Chapter 28: Going to Register as a Citizen and the Visit of...
Chapter 28: Going to Register as a Citizen and the Visit of…
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“Have there ever been anyone registered to be capable of strengthening their Mana Core by consuming other Mana Cores?” asked Frank.
“I think… well, there are registers of such people. Those are called monster-kin, people who are half-monster and half of another race. These people are incredibly rare, as for a monster-kin to be born… well, it has to be either a normal person that had its body modified with monster parts through advanced magic and alchemy… or well, the child between a monster and a human or demi-human… People with such description can be counted with the fingers of your hands” said Gwendolyn.
“That rare…? I wonder from where you know so much information, miss Gwendolyn…” said Frank.
“You learn all this stuff in any academy… I learned it in the military academy, but there is also an adventurer academy and a magus academy. Military Academy is free, but they actually prepare you to become a soldier there. Adventurer Academy costs some hefty money, and that is where those that want to be adventurers go to study, you can also get an adventurer registration by going to any of the other academies, or by having the approbation or tutelage of an experienced adventurer or soldier… Ah, and the Magus Academy is where the greatest Magus are taught about the use of magic in depth… I am saving money to bring Annabelle to that one, even when it is so costly that only aristocrats can afford it… but with your talent, they might end up teaching you for free, Frank,” said Gwendolyn.
“So that’s how it is… I am just clueless about the most basic of stuff… I feel like a petulant ignorant…” muttered Frank.
“Well, you are. But we all have to start from somewhere, don’t we?” said Gwendolyn with a smile.
“Frank, are you going to the Magus Academy with me? We can be classmates!” said Annabelle.
“Haha, well, that’s for the far future, there might still be some time until that…” said Frank.
“Not really, in around half a year from now, Annabelle is getting registered there, that’s why my friend is coming to teach her more magic as well, you too will be included in the mix,” said Gwendolyn.
“Just half a year?! (Wait, another School?! Will I end up going to two at the same time? What kind of cliché academy novel plot is this? Sigh…)” said Frank as he considered the thought about going to another school as rather obnoxious.
“Yeah! Do not worry, there is still a lot of time for you to earn about everything else. There will be a test done in the Magus Academy where they will judge new students that wanted to register, despite mostly having aristocrats as students, the rules and requirements for becoming a student are still rather high” said Gwendolyn.
“Well, if that’s the only path where I can become a more recognized citizen and get somewhere in life… I’ll have to do it, I suppose (After all, I have to maintain the façade that I am trying to maintain my mother and sister living in the city, needing a lot of money due to that…)” said Frank.
“Of course, you’ll also be able to come here and plow the fields from time to time! Just like today! Alright, let us go to the town, get yourself registered as a citizen with the mark of Abraddon-sama and then we come back here so you can plow the fields for the rest of the day! How’s that?” asked Gwendolyn while winking.
“Sounds like a busy day, but that’s how I am getting paid…” said Frank.
“Yeah, work your butt on the farm, we aren’t paying you to slack off!” said Annabelle.
“Sure, missy,” said Frank with a slight smile, Annabelle acted annoying but was still an innocent young girl, which reminded Frank of his sister in Earth, Kamei.
“Maybe I should spend more time with Kamei…” Frank thought, considering spending more time with his sister.
“Can I go hunt after working in the front yard?” asked Frank.
“Hunt? You don’t have to if you don’t really want to, Frank” said Gwendolyn.
“No, I am fine with it, I really want to hunt more with Ruby, so she can grow stronger as well by eating the tiny critters that go around the forest… (And also, so I can gather enough Mana Cores to form my own)” said Frank, while thinking about his real motive, which was gathering Mana Cores and also experience points, gaining one or two more levels through this week seemed doable if he combined the experience points of daily quests.
“Well, if you can gather the Mana Cores that you get, you can sell them to me!” said Gwendolyn.
“I’ll think about it…” said Frank.
After finishing breakfast, Frank, Gwendolyn, and Annabelle went together through the road, walking towards the town.
Frank was rather surprised over the infrastructure of the town, giving a very western medieval feeling that gave him a bit of thrill, making him even more certain that he was really in a different world as if it were not obvious enough already.
Frank also noticed that most of the citizens were all of some kind of beast-kin race, there were a great variety of appearances and traits inside the town, ranging from a few other Minotaur (both male and women), Raccoon-kin, Rabbit-kin, Fox-kin, Wolf-kin, Wild Cat-kin, and even another race that Frank couldn’t tell what it truly was, as they resembled normal humans, but had pale green colorations over their pale white skin and sticky mucus coating their bodies, their eyes were often covered in hoodies or masks, only revealing their long and sticky hands below the clothes that covered them almost completely.
