บท 68: Outside the town

Shingi had detected some mana with good earth compatibility to use at his tree. It was using it in its roots and place that his Earth Element mana produced and stored to strengthen it but not extend it, not disrupt the balance it currently had with the Light Mana.

He didn't find any mana with over 70% compatibility, but there was quite a good amount of mana ranging from 60 to 65 % that was helpful to him.

When he finished gathering and feeding all this mana to his tree, he ended his meditation as he noticed that Anna was awake.

Anna noticed that he had woken up and was almost sure that he caught her sleeping while on watch, but she didn't want to ask to be entirely sure.

They had some rations left they hadn't given to the Kobolds and started their way towards the town.

Shingi had asked Anna to tell him what he had known of the town, but she knew little as she hadn't been in and had just passed near it without getting in.

They reached it within hours, and it seemed not a small town like Carda.

There was a stone wall surrounding it, and even if Shingi couldn't see the total size of the extension of the wall at the left and right, he knew that this was a large city but not a metropolis.

As they got nearer and noticed more details on the wall, his eyes saw a banner with the shape of a flying white Eagle on it.

Seeing that, Shingi had an idea where they may be and told Anna to be careful.

They got in front of the gate as there were two guards there, one sitting on a wooden bench, while the other was standing up still as a statue.

Both seemed human, but the one standing was young, close to his second decade, while the one sitting was quite old, maybe in his fifties.

As Shingi and Anna reached the two of them, Shingi stopped by the older man, which he could tell by his armor, which had a little original design from the younger man. This was a sign that the older man was of higher rank.

"Halt, there. What business do you have here?" [Older Guard]

"A few evil men enslaved my mother and me, but we could escape. There was a Blessed One that had helped us but said he had other business to take care of and suggest taking come here." [Shingi]

The Old Guard, even if he looked a relatively simple man, Shingi could tell that he was looking at his every move and trying to read if there was anything strange.

"I see. Well, the town isn't open to taking refugees as we are rebuilding ourselves. Even if I could let you in, you wouldn't be able to find any place to stay." [Old Guard]

At that point, the younger Guard have also joined them and seemed concerned and was ready to suggest something, but the more senior Guard just gave him a simple look and, in the end, stayed silent.

"What if we don't want to be refugees in the town?" [Shingi]

The Old Guard seemed confused about the young boy and looked towards the adult woman staying silent besides Shingi.

It seemed suspicious that the young boy was doing the talking while the adult was staying silent.

"The Blessed One who saved also gave us some money. We are from Carda, and we want to use the Teleportation Circle of the city to get there." [Shingi]

The Old Guard seemed to get more suspicious of it as he turned towards Anna.

"What do you have to say?" [Old Guard]

Anna said nothing at first but then started making some motions with her hands. It was sign language, which, unfortunately, the Old Guard didn't know how to read but knew what it was.

He understood then why the woman wasn't speaking. It was because she was mute.

"Oh, I am sorry, but even an old man like me can't read this sign language. I will continue speaking with your boy then. My name is William, by the way." [William]

He seemed to be embarrassed by his assumptions but tried not to show it.

"Indeed, the Teleportation Circle is still working, but I don't think you will use it soon. Unless you know any important figure in the town."[William]

Shingi acted like he was trying to remember something, and after a few seconds, he acted like he remembered it.

"The Blessed One mentioned something. A tower of water or something, and someone named Ben?" [Shingi]

The Old Guard's eyes went wide when he heard the name.

"Master Benjamin of the Water Spire?" [William]

Shingi nodded to show that this was probably the one the "Blessed One" was talking about. The Water Spire was part of an organization called the Four Spires.

There were four spires, each representing different essential elements, and the Water Spire was in this city called Zephron.

"Well, if that is true, he can help you, but I can't bring you to him or even ask for him to see you without actual proof that this Blessed One knows him. Do you have anything like that or know when he is going to return?" [William]

Shingi went back on acting that he tried to remember something, as he already had a plan in mind when they reached the gate.

"Hm.... he said that we could use some kind of code if asked?." [Shingi]

He cleared his throat and said in a somewhat more resounding voice.

"When the ice melts, those are its tears.

When the water boils, those are the fumes of anger.

To calm it, you need the right balance.

When you reach the balance, you will find the calm." [Shingi]

It made little sense to any of the Guards, but they decided to give it a go, as it didn't appear to be something a young man would say out of nowhere.

