An Unusual Day at the Dock
Initial Interactions
On that particular day, Izzan accompanied his mother, Mira Elric, to work at the Benteng Solus docks, as he often did. The dock was its usual bustling self, filled with merchants, sailors, and adventurers coming and going. However, this time, the presence of Mira's clients caught Izzan's attention more than usual. They were a rather unique group: three members of beastkin races and a renowned mage who was also notorious among adventurers for his drunken antics.
The mage, known as Bramir Firehand, was a 4-star mage with impressive fire magic abilities. However, his heroic reputation was often overshadowed by his penchant for boasting and day-drinking. Bramir had a particular fondness for beastkin, leading him to form a group with three members of those races: Lara Swiftclaw, a nimble and sharp half-cat woman; Rogar Stonehoof, a strong and quiet half-minotaur man; and Nyra Moonshadow, a half-wolf woman with keen sensory abilities.
With his cheeks flushed from alcohol, Bramir was in full bragging mode about his past exploits.
Bramir Firehand (boasting loudly): "You know, when I was in the Ardara Forest, I faced a Fire Lizard—an advanced level 3 beast! It wasn't easy to defeat such a creature, but with a bit of precision and my high-level fire magic, I reduced it to ashes in no time!"
From a distance, Izzan found Bramir's drunken bragging irritating. He whispered to Athena, the ever-present AI in his thoughts.
Izzan (whispering to Athena): "This guy is really annoying, Athena. He's so arrogant and drunk in the middle of the day."
Athena (with an agreeing tone): "Conclusion: this person tends to be narcissistic and has a need to always be on top in social interactions. I agree, he is indeed bothersome."
For the first time, Izzan and Athena were in sync about something. This mage was indeed pompous and irritating.
Interaction with Bramir Firehand
Amidst his boasting, Bramir suddenly noticed Izzan sitting near his mother. With a slightly blurry gaze from the alcohol, he smiled widely, thinking it was a perfect opportunity to show off his magic to a child.
Bramir Firehand: "Hey, kid! Want to see real magic? I'll show you a mid-level Fireball, something you don't see every day!"
Izzan's eyes lit up, though he wasn't particularly impressed with Bramir's attitude. Bramir, full of enthusiasm, began to gather mana in his hands, forming a brightly burning fireball. However, just as he was about to release it, he suddenly halted with a small chuckle, as if teasing Izzan.
Bramir Firehand (mockingly laughing): "Ah, maybe this is too dangerous for you, kid. After all, what could you possibly understand about high-level magic like mine?"
Izzan felt both disappointed and annoyed by Bramir's arrogance. However, his curiosity was already piqued. Remembering everything Athena had taught him about fire elements, he mentally envisioned a concept for focusing the mana he had. Without realizing it, he began to gather mana in his hands, trying to mimic what he had seen.
At high speed, a small fireball formed and shot from his hand. The fireball struck one of the filled crates on the deck, shattering it into splinters.
Unexpected Reaction
Bramir was stunned, suddenly shaking off his drunken haze. He couldn't believe that the small child in front of him had just launched a fireball with such speed and accuracy. He stared at Izzan with wide eyes, speechless.
Meanwhile, Mira Elric, sensing the mana flow from the fireball, was immediately shocked and angry. With lightning speed, she summoned her protective golem, a large stone creature that moved swiftly towards Bramir.
Mira Elric (angry, her voice trembling): "What were you thinking, using fire magic near my child?! You've gone too far, you useless drunk!"
The golem hit Bramir hard, knocking the drunken mage to the ground. Bramir tried to gather his disoriented thoughts, but in his half-drunk state, he couldn't explain what had actually happened. Bramir's companions, who had already been displeased with their leader's behavior, stepped in to calm the situation.
Lara Swiftclaw (soothingly): "I'm sorry, Mrs. Elric. Bramir often does things without thinking when he's drunk. We'll take care of him."
Rogar Stonehoof (in a low tone): "He didn't mean to hurt anyone. Please, give us a chance to take him away."
Nyra Moonshadow (softly): "We apologize for this incident. Bramir tends to be excessive, but he's not dangerous. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
Despite her anger, Mira decided not to escalate the issue further. She took a deep breath and dismissed the golem, allowing the adventurers to lift the still-lying Bramir.
However, amidst the chaos, Izzan suddenly felt his head spinning. His vision began to blur, and his entire body felt weak. Unbeknownst to him, he had depleted almost all of his mana in releasing the fireball. Without warning, he collapsed to the ground, startling everyone around him.
Athena (in a panicked tone): "Izzan, you've lost too much mana! You need to rest immediately! Izzan? Izzan!"
Seeing her son unconscious, Mira rushed over and picked him up with great concern. Everyone, including the adventurers, assumed that Izzan had fainted from fear after witnessing the fireball, which they believed had been cast by Bramir.
Mira Elric (worried, cradling Izzan): "Izzan, dear, are you okay? I'm sorry, everything is safe now."
Meanwhile, Athena, unable to communicate with others, could only worry in her digital silence, hoping Izzan would recover from this critical state soon.