, taking my sleep in the morning instead.
And I had to do that for who knows how many days it would take to traverse this place.
Taking the southern route would still be longer though… I'll just have to brave it.
"Uwaaaa, such a huge plains! I can't see the end at all!" Erika shouted as we left the border fortress. She was currently sitting on my lap—her eyes sparkling with joy as she took in the sight of her surroundings.
I smiled. She had been so much more cheerful lately, that I felt the old Erika already returned. It had been around two months since I brought the bad news after all.
Erika's a strong child. She wouldn't mope around forever. I know that for a fact.
Oh, by the way, there wouldn't be any villages we could stop by while we were in the middle of the plains. It's a non-habitable zone after all. There are many like it in the world—wilderness where human habitation hadn't really reached. The strong monsters and the sheer amount of them were a big part for sure.
We rode like that through the plains, and soon enough, Erika's joy was replaced by boredom, as she realized the scenery wasn't changing in the slightest. There really was nothing out here, not even monsters. I suppose they would only come out in the night.
She went back inside to sleep, while I continued driving the carriage. And after she had her afternoon nap, she would read one of the many story books Glinda had generously given to her. I didn���t know where she got them though. Maybe she bought them, or maybe she just had them lying around in her library.
When the sun fell, it was time for us to set up camp—for our first night here in the Plains.
"Sis! Look! The flowers are glowing!" Erika shouted.
Sure enough, the moment the sun vanished behind the mountains, the plains immediately lit up.
"It's so beautiful!"
Her jaw was pretty much wide open, as the sight completely took her by surprise. I smiled, as I too appreciated the sight. It really would make a good camping site, if not for the dangerous monsters.
There weren't any trees around to make firewood. Thankfully, I am skilled in Earth magic, so producing a couple of logs to burn was not a problem for me in the slightest.
"O power that lay hidden beneath the Earth! Hear my plea! Grant me the blessings and bounties of nature, so that I might shake this very world with your manifestation! Yggdrasil!"
I cast my Master-level Earth spell, conjuring a giant tree that stood tall in the middle of our campsite. Thanks to my training, I now managed to cast it with a truncated version of the original chant. Not quite chantless yet, but it's getting there.
I wasn't creating it just to create wooden logs however. It was an autonomous spell, and it could last for the entire night. I could set it so it acted like a sentry, warning me when there were monsters approaching.
I had our humble dinner with Erika, eating the salted meat we had purchased before we got here. There should be enough to last until we reach the next city, but if push came to shove, I could just hunt some monsters here and cook their meat for food.
Thankfully, Erika no longer complained about the bland-tasting journey food we had. I knew it wasn't the best—far from Mother's cookings, but that's just how travelers would eat. They wouldn't be able to eat delicious food every day, even if they had the coins to spare.
After dinner, I sent Erika to sleep quickly. And then…
���Transformation Magic! Dryad!"
A bright green light shone, enveloping my body. When the light dimmed, I was no longer the human girl I once was before. I was a dryad girl, green-haired and completely naked, with wooden skin.
At this state, my magic capability was severely limited, as I would only be able to use the magic a dryad could use as well. However, it fit well enough for my purpose, that is, to become a watchman for the night.
Facing my back towards the giant tree, I grew a pair of long roots from my back, attaching it to the massive trunk. I then lifted myself backwards, letting myself join with the giant tree.
This is my combination ability that I developed. Using this method, I could gain full control of the giant tree, and I could stay on my dryad form indefinitely, as Ygdrassil would absorb mana from the soil and feed it into me.
I suppose one could call this my "Mother Tree" form.
This way, I could remain in a state of half-sleep like a plant. I would still recover my strength, but at the same time, I would keep my alertness.
It's unfortunate that this technique could only be used in fertile lands with wide open spaces however.
I remained in this state for a good while, maybe for about a few hours, before I sensed them—monsters approaching towards our location. Using Yggdrasil, combined with my natural ability granted by my dryad transformation, I could utilize the shining plants and grasses nearby as part of my senses.
