“Umm… Miss Anne?”

  I watched the older woman with confusion, as she took out a small flask from under the table.

  When she removed the lid, the smell of alcohol hit my nostrils once again – however, this time, it was the rich smell of red wine.

  gulp

  Anne emptied the palm-sized flask in one long sip, before tossing it into a small leather bag that lay beside the table.

  “Miss Anne?”

  “...you know, I'm not even that surprised.”

  After a long exhale, the wizard finally spoke once again.

  “Huh?”

  Was she disappointed about me not being a ‘pure’ wizard? Were her thoughts something like “this was too good to be true”?

  ‘Well, I’d likely have to give up the lessons anyway, and she already gave me that list-’

  “...to think a random Spellblade would turn up here, of all places.”

  “What?”

  Now, the way she was looking at me was starting to feel like how one of my friends from Earth would look at a very rare card after opening a random booster from the local store.

  “You probably don't- no, given your background, you certainly don't know much about what the Spellblade Path means.”

  “Well.. I know I can use magic to enchant my weapon. Maybe increase my mobility, too. Probably some defensive uses…’

  “Ha! An arcane warhorse can draw a wagon, as well as a carriage. And you can even ride it around the city, too.”

  “...”

  I didn't exactly know what an ‘arcane warhorse’ was, but I could understand the analogy. Perhaps I underestimated the utility of magic in combat?

  “To put things into proper proportions – many noble families train their children in both arcane and martial arts, in hopes of one child showing a talent in both. Not many families succeed.”

  “...”

  “It's very rare for a child to possess talent for both the sword and the arcane arts – even more so with how few people even get the opportunity to study both at such a young age.”

  “...It’s that rare?”

  “Spellblade is a Rare Path, and their total number within the kingdom is probably in the very low hundreds – compared to thousands of wizards, dozens of thousands of various martial Paths, and millions of Pathless citizens.”

  I didn't have any response.

  One random thought that flashed through my head was that the Ministry seemed to have had a good picture of the Path-bearer distribution within the kingdom.

  ‘If I was an enemy spy, giving me this information would be pretty bad. Although getting this token means going through a true interrogation regardless, so this probably wasn't a huge blunder.’

  After a few more seconds of silence, I finally asked the only question I could think of.

  “So what does this mean, exactly?”

  “Quite a few things. For one, despite Spellblade being a Rare Path, due to being highly sought after, it is also very well known, and extremely common. As far as Rare Paths go, anyway. Sure, the exact methods of reaching it are not public knowledge, but upon stepping on this Path, there have been many cases of people without noble blood receiving the same opportunities as other Spellblades – the kingdom does have a dedicated faculty in the Royal Academy for this Path alone.”

  “...”

  “And, as a prestigious Rare Path with ample history in this kingdom, there exists plenty of knowledge regarding its Techniques, spells, progression, and any other aspect you can think of.”

  “Hmm…”

  “In truth, it's best you report this to whoever arranged this expedited identification token acquisition procedure. If you register this Path at the Guild, revealing it there may attract unwanted attention. But if the chief learns of this, he could probably send you off to the capital discretely-”

  “Miss Anne.”

  “Oh, yes?”

  “Could we please hold off with the reporting? I need some time to think this through.”

  “Ah, yes! I apologize once again – every man's Path is his own. And this must be quite overwhelming.”

  Actually, while this was indeed overwhelming, I was very tempted to say yes on the spot.

  Given the wizard's reaction, this was probably as big of a deal as she made it sound – and even though I rejected the idea of joining an Adventurer’s Guild academy, I had a feeling the type of academy she mentioned was an elite one, with extreme pressure to drive its attendants growth forward.

  It also sounded like the kingdom would allocate resources to the - present and future - students, as well as grant them special privileges.

  However, I almost regretted revealing this Path here, rather than learning more about it myself.

  ‘There are two problems…’

  First, I still didn't know how long this academy program lasted.

  If it was one year, it'd probably be great.

  If it was two years, that’d be the majority of my limited lifespan, at least for now, and I'd have to carefully weigh the cons and pros.

  Anything above two years was too many years. Unless the High Sun Priest already held a quick and accessible solution to my problem, there was no point in becoming stronger only to face a fate worse than death before my graduation.

  The second problem was the priest’s insistence on hiding my Soul Corrosion.

  My Greater Geas was something that could perhaps be overlooked, even if knowing that I'd be forced to depart on a potentially life-threatening journey to Luskar would likely make the kingdom hesitant in investing too many resources.

  However, not only did my other condition set a clear expiration date, but the priest’s warning sounded like it could be something forbidden – and if the Ministry decided to thoroughly investigate me, my soul conditions might have been uncovered.

  ‘At least I didn't register this Path at the Guild, like I planned to.’

  My only consolation was that I've avoided the worst-case scenario. However, I resolved to always research information revealed by [The Self] by myself, only choosing whether to reveal it to others later.

