Chapter IV.XXXVI (4.36) - Special Quest

  Kizu flipped through his options while he walked into the courtyard for Combat F. Most of the easiest quests were gone, taken by other students, but he didn’t mind that. Both he and Evie had already decided to take on something that would challenge them and push them towards growth.

  He had narrowed it down to two different quests and was balancing the pros and cons of them. On one hand, they could go locate a lost enchanted ring in the woods. Likely snatched up by some monstrous critter that hoarded magical objects. That could help test out his divination spells and might even lead to some combat with whatever took the ring. And on the other hand, some sort of fish with legs had infested one of the hamlets on the other side of the island. Their numbers were apparently out of control and the job listing wanted a bit of a culling of the creatures. Definitely a fighting oriented request.

  When he reached class, he strolled over to Evie and explained the two options.

  “Do you…have a preference?” Evie asked quietly.

  “No. They’re both fine. What about you?”

  “I…well, I found something too.” Evie took a rolled up piece of parchment from inside her uniform and handed it over to Kizu.

  As he scanned it, his eyebrows knit with confusion. “Why didn’t I see…wait, this isn’t for Shinzou. This is a request from Tross!”

  “Ms. Jackal told me you had transportation there. And Professor Arclight gave me permission. But if you want to stay here, I don't mind.”

  “No. Actually, this looks phenomenal! I’m glad Roba said something to you. Way better than what I’d been looking at. There’s a real reward being offered, not just monster pelts or a few Yennies.”

  The request asked for a mage to come by and investigate an abandoned workshop with weird noises coming from inside. The building used to belong to a mage that had recently died and left his inheritance to the quest giver. It was believed that something had made its home in the walls. It was marked as not too dangerous while still being decent in regards to combat potential.

  “With a reward like this, I’m amazed you managed to get your hands on the request,” Kizu commented. It offered the selection of two artifacts from a list.

  Evie hesitated before responding. “Ms. Jackal said the headmaster intervened to get us the request.”

  Oh. In that case, they were definitely doing this mission. If Headmaster Ballarfulur specifically issued them this, there was no turning that down.

  “There’s no time limit on this quest,” Kizu noted. “Would it be okay if we waited a bit? My schedule is really packed at the moment.”

  “The estate owners aren’t even in the city, right now,” Evie said. “I don’t think they mind.”

  “Perfect. Let’s bring it over to Arclight and accept it!”

  There was a queue of students in front of Professor Arclight. They were grouped up and nervously chatting about their quests. Kizu overheard one student discussing the lost ring mission he’d been considering. They thought they’d be able to locate it using a summoned bird. The pair was convinced that this nonmagical bird would definitely locate the ring simply on the basis that birds liked to collect shiny things. Kizu might not be an expert in the field of summoning, but he felt that their plan had more than a few holes in it. Regardless, he was grateful to both Evie and the headmaster for finding him a quest that didn’t require him to compete with his classmates for the prize.

  Professor Arclight had a bubble of silence surrounding her so she could discuss with the students in private about their chosen missions. Mostly, the students came out either excited or pensive, but a few also emerged from the discussion utterly dejected.

  When their turn finally came, Arclight greeted them with a smile as they stepped into her bubble of silence.

  “Kizu and Evie! Glad to see you two teaming up. What’ve you got for me?”

  Evie bowed to Arclight and handed over the paper she’d been clutching. Their professor’s eye scanned it for a moment, then passed it back.

  “Excellent! Gizrim already passed this on to me a few days back. Glad to see you’re taking the initiative and accepting it. It’s more challenging than I like for my normal F students, but both the headmaster and I agree that the pair of you are competent enough to handle it just fine.”

  “So…we’re okay to take this quest on?” Kizu asked, looking for confirmation.

  “Absolutely! So long as you give me a detailed plan before you launch yourself into the mission. I want it completely written out with your contingencies.”

  Kizu blinked.

  “What?” Arclight laughed. “Did you think you wouldn’t have to do any homework? This is a school. And besides that, I want you to go into this with the best possible odds for success. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you want to do.”

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  “Do you have any advice?” Evie asked.

  In response, Arclight brought out a scrying orb and pulled up their rankings.

  “I’ve been considering your mission. You both have strengths in different areas and while usually I rely on rankings to guide you, both of you are quite unique in your specialties. Do you mind if I discuss them openly now?”

  Kizu didn’t care if Evie knew about his capabilities, so he readily agreed. They were basically all public knowledge anyway since he competed in the competitions. Evie, however, hesitated and glanced over her shoulder. But she eventually gave a slow nod of confirmation to Arclight.

  “Good. It’s paramount that you trust one another if you want to be successful,” Arclight said. “First, let’s go over Kizu’s abilities. You’re an exceptional brewer, how can you use that to your advantage?”

  “Well, since I have prep time, I can prepare any number of potions for us to rely on,” Kizu said. “My skill with brewing can adapt well to any plan we decide on.”

