With Confidence Jack uttered his response, something that would haunt him for many moons.
"Yo, nice to meet you. " Jack said. Clearly not realizing what he himself just said.
The atmosphere suddenly got very awkward.
Jack felt it would've been better if he could be swallowed by the earth. The Noble Lady face also took red hue. Her guards all looked away not knowing how to deal with this moment.
The Noble Lady also seemed to be in a dilemma deeply contemplating something. Jack thought is she seriously considering the idea, it would be quite a funny scene if she was.
Jack just absent mindedly took out something from his storage ring. It had a crest and looked important he took it out to divert everyone's attention from him.
Lucky for Jack it clearly worked, Lady Silva saw the crest and her eyes clearly sharpened in a glare.
"So this is the Work of Count Valdor, I knew that treasonous scum couldn't be trusted." said Lady solve with clear spite in her voice.
"So, it's the work of the count?"
"Indeed only he can hire a mage of such caliber to attack us"
"The what the mage that helped us?"
The guards covered between themselves. They also wondered about Jack's origin.
From the conversations Jack could clearly surmise that this Count Valdor guy had some problem with Lady Silva. Assassination plot maybe, we'll jack didn't care much as long as they didn't know it was him.
"Um, Lady Silva. What's the plan now?" Jack asked. He wanted to know about her plans and change his own according to it. He wants to get closer to this noble lady, she could help him get the information he needs.
"Ah, I don't really have a concrete plan Lord Mage, but I think for now we should make a journey to the Wellspring Barony. They are an Ally of my family." Lady Silva said.
"They are also nearby our current location, we should make plans once we're in Wellspring city"
Jack also found no problem with the plan. Plus anywhere that was not the forest sounded amazing to him.
He immediately agreed to Lady Silva's suggestion.
"But I have to ask lord Mage, why did you rescue us?" She asked.
To which Jack replied in a rehearsed tone.
"I am a wandering mage, I discovered your convoy while I was journeying. Since you were being attacked by bandits I thought to help you. Bandits and rogue mages are a scrouge and must be eliminated." Jack spoke passionately
He knew he needed to be convincing enough, I mean this wasn't a fiction this was reality people weren't stupid.
"Then I am eternally grateful, may I also know your name?" Silva
"Sure, You can call me Jack, no last names" Jack
"Okay, Sir Jack, you can also just call me Silva. It is a pleasure to make your aquintance" Silva
"Very well. I think it would be better if we make use of the Materials from the bandits. It would be enough to make a new carriage. Your old one is wrecked" Jack
"Yes, you're right Jack. Guards! Start taking all of the useful materials and adjust them to make a carriage. There should be some horses at the stables take care of them" Silva
Silav kept giving commands after commands she looked quite capable at this moment.
Jack just watched. He didn't help since it wasn't something that guards couldn't do it themselves
He kept himself busy by reading the Magical Book. It explained many unknowns things he hadn't realized before.
The Unified Magic system of this world, it was something else. It was beautiful than any other system he ever laid his eyes own. It explained many of his questions on MANA and MANA core.
How people manipulated mana and everything was clearly explained in the book. Although only a small part of it was explained since the book was primarily about Fire magic and it's applications.
MANA is divided into several Tiers.
1st Tier-- Impure Mana
2nd Tier-- Purified Mana
3rd Tier-- Empyreal Mana
4th Tier-- Legendary Mana
5th Tier-- Divine Mana/Radiant Mana
Everyone starts with Impure mana and slowly refine it into the higher stages. The book only explained upto Empyreal mana. The process on how to increase mana quality is quite simple. It wholly depends on a persons Mana CORE potential.
A mana core is a special organ that everyone is born with. If a person is able to awaken their mana core, from there on they can start their Magical Journey. What unique about it is, there is no universal method to learning magic. Even without learning official spells, just with an awakened mana core a person can manipulate the reality around them.
Jack would be a great example. Even without knowing anything about magic or magical theories I was able to manipulate mana. Now, my talent allows me full Elemental control. The book doesn't explain this part. But I believe talent is prolly something rare and not everyone might be born with it.
