I didn’t like this, didn’t like this at all.

  I was spending altogether too long torturing the wooden floorboards with my incessant tapping. Hoping beyond hope that the girl didn’t do something so stupid as to go looking for a Muri-Ursi. The guildmaster was, with all due respect, an idiot who didn’t understand children. He probably expected her to go wherever she called home in impotent rage over being treated like a child, and while some would do that, others had a tendency to make stupid decisions when goaded.

  I’d only had three apprentices in my career as a hunter, but that was enough for me to know that giving an impossible task would only embolden a desire to prove their worth. It was funny how consistent it tended to be, I learned my lesson when Ulan almost got himself killed because I was careless with my words. Cost him a bright future as a hunter with the wounds he got that day. I didn’t like to think about it, even if everything turned out alright in the end.

  He wasn’t even the type to be inclined towards thoughtless action, that girl? I had a hunch she was willing to go through just about any danger, sensibilities be damned. But what could I do? I was a hunter, not a babysitter, and I couldn’t hound the child into doing the sensible thing. That’d only push her further.

  So all I could do was hope and pray that the guildmaster didn’t accidentally send a child to their death, all because they didn’t know how to deal with the young.

  I was young once, as was everyone.

  Brash, stupid, and willing to take on the world to prove that I could be someone. I’d mellowed out, thank the divines, but only after my master saved me from my folly. Even then, I was pretty sure the fiery part of my soul was the main reason I was still a hunter in the first place.

  Could I take on a Muri-Ursi to save a child? Maybe, I didn’t know. Hunts weren’t done solo, at least if you wanted to survive long enough through the trade. That or you were a mage, but those were rare, Rhode being the only one I could think of, and he was more adventurer than hunter. But otherwise it was a thing of roles and teamwork rather than raw strength.

  Sure, there were legendary hunters capable of felling monstrosities all by their lonesome, but even they lived short lives compared to the orthodox methods. Iria The Archer, Jomrin The Berzerker, Talion The Wraith.

  None of them were mages, all of them died brutally.

  I filled the role of a slasher. Tap dancing around monsters on the periphery of their strikes as they focused on the bruiser, delivering a series of slashes to tendons and ligaments to slow and limit the motions of the beasts we hunted. Doesn’t work as well against monsters with strange anatomy, or the greater beasts that seemingly ignored the conventions of biology altogether, but for my level I did well for myself.

  Well enough where I can have meat just about any day of the week, and could probably buy a cushy little home for myself if I didn’t prefer the guild’s accommodations. Well enough that my soul had drunk from enough of the fallen to perhaps double my lifespan and my capabilities according to that fancy Essence meter the temples got. Expensive as fuck just to have some clarity.

  I could ostensibly retire at the point I’d reached, not even into my thirties but I had more than enough coin to make it work. I didn’t because I enjoyed the profession, and even with the extension to my lifespan, I wouldn’t have forever to find that same joy throughout my life. I wasn't an elf, or a mage.

  The day when I couldn’t do this anymore would be a dark day indeed.

  Was that why I didn’t follow the girl? Because of fear? Because I didn’t know if I could take on a mid-level monster all on my lonesome to protect a child? That was pathetic.

  Couldn’t even gather a proper team before the girl was gone, not even with my reputation, so now I waited here. Tapping my foot against wood as I stared down the empty mug I’d been nursing.

  So much more anxiety coursing through my veins than when on a hunt. So much more guilt bearing down on my soul for having gotten Halsin involved. It was stupid that I needed his permission to accept an apprentice but…it was meant to prevent nepotism.

  They didn’t even test the girl though, just decided she wasn’t worth her salt then and there, and how was that fair? I’d have to talk with Halsin later, give the greying bastard a piece of my mind.

  Then.

  Shouting.

  Not the usual rambunctiousness of the guild though, it sounded more like shock laced with disbelief. I looked over at the gathering crowd at the entrance of the guild. Some were calling for the guildmaster while others spoke an amalgam of questions to bombard whoever was the victim of their attention. Some hope punctured my heart at the commotion, specifically at what they were saying. I got up from my bench and marched towards the crowd, catching one of the junior hunters by the crook of his elbow before he headed over to Halsin’s office.

  “What’s going on?” I demanded, needing to have the confused mix of exclamations radiating from the crowd confirmed to prove that I was still sane.

  The boy turned to look at me with wide, disbelieving eyes. “A-an elf girl! She brought the head of a proper monster, demanding to see the guildmaster!”

  My brain did a double take at the information, distracted enough where the boy struggled out of my grip and continued his journey to the guildmaster. My head whipped to the crowd with renewed determination, hearing cheers and congratulations and offers and questions and—

  I pushed the crowd aside, revealing the same girl I saw that afternoon. She was covered in shit, piss, and blood. The bones and tendons of her left forearm were exposed to the world as her guts hung from a large chunk torn out of her belly.

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  In one hand was a blade, broken and without a handle. It cut into her palm and let a small stream of blood flow as it was gripped tightly. In the other hand, being dragged by a severed spine, was the head of a giant rat with slick black fur.

  The elf girl noticed me, and gave a wide smile that only communicated predatory delight. She raised an arm and pointed right at me.

  So, it turned out, no one actually expected me to kill the giant rat thing.

