For the next few weeks after the negotiations, I didn't do anything but learn how to cast more spells from Wardcruncha as well as improving my skills on engraving runes.

  The former, I decided, was a bit useless after just a few hours of "training" which is really just me learning words, and I can do that easily anyway.

  "Can't I use my magical awakening to innately cast spells or something?" I frown and cross my arms, the fact that I have to chant every single time I need to use kind of pisses me off honestly. "Like just weave mana through my senses and then cast a spell that way?"

  "Afraid not." Wardcruncha explained simply. "Did you know that superior magical classes can overtake the function and technicalities of casting magic lesser sub classes that a mage uses?"

  "No?" Why did he sound like he expected me to know about this? Am I supposed to? Feels like it's the kind of knowledge you can only find in this world after actually attempting it. "Is there a way for me to nullify that and actually cast magic instinctively?"

  "Well, there is a way, there's a sub class out there that allows you to use magic however you want but that will take you years to obtain." The way he said it made it feel like it really will take years for me to do, and I'm guessing he's taken into account me being a "prodigy" when saying that as well."

  "How does that work?" Still, it doesn't hurt to ask about it. "It shouldn't be that hard right? I'm pretty sure I would want to work on something like that."

  "How do I say this..." Wardcruncha looked away and turned his sights at the sky, he contemplated for a moment before finally giving in. "You need to learn every aspect of magic, which means years... No, decades of studying, you can easily burn a century or two just by trying to get the sub class needed for you to cast magic freely, and that's assuming you somehow get all the other sub classes necessary to get it in the first place."

  "So I need to study for decades to get various magical classes—" which I'm guessing would be all of them. "— and then after that I need to spend centuries trying to get the sub class itself."

  "Yes, do you understand now?" Wardcruncha looked at me proudly, it's directed at both himself and me. One because he probably achieved this exact thing and two because I figured it out. "It's not just a class that you can easily get."

  Well, I can probably find a way to cheese my way to getting all the sub classes and then all I need to do is ask Wardcruncha how to obtain the final sub class but that sounds like more work, I've just prevented myself from becoming the Queen of Misery Swamp, I need a break.

  "Okay, guess I'll just have to figure out a way to get more powerful without relying on magic." Because the way I cast my current spells means I just have to say words in Pricorian while gathering mana in my throat, for the first part, I can just do that since I know the language innately.

  "You can work on your abilities as an inhuman maybe?"

  "Maybe..." I murmur, trailing off as the thought finally crossed my mind. Why haven't I done that yet? Am I withholding my training for some big change or what? "Yeah, maybe I should start doing that? Knowing how to use my new abilities sounds like something I needed to do anyway."

  "Yes, and if I can suggest something, I think you need to slow down with getting levels."

  "Yeah, I'll do that too." I agreed, it's not like he's wrong, I have been power leveling far too quickly lately. Since there's no need for me to rush anymore, I decided that I might as well slow down and improve in other areas.

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  Like actual skills, I wanna learn martial arts, how to properly fight with a spear and dagger, not just overpower my opponents, but to actually figure out what to do before, during, and after a fight using my preferred weapons.

  "Can I ask you if you've gotten levels after killing all of those adventurers?"

  "Yep, two, I think?" I shrug. "I don't think it's that big of a deal though, since I won't need them for a while."

  "That is true." Wardcruncha agreed with a nod. "With that being said, I can help guide you when using your abilities, I don't know much about dryads but I'm sure my insight into them should be helpful to you."

  "Insight? You've seen dryads before? I didn't know they existed..." No really, they were never in the game.

  "Yes, I have met some of them in the past, after all, real ones." He explained casually like what he just said wasn't the most shocking thing in the world. "And have seen them use their natural abilities to great extent."

  "Okay, teach me then." I start preparing to use my powers.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Getting into a stance?" I look at Wardcruncha and he looks like he's struggling to hold back laughter, "what?" I gave myself an inspection, I just have my arms held out and my body bent forwards, what's wrong with that?! "I'm not trying to be funny."

  "Yes, I suppose so." The mage nods. "Okay, let's start."

  Spending the next week learning how to use my new abilities was fairly straightforward, and my schedule soon fell into a comfortable rhythm: I would hunt creatures and drive more out in the morning, practice how to control plants with my mind in the afternoon, and then rest with my family in the evening, where we talk about whatever.

  The last part can be better, I'm pretty sure, we don't really have anything to talk about besides our past and how everything was better before all of this and honestly, I think that it's a bit counterproductive.

  More than anything, us reminiscing means that they will hate me more for ruining things, whether or not they actually view it this way is irrelevant.

  Sometimes, it makes me wish that I didn't mess up this badly, and I'm guessing they feel the same way as well.

  That things changed, that maybe I didn't leave, or maybe I didn't progress so quickly that it got the attention of Flotol's leaders, or maybe I wasn't so proactive with getting Laself to our side.

  All of those what ifs would change our situation for the better, they are stuck in my mind, I'm guessing the same goes for the rest of my family as well.

  The next week, we heard news of what's going on in Flotol, a pair of boys and a single girl— family I'm guessing, the girl looks young, my age maybe? Younger? By a year? — came around our camp and stopped just short of the fences.

  Naturally, people asked me to come to them and once I was in view, they immediately prostrated themselves and asked me for food. I should be feeling relieved at this, that my plan is finally coming to fruition but seeing these malnourished kids just makes me feel guilt.

  They shouldn't suffer so needlessly, and maybe Laself had a point, maybe I was being too cruel?

  Should I just end this quickly? Threaten Folsan and Nogjaf and make them run away or better yet, kill them once they're out of sight?

  No, I want to use them. I want them to further my cause, to prove my innocence and make sure that I am in the right and they are in the wrong. Simple as that. Everyone else can suffer before I get what I want, I don't care.

  "What? Why are you here asking me for food?" Of course I know why, Flotol's supplies are dwindling and people are beginning to starve. "Shouldn't you go back to Flotol?"

  A lie. I didn't want them to go back, mostly because they will die before they even reach it and second, them coming back to the village with food means that people will be even more tempted to hate on Folsan and the rest.

  "We need your help." The little girl said, basically giving me the perfect opportunity to act like I have a bleeding heart for them. Which I don't.

  "Oh, really? Okay then..." I acted like I cared and hopped over the fence. "I'll roast you some meat and you can bring it back to Flotol, I'll even make a container for you guys so it stays warm. Okay?"

  Trapping heat, scent, and taste. That sounds like the perfect lunch box doesn't it? And yet something like that is only a small part of my true potential, I can do so much more with my main class.

  Like creating a trap that socially attacks Folsan and Nogjaf, I didn't even need physical materials to make it, the components are the villagers themselves as well as the frustration that they are feeling.

  "Come, come." I smiled and waved them in, leading them to the depths of our camp.

  I wonder how long it will take before the social trap boils over and becomes a rebellion? Can Folsan handle that? His flimsy excuse for a leadership wouldn't be able to fix a rebellion in the middle of winter won't it?

  Guess he's really just a pathetic piece of shit, in the end.