NOVEL FROG Chapter 6: Venturing Out and Visiting Thornwood Village
“{Flame Dart}!”
With the incantation, a fiery projectile shot forth from Victor’s fingertip, striking the direwolf in front of him. The beast let out a pained growl as the scorching impact left a big, searing burn in its wake.
“Not dead yet? Then taste this — {Flame Whip}!” Victor chanted, conjuring a whip of flame into his hand. With a swift motion, he lashed out, the whip striking the direwolf and searing its flesh. The ferocious beast was engulfed in flames, its fur and skin quickly reduced to charred remnants, leaving behind nothing but the scent of smoldering meat.
To be honest, casting Pyro magic in the midst of a dense forest was far from an ideal choice. However, with limited visibility in the darkness, Victor found himself with few alternatives. As an Initiate Attunement acolyte, his repertoire of spells was limited to the Aleph tier, which wasn’t particularly destructive.
“Damn… I should’ve learned more spells.” He muttered to himself. With the exception of the rarer elements, there was no limitation to which ones a Magus could cast. Still, he had a high affinity with Anemo and Pyro, which was why he slacked in learning other magic spells with different elements. Not to mention learning spells in his previous academy wasn’t free.
Despite hailing from a Magus family, Victor was by no means wealthy. At most, he was an upstart. On top of that, each spell required a significant investment of time and effort, as it involved meticulously memorizing and replicating the intricate spell models within one’s mind. A single mistake might cause injuries or even the death of the spellcaster.
Still, what does the mission mean by establishing a “friendly relationship”? Is there a specific hidden meaning that the mission is trying to achieve? Victor contemplated deeply but couldn’t find the answer. Whatever. I guess it will become clear later.
Not long after, the sun finally rose above the horizon, casting the warm morning light that Victor had yearned for during his trek through the treacherous forest. After two hours of navigating the dangers, the outskirts of the forest were a truly welcoming sight.
Victor’s black acolyte robe was more than just a simple garment, as it was adorned with numerous protective enchantments. The fabric self-cleaned, thereby sparing him from the dirt and grime of the forest. It also had a limited self-repairing capability and provided support for his body, minimizing the energy spent during his arduous trek. Furthermore, the robe functioned as a reliable form of armor, comparable to the protection offered by thick leather.
As Victor approached the last line of trees, a vast expanse of grain fields stretched out before him. Villagers worked and slept early, as evidenced by the diligent farmers who were already hard at work tending to their crops. The golden ears of grain, weighed down by their ripeness, swayed gently in the breeze. Yet, the peasants didn’t have the bright expressions one would presume to have during the harvesting season.
Unfazed by the wary gazes directed his way, Victor strode confidently toward the village. The villagers eyed him as cautiously as one might regard a debt collector. After all, the status of Magi stood at the top of this world; although they were unaware of his true identity, his attire, which spoke of a more affluent background, hinted at his status.
When he neared the cluster of houses encircled with tall wooden stakes, Victor stopped in his tracks and manipulated the energy particles around to mask his presence. It was just a petty trick that only worked on mortals, but he layered several additional concealment spells so even Initiate Attunement acolytes would find it difficult to notice him.
This was Thornwood Village, the place where he and his former “comrades” had once taken up lodging. He wasn’t sure if they were still here or not. Thus far, he had yet to feel any sort of mana fluctuations, but he couldn’t be certain until he checked with his own eyes.
Among the cluster of houses, one particular brick house with a chimney stood out as the most well-maintained. The village head previously owned it, but it had been “rented” by Victor and his former friends. As he neared the house, Victor cautiously positioned himself near one of the windows, peering inside with a mix of anticipation and anger.
Victor was ready for a confrontation, fueled by fury and a desire for revenge — but he was not so foolish as to send himself to an early grave. So, he calmed himself down and resolved to do reconnaissance only. The people who had betrayed him consisted of four individuals, three males and one female, each possessing formidable power that rivaled, if not surpassed, his own. The odds were stacked against him, and defeat would be all but certain if he were to engage them directly.
Upon closer investigation, he discovered that it was only the village head and his family inside the house. Those bastards have already moved on, eh? Victor was a bit disappointed but relieved at the same time. He also noticed that the belongings he left behind were gone— Damn it!
