^^ Lord Waylon ^^
— James —
Somehow, I felt a deep sense of pride, looking at the Status's of my Apprentices. All of them had evolved from the battle, even Mika, who became an Earth Spirit, a very powerful Holy Creature, I was told. Zoken became a High-Oni, and gained 'Oni Spirit Warrior', as well as he and Hallox gaining the titles 'Boss Killer, Taker of Heads', and every one of them gained 'Bandit Slayer'. Hallox had evolved into a 'Death-Orc', which was apparently the same race as his father, who was very, very, very boisterously proud.
Jerrod evolved into a Blood Dragon, which was apparently a Draconic Mage Species that was actually Humanoid. This meant that he didn't have to cast magic to be a human, only to hide his thick new horns, which made him very popular with the Ladies. (Turns out, large horns are a standard of sex appeal for Ogres and Dragons alike, instead of large breasts or anything like that.) Maze evolved into a 'Charred Dryad', an Ultra-Rare Species that usually lived around volcanoes, and was exceptionally skilled with Elemental Fire Magic, a higher form of Pyromancy. Even I Evolved, to my surprise, into my Tenth Evolution, 'Ascended Spirit Sage of the Mountain'.
Obviously, all our stats went up a lot, from the evolutions and level ups, but I didn't allow them to feel superior; I quickly and efficiently analyzed all their mistakes, the things they could improve, so on and so forth, and then the next morning they were returned to training, though they got one day off; of course, they spent some of that day off transporting the captured bandits, (numbering 23,) to the Orc Prison, for later transport to the Holy City, and then the rest of it sleeping off their battle-fever.
Adrenaline Crash was a hell of a beast to tackle, after all.
I continued my own training, harsher then ever before, realizing they were catching up to me, and I cursed myself for slacking off these past six months.
Now I also took part in their training, instead of just directing it, locking my abilities down to those of a normal humans, as well as theirs; I couldn't increase the intensity or Frequency of the training, after all, so I increased the difficulty, instead.
I also subjected Ken to this treatment, after remembering he had fought the Oni his son had killed easily, and so he was trained by me, and the other chiefs as well, despite their protests, which I ignored entirely; they halted their protests when I showed them that their children were more powerful than them.
Soon, all of the children in the villages were being taught the same way, after I showed the adults how to create the dissolvable Chi Blockers, (So there were no mishaps,) and I was satisfied that everyone was taking their training seriously.
A week passed in this way, as peace was not even disrupted in the villages; the bandits had been killed and captured before they even knew they were here, after all, and so everyone shared a feeling of victory, as if they had helped in some measurable way.
I froze in place, as I was washing an Apple, (a normal red apple, harvested from the Dryad's magical trees,) and looked up at the sky, sensing a presence approaching that was very strong.
I instantly searched for its exact location, and frowned at the results.
<Individual: ???
Race: ??? (???)
???: ???
-
Class: ???
Level: Max
Class: ???
Level: Max
Class: ???
Level: Max
Class: ???
Level: Max
-
Class: ???
Level: 99/100
Class: ???
Level: 99/100
Class: ???
Level: 99/100
Class: ???
Level: 65/100
-
Strength: ???
Speed: ???
Stamina: ???
Defense: ???
Intelligence: ???
Weapon Skill: ???
Unarmed Skill: ???
!2&:7.!2&, 52&.9.5, !28.73!3'xi, howh72!/9:7, )insyu€{!|*, !]*|^nwnek>{£{, !]'sozy-)3&., !2&.7:63!.wndody!-'did, baksizy£]!{*.#.>
Even without the names, if all those skills were Combat oriented, this person's level was 465, far higher than any of the villagers except my own. And their Hidden Stats were stronger than my Identify, which meant they had to be strong.
I walked towards the feeling, and soon saw a soaring dragon of some sort, and I was almost inclined to relax; a High-Ranking Dragon visiting wasn't that much of a threat, after all they were allies. But then I saw the rider on its back, covered in plate mail and carrying a lance and sword, wearing a Templar's signature bucket helmet.
