I got everything that I wanted from this trip.
No one bothered me and I made it clear that I don't want anyone bothering me.
After taking care of my duties. I dress back to my old gear and left the ancestral house without a fuss.
I waited with my horse. I saw Meris, Bren, and Shania riding towards me. "Yo," I greeted them. I joined them.
We started to the port where we discussed the price of putting our horses. They allowed our horses in the ship, and we had to pay a lot to get them on the ship.
Entering the ship I realized that we were the only ones who managed to get our horses in.
It didn't take long for the boat to start sailing. Our cabins were merely hammocks and we have to sleep next to our horses.
"Though you won't come with us."
"Why would I not?"
I replied. Bren grinned. He looked away and went back to his book.
"So after this, we have to separate ourselves, right?"
"That's true, we will be going to our departments. I and Kiran might remain in the same department since we would be handling the same course.'
"What about you, Bren?"
"I don't know," Bren said. "I'll stay around and maybe join their offer in becoming part of the private army. I might be a long-lived adventurer, I've been through a lot of hell. Seeing that orc Warband made me realize that I should find a place to place my roots in."
Everyone was already set on doing what they wanted. I told myself that I will attend my classes at the Academy.
The brief meeting with the people that I know made me realize that I only traveled. I didn't change at all. It made me want to puke, thinking that I was 'changing' when in truth I was just gathering experience. It made me realize that I was still far from changing. I got out of the middle deck, went up to the upper deck where I only saw the coastline and the beaches and the headland. I leaned on the railing while listening to the few folks who were singing as the sun blew. They were matching the loudness of the wind. I sat on the side of the railing while practicing my control of prana.
I lost myself in the control of Prana.
When I was awake we were already past the borders of the Jakian Empire. Two hundred miles were easy to traverse if you have wind callers and allow your boats to travel without waiting for the wind. The sorcerers who are calling the wind are called wind callers and they used this whistling technique that is laced with their prana to meddle with the wind. Even the salaries of the Helmsman and the Captain mostly go to the wind caller. They were part of a guild now that caters to the need of the wind callers. Hell, even they have their factions that usually, pissing off one would mean that you should pay double when boarding one that had you blacklisted.
Most of the time he would stay in the middle deck. It would take the ship about two days to arrive in the port of Bilbao. During those two days, I would just take control of my prana, have a chat with Meris, and then be in a meditative state. Once in a while, I would fancy a trip to the top deck, watch the ocean, and then observe how the wind callers do their magic.
From the distance, we saw the flames of the orc Warband rising to the clouds. Most of the passengers stared in that direction, wondering if the Jakian Empire had culled them. Even if they haven't, the airships that they were using, the cavalry on the ground, and the could-chant would end them.
It came to me that one of the things that the people of the Jakian Empire is good at was using magic technology to their fullest. Prana can be transferred, and throughout research, they can imitate some old magic. It was the fuel of the world and through this fuel, though expensive, the Jakian Empire could claim superiority to lesser nations are not the home of the Wiseman, the Kingdom of Betia, ruled by someone who was already at the sixth level of power.
Once in a while, I would spend time just sleeping. Most of the time my mind was somewhere. Being 'Hadeon' once again made me realize that there was still that arrogant side of me that was waiting to go all out. No, it was needed to happen so that I could bring out the pride of Ortiz.
I know that being two people at once would drive me insane, so I thought about it, and I came to a choice that I would stick with my Kiran Irvin role as much I want to. I live two lives to fix my first self. Talk without taking action is useless. I had nothing in my belt that would make me proud other than the idea that I was able to take a step outside.
Hours passed by and before I know it there was the port of Bilbao insight. The sailing ship stayed in the water for a while, then they asked permission from the port master, and docked their ship. When the anchor was thrown, I had already carried my horse on the deck. Some were even surprised at my strength and had guessed in their heads.
There was a scent of Prana in the air.
As we got off the boat, we heard a scream that made me stop in my tracks. I looked above and saw a giant creature, half the size of a castle, flapping its wings and passing by Bilbao.
"A red fucking dragon?" Meris cursed. She deployed her defensive spells with worry.
I thought that we had to fight this being, but before long it disappeared into the clouds.
What the hell was a red dragon doing in this fucking Kingdom?