The younger man got in the town to deliver the message while Anna and Shingi stayed with William waiting.

There was space on the bench for them to sit, and William gave them some soup he had that his wife had prepared for him and the other Guard this morning.

"Can I ask what happened in the town? You mentioned something about it getting rebuild, but the walls seem to be fine." [Shingi]

"Well, it is a big story, so I won't bother you with all the details. Just a few weeks months, the town was under the control of a Half-Demon, but he seemed more than a full Demon to me if you ask me. He had under his control an undead army, as he was a practitioner of the Dark Arcane Arts and had cut any communication of the town with the outside world. Like the one who saved you, a few Blessed Ones have tried to get rid of them, but none seemed to pass its traps and army. Until the Dragons came." [William]

The Old Man cleared his throat by drinking some water, as Shingi's eyes were wide with confusion.

The Old Mana mentioned Dragons and not a Dragon. But even if he said of one Dragon, how did that helped the city and didn't eradicate it.

"It was the craziest thing I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen many crazy things. But the moment I saw almost a dozen different colored Dragons flying towards the city and then starting fighting the undead army is something that this Old Man will never forget. The Half-Demon was reported to have been able to get away, and the Dragons didn't stay long. Of course, they had caused more damage in the city, but at least we are free now, and we can rebuild whatever was lost." [William]

Shingi got confused about the story. Not only multiple Dragons showed up, but they were of a different color and have fought together against an Evil Army to save a city of flesh-ones as they would call it.

It was more than unheard of; it was something that not even the crazier man could imagine happening.

Dragons have fought side by side in the past, but most of the time, it was less than four different colored ones, but now William told him that was almost a dozen different ones.

There was only one person he could think of that could make something like that.

The Father of All Dragons, Dormon.

He asked William, and a few had noticed a figure over one Dragon, but since none could get close enough, they couldn't be entirely sure about it.

After discussing some more, both Shingi's and William's attention was drawn by Anna, who started pointing at the top of the wall.

They saw a figure jumping from the wall and making some gestures with its hand as she released the water from a waterskin from its side.

The water moved under the figure and started to extend and froze. It was creating a slider down the wall, ending just less than a meter from them.

With great agility for its size, the figure seemed somewhat short and wide, slid down, and landed perfectly.

She was a female Dwarf and an Arcane Practitioner, which was rare for Dwarves, as they were more in research on crafting than the arcane.

Her ropes were of a typical arcane practitioner, but she had removed the sleeves. Her hair was completely blue, with some white at its side, but because her eyebrows color was dark brown, one could tell that she painted her hair that way.

"Who of you is the one who wants to speak to little Ben?" [Dwarf Woman]

Shingi stepped forward without a second thought.

"You?!? I was waiting for someone who had passed puberty. Well, then I guess you will do."[Dwarf Woman]

With no warning, the female Dwarf moved her right hand, which looked like slapping the air with the back of her hand. Then, an attack similar to the AIR SLASH of Annoue, but made out of the water she controlled, made its way towards Shingi.

Not that fast that Shingi wouldn't be able to avoid it, but he couldn't show his skills in front of everyone. Fortunately, he didn't have to.

Just a second before the attack reached Shingi, and it got cut in half as a figure appeared in front of him.

This figure was, of course, Anna.

She had in her hand the Dagger of Shingi that he had lent her just in case for this kind of situation.

The Old Man's eyes were wide with confusion about what was happening and now knowing what to do since he knew of the female Dwarf and her personality.

All he could do was that none would get seriously hurt.

The female Dwarf made more WATER SLASH attacks and even some as ICE SPIKES.

But Anna was quicker than she and could dodge each of the attacks and even deflect those who had a chance to hit Shingi, who just stayed where he was.

The battle didn't continue for long as they heard a voice coming from the direction of the gate..

"THAT'S ENOUGH! This isn't the way to welcome potential friends." [Unknown man]

Everyone turned to watch the person who talked.

It was a young human boy wearing similar robes with the Dwarf and similar colored hair, although his hair was making a ponytail, while the Dwarf's hair were cut short.

The boy was looking to be too young, maybe around the age of Shingi, but he had an air around him of someone of experience and age.

This person was the one Shingi talked about, Master Benjamin of the Water Spire.