I growled slowly, and grew my bokken into a full Spear, sharpening the edges and slowly inserting my Ur into it, as much as I could. Pretty soon it was smoldering with deep red fire, and I raised it to throw.
"Master?!? What are you attacking with so much power?!?" Mika rushed over, flustered.
"A Templar, it seems... I only intend to make a warning shot, of course." I hummed, and drew back my arm, taking three hopping, running steps forward, then released it into the sky.
The snow on the ground was instantly liquified from the backwash of fire from the comet-like lance as it fired into a perfect arch that came in front of the Wyvern's face, making it screech and rear back, nearly throwing its rider.
The Spear slowly returned to me, the Ur in it spent, and I nodded, re-shaping it into a sword and following as the wyvern lost altitude and dropped down near the Ogre Village.
I arrived almost as it was landing, and gave the bokken a sharp edge and true blade shape, instead of a simple bokken's fat edge. "Hello, Templar... I don't suppose you're simply lost? I was informed that there was a form of border, and this place was considered sovereign territory?"
The man on the back of the wyvern laughed softly, pulling his helmet off and hiding it in an instant, like he'd sent it off to another dimension, or a Pocket. He was a middle-aged human, his black hair laced with grey and silver, with a silver and black beard as well, and tanned skin. "Indeed it is, Sir, but I am come with permissions... I believe I recognize you quite vaguely, but from where I am unsure... are you a local?" He asked calmly, and politely.
"Lord Waylon!!! Oh Lord Waylon I'm so sorry I didn't stop him!!! Are you hurt?!?" Mika ran up suddenly, surprising me.
He laughed off her concern, patting his Wyvern as it sniffed Mika and purred loudly. "I am alright, Mika, and though Caellus here was given a fright, he is unharmed... so this is who threw that magic spell? You are a prodigious Mage, young man!" He grinned at me Good-naturedly.
I raised an eyebrow and made my Spear again, letting it glow with my Ur. "It wasn't a spell." I said blandly.
His eyes widened a hair, almost imperceptibly, and he nodded. "I see... my apologies, I haven't introduced myself! I am Lord Waylon, a Grigori Knight of the Holy City, here on behalf of the Council; I am known here, as I am the only one who will come: the rest are too weak and afraid, and sadly fear for their lives, you see." He explained casually.
I nodded. "James Taaliyah, Sage of the Mountain."
His eyes widened fully, this time, and he glanced up at the mountain, his eyes dilating as he looked at the shrine, despite the distance; I supposed for someone who flew a wyvern as a mount, having good eyes was necessary. He found my usual place empty, and then laughed softly. "So the rumor was true? The Thousand-Year Sage finally woke up... and that explains that attack, too, and your level of Spiritual Energy."
"Hm." I eyed him, still suspicious for now.
"Well, Either way, I humbly greet the Sage." He bowed in the saddle, and looked up as Ken and Sakura appeared. "Ahh! Friends!" He slowly got out of the saddle, the wyvern assisting, and then summoned a cane, hobbling over towards them.
He hugged Ken, (despite only reaching his chest, even as a larger-than-normal human,) and then bowed to Sakura. "It has been too long! I bring good news, and also tidings, and even a Bounty! Come, let us talk inside, Hmm?" He whistled to the Wyvern, who climbed slowly up from its sitting position, and then laid in the square as a few of the Shrine Maidens began to bathe it with sponges and cool water.
I followed them inside curiously, and nodded approval to my apprentices, who had appeared curiously to follow us. Once we were inside the chief's house, the older human sat down on a couch, sending all his armor away into a Pocket with a flick of his wrist. This revealed that his left leg was actually made of wood, a basic prosthetic; the reason for his limp and cane.
"Ahh, it's good to get outa that tin can every once in a while... how's things?" He casually asked Ken, tapping the cane, which seemed to be made of a dragon's wing-joint.
"Better than they have been in a long time, Wyatt, that's for sure... You Met the Sage... I apologize for his treatment of you, but in his defense, you are a Templar in Monster Country." Ken grinned, chuckling.
