Sedia approached Mr. Grafton with a small stack of papers and a Route-map.
Route-maps are made from gate-maps. A hunter traveling through gates would map where they entered and exited. Every hunter had their own unique gate-map they mapped themselves. Hunters then bring the gate-maps to scholars, who would compare them and create Route-maps. That's why every hunter who entered a gate had a route-map with them. At least the hunters who wanted to come back.
The route-map lit up, powered by the tiny mana crystal inside, covering the entire desk with yellow light.
"A manticore showed up here." Sedia pointed at the middle of the route-map showing a rocky cave-like world. "Tricky bastard hides in caves and attacks the miners supplying the city. I've been asked to take care of it."
Grafton slumped in his chair. "Why don't you just go to someone else, Sedia? I am not even a guide anymore. I never was."
Sedia frowned at him.
"Y'know why. I don't trust anyone else. And if this truly is a manticore I'm hunting, I DEFINITELY don't trust anyone else. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and help me out, you old coot. Or do you want me to go in there unprepared?"
Grafton scowled at her. "I'm not entering the gate with you."
"No complaints, just give me info."
Grafton pulled out an empty sheet and started writing on it.
"These are things that will definitely be useful to you. You know the basics of handling it. Watch out for the corrosives it will throw at you, and take some quick gauze with you to stop the bleeding from its claws. If it has an insect head instead of a bird, it will have compound eyes so bring flashrods to burn the eyes out."
Sedia grinned at him. "I don't need flash rods to do that." The flames at the tips of her hair became much larger and consumed the rest of her hair all the way to her scalp.
"Yes, I can see that, now stop before you burn my office to ash." The flames in Sedia's hair receded back to their tips.
"Besides that, bring shock traps to limit its movement. You know first hand how agile they are. And…" Grafton went into detail on the best way to hunt a manticore before he handed her the list. "Now get your singeing hair away from my desk."
Sedia gave him a warm smile.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks you old coot. I'll visit you again before I leave for the hunt."
"I would prefer it if you did not." Sedia just grinned at him and took Magnius to the door with her.
"You'll handle all the paperwork for me, won't you? Magnius', I mean." Grafton scowled at her question. But Sedia knew he would do it for her.
"Just get out of my office for Mana's sake!" Sedia snickered as she exited Mr. Grafton's office.
Grafton stopped Magnius just before he left.
"Magnius. Be careful. Also visit me every couple of days from now on. I will tutor you on monster physiology and some of the basics."
Magnius was a bit surprised. "Why would you do that, after trying to make sure I wouldn't be a hunter?"
Grafton considered it before answering. "Quite frankly, Sedia is inept at monster knowledge. She just burns everything in her path. But you cannot, and if I cannot stop you from becoming a hunter, I will at least stop you from becoming a dead one."
___
Sedia was leading him away from the academy he had lived in for most of his life, and Magnius couldn't help but feel a bit strange about it. Just an hour ago he was listening to a boring lecture, and now he had become the pupil of Sedia Alimenti, arguably the greatest hunter. He didn't even have time to go to his dorm room and take his stuff with him. Not that there was much to take, but still. But Layla…
He felt guilty about their last conversation. He hoped this wasn't the last time they spoke. He played with his necklace.
"Magnius… Y'know what- you're my pupil now. That means we should be somewhat close right? I'll call you Mag from now on. How's that?"
"Magnius is better."
"Mag."
"Magnius."
"..."
Sedia turned on him. "Here's your first lesson. Don't talk back to your mentor..." She gave him a sweet smile. "...Mag"
Magnius scowled. This woman…
The flames at the ends of her hair sparked. "Your eyes really are great."
Magnius was confused. What was so special about his eyes? Magnius was starting to have second thoughts about being this woman's pupil.
"Mag, what do you think the most important thing is to be a hunter?" Magnius was surprised at the suddenly complicated question. He thought about it before answering.
"...It's ambition." It was what his parents had always burned so fiercely with.
Sedia grinned at him. "You're close. It's actually about values." Sedia played around with a strand of flaming hair.
"As a hunter you're going to be changed by the gates you enter. In ways you can't predict." She twirled the strand of hair in her fingers, the flame at the end licking at the ends of her finger tips.
"My hair is proof. When the physical dimension warps you, and your surroundings confuse you, you can lose yourself very easily, you never know what's on the other side of that gate. What you're entering will be a very different reality from what you know. Even time can flow differently. That's why it's important to have incorruptible values, so that you never lose yourself. Your values, your principles will guide you and define what you are. Sedia Alimenti is not this body. It is not this flaming hair. Sedia Alimenti is her values. I am my values." Sedia stared right into his soul.
"Here's your first assignment. When my mentorship ends in 2 years, on your 20th birthday, you will tell me your values. You will tell me who you are. If you can't manage that, then you will never be a hunter. I will make sure of it."
Magnius could tell this woman was being serious. The depth in her eyes told no lies. Sedia would prevent him from ever becoming a hunter.
"Who are you?" Magnius couldn't help himself from asking.
Sedia just grinned at him.
"Me? I am the greatest goddamn hunter on this plane of existence."
—
Magnius had kind of expected it, but Sedia's house was massive. It was more like a compound than a house. A large villa with a large training ground and pool in the back. It was surrounded by a decent stretch of forest on all sides. And it truly was an impressive distance from New Capita, located on its own sky island.
After humanity had fled into the gates, they traversed many worlds looking for a habitable one. Eventually they settled here. 'Nebesa', they'd called it, for its resemblance to heaven with its floating island and bright skies. It was also extremely peaceful. The only monsters to be found here were of a flying variety, and they were small. The ecosystem didn't support dangerous monsters, so it was the perfect world for a large settlement.
"You're staying here from now on. You aren't going back into the city unless I let you either."
"What?" She was restricting his freedom?
"What did you expect, Mag? Remember, don't talk back to your mentor."
"Grafton said he'd tutor me on monster physiology."
Sedia was surprised.
"Really? The old coot did…? Fine then, you can go to the academy once a week to get your tutor session in. Besides that, though, you aren't going anywhere."
Sedia led him around the house, showing him the bath, kitchen and bedrooms. Her storage room full of scavenged artifacts, too. The entire house was massive, so he had no idea how she kept it clean.
"I don't." She'd answered. "You do, from now on."
He was seriously about to hit this woman. She'd probably put him on his ass before he managed, though, so he didn't even try.
"Alright, that should be everything, eh? Now then, let's get onto business."
"Business?"
Sedia grinned at Magnius.