Chapter 58: A Trade

Rainer thought for a moment as he looked at Elru across from him. His questions were numerous, but he started with what interested him the most.

“Let’s start simple, how strong is your Queen.”

“I would prefer you not call her my Queen. Her name, Yulia, is already more than she deserves…” Elru rubbed her forehead after collecting herself, “I’m sorry. Her rise to the Throne was not a pleasant one. Every 50 years we take a Trial given by the World Tree to decide our ruler. I was the guard assisting one of the candidates of the Winter Court. There is an agreement among courts not to kill one another during the Trial, but Yulia…She broke it many times over,” Elru did her best to control her anger but mostly failed.

“Yulia entered the Trial at the last moment, alone. It was not completely uncommon for loose Fae to attempt the trial but none ever passed the first portion and went on to the competition part. Yulia did. Her first primary class is [Wind Seeker], a 2nd Tier Class, and has a wind-touched Mana never seen before. Not too unlike yours, that’s laden with strange energy, though certainly weaker. I know not her current level nor anything beyond her primary class.”

“No one can see through her [Appraisal] defense?” Rainer knew from Luna and his own experience with Fae that higher leveled one’s [Appraisal], the better they can block attempts.

“No…this is the strange part. But it does not matter now. Her class limits her only to wind magic. It shall be easier to counter her in the next trial....”

Not that it matters for my sister…

Elru thought.

“Why doesn’t she come directly for me?”

“The moment Yulia leaves the World Tree’s protection, numerous Fae are waiting to kill her. She is powerful, but that was within the scope of the trial and as an unknown factor willing to fight to the death. Might I ask why she is so keen on you?”

Elru did not even think it related to Luna. Her thoughts that perhaps Yulia had somehow gotten this [Archon] to agree to help her with the next trial. And then going back on the deal. But Elru’s skill had revealed that he considered Yulia his enemy.

“I’m afraid not. But know I’m more than keen on killing her, even if I need to pull out the roots of that damned tree,” Arcane naturally infused into his voice. The wooden floors and glass windows shook at his words. The fear Luna felt for just one of the Fae who assisted in her experimentation, gave him more than enough anger at the World Tree he now knows is protecting the Fae Queen.

Most Fae would be offended deeply by such a statement, but given Yulia was directly responsible for keeping a Fruit of the World Tree out of her hands, at the Tree’s very protection; Elru was not among them. Recalling his title, [One who defies Divinity], and feeling the power of the Arcane in the air, a part of her believed his statement.

“You clearly aren’t hiding your hate for Yulia, why did you accept her request?” Calming himself, Rainer asked.

Elru’s clear blue eyes look downwards. She sighed and remained silent for a few seconds before answering, “She promised me a Fruit of the World Tree in exchange, but in the end, the prospect of a captive Fairy tortured for dust is not something I can allow…”

As she said the last part she recalled a question she asked the [Archon]. In all honesty, it wasn’t a fair question; whether he had any thoughts about Luna’s dust. Everyone’s thoughts would stray. Perhaps when first meeting her, his thoughts would lean in that direction at least a single time. Yet such was not the case. He never had any thoughts in that direction, greatly surprising her.

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“Why do you need one?” Rainer already knew the answer but hearing this he decided where he’d lead this conversation.

Kara refused the Fruit. Gunthar likely couldn’t use it; he wasn’t even able to eat nor did he have an advancement quest. And Luna had centuries of life remaining. By then, Rainer knew he could acquire more, or have her, or the Wyvern, strong enough to where it wasn’t even an issue.

“My sister, she is reaching her last years. Perhaps it is confusing to a human, but us Fae live for hundreds and hundreds of years, to most, it is not worth preparing for the 2nd class trial for a relatively small increase. My sister was among many who while reaching level 25, did not train or practice too strenuously, enjoying life. Even still, if I can prevent her death… Originally by assisting in the trial for the Winter Court, I would have received a Fruit. But my performance, resulting in the death of my charge at Yulia’s hands…..”

