Mage Union

p>We cautiously enter the building and immediately a piece in the center of the room catches our eyes. ”That? ”

Floating in the center of the room is a large spherical crystal, about 20 centimeters in diameter. I can sense Mana flowing out of it and into the Magic Circle below us. ”Ive never seen a spherical one. ” I say as we approach it.

What floats before us is a Mana Crystal, a stone made of hardened Mana. Because Mana flows like liquid it sometimes gets caught in places and condenses. When that happens, it solidifies into crystal form. These Mana Crystals are mined and used for various Magical purposes like powering large continuous Magic Circles and Magic items.

They are named based on their size and for what that size is normally used. It goes: Décor, Wand, Enchantment, Town, City, Country. The size of this Crystal would put it at Town level. But the shape is the oddest part of it. Itd take a master miner to break this out of stone. If it was polished, then material wouldve been wasted.

”How long do you think its been here? ”

”Don know. But at least we can take off our coats while we
e here. ” Best not dwell on something that doesn matter. I take off my coat and carefully set it on the table at the side of the room. Despite me setting it down slowly, dust still puffs up. Reune follows suit, the Gods really are kind, shes grown into a feminine body. Her shape is slender and curved, her face hasn changed from when we were kids. Shes only lacking a chest, but besides that, thank you Gods.

Now that our hair is exposed, I can see that we both let our hair grow out too much. My bangs grew in a way that it covers my left eye if I don push it out of the way. As for Reune, her hair would reach her hips if she didn have it tied up. I catch myself from looking at the back of her neck too long. I clear my throat as I look away from her.

The walls of the building were covered in bookshelves that were packed with books. Reune pulls one down and I look at it with her. The book is bound with thread, the holes that they go through look to be punched with a knife. She opens the book. ”What does it say? ” She holds it up to me, must be Divine Script if shes having me read it.

”Looks like a journal on canine animals. ” I flip through the pages. ”There are even entries on Magical beasts and Monsters. ”

”Really? ”

As I flip through the pages a fold page falls to the ground. I pick up the page and open it.

I read it out loud, ”Hey Ren, welcome to my old house. Sorry about the dust. You came here with a cute girl didn you. Anyway, if you
e here you
e probably about to head to Sun City. Before that you should check on the Guardians, theyve been lonely ever since I became King. Im sure theyll help you and your friends out. I left a map to them under your coat. ”

”I don know if I should be impressed or grossed out. ” I had heard rumors that father could see the future and his letters until now have shown that he had some form of precognition. But this solidifies it, not only did he know what book we were going to grab he knew where Id put my coat and that Id come here with Reune.

”I want to go with impressed. ” Reune was glowing. She had been called cute by someone she hasn met. I don get it, but as long as shes happy.

I pick up my coat and see a folded-up map. Unfolding it shows the entire continent. There are some handwritten notes in Divine Script pointing out important locations. There were also some joke texts, like by the border to the Kingdom of Man there was a note saying ”Mean! ”

”This is far more detailed than the map in the Lords office. ”

”Come to think of, I haven seen anything in the capital this detailed either. ”

I flip the map to the back to see a message saying, ”Don tell anybody. ”

”Dad, this is too much. ”

From what Ive seen there is a mountain of research just sitting in this room. Even if its all in Divine Script it would still be useful to bring into the limelight. After all, most Magical Beasts have been endangered because they were confused with Monsters. If people were properly educated, then we could bring those populations back. However, with this message I could tell that he wants his map and research to remain secret.

”What are we going to do now? ”

”We should visit these Guardians if father suggests it. Though taking the whole group to each one would be tedious. ”

”What should we do then? ”

”Well talk it out with the others, but I think well go in groups of two to each Guardian. Myself and one other. ”

Guardians are assistants to the Gods, so itd be likely that theyd speak Divine Script, if they don also speak Common, Ill have to be the translator. We collect the map and get our coats back on and head back to town.

4

We get back to the orphanage, can it still be called an orphanage when all the occupants are adults? We explain the letter to the others.

Vince has mellowed out with age, he still brimming with energy, but he doesn shout as much now. His hair has also grown out, though it is better kept than mine. Its layered nicely and tied in a small tail. He is the tallest of all of us and his physique betrays his strength, despite being thin his muscles are well trained.

Emil is in a similar boat, hes also thin but you could carve stone on his muscles. Hes kept his hair short. With is fighting style movement is important so he can have his hair getting into his view.

Clair shares her beauty with Reune, they do have the same face, after all. Her hair is shorter than her sisters but still tied in a ponytail. The sisters also share a similar physique, but to honest with myself, Clairs chest is too large for my taste. Because of our heights, I have to look down to see her eyes and I catch a glimpse of her cleavage every once and a while. Its unsettling and catches me off guard every time it happens.

”So, we got to visit these Guardians. Whos going to which one? ” Emil asks the first question after the explanation.

”If its alright with you guys, Id say the element you specialize in will be the Guardian you visit. ”

Lucky for me all of them focused on different elements. Reune needed challenge so I taught her Frost Magic. Emil had the second highest proficiency for Magic, I was going to teach him Frost as well, but he requested to be taught Flame Magic. Vince doesn have Circle Comprehension, so I had him specialize in Land Magic which I simplified the Circles for so that they were easier to remember. Clair had her own problems with deciding what she wanted to practice. I selfishly taught her Breeze Magic to round off our team.

