Saharan Successor

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Chapter 146 - Vol. 3 - Chapter 11

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Fayrene and her group after having their discussion, with her organizing the loot they got, from the materials dropped by the insectoid to gold, and even equipment which was a first experience for her, as a player, plus the money pouch gained by Maryden, she made sure to divide everything half-half.

Her miserly personality kicked in when it came to the money, and she insisted that because of her hard work, she should at least get 60/40 split, and without a reason to reject her, Maryden agreed, since she was happy to survive this situation and even gain some money to take it home.

Meanwhile, Fayrene never expected that goods would drop in such a magical way from monsters, but in her mind she explained this process as being a reward for defeating a challenge, as it was intended from the beginning.

Various materials and goods dropped by the insectoids were spread around the Tavern room, filling the entire place with fangs, insectoid legs, eyes, poison sacks, stingers, and various Equipment Gear that she had no idea what to do with it, nor Vek had an idea what to do about them.

"Why not sell them to the Innkeeper? He looks to be the type of guy interested in such things, don't you think?" suggested Maryden from where she was standing in the bed.

"No, I would get a low price from that miserly guy. Once I return to Titan, I will give them to Mathias, he knows what to do with them."

"Or that. You really make me want to meet this person, Mathias."

"It's too early, and he will return by spring."

With the group upstairs in their room, the situation overall in the tavern looked to have been calmed down, and since that incident various players departed toward Titan in order to repair their items, such as Fang and his Watch Dogs, even Sera along with her Party who departed in the cover of the night after she recovered her resources inside the tavern.

Besides the player who departed, others remained inside the tavern and with an awakened innkeeper who gave a 25% discount to the stuff in his tavern. Such that the liquor started flowing again for the victorious adventurers who profited over this discount to squeeze the Innkeeper of his items. While the players celebrated their victory, some guys began watching the replay of the Monster Wave fight, and were discussing the performances of each noteworthy person.

On their tongue was mostly Fang and his Watch Dogs, along with Sera and her Group, but the guys who were saved by Fayrene couldn't hold back and pointed at how splendid her performance was, boosting that she was the strongest mage in the Game.

"You guys just watch and see. The Goddess will for sure appear in more videos showcasing her mastery over the magic."

"Bah, go run from here you simp. Stop exaggerating her performance. It's clear as day those monsters are weak to magic and this is why she had it easy. Otherwise, if she was a Physical Attack user, she would be dead by now with that reckless gamestyle."

"You are blind? That's reckless gamestyle to you?" asked one of the guys saved by Fayrene, with others grouping up against the ones who tried to diss on Fayrene's showcase of skills.

"Okay, so what you want from us? We are watching the Stream to see if we can improve our skills and tactics? Not to simp over some girl. Grow up, you morons."

"It's you who should grow up and not mock someone who contributed the most to the success of this Event. Especially to people who she saved when she didn't have to."

"That's right you morons. Thanks to her, we managed to level up a bunch by staying alive."

"None of my business that you bunch are noobs to die against those slow bugs." commented one of the players, mocking the group of fans.

A quarrel began inside the tavern, and the merchants and other inhabitants that stopped at the tavern, having experienced this monster wave, could only ignore the Outlanders bickering about some insignificant subjects, and returned to their respective rooms, still holding in themselves the shock of what they witnessed.

It was certain that this story will travel far and wide inside the Saharan Empire or maybe not.

But would normal people believe it? That inside the territory of the hegemon of the world, the Saharan Empire they couldn't even handle their monster hotspots?

This question was addressed by the minstrel who returned back inside the cover of the warm blankets, before returning to the dreamscape, only being 4 AM, not yet the time to start planning the departure.

"Fayrene, do you know the reason those monsters attacked? There were so many of them, and they appeared so viciously. There must be a reason for such things to happen in the world."

"I have no idea, but when I get to my destination, I hope I found out the reason for those attacks by the monsters."

"Even you don't know? Then why the Red Knights haven't done anything? How could they allow such creatures to roam freely the lands we hold so dear? Risking the lives of innocent people?"

"This is something I also ask myself. However, I know someone who might have the answers."

"Who?" asked Maryden while looking at Fayrene from the blankets, seeming to have her curiosity ignited to find more about Fayrene.

"My love."

It was a straightforward answer that gave the minstrel the chance to ask more about this person that was brought up by either Vek or Fayrene, Mathias, and so she did, even getting Fayrene in the mood to talk about it, finding her trustworthy to a decent level.

"Is your lover as strong as you?"

"..."

Before Fayrene even had the chance to respond, Vek who couldn't no longer sleep after experiencing the monster wave got ahead of her remarking his thoughts.

"Lord Mathias is indeed stronger. He could have killed the entire monster wave by himself if he was with us."