  “Take a few days to think. If you’re not sure about reporting this to the Ministry, my tuition offer still stands. And, at least for now, I'll lend you those books from our storage here.”

  “Lend them from the Ministry storage? Is that even legal?”

  “Of course. I’ll borrow them for personal use, and lend them to you. They're truly basic, so even if they were lost, it'd only be a few gold coins worth of fines. Although I'd rather you return them, of course.”

  “...why?”

  “I assume you're going to register at the Guild as a Warrior or a Slayer. Ah, if you were worried, they only check for the Path level – the Path verification is based on your performance during the advancement mission and preliminary evaluation. Anyway, if you borrowed the books from their library after registering as a Martial-”

  “No, I got that part. But why help me to this extent?”

  Perhaps my experience with Harold turned me paranoid, but I couldn't just trust this woman's goodwill.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  However, Anne’s lips curled upwards in what appeared to be a genuine smile, and one which felt far beyond her years.

  “Didn’t I tell you? Watching the young ones grow, offering a helping hand to guide that growth – that is the joy of old people.”

  “But… you aren't even that old..”

  My last mumble was faint, perhaps too faint for her to hear, as her melancholic smile remained unchanged.

  “Now, here's a note for Tommy. The clerk outside. He'll find the books in no time.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh, pay it no mind, young man. Consider this the shenanigans of a bored old wizard with far too much time on her hands.”

  “Still, this helped me a lot. If there's anything I can do to repay-”

  “Hush now! Didn't I say I require no repayment? Now shoo! Don’t return here until you've thought things through.. and finished your homework!”

  Shoving the hastily scribbled and stumped piece of oh paper into my hands, Anne basically shoved me out of her office, before closing the door.

  ‘It almost seemed like she was embarrassed. Actually, she does behave an awful lot like an old grandma…’

  Still trying to sort out my thoughts, I made my way back to the clerk, Tom.

  “You’re back. I was starting to get worried you might have said something wrong to ol’ Anne – although, you wouldn’t be coming out at all if you did.”

  His serious face made me wonder whether he was actually joking, but I decided to ignore it, instead handing him the small note.

  “Ah! She roped you into delivering more of those dusty tomes to her home. Well, at least you'll get to visit Central.”

  “Central?”

  For a moment, I was confused, before remembering she was from a noble family, albeit a collateral line, and the central district was the home of most noble families.

  “Oh, right, you're not from the city. Entering the central district requires a valid reason – this note here, once I put my own stump on it, will count as one. Anyway, be right back.”

  After partially misunderstanding the reason for my confusion, the clerk went through the back door, returning a few minutes later with a small burlap sack containing two books.

  “Here you go. Show the note at the exit. Ah, yes, one second.”

  After giving me the sack and the twice-stumped note, the clerk pulled on a small rope, coming out of a small wooden pipe installed on the wall behind the counter, stretching along the ceiling line, turning the corner, and going through the wooden door frame.

  I could also make out the ringing sound, coming very faintly from behind the door.

  ‘Although this probably means the bell is right beside it.’

  I noticed the doorways here had a some type of sound muffling effect, similar to those I've encountered before. It worked even when they were open, to an extent. When they were closed, I would usually hear near-complete silence.

  “Sir!”

  A guard swiftly came from outside, relaxing and saluting after confirming that the atmosphere inside was peaceful.

  “Please escort the visitor to the main exit.”

  “Sir!.. Let's go, citizen.”

  Falsely presuming my citizenship (which was different from residency), the guard led me through a few corridors, before coming to a familiar one. However, rather than going through the far exit into the reception door, we went into a different room. This one had another exit, a small desk and a guard sitting behind it, and behind him – a back door.

  “Good day, citizen. What is this sack you're carrying?”

  I gave the note to the guard. He, in turn, took out something that looked like a flashlight without a lens, shining a strange purple light on the seals, emitted by the tiny crystal inside, before returning it to me.

  “Alright. Did you come with any equipment?”

  “Yes. A sheathed sword, a bag, a watch, and a potion case.”

  “Fine. You, inspect his two cases and pouch for now.”

  The exit guard went through the back door, while the one who escorted me asked me to remove my newly acquired cases.

  Luckily, neither the newly issued identification token nor my money caused any problems, likely being allowed inside to begin with.

  “Here you go, citizen. You are free to leave through that door.”

  I quickly checked everything was in order, before putting it on, and exiting the door with a quick nod.

  I found myself a dozen meters from the main entrance, near the center of the white plaza. It felt like a whole day had passed while I was inside, although it's barely been an hour.

  ‘Well… I can't decide anything right now. Let's wait for what the priest has to say.’

  And since I still had roughly six hours until sunset, I decided it was a good time to pay the Guild a visit.

  ***

  After walking to the nearby stable to pick up Stormcloud, only to leave 1 silver for a 1 hour stay, and then ride for 30 minutes to leave him at the stables near the Adventurer's Guild for the same price (two copper per hour, minimum one silver, maximum 3 silver including overnight stay), I couldn't help but recall the words of the inn's receptionist regarding horse-related expenses in the city.