With the tension finally eased from his shoulders, Victor exhaled a cold breath. He thought back to the time when one of his former allies had approached him after learning that he had unearthed a fabled artifact fragment linked to the Primordial Nexus. Blinded by greed, he hadn’t seen the signs of their impending betrayal, or the fate that would befall him once they reached the entrance of the ruins. Plus, there was one other “personal” reason involving the only girl in the party…
One day, he would exact his vengeance, but now wasn’t the time. Not only was his current strength severely lacking, but it would also be a four-to-one battle which was far too great of a disadvantage. On top of that, one of them hailed from an even more powerful Magus family than his own. One that had the protection of a Nexus Temporal Magus. Something that even his family wouldn’t dare to offend, not that he had that much influence back home to begin with.
Just wait. One day I’ll be the one with the power to crush you… Victor silently vowed. Enjoy your peace while it lasts.
Victor was confident of one thing: So long as he succeeded in getting the Magus academy up and running, he would have his revenge sooner or later. Although, there was one other thing that worried Victor — there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t come back. For now, there was nothing he could do about the possibility, so he’d have to cross that bridge when he came to it.
With a flick of a finger, Victor dispelled the enchantments he placed on himself, and his presence returned to normal. Maintaining so many minor spells at once had drained his accumulated infused mana, leaving him feeling light-headed.
He knocked on the door, and moments later, it creaked open to reveal the village head, a hunched elderly man in his sixties. His stern expression faltered upon seeing Victor, and he bowed his head subserviently. “S-Sir! I thought you had left with your companions.”
“Heh… ‘Companions’ is a generous word for the likes of them,” Victor mused.
“Pardon?”
Clearing his throat, Victor explained his presence there. “At ease. My objectives have shifted since our last encounter... Let’s just say I am here to engage in a different kind of venture, one involving the welfare of this village.” The words felt foreign on his tongue. If it wasn’t for the special circumstances he found himself in, and his past life’s memory, Victor would never bother associating himself with the likes of commoners; not even in his wildest dream.
Sensing the change in Victor’s demeanor, the village head extended a welcoming invitation. “Please, do enter my humble abode.”
The old village head appeared to be skeptical, but Victor knew he wasn’t as clueless as the villagers outside. He was aware of the intricacies of Magi and their supernatural powers. Sure, he might not know a lot about them, but he was at least aware that provoking one would bring disaster to his village.
Victor seated himself at the dining table as the village head’s old wife hurriedly set out some tea. Concurrently, he noticed two pairs of curious eyes peeking from the gap of the bedroom door.
“Let’s not beat around the bush,” Victor said, jumping right into it. “I am interested in building a dwelling deeper into the forest, and I will require this village’s assistance.”
“Sir, we are more than willing to help in cons—”
“No, there’s no need for that; I have my own ways.” Victor dismissed the offer with a wave of his hand. “All I need are some good quality tools and ten days’ worth of provisions. Rest assured, I am willing to compensate you generously for your assistance.” With a swift motion, he retrieved a platinum coin from a hidden pouch concealed beneath his coat.
“A p-platinum coin?” The village head’s eyes widened in astonishment.
In this modest village, a single gold coin could sustain a family for an entire month. A platinum coin’s worth was five times greater. Yet, for Victor, such coins held no actual value beyond being slightly more precious metals. Truly, for Magi, only mana crystals held genuine significance as currency in their dealings.
As for how many platinum coins Victor had in his pouch at the moment? There were exactly fifty-four platinum coins left.
“So can you provide them or not? Oh, and I will require some seeds for planting as well; the more varieties, the better.”
“Certainly! Certainly, sir! We can provide you with the tools, provisions, and seeds you require,” he eagerly assured Victor.
“Good.”
They then delved into the finer details of the transaction and sealed the deal. Simultaneously, the village head tapped the table and the gap of the bedroom door creaked and widened, revealing two heads of teenage girls who were peeking.
“My apologies, sir. My granddaughters have never seen an esteemed Magus as yourself… Do pardon them for being curious.” The old village head smiled.
Magus, huh? For someone at the third-stage Initiate Attunement like me, I am not yet an official Magus…
“It’s fine.” Victor was wise to the subtle meaning behind the village head’s words, but he paid it no mind. “Well, have everything prepared by noon. In the meantime, I will do some hunting around the village.”
“Yes, as you wish!” From his tone, he was slightly disappointed.
It was common for people like him to curry favor with an extraordinary individual like Victor by offering their daughters or granddaughters as servants, but they would only prove to be an inconvenience for him while he had such a big secret to keep. He couldn’t let anyone know about the academy’s existence to minimize any risk, at least not until he had sufficient force to protect himself and his interests.