"Stop smelling my hair, Count Cromwell…" Beatrix pleaded, bobbing up and down in the enclosure of the boy's arms. Her back rubbed against his front again and again.
"You're being unfair…" Ethan replied, his nose brushing against her silver hair. "In this position, I can't help it. You smell good, anyway."
The little witch cast a sideways glance at her friend, who was watching the scene unfold while suppressing laughter. Although Athena was already an adult, serious things like these were still funny to her immature mind.
At this juncture, one might wonder what Ethan and Beatrix were up to. The answer is simple—they were riding a horse.
The rescue team set out from Cromwell castle in the afternoon with ample supplies, a party of fifteen, and fourteen horses. They included, of course, Ethan, Beatrix, and Athena. Six human warriors and an equal number of Elf soldiers accompanied them.
Almost ten miles later, the witch began to grumble, and reasonably so. Beatrix was only four and a half feet tall, which disqualified her from getting her own Fondel horse.
Typically, the girl would ride with Athena. However, the latter was a giant young woman clad in heavy armor. Adding another passenger could exhaust and kill the animal.
Ethan offered to let Beatrix ride along with him. The latter agreed out of respect for the Cromwell heir but now regretted her decision. She had to sit like a child before him, which was very humiliating.
"Aren't you two broke and homeless?" Ethan asked with his hands on the horse's reins. "How do you smell so perfumed all the time, then?"
Beatrix smelled like wild lilies and frankincense, a very exotic combination. "Not that it's any of your business," she replied, barely controlling her discomfort. "But witches have a unique fragrance, depending on the magic they practice. It is different for every individual."
"I like yours," Ethan declared shamelessly, taking another whiff of her silver locks without consent. "What kind of magic do you practice?"
The witch grunted in annoyance. "That's personal, Count Cromwell. And if you smell my hair again, I will hex your nose into an elephant's."
"My apologies." Ethan sat up straight, deciding not to antagonize the witch further. He had already witnessed a terrific demonstration of her magical capabilities. Why such a powerful adventurer would be homeless and broke was a mystery.
Ethan recalled his library lessons on the subject. Mainstream magic was categorized into elemental, nature, and decree. The first category manipulated the five elements—earth, fire, water, air, and soul.
Nature magic enabled witches to communicate, mimic, and manipulate everything that had life. Werepeople were believed to be products of nature experiments conducted in ancient times.
Finally, decree magic was the most frequently used category. It involved taking control of inanimate objects and placing commands over them. For example, Beatrix had hexed Athena's armor to auto-equip through a decree. This form of magic had many practical applications. Humans and elves used it overwhelmingly in industry and commerce through runes.
Then, a few rare fields of magic existed that required natural talent and hard work—dark, holy, and cataclysm. Across Promiscua, the crown explicitly banned dark magic's most controversial subject, grimoire magic. No reason was furnished in the library books.
The trio rode silently for a few minutes, escorted by the twelve mixed-race guards. Suddenly, Ethan's system generated a prompt.
[System challenge: Learn supporting characters' backstory]
The boy sighed. Things were already awkward between him and Beatrix. How would she react to being questioned about her past?
"By the way, tell me more about yourself," Ethan asked Athena instead. "What kind of families do you come from? What brought you on the adventurer path?"
"Don't tell him—" Beatrix began, but her friend had already begun speaking.
"Bea is an orphan," Athena said casually. "MY parents abandoned me when I was five, and I was raised on the streets."
"Bea and I met at the headquarters of DeepThrush guild when we were teenagers. A seasoned warrior was bullying me into joining his harem party. I had almost given in when Bea rescued me."
Ethan raised an eyebrow at the six-and-a-half-foot-tall beauty riding her horse like a champion. A massive broadsword was affixed on a back scabbard. He couldn't imagine anybody bullying the young woman and escaping alive.
Beatrix scowled at the details shared in their verbal exchange. On the other hand, Athena's eyes met Ethan's momentarily, and she appeared to have read his mind. However, the young warrior offered no answer.
"You haven't been to the outside world, Count Cromwell," Beatrix said suddenly. "It is dreadful out there…"
"You are probably trying to imagine how anybody could bully a cow like Athena."
"Hey, I'm not a cow—"
"What you don't understand is—there are forms of power other than physical strength and talent. Influence, wealth, royal status, gender, and fertility really make a difference in our society. They even out the odds in favor of the privileged. For example, a weak male like you can lord over champions like me and Athena."
A hostile murmur rose among the guards while Ethan pondered over Beatrix's poignant speech. One of them finally responded. "Speak ill of the Cromwell heir again, and we will have a problem, witch!"
Greta was a middle-aged Elven soldier and the commander of the rescue party. She was to make all logistics decisions.
"It's okay, Greta," Ethan said with a dismissive wave. "Let her speak her mind. We're having a discussion."
"As you say, Young Count…"
Beatrix continued as if she wasn't interrupted at all. "Once upon a time, strength, talent, and hard work were valued in the kingdom. Now, even weaklings can become as powerful as champions through expensive runes. Merit is no longer a cherished value."
Ethan sighed. He could relate to the feeling of disillusionment as human society became increasingly unfair. Rules were easily bent for those with money and popularity. After all, the boy was from a woke planet called Earth.
[Challenge completed: Learn supporting characters' backstory]
[Reward: AP +1]
[Reward: Honesty pill x1]
Ethan was reminded that he had free attribute points waiting to be used. He opened the leveling section in his system.
[Level 1] [Allotted points: 21/900] [Unallotted points: 3]
All the boy's attributes had positive values except FAITH, which was at zero out of ten. He decided to add the free APs to it.
[CHARACTER: Intelligence—4/10, Perversion—3/10, Faith—3/10(+3), xlockedx, xlockedx]
Almost instantly, Ethan felt an overpowering connection with his system. His confidence levels shot through the roof. "Are all witches in the world as cute as you, or are there a few ugly ones as well?" he whispered in Beatrix's ear.
Beatrix's eyes widened for a moment as her heart fluttered. She squirmed in her position, resisting the urge to reply. "None are my equals. I am the cutest witch, after all."
"Yes, you are…"
The Cromwell heir used the vulnerable moment to ask a needling question. "Tell me something. You two girls claim to be gifted in your professions. Then why did you quit an influential guild like DeepThrush to become a penniless wanderer? The story doesn't make sense."