The next morning, they left the village of Copperton at dawn, the sleepy guards saluting them as they left. The air was crisp and fresh, and the sun was just beginning to peek out over the horizon.
“I’m surprised this village is able to survive out here,” said Levi, glancing behind them as they rode away.
Liliya hummed. “It’s located in a ‘safe zone’ – an area devoid of magical leylines. The odds of monsters attacking them are fairly low to begin with, and if something does happen, they’ll have guards, a militia, and presumably one or two stationed adventurers to help.”
“Stationed adventurers? I didn’t see any yesterday.”
“They were probably in a bar somewhere, or maybe out patrolling. It’s common for adventurers to be hired to protect a village for months at a time. Not the most glamorous of jobs, but it puts food on the table.”
“I see,” Levi said. “How long until we arrive at Farband?”
Liliya consulted the map. “If we push at a fast pace, we can arrive by noon.”
Levi nodded, and the two of them fell into a silence.
After their talk the previous night, it seemed like they had reached a tentative truce. They weren’t friends by any means, but she no longer looked at him like she wanted to slit his throat in his sleep. He’d take that as a marked improvement.
Several hours passed by in a blur. Levi amused himself by cycling his magic within his body. It was an effective way of improving his body’s magical tolerance without straining it too much. Not for the first time, he lamented not having been reincarnated into a body that could handle his magic. Though considering how this new body didn’t have the chronic pain and aches of his old one, he supposed it was an acceptable trade.
Again, they were attacked by another band of goblins. Liliya dispatched them all with ease.
Around noon, they reached the town of Farband. At first glance, Levi could immediately tell it was much larger than Copperton, perhaps four or five times its size. Instead of walls of wooden logs, it had large stone walls packed with hardened clay, and the guards that stood at the iron gates wore gear of higher quality. They made their way inside easily enough just like last time.
“Professor Merriweather will be proctoring our Ascension Trials,” Liliya said. “We’re supposed to meet him at the Deerstalker’s Tavern.”
“He’s the professor for Advanced Self-Preservation 405, right?” Levi asked as they walked through the town. The cobbled roads were lined with well-maintained shops and houses made of plaster and brick. They turned and entered a marketplace filled with the aroma of smoke and food. “Doesn’t he have class to teach?”
Liliya stopped momentarily to ask a passing local for directions before turning back to him. “He does, but he personally requested to be my proctor,” she said. “I believe he had to fight several other professors for the position, actually – they ended up having to draw lots to decide who got to go.”
“Huh. Bit of a teacher’s pet, aren’t you?”
“It’s called being liked and respected,” Liliya said. “I’m not surprised you’re unaware of the concept.”
“Eh. You say that, but I bet you wrote holiday cards for them.”
“That’s basic etiquette!”
“Mmm. Sure it is.”
“No, it literally is in the etiquette handbook. I have a copy of it on my bookshelf,” she said before pausing. “I would ask if you’ve read it, but the words inside were pretty big.”
Levi nodded gravely. “Anything over three syllables, I’m not bothering with.”
They reached the Deerstalker’s Tavern. It was tucked away in the corner of town, nestled in between a tailor shop and an apothecary (likely for the hangover cures). The outside looked respectable enough, but the moment they entered, it was like they stepped into a different world.
Even at noon, it was packed with people and filled with the sound of noisy chatter and the clatter of dice. The scent of flavored smoke mingled with the aroma of savory foods. In the back, a bard strummed an energetic tune, and despite it only being midday, there was already a drunkard slumped over the bar, fully passed out.
“Miss Volkov!” Professor Merriweather called to them. He was sitting at a table already, a glass of ale and a nearly-finished steak pie in front of him. He waved them over, the two of them sitting down across from him. “You made it!”
Liliya gave him a polite smile. “Good afternoon, Professor Merriweather. I hope you’re doing well.”
“Well? I’m doing excellent! I’m about to witness history being made!” Professor Merriweather exclaimed with a hearty laugh. He was a large, portly man, completely bald but sporting a rather impressive mustache. “Why, you’re about to become the first Institute student to take the Ascension Trials all by yourself!”
Levi coughed. “Umm…”
“Ah, forgive me, Mr Ironwood,” Professor Merriweather said. “I didn’t see you there. Well, two people taking the Ascension Trials is still an incredibly noteworthy feat! Especially when the skill level is so mismatched between the pair.”
Levi stared. The professor’s jolly tone hadn’t changed one bit even as he delivered the indirect insult.
“Thank you for the confidence, professor,” Liliya said. “Though, our success isn’t assured yet.”
