"Thank you so much for the help!" The traveler said, and I nodded.
"Sure; what kind of information do you have?" I asked as Clint stood grumbling, covered in mud.
"There is a fairy ring to the north. Do not enter it, but leave a gift, and you will receive a blessing. Be warned that you may not ever get to leave if you enter the ring," The man explained, and I nodded.
That was risky, and it would mean there would be Fae creatures in the area. At my level and the rest of the parties, we would all have too low of knowledge to resist their Charm Magic.
"Thanks," I said, turned back to the girls that were staring at me from the steps, and said, "We are going."
"Are we going to the fairy ring?!" Annie asked excitedly, but I shook my head.
"No, that would be certain death. I will assume that you are all low-level, so it would be best to start with low-level beast types. They have no armor, so the club will do well, and not very many have ranged attacks, so the daggers should be fine as well," I explained.
"Woah! Do you actually know what you are talking about?! But you are just level one? I mean, I am only eight, but that is good advice!" Annie exclaimed.
"What about me?" Tracy asked me, and I shrugged.
"What kind of magic can you use?" I asked, but then Tracy blushed and looked away from me.
"Only Gust," Tracy said, and I held my expression like a stone.
That was the most pathetic thing that I had ever heard come out of a Mage's mouth! Even I could use the basic Everyday magic!
"Hmm, can you cast it here?" I asked.
"What?! Here?! In town?!" Tracy exclaimed, and I nodded, trying not to seem disappointed.
"Yes, Everyday magic should be permitted in town, right? It is also not really an offensive spell either unless you combine it with other chants," I explained, thinking back to my basic training of Everyday magic.
"I guess so, but I am just worried," Tracy said as she stood up, and Annie stood up with her.
"Tracy can't chant very well, so the spell goes haywire sometimes," Annie explained, and I nodded.
"Fair enough. Chant the spell without magic, Like this. Gust!" I said and cast the spell, making a strong gust of wind shoot up.
"Amazing!" Annie exclaimed.
"I guess I will try," Tracy said, and closed her eyes and then opened them.
What I saw should have been impossible. Tracy's eyes were covered entirely in swirling purple, and I didn't hesitate as she started to chant.
"Ghurst!" Annie said, and then green circles formed in front of her, totaling six feet wide.
"Tsruhg!" I roared.
The circles snapped, but I collapsed in the mud, still awake, but all my Mana was gone.
"Talon! Are you okay?!" Tracy asked as she ran over to me, along with Annie.
"Where did you learn that magic?" I asked as my Mana slowly regenerated.
I was able to get up fast. One of the perks of having low Mana was that it recharged quickly, even with low stats.
"Huh? I was trying to just say G-" Tracy started to say, but I put a dirty finger to her lips.
This was strange. That was Old Blood Magic, or that had been what it was called my old world.
The casters used Primal Elemental Mana from the Source of all Mana, so they could cast terrifyingly powerful magic at any level. The problem was that most lacked any sort of control until they were at high levels.
This person wasn't just a problem; they were an outright danger to everyone around them. It was a miracle that Gust was the only basic spell that was close enough to allow her to Force Chant.
"Did I do something wrong?" Tracy asked with a worried look.
"No, it's not your fault. We can work on that in the future, but please do not cast unless you are asked. Let's get going," I said and turned north.
Someone with the Old Blood could become a Hero, but it would take much dedication. I had worked my life to master only a few of the Old Blood spells and paid in blood for the ability to cast them.
The group followed me, but Annie came up to walk beside me.
"You know something about Tracy, don't you? The town and even her parents think that she is a freak and a failure, but it's not hard to see why. Not very many people know about the Old Blood, but even less can Full Counter a spell like that. Just who are you, Mr. Talon?" Annie asked me, but I wasn't revealing myself.
"I am just a person that is looking for another. Until I find that person, I will keep on searching. I also have a goal to kill Slyfall, the Snake King," I said, and Annie smiled as we reached the edge of town.
"Man of mystery and looking to kill the greatest foe this world has ever seen! Yet, there is a lot more than you are not saying, but that is your business. What do I care about? I am just some little girl, right?" Annie prodded, and I narrowed my eyes.
I really wasn't sure what age this person was, but her mannerisms indicated that she wasn't a child. Still, she was on the smaller size, but that might be a racial trait in this world.
"Your age? No clue, but you talk like an adult, even if an immature one," I replied, and Annie growled at me.
"I am not immature!"
"Then why are you in this group? You don't really seem that friendly to the others, even if you are mostly nice to Tracy," I said, and Annie glared at me.
"We are all outcasts! I like knives, and I talk strange, so people get scared of me. Clint is too stupid to be scared, and Tracy is too nice! They are the only ones that have stuck with me, but we can't seem to make any progress," Annie explained, calmed down.