  “Perfect answer! There are very few opponents scarier than a brewer with the time and means to prepare.” Arclight beamed at him. “My husband also mentioned that you’re also a competent elementalist. Quite good for having been the bottom of the barrel at the start of last semester. And when forming a plan, don’t overlook your talent with divination and illusions.”

  Kizu nodded. But he knew Arclight was saving his most unique asset for last.

  “And, of course, the skillset not listed in the rankings is your abilities with spatial magic. Those spells alone make you even capable of accomplishing this request. Other than the obvious ability to jump long distances, what other spells do you hold in your arsenal?”

  “I have short ranged jumps which I’m pretty talented at,” Kizu said. “And can form both antimagic and physical barriers with spatial magic.”

  “As expected.” Arclight nodded her approval. “Those are the basics for every spatial mage. Anything else?”

  “I know the basics of creating a gate and can cast small versions of the spell unassisted and the full sized spell while relying on glyphs. And I know a spell to stretch space a bit and snap it back in place. I can use this to slingshot objects across a room.”

  “Really?” Arclight raised a singed eyebrow at the last bit of his statement. “Care to demonstrate?”

  Kizu took out a potion from his storage ring and set it on the grass. Then he clapped his hands together, tilted his hands so the back of his left was to the ground, and stretched the space as he pulled his hands apart. He released the spell.

  The potion rocketed skyward and burst into a picturesque firework overhead. The sound was muted from their bubble, but other students ducked and covered their heads while the sparks fell and faded.

  Arclight laughed. “Quite the flamboyant display! Combining your two strongest disciplines is an excellent idea. Keep thinking along those lines. Figure out how to best utilize your skills, but don’t forget to consider other disciplines of magic as well. Just because you’re not as highly skilled with them, doesn’t mean they don’t have their place as well.”

  Kizu nodded and stepped back, thinking his instruction was complete

  “Also, Kaga Kizu, I have an extra requirement I’m placing on you in particular.”

  Kizu frowned, a bit confused about where Arclight was going, but listened without protest.

  “We’ve spoken before about using your familiar in combat situations,” Arclight continued. “I have yet to see you put your monkey to use in any of the practice fights. You are squandering a valuable asset. I want to see him written in the plan you present to me.”

  “Oh.” Kizu blinked. “Mort? I…I guess you’re right. I haven’t been using him.”

  “I understand. Unlike some who utilize familiars, you don’t view him as a tool or a simple means for an objective.”

  “He’s my friend,” Kizu agreed.

  “And sometimes it’s tempting not to ask friends for help. But you two are partners. I want to see you learning how to work together as a team. Bring him to future Combat F classes.”

  Kizu considered that as he let Arclight turn her attention over to Evie.

  “Now, Evie Alito. You’ve gotten quite a bit better at summoning since we first met last semester.”

  Even with Evie’s quills covering her face, Kizu could tell the Kemon girl was blushing.

  “While your rankings are respectable for a first year student, you clearly excel inside the classroom more than out in the field,” Arclight commented. “That said, you do have one unique branch of magic that Roba has been helping you with. Care to share with us the details?”

  “I…I’m a shaman,” Evie said quietly.

  “Break that statement down for us,” Arclight said. “Explain it like we have no idea what a shaman is.”

  Kizu was grateful for that request, because he really didn’t know much of what a shaman could do. The one time he’d learned about their existence, everyone had been closed-mouthed about their capabilities.

  Evie fidgeted. “That means I can connect with my ancestors. Ms. Jackal has been training me how to use their talents. I can channel them with myself as a medium and do things I normally can’t.”

  “Give us some examples,” Arclight pressed.

  “For fighting? I know how to perform hand-to-hand combat. I mean, my great-grandfather knew how. And I can access his skills. A better shaman might even be able to assume his form and muscles.”

  “An extraordinarily useful ability!” Arclight pronounced. “So incredibly unique and versatile!”

  “I…thank you, Professor Arclight. A better shaman might also be able to cast spells used by their ancestors. But I’m not that good.”

  “Nonsense! Do not put yourself down! You’re still in your first year at the academy! By your fifth, you’ll be an absolute monster! Mark my words now, if you continue to put effort into this branch of your magic, you’ll be an asset to anyone and everyone. You have a guaranteed position next to the greats in the modern world.”

  “Is this like soul magic?” Kizu asked Evie.

  “No. I mean, maybe a little. But it’s called spiritual magic. It connects to spirits, not souls. I don’t really understand,” she admitted sheepishly. “Ms. Jackal explained that it has to do with my bloodline. I can’t connect to anyone not in my direct ancestry.”

  That was fascinating. “Is this completely unique to the Kemon?” he asked. “Could I learn something like this too?”

  “I’m sorry,” Evie quietly apologized. “It’s really rare. Even among the Kemon tribes.”

  “No, it’s no problem,” Kizu said quickly. “I was just curious. It seems like such an amazing ability to have! You’re so lucky!”

  “Th-thanks.”

  Arclight cracked her neck, then flexed her fingers, forming her hands into fists. “Enough chit-chat! Let’s see those ancestors in action!”

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