"Whoa, are you trying to fool me, little friend? No way could someone deal with that monsters by himself, only the Legendary Pillars protecting the Empire, and the mighty Red Knights are powerful enough to defeat such hideous monsters."

"I am speaking the truth that I believe in. Lord Mathias, is someone capable of many things, and is someone with a vast knowledge that could rival my ancestors. I still don't understand how he knows so many things, even though he is relatively young by human age standards. Mistress?"

"There's no use in asking me. If he didn't tell you, it doesn't mean I should tell you. But to respond to you Maryden, Mathias is indeed stronger than me, even though my magic is a little bit better than his, he isn't far away from me. Besides, he isn't a mage like me by craft, instead a spearman."

"Actually …"

Vek wanted to tell Fayrene something, but dropped the idea, remembering about how Mathias specifically trusted him to keep secret the mastery of the other paths he began to pursue to strange people.

He kept staying awake for the entire time the girls were asleep, and to pass time he took out a gold coin with a dragon on it ornate on its front, while beside was another symbol, clearly not something common, and it was truly not insignificant, holding a lot of emotional value to the little kobold.

Remaining quiet for the entire time it passed, he began tossing the coin slowly without making any sound in the room just as he was taught, continuing to train himself, building his reflexes.

Coin flip after coin flip, that's how he spend his time until sun-rise, training his mind to be sharper and stronger, to react at seconds and milliseconds of timeframes. That was the concept of this simple and pathetic training brought by Mathias which could be scoffed by many people, yet for Vek it was something he did daily, and could feel the changes building up after doing this for half a year.

By the time sun came to warm a bit the snow on the tavern's roof, Fayrene was the first one to wake up, with the alarm feature that instantly give her an impulse in her mind to get up, and looking around she noticed that Vek was on a chair with blankets on him, in a position as if he was sleeping, but immediately he felt Fayrene move he opened his reptilian eyes to greet her.

"Good morning Mistress."

"Mhm, have you catched any sleep?"

"Didn't need more sleep. I'll sleep when we arrive at the village."

Checking the clock showed 7:25 AM, a time that she got used to waking up since acquiring the system, no longer waking herself at 5-6 AM with the night in her head.

With her catching some hours of sleep, she didn't feel too tired, being able to cheat and drag herself past sleepless days using her spells.

Yet this approach wasn't recommended by the Archmage who strictly specified in his notes the fact that sleep was the best medicine to mind fatigue, bringing out the miraculous properties of the mind and the many secrets that she as an Arcanist would slowly learn while progressing in reading the Tome.

'I feel that what happened to Mathias in the past when he started attempting to learn Arcane Intellect, has something which the Archmage has specified. A mysterious veil wrapped around our minds, that can bring out the strongest abilities in us.'

'And from what Mathias told me, he experienced something like a New World full of geometrical shapes. It's really weird when I think about this since I never experienced it, but he did and I trust his words.'

Turning her head at the minstrel, she saw it sleep so deeply, as if nothing could happen to her, peacefully, and the thought of waking her up immediately vanished, allowing her some more sleeping time before departing.

'Hah, how can this girl be so pure? While I look at her like this, she isn't so bad. A big mouth that constantly nags you, but deep down, she probably has a curious mind. She probably has the potential of becoming a magician, but that's not my problem to bring out.'

'Walking this path isn't simple. There's a lot of sacrifices required to grow stronger. Failures, after failures, the stress of not being able to cast the spell you've tried so much to comprehend. The resources required to write the Magic Formulas, the required potions. It's too much of a headache.'

Turning her eyes to Vek, seeing him laze around, she asked him in a curious tone.

"How is it, little Vek? Have there been other monsters attacking around us, or we defeated them in that "Wave"?"

"Apart from the bickering of those people downstairs that were talking about you, and other people, I haven't sensed a single monster in vicinity."

"That's good. We should start preparing for our departure." remarked Fayrene who got up from her bed, moving to take a sealed jug with water that she used to wash her face, just to give her a kick in waking up, then beginning to do her toiletries, such as washing her teeth, her armpits with a warm towel and brushing her hair to keep it clean.

Afterwards, she started cleaning around the blankets she used to insulate the inn's room, only leaving out the bed for the last, and with the minstrel continuing to dream like a baby, she went back on the bed to sit at the edge while talking with Vek about their experiences.

Soon Maryden woke by herself which took Fayrene aback, not expecting such a thing from this silly girl, getting up 25 minutes after she woke up, and could see the raven-haired girl comb her hair, at the side of the bed.

"Good morning, what time is it?"

"It is almost 8 AM, so nothing to worry about. You are actually early, but since you woke up, go do your toiletries, while I take care of the remaining blankets."

"Understood."

The minstrel got up, but she didn't do the things Fayrene expected, but one thing she did, exiting the room to go outside to relieve herself, and when she returned Fayrene already cleaned out the room, bringing back all her items, giving Maryden's a calm look.

"Done?"