“Those are Frog-kin, it is rare to see them in here, as they often prefer to live nearby swamps… I guess the war has pushed them in here… They wear long clothing that covers them a lot because the direct sunlight might dry their skin,” said Gwendolyn.
“I see…” said Frank as he kept walking while being led by Gwendolyn until accidentally, someone stumbled upon him and released a small cry.
Bump!
The person fell on his butt over the paved ground.
“Ouch… A-Ah! S-S-Sorry!” said the person, who resembled the same group of Frog-kin, it had the voice of a young girl, she glanced at Frank shyly, her aquamarine and yellow eyes gleaming with a bit of wetness…
“Ah, no, I should be sorry instead… please,” said Frank, giving the young girl his hand, she shyly tried to take it so she could stand back, but her hand was way too sticky, slipping off Frank’s hand.
“Uwahh… N-Not here! S-Sorry, I always begin producing a lot of mucus w-when I am nervous…” said the girl.
“Maybe this can calm you down? Gift of Life” said Frank, touching the girl’s head, which was covered in her hoodie and activating the Gif of Life Skill, infusing a bit of Life Energy into her head.
Suddenly, the thoughts of nervousness slowly dissipated from her mind, and she felt calm and composed.
“Ah… T-Thanks… I feel way better… what kind of magic was that?” asked the girl.
“Ah, it’s nothing,” said Frank, the girl quickly stood up as she apologized once again and went back to join with her group.
“So you’re now showing off your spells in public, huh? You even had a crowd around you, boy” laughed Gwendolyn as Frank realized that many people were glancing at him and the girl.
“Ah… this is embarrassing…” muttered Frank, as he finally resumed his journey into the town’s church.
Reaching the building, which was not bigger than a small house with two floors, Gwendolyn, Annabelle and Frank were greeted by the priest of the church of Abraddon, a gentle goat-kin man with long and spiraling horns growing from each side of his head, he didn’t have the head of a goat, by the way, but had the legs of one starting from the knees. His hair was rather fluffy and white, and he held a genuine and gentle smile.
“Welcome, Gwendolyn, long time no see you. Ah, isn’t it Annabelle-chan? Oh my? And who might this young boy be?” asked the priest.
“Ah, priest, I’ve brought this kid, he’s an orphan who had never registered before even when he was born in our nation, so I brought him to get his crest of Abraddon, I’ll pay the fee,” said Gwendolyn.
“Oh! I see! Very well then, come here… What’s your name?” asked the priest.
“Frank, you can simply call me Frank, priest-sama,” said Frank.
“Alright, Frank, come with me, getting your crest is something that only takes a few seconds,” said the priest.
Frank was led inside the church, reaching a small pedestal covered in many paintings of different animals, seemingly giving a mystical feeling to the whole place.
The priest asked Frank to put his hand over the pedestal gently, while he went to look for a special incantation grimoire.
“Tell me, Frank… do you believe in Abraddon-sama?” asked the priest.
“I… I do, sir (What with that question? Isn’t it a fact that gods exist in this world anyway?)” said Frank.
“That is all it is needed, to believe. Abraddon-sama accepts anyone as their children, he is a god that does not discriminate… Now, Frank, you will feel a bit of pain, but bear with it until it is done. Don’t take away your hand or the ritual will fail, and everything will have to be redone, and I’ll ask you an extra fee if that were to happen!” said the priest.
“Okay, I am ready… (Why would it cause pain?)” said Frank.
The priest began to conjure an incantation as the monument where Frank had left his hand on began to shine with a deep dark color, embracing Frank’s hand as a sharp pain suddenly filled the nerves of his hand, even entering his blood vessels and bone! It felt as if someone used a needle to carve a way into his flesh.
“Agh!” said Frank, resisting the pain as the priest continued the ritual.
Frank suddenly felt as if the world was engulfed in darkness. After a few seconds, his perspective changed, as he found himself in a world filled with vegetation and enormous jungles.
“What is… this place? Ah, my legs are moving on their own?”
Frank began to walk against his will, reaching through a path within the jungle where a clearing was revealed, and an enormous creature filled his sight…
It had the body of a giant lion, three heads, that of a wolf, a lizard, and a goat adorned its long neck resembling that of snakes, each of its six legs seemed to be of a different animal, from a wolf, a lizard, a lion, a horse, a crab, a spider, a frog, and its body ended in dozens of different tails and stingers waving around furiously. It was a bizarre sight to behold.
Frank felt a strange pressure fill his entire self, but somehow, he was capable of barely resisting it.
“You… You’re not from this world, foreigner,” said the entity, glancing at Frank with its three heads.
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Author’s Note: If you like the story please give any powerstone you could spare, if we reach a nice number there will be bonus chapters at the end of the week, it all depends on you!
Thank you very much for reading!