"That's true, yes, and no harm came of it, in the end. To think, I live in an Age of Sages and Hero's... wonders never cease." The Old Man sighed.
"Heroes?" I frowned, taking a seat on another couch, staring at him.
"Hmm? Ah, yes, a Hero was found about half a sun ago, and he's currently being trained by the Templar's... I suppose he'll come here to meet the Sage, now that it's known you're awake. He might ask you to accompany him." He scratched his left knee absently, and shrugged.
"My apprentices require my attention, for now... once this Village is properly trained and can continue their training without me, I may consider leaving, but only to travel a bit, and learn of this place I've been reborn into." I shrugged.
He raised an eyebrow, and then settled into a neutral expression. "A reincarnated one, hmm? The Templar's will probably excommunicate you for that... Ah well, you're in Monster Country; what does it matter?" He shrugged again, and looked at Sakura. "Now, business; a Bounty, for the subjugation of a two bands of Oni Bandits? I imagine Ken and the Sage did that?"
"No, it was my apprentices. I watched, and gave critique. They were weak bandits, barely even level 175. Weaklings in every sense of the word." I waved a hand carelessly.
He slowly looked at Ken, then the five youngsters behind me, standing around awkwardly. I saw a screen in his eyes, briefly, before he nodded again. "I.. see. Then the Bounty is theirs?" He pulled a small bag that smelled like metal out of his Pocket, and set it on the table with a solid 'thunk' that seemed disproportionate to its size. "I know you don't care for gold, so I managed to get you some Mithril, instead, enough for a small collection of weapons."
I picked up the bag, weighing it to be about 400 pounds of metal. "I'll have weapons made for them out of it; weaklings or not, they acquitted themselves well, and deserve some reward." I nodded, and tossed it to Zoken. "Hold on to that. Don't lose it."
He bowed his head, and looked inside. "Whoa... a Bag of Holding!" He whispered, showing the others.
"Silence." I murmured, and he was quiet, drawing the others back away from the adults so they could examine the bag quietly. "And Mithril is... Expensive?" I asked the Knight.
He choked on the tea that Sakura had served while I was busy, and cleared his throat. "Expensive?!? Of course it's expensive!!! It only comes from Dungeons, don't you know?"
"No, I've been out of touch for a while." I answered sarcastically.
He grinned ruefully, rubbing his neck. "Ah, right... sorry. Yes, Mithril is very hard to get; Dungeons, which are portals to certain areas of the Demon Realm, are the only places to get it, and those are dangerous for anyone who hasn't Mastered a Class and Evolved at least once."
I hummed. "Curious... to think that's an actual method of measure... those Bandits had all evolved at least once, and they were pathetic; the children tore them to pieces... speaking of, will you be taking the survivors? They are in the Orc Prison at present. The bosses were killed, of course. As traitors to the Clan, it was Zoken's Duty to kill them, and he did well." Zoken stood straighter, and I tacked something on to deflate him. "Though he should've done so without allowing his emotions to blind him. He could've ended the fight sooner if he fought with his full power from the beginning, instead of playing games with his enemy." He sighed, going back to looking at the bag.
The Knight nodded slowly. "Alright, Yes, I'll take the survivors to the Holy City, but they'll just be executed, there; don't you want them to work off their debts first?"
I narrowed my eyes slowly. "You mean Slave Labor? No thanks. I prefer not to be a Slimy, Putrescent waste of flesh." My voice deepened dangerously at the thought.
He chuckled softly. "Good, Good, I was hoping for that, though I suppose a Sage isn't like a normal person, is it? It's All that Wisdom." He joked, laughing at himself.
"Hm. If that's all? I don't suppose you know any merchants in the Holy City that would buy Elixirs and Lower Demon Alcohol?" I asked, moving ahead.
His eyes narrowed for a moment, and then he nodded slowly. "I do... why? I wasn't aware you had a proper Alchemist? Just the Trees, right?" He looked at Ken and Sakura swiftly.
"No, but the Sage has already made several Elixirs, and they work, trust me." Ken answered, and handed him a small glass vial, which held a softly glowing red liquid, like a healing potion in a video game.