"Yea? Have I forgot something with my toiletry?" asked Maryden with a confused expression, starting to worry if she failed to do something.

"No idea, I wasn't checking to see if you've washed your face or other basics."

Touching her face, it was wet, she gave Fayrene a smile and it revealed a perfect pair of teeth, clearly she knew how to take care of her body. Yet the way she was doing her checks before Fayrene, as if she was her mother, made the raven-haired girl to chuckle.

"What are you doing?"

"Letting you see that I've done my toiletries."

"Okay, okay. Check your bag so you don't forget anything in the room." commented Fayrene, as she checked the clock using her System.

" are we going now?"

"We can go down to eat something, and later depart, if you want. Other way around, I have food with me, meaning we can take a break on our journey and eat."

Hearing that dangerous route in doing things, Maryden who was like a scared cat, quickly declined, suggesting that it was better to eat at the tavern.

"Eating in the wild, I heard, is dangerous. One could attract monsters, like the ones from last night."

"Or that. Then I take it we'll eat at the inn. Good, let's go Vek. Right, Maryden, don't forget about your equipment. Ohh, and you'll pay for the food."

"That's the first thing I'll check when I am getting up. The flute and mandolin are my extension, without them I am nothing, and … Wait a minute. Me paying for the food? But, my money?"

"Don't make it seem as if I am a bully. Can't you take a joke?"

"Ahh, you were joking. Haha, this means you'll pay for the food?"

"... Let's not. Each pays for their consumption."

"Fine." agreed Maryden with a silly smile on her face as she rushed to the room, which made Fayrene to shake her head, while reminding the girl.

"Recheck if you have everything."

"Don't worry. Everything is here." said Maryden patting her backpack and also the flute at her side.

Fayrene did a last check with her gaze, and seeing nothing missing from her list, she stepped outside followed by her group, later closing the door, and once she got downstairs, the first thing she did was to hand the door's key.

"Some food, innkeep. Three portions, the cheapest."

"15 gold." replied the Innkeeper, making Fayrene frown a bit, but in the end she took out the coins and handed them.

"Thank you for the patronage." remarked the Innkeeper who took the money in a swift way, walking toward the kitchen, before returning to serve the other guests while murmuring with annoyance something that Fayrene picked.

"Those damned bastards took advantage of my discount and took all the good stuff. Damn them. I have to restash inside Toulmont."

Maryden started giggle at the misfortune of the Innkeeper, but Fayrene didn't find it amusing whatsoever, instead even understood why the high-price for the food.

"There's nothing to laugh. That guy jus tries to make his money back for the expenses of others. While you were sleeping like a pig, the adventurers who fought against the insects probably drank all the good liquor of the Innkeeper."

"Hey, I am not some "pig". I am not snoring, right?"

Fayrene glanced at the young girl, and rolled her eyes, resuming to eat from the plate in front of her.

Then after having the breakfast which contained some warm food, the group of three challenged the Silverpine Forest, departing for the villages of the Comeo County with compared to the stoneroad of the Via's System the one they were passing by, where one couldn't even make out the road from the snow covering most of the surroundings.

It was a journey that, unlike what Fayrene thought about its difficulty, that it would be full of monsters, instead it was something quiet with only various birds being heard in the forest. Still, the minstrel flinched whenever such sounds would resound closer to the road they were taking forward.

"Are we on the right path? Is this the road to Comeo?" asked Maryden, not feeling so sure they were on the right path, yet Fayrene mentioned what the innkeeper told her.

"This is what the Innkeeper told me, most people don't pass by Comeo in the winter with only the Via Augusta leading to Toulmont having a higher chance of being cleared by the passing travelers. The secondary roads, being most of the time covered in snow."

"Still, I fear we aren't on the road."

"Sigh, here maybe this will calm you. Look on the ground."

Saying that, Fayrene lowered herself down, and touching the snow it began melting down with her slender hand giving off the arcane energy.

Once she did that, Maryden who followed Fayrene's instructions saw that the ground was slightly clearer, containing the consistency of a dirt road.

"Is this sufficient? We are on the good road, just that it is quite long. Better said, the trees make it look as if it's a long journey." said Fayrene who touched the snow to clean her hands from the dirt, resuming the walk where she watched the sceneries of the forest.

Time passed and since they went on this journey about 6 hours passed and she managed to peek on some deer that dashed away in an innocent way when noticing Fayrene and her group. She took the apparition of those docile creatures as a sign she was approaching civilization, and her premise wasn't wrong at all, but the reception she received wasn't what she expected.

From inside the forest the sound of something flying at high speed in her direction, was picked on by Vek who looked toward the flying thing that had in target Fayrene and Maryden.

"Watch out Mistress! We are under attack!" warned Vek, who extended his wings jumping in the air dispersing the objects flying, two arrows that had quite the strength in them with Vek barely deflecting those arrows.

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