84 Threads of Aura (1/2)
Rainer rubbed his eyes as he awoke, feeling what lay under his head was not a pillow. Looking up, he saw the cause.
”Good morning, sleeping beauty,” his wolven pillow spoke.
He groaned a bit, wondering what else Sarah would teach Kara about him. Even before he learned [Sleep Learning], he had earned himself that nickname after one of his friends messed with a sleeping Rainer with lipstick. And afterwards, when he fell asleep in most of his classes, it stuck for a bit.
He never did find out where the lipstick came from in the first place…
”Sorry, did I keep you guys?”
”No, everyone else went ahead. We tested it during one of the runs if I needed to be there, or alternatively if they needed to be there. The answer was no on both fronts. I planned on trying to run the dungeon myself and see if there was any bonus for that. Though, they do need to rest occasionally as Gunthar burns through Aura quite quickly and Sarah can't fight certain waves alone.”
”Blade shopping?” Rainer asked. After receiving those swords from the elven blacksmith, he planned on eventually using [Metal Manipulation] to form them into the same shape as whatever blade Kara buys. WIth his new discoveries about magic pathways, and mimicking objects with [Arcane Weaving], he wondered if he could use that same principle for manipulating metal into certain forms.
Kara's bright smile in response made him a little wary, but he'd do his best to enjoy the day.
Leaving the Inn, the pair walked arm in arm. Under Sarah's suggestion, Luna had magically created contact lenses to change Kara's eye color. With enough experimentation while Rainer slept, she was able to adjust them to be more comfortable. Kara had chosen green for today.
”Do you know where we're heading?” She asked.
”Well there are two choices. We can head to the craftsman's sector if we're looking for something custom made, but with war looming we'd be at the bottom of the list unless we can over-pay to a far higher degree than we have the money for.”
”And the other?”
”Plenty of stores sell weapons, among other spoils of war and Dungeons.” Rainer likened them to pawn shops. Though that likeness didn't mean the quality of their goods were any worse than the ones ready made, just that they were used. And while an influx of money from hunting monsters or Dungeons made new items more common, people still often bought used. At least, as far as he could tell. So most of their customers were either looking for a cheaper deal, or were transient and didn't have time to wait for something made.
”How far is it?”
”We're starting from the pricier places, so it's not too far from our Inn.” Opposite of the craftsman's sector was the merchant district. Not only were there native stores but plenty of merchants who couldn't sell their leftover goods after traveling here would set up temporary shops as well. As usual, the old pattern of the closer to the Wolf King, the more expensive it was, stayed true.
”Have you thought about when you're going to take the Trial?” After their days of incredibly fast delving in the Dungeon with a small party, and Kara ranking up with the Void-step enchantment skill, she reached level 24 in [Mystic Dancer]. Something far too quick for anyone normally at that level.
”With the Dungeon here, I see no reason not to wait until I fill up my subclasses. Perhaps I might find something to replace [Blade Dancer],” Kara enjoyed Rainer smiling at that. Him being both worried to such a degree and yet not trying to stop her was quite endearing.
”Then I know something you can look forward to, Void Will.”
Kara looked at him askance.
”I talked about it with Talvara, it's one of my rewards for saving Aurora, and it was originally supposed to go to me, but I figured there was a better alternative.”
”And?” Kara asked with bated breath.
”We just have to figure out a way to deal with your Mana pool. She insists I'm a special case being able to have both. Probably relating to my Arcane Power,” he mumbled the last part to himself, ”Talvara said she knew a likely solution, but I haven't talked to her since we showed off Void-step. In fact, she hasn't mentioned the subject in quite a bit, so we'll have to wait and see.”
There was also the premise of making sure nothing extra happened, but Rainer planned to watch the process. And if anything untoward happened...Jor could always use another meal.
Kara let out a long breath as she leaned into his shoulder, ”Thank you.”
”Of course.”
Walking in a comfortable silence, they arrived at the desired store soon after. Rainer swore he saw a twinkle in her eyes as she glanced across the room, tail moving from side to side to match. He stood off to the side, angling himself away from other patrons and employees and moving towards a barrel filled with old weapons. He used [Arcane Revelation] and released a bit of Mana as he took in the various items.
He observed each different pathway the Mana naturally followed as it entered the air before shutting it off and heading over to Kara.
”See anything you like?”
”That,” Kara pointed immediately. Inside a display case were two blades, lacking any apparent sheaths. They were slightly longer and thicker than Kara's current blades, with a simple black hilt of no real design. Given Kara's technique, which she still improved upon, and her increases in power with leveling, her choice made sense. The blades certainly looked heavier than her current ones.