“I have a Fruit,” Rainer simply mentioned as he took it out of his Spatial Ring. In part, he tested whether she could control herself.

Elru’s eyes opened wide as she stared at Rainer. Given her new knowledge of a human who did not even have a second thought at taking a Fairy’s dust, she did not even float a single thought of taking it by force.

“I imagine you have a point in telling me this?”

Rainer grinned and spoke, “I want your body.”

She showed a shocked look on her face for a moment before preparing herself. Luna, however, answered first.

“Rainer already has the most beautiful Fairy, yet he wants two!” Luna said while lightly pulling at his hair, “Luna doesn’t agree. Rainer needs more variety.”

“It was just a joke, Luna. Elru, I want you to act as our guard for a year, train Luna in some fairy skills she lacks, and let me study the Runes on your body. Then the Fruit is yours.” Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

Elru breathed out a sigh of relief, slightly annoyed that she considered the previous request seriously.

“I accept.”

“Good, we can talk back at where we’re staying. There are plenty of rooms in our section of the Baron’s mansion, given we lack a house…” He put away other questions for now, given Elru would be staying with them.

“I suppose I am in the wrong in this, I should not have acted so hastily and prepared an ambush in your home…”

“It's fine; I tend to overreact, I’m glad there was no permanent damage. Is your companion alright?”

In the first place, he had forgotten about the items stored in the mansion, so he was quite aware at his overreaction no matter who was waiting for him. He still needed to study the [Mana Storage Ring] a bit more before replicating it in [Sleep Learning].

Though, he soon noticed that Elru had one, giving him a pleasant surprise.

“She is recovered. I sent her home. She had only accompanied me to help track you.”

“Track me…how did you do that in the first place?”

“It is surprising. I do not think there are greater magical trackers than the Fae, yet your Mana prevents us entirely. I cannot even notice the presence of your Fairy either. We use miniscule traces of your strange Mana left at wherever you cast magic to track you. Even those nearby, when you cast magic, can have residual traces remaining on them.”

“Can you teach me?”

“A bit. I am not very skilled at it, I only know the basics for tracking.”

“We can discuss it later.”

Rainer had used [Mana Reading] the entire time and found her telling the truth, at least by his standards. He began to suspect his inability to read George was a coincidence, rather than George controlling his Mana. Especially given the strength of Elru, yet her not doing the same thing.

“I had some stuff stored at the mansion. We’ll stop by there and then to the Baron’s,” Rainer said.

“I shall accompany you then,” Just as Rainer got up to leave Elru spoke again, “Might I ask about those two undead who travel with you?”

“Yeah, is that a problem?”

“No…they are just a bit strange.”

“Don’t let the bones fool you; both may as well be living,” Rainer chuckled recalling when it came to Wyvern’s both Father and Son were more alive than anyone.

Seeing Rainer walking out of the store without conflict, the group dropped their guard as he waved them off.

“For the time being we have a new member of our group,” Rainer said pointing at Elru who followed behind him. To anyone but Rainer, her Glamour showed her as an average middle-aged woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. A far cry from the beautiful White-haired Elru.

As they walked to the Baron’s mansion Rainer explained the situation. However, Elru added a point toward the end.

“I must confess, I did not intentionally write the letter in such a language. I had been studying a certain book recently added to the Fae Archives, and I forgot to switch the language of my writing, to the native tongue of this area.”

To Elru’s surprise a deep, yet interested, voice emerged from one of the heavily armored and cloaked undead.

“That language was quite intriguing, might I ask what you were studying?” Theodore asked.

Calming herself at the prospect of a fully sentient undead that was not a [Lich], she talked with Theodore as the group moved forward.

“I was merely studying an old journal trying to determine who wrote it. The alphabet, well I can’t even it call it as such, was so foreign it piqued my curiosity. I do not think the contents would interest you…”

“How could they not,” Theodore responded in high spirits, “I have never seen a language even close to that, and I know 3 dozen. Well, more now…”

Elru long since noticed with her [Magic Detection] that these undead served under Luna. She assumed the 3 dozen were from his time among the living.