“Bah,” Professor Merriweather waved her off dismissively. “I haven’t met a student as talented as you since… well, since your older brother. And even then, he took the Ascension Trials in a party of three. What you’re attempting now is daring indeed. It reminds me of myself back then, when I was just a young lad filled with more gumption than sense. It’s like looking into an old mirror – though you’re much prettier than my ugly old mug, of course.”
Liliya smiled. “You flatter me, professor. And I’m sure you were quite dashing in your youth.”
“Ha!” Professor Merriweather laughed. “Was I ever! Oh, the tales I could tell you…” He shook his head. “But I’m getting distracted, aren’t I? Sorry about that, the mind isn’t as focused as it once was…”
Without warning, his expression became serious. Liliya and Levi unconsciously straightened as Professor Merriweather regarded them with a stern gaze. “You did well in accomplishing the unofficial first part of the Ascension Trials: making it here safely,” he said, his tone much more subdued than before. “As I’m sure you’ve seen already, it is dangerous outside the walls.
“The kingdom does its best to map out safe routes and cull dangerous monsters, but I will say this now and I hope you carve it into your hearts. Never, ever, let your guard down. All it takes is a single lapse in attention for an irreparable tragedy to happen. Route information can become outdated, you can encounter aberrational monsters, and as much as I hate to say it, there are some truly nefarious people out there seeking only to do harm.” The professor sighed. “But enough of that dour subject. Let me give you a brief rundown of your Ascension Trials.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
“Nearby this town, you can find the Grove of Embers. It’s quite beautiful; the town of Farband makes a living trading the bark and sap of the trees within. However, around a week ago, two harvesters sadly perished while they were working. The adventurers stationed here quickly located the dungeon and alerted the Adventurer’s Guild, who dispatched their surveyors to determine its tier. Once they categorized it as a silver-tier dungeon, they informed us, the Institute of Ascension, so that we may use it in our Ascension Trials.
“This is where you two come in. To pass the Trials, you must clear the entire dungeon and make it out alive. That is harder than it sounds. The opponents within can range between level 20 and level 60. They’ll have the home field advantage, and they might even be protecting their young. Any external assistance is forbidden. As your proctor, I am allowed to accompany you to the dungeon’s entrance but not a step further inside. You will be equipped with tracking beacons in case you require emergency exfiltration, though using them will instantly disqualify you from the Trials. And…” His expression darkened. “Just know that there is a chance I will not make it in time.
“Of course,” Professor Merriweather chuckled, his mustache quivering good-naturedly, “I doubt you will need to worry about any of this. Even so, however…” A faraway look appeared in his eyes. “It is never a good feeling, having to carry out the body of a former student. Do this old man a favor and make sure that won’t come to be, will you?”
Liliya nodded. “Rest assured, professor. We’ll make it out safe and sound.”
“That’s the spirit!” Professor Merriweather let out another hearty laugh. “Ah, to be young again… Well, that’s about the gist of it.” He stood up. “I’ll let you two get some rest. The food here is great – I highly recommend their signature steak pie. I’ll meet you at the town gates in, say, three hours?” He waited for them to nod. “Capital! I’ll see you then.”
Whistling a jaunty tune, he stood, dropped a small pile of silver coins on the table for his meal, then left.
“Well,” Liliya said after a few moments. “That went better than I’d expected.”
“I don’t think he looked in my direction a single time…”
“Exactly my point.”
They finished their lunch quickly – the steak pie was pretty good, with an ample filling of meat, vegetables, and a rich aromatic broth. They opted for well water instead of ale this time, not wanting to accidentally become inebriated before the Ascension Trials.
A sudden commotion drew their attention. At the bar, the bartender was being harassed by two young men. She was a young woman with dark eyes and brown hair tied back into a ponytail, looking visibly uncomfortable as the two men gestured animatedly in front of her. Levi examined their appearances; judging by their ornate gear and outfits, they were adventurers.
“Come on, sweetheart,” one of them was saying. Short black hair with leather armor. “Our contract here is about to be up. We protected this town for the past few months, the least you can do is go out with us before we leave.”
“I’m sorry,” the bartender whispered, shrinking into herself. “But I already have someone I’m interested in...”
“Oh, don’t be like that,” the other chimed in. Blonde hair wearing mage robes. He grinned. “It’ll be fun. Trust me, we’re way better than the village hicks you’re used to in this town.”
The people in the tavern bristled, the noise and chatter slowly dying down. None of them said anything, though, even though they looked like they wanted to. They were afraid, Levi realized. He could see it from the look in their eyes, the hunch to their shoulders.
The average commoner here was maybe level 10, 11 tops. They’d have no way of defending themselves. If these two adventurers wanted to, they could probably massacre everyone inside this tavern in only a few minutes. The locals were clearly well-aware of this, forced to just watch silently, unable to do anything.