The storekeeper walked over and offered up the price, hoping the mage covered in enchantments would finally let them get rid of these older and far-too-heavy blades. Lugging them into the vault every night was never fun for him or the guards that helped. The store owner refused to lower the price.
Alas, seeing the mage frown afterwards, it was not meant to be.
Kara still stared wistfully over the blades as the clerk walked away. 13 Dragon Isle gold coins, each, without an option to buy them separately, or in other words more than 10 times the value of what they currently had, Sarah's stash included. The thought of stealing them crossed Rainer's mind when he saw how disappointed Kara was, but he wouldn't cross that line.
Stealing from and killing those who Rainer viewed as not having right to their life or possessions through their actions was one thing, but from a rightful owner was another. He wouldn't travel down that path. Having the death of the Winter's Guardians as his single act of true evil was enough for him to last the rest of his life.
Rainer looked down with [Arcane Revelation] once no one was around and took note of the blades. With enough added metal perhaps he could expand and alter two of three swords he was given to match these. It would be a bit of a downgrade depending on the metal and his skill in [Metal Manipulation] used, but it was a possibility.
Maybe adding [Fire Manipulation] in concert with Metal would help. Or I could just ask the blacksmith to make something like this...I guess I need to impress him enough with the 'result' of my experiments I bring him.
At the end, he appraised one of them.
[Heavy Blade: One of a pair of twin blades designed for a stronger wielder.]
There was nothing there that would warrant its price, but seeing as the metal was unlisted, perhaps there was something special about it? He should bring by Luna with her higher level [Appraisal] before they purchased it.
”I doubt anyone else will buy them, I'll hurry up with my enchanting so we can afford them,” he whispered to Kara.
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”Is my taste in weapons so poor that no one else would purchase such a thing?”
”The poorest. I didn't want to say it before, but frankly whenever you take out your blades in combat, I want to die from embarrassment. It affects morale you know.”
”Truly?”
”I was also embarrassed for you when you sparred with Laneth. He was too nice to say anything, though.”
”To think all this time I've been doing such a thing,” she said with an exaggerated sigh as Rainer put his arm around the 'depressed' Kara.
”It's good you understand. Now, you can just be a nice decoration to my arm, without any tacky blades.”
”I've wanted nothing more in my entire life.”
As they left the display cases, the storekeeper looked utterly stunned by the two, believing their words. His sudden idea of getting his wife to quit her life as a monster hunter later that night most certainly did not result in a similar outcome.
With Kara's smile returned, they looked around the rest of the store before deciding to head to another. On the way out, Rainer bought any cheap metal-made items he could. He wondered why he hadn't thought to come here first, though he supposed it was good he hadn't.
A few hours later, they hadn't found anything else Kara wanted. Or rather, her mind was likely stuck on the first blades that caught her eye.
”Let's get something to eat?” She asked.
They headed back up to the upper-class quarter their inn was in, not bothered by the guards as usual due to them clearly looking like they belonged. Not that Kara's Aura size or his Mana hurt the matter.
Luna had gotten better and better with her magical constructs and Kara's current attire certainly spoke of wealth. In the style of the Dragon Isles, her midriff was exposed as she wore a silky black dress that wrapped around her along with elegant sandals with leather straps that went up her calves and with a slight heel. The fabric looked quite expensive despite being the opposite.
Rainer wore his usual, 'I have more enchanted items than you,' attire. Not that he viewed it as such. They received a few glances as they entered the high-class place and ended up with a table next to three others out on a balcony. They ordered soon after, though while eating their soup, they overheard the conversation of the people next to them.
”Did you hear, the Bard of the Moonlight is playing another set tonight.”
”You get seats?”
The noble across from him scoffed. ”Of course I didn't get seats. Not after the rumor that the Bard of Violets played his very first time right after her. Everyone there is hoping to catch both of them. I heard even the Second and Fourth Daughter of the Wolf King are going to attend.”
Kara raised an eyebrow at Rainer, as he suddenly found the most interesting spoon in the world in his hand.
”Bard of Violets?” She whispered with a bit of a chuckle.
”It's not like I picked the name…” He grumbled, not knowing that Kara didn't actually figure it out. But he confirmed it nonetheless.
Kara's uproarious laughter disturbed the other patrons, but the sight of the two powerful experts kept anyone from speaking up about it.
”I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Kara waved her hand and tried to quiet down, ”I have wondered what you were doing during your days alone.”
”Wondered? Did you worry I'd find someone else to occupy my time?”