“Scholars of the other races had always impressed me with their ability to learn languages. My Fae skill is convenient, but I feel as if I lack something when reading.”

Elru recalled the contents of the journal, and what intrigued her most was her attempt at guessing the race of its writer. The years described meant they either extended their lives significantly, beyond anything seen before by Elru, or were a longer-lived race.

Most longer lived races had a singular language. They had dialects but wouldn’t be different to such a degree.

As the party carried on, none having an interest in the conversation between Theodore and Elru, Rainer operated [Soul Detection]. He nearly walked into a food stand before being pulled away by Theodore. Much to the gratitude of the stall owner.

“Rainer, detection skills are quite useful but extending yourself to such a degree…I am more than capable of handling such things. You must preserve your strength for when it is needed.”

Rainer nodded. He had been aware in [Sleep Learning] more often than not as of late. And constantly using [Soul Detection] in his waking hours took a mental toll. One he didn’t fully need with Theodore, who as an Undead lacked any fatigue from this. But even still, the very first Fae he fought left Rainer with a decent amount of paranoia, given her ability to avoid detection.

Reaching the ruined manor, Rainer noted that nothing had been cleaned. The mansion was nearly entirely destroyed, though most of the damage focused in the center, leaving just small parts singed around it.

“I can go by myself,” Rainer said as he moved forward. With his 59 Constitution and the overcoat itself, which had the strength of a normal armor, he had little fear from possible debris that may fall on him. Though, not even Luna’s [Appraisal] could tell what the coat was made of.

He rushed to where the backroom would be and found the crates that had the mithril armor and blades. The boxes collapsed at his touch, burnt entirely, but the mithril inside seemed undamaged. The enchantments, however, were no more.

He took all the mithril into his rings before leaving, glad he could just borrow Elru’s [Mana Storage Ring]. Given that the mithril was fine apart from ash covering it, he considered it a lucky conclusion.

“Elru, can I borrow your [Mana Storage Ring],” Rainer asked as he wiped ashes off himself and headed back to the group.

She was a bit confused but handed it over with little issue.

[Mana Storage Ring: A ring capable of Storing Mana. Current Capacity 46/250]

“I had been meaning to ask, but could you refill it? If I refill it with my own Mana, I won’t be able to use it for consumption. Fae Mana is slightly different as I imagine you know,” Elru said.

Rainer immediately realized why a Fae would be carrying such a ring. He also assumed the Mana previously here had been used to heal the damage caused by his magic.

No one, however, mentioned the obvious strangeness then by how Rainer feeds Luna. If Elru could take it from a ring, it was reasonable to assume it did not have to be directly injected into Luna.

“It may take me some time to refill it, I’m only modestly skilled in enchanting,” Rainer, of course, did not have any skill in enchanting but planned to gain it overnight. With such a test subject, that could be readily studied, he intended to engross himself in understanding her runes and hopefully finding a way to create them on Kara in one way or another.

Different from before, he could look at them in use.

He had some thoughts to save his enchanting levels, especially the second level he easily gained with [Archon], for an enchanting class. But he abandoned this idea, now having someone like Elru around.

In the end, if I lack experience I can hunt some Monsters…

By having two tireless undead as guards, monster hunting became a far less dangerous task. Whether it be large packs or night ambushes, the combination of Undead guards and [Soul Detection] made what should be a high-risk job, an easy experience source.

Monsters were also quite skilled at evading Detection abilities and had a high sensitivity to the strength of others. Kara’s hiding of her demonic half and Rainer’ low Mana prevented that boar they faced long ago from fleeing long before they noticed it.

[Soul Detection] rendered many abilities for hiding, useless.

And If Theodore’s legend about Demons proved true in this world, Rainer wouldn't lack for sources of experience.

He had regretted in the past, not abusing [Sleep Learning] to its full potential. Realizing now, he almost made the same mistake again.