There are forty of them. Judging by their steps, they seem to be a pack of wolves of some sort.
I knew they would not be ordinary wolves however. I already researched this place beforehand by the encyclopedia given to me by Glinda, and I knew that these wolf-like creatures were actually a pack of Werewolves—B-rank monsters that were much more powerful than ordinary wolves. They would assume wolf form at first, only to turn into their humanoid form once the prey let their guard down.
Ygdrassil, protect the tent and the carriage.
The tree immediately obeyed, covering the two objects entirely using its thick and sturdy roots, guaranteeing that no harm would ever come to them. The horse naturally panicked, but the roots also ensured that it stayed still, by wrapping themselves around its body and the wheels of the carriage.
Now, it is time for me to fight.
I reverted the transformation spell and released myself from the tree. It would be easier for me to fight in my human form than in my dryad form, as I had yet to reach the so-called "hybrid" transformation where you could both get attributes from the creature you were transforming and to be able to cast magic as well.
And then, I summoned them all—my three summons.
(High) Flower Fairy, Dryad, and Owlbear.
"All of you. Prepare yourselves. We're going to fight a pack of werewolves."
"Aye aye, Miss!" The fairy and dryad replied simultaneously, while the owlbear simply roared.
And then, they came.
"Yggdrasil! Assume defensive posture!"
The tree obeyed, and it created a wall of thorns from the ground that surrounded us in a circle. Some of the wolves were caught in them, but others managed to leap over them, transforming into their humanoid forms in mid-air.
"O spirits of ice! Grant me your strength!"
I started my chant—the spell I learned from Vera's grimoires. The werewolves immediately went towards me, but thanks to the work of my summons as well as the tree, they couldn't get close to me. Not in the slightest.
"Envelop my enemies with your cold embrace! Wrap them in ice and snow and deliver to them a freezing grave! Shatter them and break them like the foolish beings they are! Cold Nova!"
And then, I blasted it, the Master-level Ice spell. In groups I froze them all with my spell, as it was a channeling-type. No need for me to turn it off as long as I still had enough mana and as long as I was still out of their melee range.
Using that spell, all forty of them were frozen solid, leaving the cleanup by the tree branches smashing them one by one extremely easy.
I guess I'm finally branching out to other elements.
After the battle was over, I thanked my summons, gave them their payment, and sent them away. But not before telling them about something that I already had in mind for quite some time, ever since my meeting with Glinda.
"All three of you." I spoke to them with a serious look. "I have a request to make."
"Ooh, a request?" The dryad smiled with joy and curiosity. "What else can I possibly do for you, mistress?" The fairy spoke next.
"I wish to turn our relationship to a permanent one. That is to say, I wish to make you all three be my familiars."
"...Eh?" It took the dryad by surprise.
"F-familiar?" The fairy spoke next.
"Roaaarrr!" Even the owlbear was obligated to comment.
"I need to obtain greater power as a mage." I continued. "And one way to do that is to bind you three with my own soul. You would be able to manifest fully, reaching greater heights as my summons. I know I am asking a lot, as you would be stuck with me until the day I die, but it is what I want."
The three looked at each other, unsure and confused. Even the owlbear whimpered.
"That is fine." I smiled. "You don't have to answer right now. I simply would like to tell you what my selfish desire is upfront. You are dismissed."
The three then disappeared, leaving me on my own once more.
This is the first part of reaching the next heights of summoning magic—to be upfront with it with your summons. Glinda's notes taught me this as well.
Using this method, we journeyed across the plains day by day, with me fighting a horde of monsters every night with Ygdrrasil and my summons. And it wasn't just one wave of monsters every night. The average was around three, going up to five at one night. Thankfully, my Ygdrassil also allowed me to recharge my mana, so there was no fear of me running out of spells before dawn came.