“Disgusting scum,” Liliya said, glaring at the two. “It’s adventurers like those who give the rest a bad name.”
Levi nodded, his magic pulsing to life within him. “Shall we?”
Liliya nodded. They rose, but before they could do anything, the drunkard who had been slumped over the bar suddenly raised his head. “Wuzzat?” he blinked blearily, looking around. “Huh?” He had been sitting right next to the two adventurers, and they looked down at him.
“Nothing you have to worry about, old timer,” the black-haired adventurer said. “Go back to your nap.”
“I could be wrong, but I think I heard the miss said no,” the drunkard said, slightly slurring his words. “You should listen to her.”
The blonde-haired one narrowed his eyes. “Are you talking back to us? Mind your own business.” He looked him up and down. The drunk was dressed in a grey cloak over a white button-down shirt and dark baggy pants. “Who are you, anyway? I haven’t seen you here before.”
“Another glass of ale, please,” the drunk slurred to the bartender, now ignoring the adventurers entirely. “Just add it to my tab.”
“Umm, sir?” she said hesitantly.
A hand slammed down in front of the drunk. The drunkard turned to stare at the black-haired adventurer, who was leaning over him with a scowl.
“Do you understand the situation you’re in right now?” the adventurer asked menacingly. “I’m a gold-tier Brawler; my friend is a platinum-tier Mage. You really wanna fuck with us?”
The drunk blinked slowly, his eyes struggling to focus as he looked between the two. “I’d rather not. Bit too early for a menage a trois, no?”
In a flash, the mage had his staff out and pointed at the drunkard, a furious scowl on his face. A collective gasp sounded from the others in the tavern, the synchronized scrape of chairs scooting back filling the air.
“Nice staff,” the drunkard said, going cross-eyed as he stared down at the ruby gem inlaid at the top. A pause. “Looks a little too large, though. Compensating for something?"
The mage’s eyes flashed. “What did you just say?”
The bartender looked terrified now. “G-Gentlemen, please–”
“No, no, it’s okay,” the drunk interrupted. He stood up slowly, swaying slightly in place. Even so, the two adventurers had to look up at him – he was surprisingly tall, easily over six feet. “Look, I get it. The two of you want to go on a date, but you think you need the girl to be a cover. Well you know what, these ain’t the old days anymore.” He spread his arms. “Love is love. You don’t have to hide. Go out there and show the world your affection. I’ll support you all the way.”
The two adventurers stared at him.
“Okay,” the mage said. “I hope you have money on you, because you’re gonna need a healer after this. [Lightning Surge]!”
A yellow magic circle formed at the tip of his spell, several onlookers crying out in shock as they scrambled to get out of the way–
It happened so quickly, even Levi nearly missed it. One moment, the mage was about to cast a spell. The next, the magic circle shattered into motes of light and the tip of his staff was gone.
“Now, here’s the deal,” the drunkard said. Except he wasn’t drunk anymore. His eyes were sharp and his gaze deadly serious as he stepped forward, a sudden presence filling the room. The two adventurers froze in place. “You two are going to have a generous change of heart. So generous, in fact, that you are going to take the paycheck you were given for guarding this town, donate half of it to this lovely bartender here, and donate the rest to the town’s orphan fund. After that, you are never going to bother innocent townspeople again. Am I understood?”
“You’re out of your fucking mind,” the brawler growled in a remarkable display of a lack of self-preservation. Were Professor Merriweather still here, he would be appalled. The brawler lunged forward, fists glowing with mana–
“Sorry for the damages,” the man said, pulling out his money pouch and handing several platinum coins to the bartender. “Here, for your troubles.”
She gaped at him, then at the brawler who had been slammed through the splintered wooden floorboards headfirst, the dust still not fully settled. She hadn’t even seen the man move. “W-What?”
The man paused. “Oh, right.” He turned to the mage. “You wanna try again?” he asked. “Here, I’ll let you have a free shot.” He tapped the center of his chest. “Go ahead.”
The mage stared at him with wide eyes, then at his unconscious friend. Without another word, he quickly grabbed his friend, slung him over his shoulder, and rushed out of the bar.
“That’s what I thought,” the man snorted derisively before turning back to the bartender. He winked. “So, about that ale…”
Slowly, the bartender poured him a glass. The man immediately chugged it down, slamming it down onto the table and letting out a satisfied sigh. “Ah, that hit the spot,” he said, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “Now, I could’ve sworn I came here to do something…”
His eyes roamed over the tavern until his gaze finally settled on Levi and Liliya. He grinned. “Ah, right. I remember now. You two. You’re late.”
