Previously in NWC-
Luna arrives to see Reno awake. They engage in a heart felt reunion before the mayor arrives, having his own heartfelt reunion. The mayor thanks Reno and gives him the power shard that George was holding on to. Later on, Luna comes back. Sensing her own power nearby, she hunts it out. Reno hands it to her and she promptly absorbs the shard. She announces she can grant Reno the ability to learn magic, and at an inhuman speed at that. Reno, not understanding how magic works in this world, has to have Luna clear up some misconceptions...
He begins to get slightly short with her. "What is it then?"
"You need to find someone who has complete spiritual understanding of a spell. Someone can use a spell but not have a spiritual understanding."
"Okay, and what does it take to gain a spiritual understanding of a spell?"
"Unfortunately there is no one way. It could be from studying the spell for decades or gained naturally through use. It's not a physical understanding or anything like that. A spiritual understanding is made when your soul understands the spell. It's not something you can force, but it is something you can encourage. Some have forged that understanding in a couple months, but the majority of spell casters take decades, sometimes never."
Reno sighs, getting slightly annoyed with Luna's explanation. "So, someone has to understand it- but they can't go out of their way to understand it? This sounds made the hell up. That makes absolutely no sense."
"I understand why you would feel that way, but I gain nothing from lying to you. Besides, haven't we moved past the point of doubting each other? We've been living together for a bit now. At the very least we should be able to trust what the other says."
"You're right, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I was doubting you; I was just saying it's a ridiculous concept. So, I have to find people who are masters of their own element, basically."
"That is correct."
"You wouldn't happen to know someone who could teach me a spell at that standard, do you?"
Luna's voice switches to a slightly smug tone. "I do, in fact! You're looking at none other than the goddess who's mastered her spiritual understand of the spell 'Aqueous'!"
"So you're able to teach me?"
"I can teach you if you use the miracle to gain the ability to learn magic."
Reno thinks to himself for a bit before finally deciding. "Alright, you convinced me. Luna, I want to be able to learn magic!"
"Understood!" Luna excitedly floats close to Reno and begins shining bright like during the last time she cast a miracle. Reno, getting used to this, covers his eyes to avoid going blind. When the light dims, Reno looks back at Luna. He looks down at his body, inspecting his arms and legs. "I feel… weird."
"Mana has begun flowing through your body. I've altered your soul, undoing the seal put on it."
"My soul had a seal on it? Why?"
"I can not say. It is not uncommon for a greater deity to put a seal on their universe to prevent their inhabitants from processing mana. If I had to guess, the greater deity of your world did just that."
"So you're saying that everyone from my world can cast magic?!"
"Theoretically, if the seal was broken, yes. But it would take generations for any of their descendants to have a soul strong enough to stockpile the mana needed to cast magic."
"Then how the hell am I supposed to cast magic?!"
"You have an advantage. You have the blessing of a lesser deity. Both of the miracles I gave you were me giving you a portion of my power. I won't get too far into it, but lesser deities can choose champions and give them a percentage of their power."
"So does that make me a champion?"
"Not quite. I don't have enough of my power to give in order for you to be a champion. A champion is a mortal who has received enough power from one or multiple deities to ascend. These ascended individuals become demigods."
Reno's face gets serious. He speaks with a slightly strained voice. "So… I'm going to become a demigod?"
"In theory, if we get enough of my power back, I can make you my champion."
Reno smiles, visibly excited. "Just wait until I tell Arthur that I became a demigod! He's gonna be so excited!"
"That's a far ways off, so don't get too excited yet." Luna watches as Reno pumps himself up. She's happy to see him feeling better and even hopeful for their future. No longer did he seem to doubt himself. She smiled, honored to have the opportunity to watch him grow. "Hopefully the doctor will let you leave tomorrow. Medusa will be waiting. In fact, I must be off so I may tell her you are doing well."
Reno waves goodbye to Luna and lays his head back down. "I'm going to be the sickest fuckin' wizard ever." He closes his eyes, imagining himself casting spells and defeating monsters. He quickly finds himself falling asleep, the night passing quickly.
"Ohh, so this is the guy the old man was talking about?" A female stood in Reno's room, observing him from multiple directions. She held a finger to her chin and checked him out from every direction. She lifts his arm up and inspects it. "The mayor made him sound a bit more exciting than he is in person. He's not fit, or fat. Other than his height, I'd say average across the board."
The woman talking to herself causes Reno to slowly wake up. "Who's there?"
"Oh? Awake are we?" The woman takes a step back, watching as Reno sat up and rubbed his eyes, stretching. The pain in his stomach was mostly gone due to the mystery medicine still floating through his bloodstream. "Mornin' sleepy head!"
"Huh?" Reno finally opens his eyes to see the woman standing in front of him, smiling brightly. Her light brown hair was medium in length, just barely reaching her back. She wore a hooded cloak that covered her body, making it impossible to make out any features other than her face. "Who the hell are you?" Reno looks at the woman with confusion.
"Well, everyone around here just calls me CeCe!" The woman puts her hands under her chin and smiles, tilting her body slightly to flash a cute pose.
"CeCe.. where have I heard that name before?"
"Oh, you've heard of me? You might know me better as the one merchant who's willing to do business in Bambadale."
"That's right. The old man said he'd order stuff from you when you came around again. So why exactly are you in here?"
CeCe chuckles, covering her mouth as she holds in her laughter. "I couldn't pass up meeting the man who saved Bambadale from the constant bandit raids!" CeCe's eyes light up with excitement. "You look unassuming, but that's not a bad thing! In fact, it's making me much more excited to get to know you better! Just what kind of secrets is Bambadale's savior hiding?" CeCe shakes with excitement as she leans over to get a closer look at him.
"Well, you got to meet me. If you don't have any real business then I'm gonna' have to ask you to leave."
CeCe pouts playfully, acting offended. "Ruuuude! I DO have business, mind you." CeCe crosses her arms, huffing while she turns away and gives him the cold shoulder.
"Oh? You should've said that then. What do you need?"
"I'm not telling you now." CeCe continues to pout, refusing to look at Reno.
Reno sighs and slightly throws his hands up. "Okay?"
CeCe chuckles as she finally turns back towards him. "I'm just playing!" She slowly steps over to the side of Reno's bed. Her eyes narrow as she begins to whisper. "The old man has a bit of a loose tongue, Y'know?"
"What the hell kind of statement is that to just walk over and make to someone?" Reno's expression quickly shifts to one of pure confusion.
CeCe laughs, trying to cover her mouth as she does. Finally, she regains her composure. "He told me all about you. He also told me about the thing you got from the bandits."
"And?" His curiosity is peaked. At first she had his curiosity, but now she has his attention.
"I was wondering if you had an interest in those?" CeCe tilts her head and put a finger to her chin, acting innocent as she builds up to the part for which she was most excited.
"A little, yeah. Why does it matter?" Reno's heartrate picks up slightly, slightly concerned with the random line of questions.
"I may, or may not, know where another one is, if you're willing to work with me." CeCe's eyes lock directly on to Reno's as her smiles slowly switches to devious.
Reno's eyes narrow, meeting hers in an intense gaze that makes them both tingle with excitement. "Oh?" The atmosphere in the room shifts as CeCe smiles slyly and Reno stares down CeCe, looking for any sign of a lie. Finally, CeCe leans even closer, whispering directly into Reno's ear.
"I see someone's interested~. Now, I have proposition!"
TO BE CONTINUED...