The monsters I fought off weren't just werewolves. There were also carnivorous flowers, masquerading themselves as ordinary ones that would uproot once we got close. There were also giant ants, complete with their even bigger queen. Since an encounter with them meant we would have to fight off an entire colony, not just one or two ants, the rank given to them as a collective was A-rank. They were still no match for my Frost Nova after all. I'm glad I decided to learn it, even though I would be doing so using Vera's books.
In the end, it took us only six days to traverse the whole place, before we reached the border fortress at the other end. And my dryad actually evolved into a Lady Dryad in the process. Only the owlbear remained unevolved, but it's already strong enough at it is, at least for now.
We were entering the kingdom of Tolany at last. I showed my papers once again, and we were let through without a hitch.
---------------
From what I had read of Tolany, it was just another small kingdom in the continent, even smaller than Marchen. We would only be going through it, stopping at its capital, Mosa, as it was located near its northern borders. Not all kingdoms necessarily had their capitals right in the middle of their territory. It all depended on how strategic the location where said capital was located. Mosa was built right in the four way intersection that led to the west, east, north, and south. So it was a really good location to build a merchant city.
In total, it took us a month and a week to get there from Ortessa. A satisfactory rate, if I do say so myself.
Mosa was another walled city, located in the middle of a rocky terrain that didn't really allow farming and the like. So it thrived only from the trades that went through it.
We were immediately greeted by what looked like a bazaar the moment we entered the city. I had to carefully drive our carriage through the crowd, taking care not to trample anyone in our path.
"Woah, there's so many people around, Sis!" Erika smiled. She was now sitting beside me on the driver seat, as she liked to do everytime we moved into a different area.
I smiled, but at the same time, I had to warm her as well. "Listen, Erika. Never leave my side while we're in this city, alright? If you get lost, then it would be hard for Big Sis to find you."
"Don't worry, Sis!" She returned with her own smile. "I'll make sure to stay close with you all the time!" She hugged me and giggled, making me giggle as well.
That joyous moment however, soon vanished into the wind, as an unpleasant sight was displayed to our very eyes.
"Come! Come! Take a look at our merchandise! We got a tiger beastman here, perfect for your manual labor needs! And we also have a rabbit beastwoman. With her fluffy ears and tails, she would surely be a good sleeping companion for any gentlemen out there. And last but not least, a young dwarf girl, fresh from the mountains! She nobly gave herself to us to save her poor parents from hunger and need! Isn't it just wonderful? Doesn't her plight touch your hearts? But if her sad story isn't enough, let me tell you that this dwarf is very skilled with her fingers—carpentry, stonemasonry, even crafting jewelry—she could do it all!"
It was a slave auction. Three people were placed on display on a podium, with chains and collars on their bodies. A pair of adult beastkin, and a dwarven little girl. They were all topless, even the latter, with their skin oiled to make them look more attractive. I knew however from just the way they looked how miserable they must have been. Their traders weren't the kind to treat their slaves well, it seemed. The man who was speaking was also a nonhuman, a foxkin to be exact. I would say it's ironic that he's selling his own kind, but we all know that humans also sell other humans as slaves. Around him were a number of scary-looking men, no doubt acting as the auction's guards. Even if the slaves still had any wills to escape, they would be cut down immediately the moment they tried doing so.
"Sis, that's—"
"Don't look, Erika. Don't look."
I brought her closer to me and covered her eyes with one hand, while I kept trudging on the carriage through the crowd.
If there was one thing I could praise the Magocracy for, was that you couldn't find a sight like these in their cities.
The carriage slowly moved as the auction began. The two beastkin slaves were quickly sold off—5 gold coins for the man and 10 gold coins for the woman, but it seemed no one was interested in the dwarf girl. As I left the scene, I could only hope that someone kind would purchase her.
To think that a parent would sell their own child like that... If I had been in their position, I would rather starve to death than doing something unthinkably cruel.
With those grim thoughts, we moved on into the residential district, looking for an inn to stay.