  ‘Well, at least I have enough money to ignore this right now. Actually, if it wasn’t for my journey to this city, I wouldn’t possess some of this money. Or maybe without the city's economy, the other rewards would be lower.’

  While pondering the complex web of challenges and benefits of the city's economic landscape, I entered the guild once more, and made my way to reception in the main building.

  “Greetings, adventurer. How may I help you?”

  After a short queue, I came face to face with a blonde woman with neatly tied hair, wearing the typical Guild uniform, giving me a courteous smile.

  “I’ve come to register my Path, and ask about available Iron advancement missions.”

  “I see. First, you need to confirm your Path. The fee is 1 gold coin, and 4 more gold which are returned to you upon undertaking an advancement mission.”

  “Five gold?.. Just to clarify, I might need to leave town in a few days. Can you ensure I can take an advancement mission that'd fit within this timeframe?”

  “I can't make guarantees, but if you have restraining circumstances, I can promise we'll do our best to accommodate them, and offer a fitting mission if one is available.”

  “...Aalright. Let's be about it.”

  “What’s your Path?”

  “Slayer.”

  “Alright. Do you have an identification token?”

  I handed my token, watching the receptionist press it against an identification sphere, and nodding in satisfaction.

  “All good, Sebastian. Five gold, please.”

  I handed the money, and the woman quickly filled out some form, before standing up, pen and paper in hand, putting up a ‘Temporarily Closed’ sign, and motioning me to follow.

  We ascended the stairs, going all the way to the third floor. I was led to a small room, with a metal platform, around two meters in diameter, slightly elevated above the floor at its center.

  “Please stand on the platform.”

  Heeding her instructions, I made my way to the center of the room, as the receptionist pulled out a key, and took out a small device from a locked metal drawer.

  The device was somewhat reminiscent of the Darkness Sphere, which was safely awaiting my return at the inn.

  The receptionist pressed her finger onto it, and I instantly felt a tingling sensation engulf my body. After a moment, the device in her hand shone with a light-blue color.

  “You are indeed a level 1 Path-bearer.”

  The woman filled something in her form.

  “Alright. I'll give you a temporary certificate, which you'll be able to use in our facilities until you complete your mission.”

  “Can I see the available missions?”

  “Just a moment. We'll get to that soon.”

  The woman took a small card, which was thoughtfully placed in one of the nearby drawers, and filled in a few details, before stumping it with a seal she carried in her uniform’s front pocket.

  “Please follow me.”

  After walking for a few minutes, we reached a big room with a large round table at its center, a few sofas, a small kitchen with a large metal liquid dispenser (that smelled of black tea), a few drawer stands near the walls, and a few writing tables cluttered with paper.

  ‘This looks like the teachers’ room back in highschool. Or just any large staff room, really.’

  I also remembered I still haven't tried Madam Julia's tea.

  Inside the room stood two people, engrossed in a passionate discussion.

  “...but what difference does it make?! A crossbow is a cold, soulless machine. You can enchant every component, but apart from imbuing each projectile before it fires, and the aim itself, the shooter can't truly unlock its potential! There is nothing to unlock! However, a true archer, with a bow-”

  “Pff. To dismiss the potential of enchantments is truly ignorant. Sure, a Deadeye who specializes in crossbows won't be able to imbue different energies onto the weapon itself – but what of it? Are you saying there exist some Legendary Archers whose imbued Techniques or Abilities can outperform the enchantments of an Archmage?”

  “Of course they exist! But this isn't even a real comparison! The bow could also be enchanted, obviously. And how many crossbows have you seen that were enchanted at all, let alone something that wasn't mass-produced garbage by some talentless hack, who couldn't make a better living other than push out cheap enchanted crossbows by the dozens?”

  “You speak of logistics now? Just how many bows with truly magnificent enchantments have you seen? Nay, how many bows that weren't just filthy sticks with a piece of string tied to them?! Sure! it may be simpler to produce a Dreamwood grade bow than an Adamantium grade crossbow. However, if you climb down from your high tree, back into the mortal realm, you'll see that most ranged Path-bearers today are Deadeyes – and for a good reason!”

  “You!-”

  “Ahem. Excuse me.”

  The receptionist interrupted the elf, who was about to rebuke the dwarf's claim once more.

  Over the next two seconds, the expressions on both faces turned stiff and overly professional.

  “Molly? Ah, yes. Welcome to this meeting room.”

  “How can we help you?”

  The only evidence remaining of the recent argument were the dwarf’s slightly red cheeks.

  “We have a new Iron Slayer.”

  Both of them exchanged glances, and the dwarf spoke.

  “What’s your name, Mr. Iron Slayer?”

  “Sebastian.”

  “Alright, Sebastian.”

  The elf strode past me, starting to walk down the hallway, with the dwarf scrambling to catch up from behind.

  “Show us what you got.”