”Tomorrow Reune and I will go to the Frost Guardian. The rest of you can head to Larcretsia and wait for us. ”

Before it got too late Reune, and I went to the Lords office for the last time. In our time here, Reune had become an assistant to the old woman working in the library. As for me, I led a makeshift school in the library for the children of town. Though its been illegal to teach Magic in a non-military environment for 3 years there isn any law against reading and arithmetic.

The Lord of the town was too grateful when I suggested opening a school. Many of the adults of town forbade their children from attending, I was just an orphan kid to them. But still, kids would sneak into my classes. Reune has gotten over most of her shyness with the townsfolk from her work at the library. Though her appearance has gotten her some attention I wish she didn . Im not completely complaining, thank you again Gods.

We say our goodbyes to the old lady at the library as well as the Lord. Afterwards we head back home. The others are gathering their things for the trip. Vince and Emil were able to get good quality swords from their apprenticeship at the local blacksmith. As for Clair, she was able to score good meat for us to cure for our rations.

”Weapons, food, clothes, sleep gears. Are we missing anything? ”

”Whos got the flint? ”

”I got it right here. ”

”Put it in my bag, I don want it getting lost. ”

”Itll probably still get loss, but okay. ”

”Man, I wish we could see Jett one more time before we leave. ” Vince had taken a break to lament our caretaker. He had disappeared without a trace three years ago. Its unlikely that hed get himself killed, but the thought was still in our minds.

”Hes probably picking up a new batch of stray kids. We can take care of ourselves now. ”

”Yeah, he must be waiting for us to clear out before he brings them in. ”

After a shared laugh we finished packing and turned in for the night.

Morning came and so did our time for departure. It was sad to leave these walls behind. I can only imagine how the others feel. To them this is the only home theyve known. But nows not the time to get sentimental. If we get too many flashbacks, we won want to leave.

”Ah, before we leave. Can I check everyones Skills one more time? ” Id remembered that I got Tier 7 Analysis so I can finally look at the descriptions of the Skills I didn understand.

”Sure, but don look at our private stuff. ” Clair commands.

I had mentioned that high versions of the Spell can give me measurements of the target. Clair was in the right for not wanting that information out there. Luckily at Tier 6 I can select the information I view.

One at a time I look at everyones Skills.

Name: Reune

Age: 18

Sex: Male (Female)

Vis Capacity: High

Skills: Mana Detection, Circle Comprehension, Heart of Crystal [Allows owner to change minor aspect of their body over time to have desired effects.]

Abilities: Land Magic (3), Wave Magic (3), Frost Magic (3), Healing Magic (3), Recovery Magic (3), Enhancement Magic (3)

—

Name: Vincent Newman

Age: 18

Sex: Male

Vis Capacity: High

Skills: Mana Detection, Pain Mitigation, Increased Stamina

Abilities: Land Magic (2), Endurance [Allows the users body to continue moving if knocked unconscious.]

—

Name: Emil

Age: 18

Sex: Male

Vis Capacity: High

Skills: Mana Detection, Circle Comprehension, Mirage [Allows owner to make illusion around themselves], Increased Balance

Abilities: Land Magic (2), Flame Magic (3), Unnamed Ability

—

Name: Clair

Age: 18

Sex: Female

Vis Capacity: High

Skills: Mana Detection, Circle Comprehension, Kinetic Vision

Abilities: Land Magic (2), Breeze Magic (2), Healing Magic (1)

—

Name: Ren Namimori

Age: 18

Sex: Male

Vis Capacity: Extra High

Skills: Mana Detection, Circle Comprehension, Magic Knowledge, Divine Script, Mana Circulation

Abilities: Land Magic (8), Flame Magic (7), Breeze Magic (7), Wave Magic (7), Frost Magic (7), Sun Magic (1), Elementless Magic (7), Healing Magic (4), Recovery Magic (4), Enhancement Magic (3), Mage Hands

—

Good, everyone has made substantial progress. These four people are on par with scholar that spend their entire lives on Magic. I don know if I should be proud in my friends or disappointed in the scholars. Come on guys, you got out did by teenagers.

Also, I finally have a read on Heart of Crystal. It lets her change her body as she wants, if she doesn know she has the Skill then it acts subconsciously. I think even if I tell her about it that won change. Better not break anything if I don need to.

As for Emils Mirage, Id love to see it in action. Though I don know the full extent of its power. Back during his training, I had mentioned the Skill to him, but it sounded like he already knew about it, so I didn press it further.

I don know if Vince got Endurance on purpose or accident, either way its a good ability to have with an ally.

With our final preparations we separated into two parties. Reune and I went northwest to the Frost Mountains where the Frost Guardian is located. The others headed to Larcretsia, a city to the southeast of Snarlava. On foot it should take a day for both of us to make it our destination. Which mean Reune and I have a two-day trip after finishing at the mountains. Too late to turn back now.