  Which was fair, when I heard ‘giant rat’ I assumed it would be the size of a wolf or some shit, not for it to rival a grizzly of all things. Carving through its neck with the shattered remains of my sword was a pain in the ass, but I needed the proof. A proper autopsy of the monster would reveal some broken vertebrae so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone connected the dots and found out I was a mage but…well, I’d just hope they’d keep it a secret.

  It wasn't like I was going to leave my proof behind, not after all the struggle I went through to attain it. That wasn't the thing to focus on honestly, but then again, what was?

  They got an actual mage to heal my guts, one that attended the universities. Didn’t perform any kind of miracles, but I was healing much faster than I should, and apparently it was guaranteed to lead to a full recovery since I didn’t damage my bones or some shit. Healer Ken was very suspicious when he saw that I was suffering from a fever, but he didn’t voice said suspicion, letting the mana wash over me alongside the taste of raisins.

  It was still there too, the mana, not the raisins. Stringing things back together slowly, it was certainly not the instantaneous healing of the game, but it was much better than dying slowly. I’d rather the healer’s ministrations than to trust my own mana to do the job.

  I knew I could mend a broken finger within the hour with enough focus and mana, but putting my internals back together? That sounded like a bad idea.

  Then there was the power I got from my spell.

  If my calculations were right I used about ten times as much mana as I should’ve been able to handle, which should’ve increased my strength by…however much was needed for a child to snap the neck of a Muri-Ursi. It wasn’t me that activated the spell, but I was grateful nonetheless.

  My demon huffed in annoyance, but for once I actually felt bad for the imp. I was starting to understand what that feeling of authority was, or at least where it originated, considering it was stronger now after the imp did something without my permission again. Not as big of a jump as when it bit my soul, but I did have a tighter leash on the thing, and this time it was for something that actually saved me.

  I didn’t know how to remedy that, maybe create a new contract that would let it activate my spell if it would save my life? Sounded too open ended to be safe. The imp huffed and waved me off, radiating an intent of disinterest.

  Not one for pity were you? Fair, neither was I.

  I wanted to do something though, but the mana sickness was a pretty good reason not to fuck around with the mystical. Healer Ken made some disturbing implications about the consequences of pushing past my limits, as a fun educational tangent. He definitely knew I was a mage. I needed to get better at keeping that secret a secret.

  So instead I just laid there, more than a little uncomfortable with the feeling of my guts slowly pulling themselves back together as the muscles of my forearm literally regrew, all in the view of a supremely undisturbed Aira.

  Yeah, the woman followed me to the guilds clinic. And accepted me as an apprentice, which was nice. It would’ve been awkward to point her out in the midst of all those bumblefucks trying to claim me instead only for the woman to refuse.

  She was willing to take me on before I killed the big ass rat though, so doubt was a negligible factor!

  That left Aira to deal with all the talking, which was a blessing. It hurt like a bitch to talk, still did. So acting as a silent spectre while Aira provided a truly legendary verbal beatdown was both a relief and quality entertainment.

  The woman even paid for the spell, but that was surprisingly cheap.

  I could’ve paid for it with the rat's head with a few silver coins to spare, not even including what I had saved back at my inn. I got a proper lock for the window after reporting to the innkeeper. Apparently no one tended to risk stealing from somewhere so heavily guarded as a place close to the guild, but I guessed the amount of coin I flaunted alongside childish stupidity did plenty to persuade Riri into something foolish.

  All of this was to distract from the fact that I was in so much pain. More than when I got savaged by the goblins even. Every fiber of my being screamed in silent agony at the abuse the spell put through my body.

  I had a theory that it wasn’t related to mana sickness, since it seemed specific to the things the spell effected, and Healer Ken never mentioned transcendent soreness as a symptom of mana sickness.

  So, I had to deal with backlash when I could push enough mana into the spell properly. Wonderful.

  The door to my room creaked open, and a harried guildmaster walked through the door, looking like he aged a couple decades since I last saw him. Impressive, considering he looked like a wrinkly bastard in the first place.

  I stared at him and gave a shark toothed smile.

  He scowled at me.

  “You weren’t supposed to actually hunt the godsdamn thing!” he exclaimed, bordering on raving. “I was hinting at you not being ready to be a hunter, a hint that should’ve been obvious. What kind of idiot child faces a Muri-Ursi willingly?!”

  “Stop,” I chuckled, a painful endeavour considering my wounds. “You said I had to kill one to be accepted into the guild, well I did. Gonna go back on your word?”

  “That’s not the point!” the guildmaster, whose name I still hadn’t gotten, huffed in exasperation.

  “Perhaps not, but she did prove herself,” Aira interrupted.

  “Proved that she’s suicidal perhaps!” The guildmaster said.

  “Still alive,” I pointed out.

  The guildmaster grumbled about the stupidity of children before turning his attention back to me. “You do realize that if it’s money you were looking for you could’ve just kept hunting goblins? Eventually I would’ve approved your apprenticeship but we don’t do memberships in the hunters guild. Just payments.”

  I blinked and tilted my head. “Really?”

  “Idiot child,” the guildmaster mumbled as he ran a hand down his face. “You and Aira are a match made by the heavens, I should’ve assumed you’d be this stupid when the woman wanted to take you on.”

  “Hey! I wasn’t that bad when I started.”

  “You were worse, thank the gods for Esra and his patience with your bullshit. Otherwise you would’ve found yourself in a shallow grave.”

  The two adults bickered like children, and I couldn’t help the soft smile that came unbidden at the sight.