”Of course not. How could you find anyone better than me?”
”Excellent point.”
”But now you know you'll have to play a private concert.”
”You'll have to earn it.”
Kara grinned and then suddenly jumped off the balcony. ”Only if you can catch me.”
Rainer smiled, ignoring the stares around them. He dropped off a bunch of silver, a momentary thought passing through his head that Sarah was probably better to hold the money, before he leaped off the railing after her.
He chased her through the streets before using [Void-walking] when there was no one around. Just before he grabbed her, she vanished in turn. Moment's later he was met with a faux complaining Kara.
”That's cheating,” She spoke, stopped from Void-stepping with a [Void Grasp].
”I know,” He said grinning and grabbed her with a final Void-walk. The two kissed for a moment before disappearing through the Void once more.
Kara and Rainer lay beside eachother in bed, her head resting on his chest. Kara sat up, knowing she should probably head to the dungeon soon.
”I suppose it's time to go?”
”Yep,” Rainer reluctantly agreed.
”Have you made any progress on the search?” She spoke as she dressed, smiling to herself when Rainer seemed to be distracted quite a bit before answering.
He shook his head. ”But I do have a plan. With my reputation as a bard, and with royalty now trying to see me as well, I'm thinking I could get invited to the Palace. From there we can hopefully find some gossip about a missing Spatial Ring, or just meet them in general and feel them out.”
”Ah, sorry.”
”What for?” Rainer asked.
”For assuming you were just playing around as a bard.”
He paused for a moment. ”I forgive you.”
”Nice try. But how come we don't use the blood tracking spell?”
Rainer shook his head, having already thought of that. ”It only works when you have a clear image, at least according to where I learned it from. We don't know anything about your father except he has the bloodline of the Wolf King, or generations earlier of Wolf Kings, in him.”
”I've been thinking, I can say we at least know he has golden eyes,” Kara said and then held up a hand when Rainer was about to explain genetics to her again, ”I mostly understand what you were saying about him not having it even if I'm not sure I believe you, but you aren't considering my mother. She would never sleep with someone weaker than her. Let alone being a Demon and our natural respect for power, that was her personality. And for him to be stronger than my mother even in her Demon form…”
”He needs to have the Aura talents that come in concert with that eye color?”
”Yes.”
”We may as well give it a try. Do you know anything else about him?”
Kara shook her head. Rainer, however, noticed again the slight white coloring in her ears.
”Does your mom have a slight white coloring to her ears?”
”No…Ah. So he should have white hair?”
”It's worth a shot,” Rainer said. Not that he could say he understood how the genetics of a Half-Wolfkin and Half-Demon worked at all in the first place.
With the image in mind, Rainer took a drop of Kara's blood. With a fluctuation of Mana later, Rainer felt numerous connections form, and not just here but all across the city and soon elsewhere. He gripped his head as he tried to find the one most closely related. More and more Mana left him as he narrowed it down, eventually reaching the three closest.
All three were women with golden eyes.
Rainer looked at them one by one, when he noticed one with [Void Seer] that actually seemed to resemble Kara a bit in the nose. He canceled the spell and skill when the white long-haired Wolfkin sniffed the air and seemed to become alert.
”Any luck?”
”The three closest to you were all women...Either there's something blocking me from your father, he doesn't have white hair or golden eyes, I screwed up the spell...or…”
”He's dead,” Kara finished his sentence.
”Well...there's nothing stopping us from talking to any of them right?”
”Nothing at all.”
The party currently in the Dungeon were resting just before the final boss of the dungeon. Gunthar sat in a meditative form while Lilia off to his side practiced her Soul Strengthening skill with Tiamat in her lap.
”She really grew huh,” Sarah said to the little Fairy on her head. Tiamat had finally leveled up once, and the dragon grew a decent amount in size, now about four feet from nose to tail. Though, as always, she stayed in her smaller form and enjoyed nestling in the lap of whoever held her at the time.
”Growing faster than Luna...It's not fair,” The fairy complained as she played with a long strand of Sarah's hair.
”Hey Luna? You ever think about what you're going to do?” Sarah struggled with the question herself. Other than following along with Rainer and becoming stronger, she didn't know what she wanted to do. Finding her mother and her grandfather was a priority, but it was a priority she couldn't really help with.
A part of her was interested in returning to Earth. A deeper thought within wanted to round up the Council and tear the mana from each and every one of them. And then find every organization that had even a record of her or her brother and do the same.
But another just wanted to enjoy this new world and leave behind the grudges of the past.