"Hmm, Red, I've never seen red Elixir before... let me-" a screen appeared in his eyes, and he flinched violently, setting the vial down like it was live dynamite. After a few tense moments, he cleared his throat. "That... is a Spirit Elixir, a potion capable of curing mortal wounds, and pulling a soul back from the underworld, if it's within a few minutes of death. How and why do you have- no, you can't have made it?!?" He looked at me, eyed wide.
"Technically, one of the Miko's is an Herbalist, and she added some ingredients to one I made, and it became like that, so from then on I made the first part, and she did the second. There's nine of them, one with each Clan Chief and Protector, and then one with me. I was only planning on selling the normal Elixirs, though, the others are too expensive to make." I shrugged.
He leaned back and sighed, pulling out a pipe and lighting it slowly, trying to calm his heartbeat, which I could hear was very, very fast right now. After a few puffs of the strong smelling smoke, he rubbed his face wearily, and nodded. "Sir James... Let me be frank; Elixirs are very rare. Each one is worth in excess of 10,000 Gold Coins; for reference, as I'm sure you're unaware, 15,000 Gold Coins will fund for you a team of masons and the required materials to build a very luxurious summer cottage, and staff it for around five years with the change... Greater Elixirs and Spirit Elixirs are worth, at bare minimum, fifty times that. They've gone in auction for more than eighty-five times that, when a Hero is alive, as that means multiple wars are going to begin the next few years, and we will need Potions and Magical Items to support the Hero's Party and also the Countries themselves."
"And having these or showing them or having rumors of them will bring thieves and raiders and even countries and churches down on our heads, claiming divine purpose instead of being truthful and saying it's all Greed and Corruption, in the end." I nodded, completing his thought.
He nodded. "Hence why I left the Templar's... but you are correct."
"I am obviously aware, and that's why I'd like to mend fences with the Holy City, before their presence becomes known." I explained.
He hummed, and nodded slowly. "That is a sound strategy; the Holy City is home to every Religion on the Planet save the Church, and their power is not to be underestimated... also, considering the Monster Lands are the richest that exist, in terms of natural resources, even from a money standpoint, the council will always win over other countries... Alright, I see your point: yes, selling rare items will better your relations with them, purely from a Greed standpoint."
"Sounds good. If that's all, you can take a few back with you as a peace offering to this Council I hear about. Mika, you have a few, Yes?" I glanced at her over my shoulder.
She nodded slowly, looking woefully confused, and pulled four Elixir Vials out of a pouch on her waist. The liquid in these was white, like the normal White Apples. She handed them to him at my nod, and sighed. "I can see why we shouldn't ask for money, but... if each of those is worth an entire House..."
I chuckled. "We can always make more, my dear; we'll get more money this way, which will be more desirable, considering the population boom that will happen soon in this village."
Sakura perked up. "Oh? Is that a fact?"
"Oh shush you, I didn't mean it like that; I'm thinking of adding a Fertility Potion to the Water, is all." I explained, and looked at the Knight. "Ignoring that, can you get those to the appropriate people who could handle distributing something like that, as well as spreading where they come from and a message of peace and brotherhood?"
He nodded, examining each bottle. "Definitely... and I'll be back to get more within a week, I bet, but those will be purchase orders, of course; I'll make sure you get full price."
"No, there'll be a 25% discount for first-time buyers, and 10% off standard market price after that; our stock is limited, so a maximum of Five can be bought per Order, and if five are bought, the discount is 25%, not 10%, and therefore 50% off for a first order of Five. Also, we have Lower Demon Alcohol, and that'll be about 30% off Market Price, and a maximum of two ten-gallon casks, for now." I smiled bitterly, sad that my past experience in sales and business would actually come in handy, here.
He gazed at me blankly, and then wrote down what I'd said, asking me to repeat some of it, then looked at Sakura. "Alright... well, as much as I'd love to stay, if I'm going to take those prisoners and this message, I'll need to leave now... I'll be back in a few days, and it won't be so long between visits, any more!" He chuckled and bowed his head to me, donning his armor with a thought and hobbling out of the room.