Mine comes in the form of a Divine Blessing. Anyways, Magic has several Categories.
1. ARCANE MAGIC
2. SUMMONING MAGIC
3. NECROMANCY
4. ELEMENTAL MAGIC
5. META MAGIC
The book only speaks of these five major magic types. From what Jack could discern Jack belongs to the Elemental Magic School. Now, there is explicitly said here, that no Specific magic category is superior Than the others. It depends on the user on how much potential they can unearth.
Jack was quite curious about the other categories, sadly the book didn't have any further explanations on them. It was purely made for Elemental Mages.
Jack further learned that, magic was first written in books by the Ancient Aethernal Race. But they have been extinct for thousands of years. Apparently that race was an extremely advanced race, more powerful than even the legendary dragon race.
Whats even more crazier is that, all the current existing magic is barely 1% of what the Aethernals had discovered. Basically the world was reliant on Ancient Aethernal ruins and the whole concept of a Unified magic system was borne out that.
Jack felt the Ancient race must have been godlike, to discover such reality warping power. He was even more curious on what could possible have destroyed such a race.
Back on topic, The Elves ahd spent centuries on properly creating and writing various magical theories that were derived from The Aethernal Tomes. It was then spread out from there to the rest of the other races.
It didn't explain how or why the Elves spread the knowledge of magic, but the book only speculated it was perhaps for the Creation of something called the 'Arcane Nexus'.
Jack was becoming very invested in this topic, he dearly wished he had more books explaining this but alas.
Jack flipped the pages to spell category.
There were 3 spell categories.
1. Attack Magic
2. Defense Magic
3. Lifestyle Magic
Jack flipped to look at some attack magic spells.
#Flame Arrow
#Flame whip
#Fire Wave
#Fire wall
There were several notes and inscriptions on how to use and Learn these spells. There of course several Dozens of spells. The notes and inscriptions looked very similar to step by step tutorial bids Jack watched in the internet.
They first explained, how to visualize the spell and it's desired effects than came the chants and finally the Mana Application. Jack found that magic was indeed more complex than what he has been performing so far.
If the effects and process told in the book was correct way to cast magic, than what Jack had been doing was nothing more than Parlor tricks.
He imagined how powerful he would become if he actually did the proper process.
Jack put the book back in his ring, taking a look around he realized he had been sitting and reading for atleast two hours.
The Guards were still in the process of making the carriages. They weren't creating them from scratch that would take forever, instead they were making use of the Carriages that were still in proper condition after the battle.
The bandits had some transport carriages and horses, nothing fancy in fact they even looked desolate. But the Guards were doing a good job of making it look fancy and even comfortable, judging by the soft cushions they were planting.
They must wanna make sure their lady is comfortable. That's some loyalty.
Jack even saw the Old guard, who's currently acting as the Leader guard leading them to the forest.
Curious Jack went towards them.
"Alright Lads, remember the forest of filled with dangerous monsters. Don't go too far away from the group and remember don't touch anything that looks pretty, or you'll die without knowing what happened" The Old Guard
Hmm, judging by their current attire they were going hunting. Well, that's not a bad idea. After all even if everyone worked double time on the carriages it would still take a lot of time most lilley it will take until night time.
Procuring food wasn't a bad idea at all. Suddenly Jack had an Idea, since he wanted to try out the spells written in the book
He should go hunt with them. Like that he would be able to use the spells on the monsters and the dangerous thrill would pressure him to learn the spells faster.
This was a good idea, thus Jack went to talk about it to the Old Guard.
"Hello, I see you all are going hunting. I would like to go as well" Jack
"Oh, it would be much Appreciated lord Mage." Old Guard.
"Say, what's your name?" Jack thought, he couldn't internally keep calling the man 'Old Guard' and the man didn't look that old, judging by his looks he should be around his forties.
"You can call me Gerald my lord" Said The Old Guard
"Okay Gerald Lead the way" Jack
To be continued...