Please Make Me Your Student!

For the next two days, Axel was completely unconsciousness from the backlash of fighting off a monster that was several times stronger in combat strength. While he was asleep, the dream of Goddess Morrighan repeated itself like the replay of a tape recording, and it almost sounded like a threat at this point. To Axel who had played the game Mabinogi all the way through, the Goddess Morrighan did not seem angelic and kind as she appeared. In fact, she was a Goddess of War that used both Humans and Fomors as her tools in ruling over the world of Erinn.

Fomors were a foreign race that opposed the Humans in the past few great wars in the historical events of the game. Most of these Fomors consisted of Goblins, Orcs, Imps, and other humanoid creatures that excel in witchcraft. Their god, Cichol, wishes to destroy the world of Erinn altogether and start the world anew from scratch. Many of the fomor scrolls that most creatures and monsters drop upon death are magical scrolls that are used possess them from within to do the Fomor's biddings.

Despite Goddess Morrighan's relentless callings for help, Axel ignored the pleads and thought that he did not want to be a puppet in a god's plans like he was when previously playing the game Mabinogi.

After the dream looped a few times, he finally awoke seeing a cottage like room around him. He looked around and saw Dilys writing some notes in her catalog while stationed a work table near him.

"Hello, Ms. Dilys..." Axel whispered weakly. Although he had lain in bed for two days, he still felt his strength was still in the process of recovering.

Hearing the tiny voice of her patient, Dilys said,

"You finally woke up young man! I thought you were going to sleep for a week at least. It looks like you have a strong constitution. Let me call the adventurers out back!"

Soon after, the pink twin tailed girl Bel and the two stocky companions Max and Kaiser appeared in the clinic. Bel's eyes sparkled like the stars in the sky. She hopped like a bunny over to Axel's bed and asked,

"Hiya, little newbie! Looks like you're still alive after all that mess out there! I guess you're really lucky and unlucky at the same time!! Who knew that a Field Boss would appear in the middle of that beginner hunting field!"

Axel chuckled and replied,

"I must have been blessed to have you guys out there at the last second. I thought I was going to die from the pack of wolves on my case then. Thank you so much Bel, and Max and Kaiser for bringing me all the way here!!"

Bel, Max, and Kaiser nodded, while Max replied,

"It was our pleasure, young adventurer. When you are recovered, please come find me at the Tir Chonaill School. I will be taking care of some business there with Instructor Ranald, and it would be a good opportunity for you to learn some combat related skills for the future."

The noble aura of the young knight seemed to emanate the room with a strong manly presence. Axel knew that this was a rare opportunity to learn from a skilled knight for free, and quickly shifted out of bed and bowed,

"I'm honored to have you as my master! Please take me as your student!" Axel exclaimed.

Bel laughed like a little squirrel making high-pitched calling sounds and gasped,

"Looks like you've got yourself your first student Max! Axel, you should cherish this chance to be taught by a Mythril ranked Adventurer! And I'm sure Kaiser and I can also give you some tips as well!"

Axel's eyes almost popped out in accordance. Although Eaven did not clarify the rank order of Adventurers to Axel in full detail, he had seen the extent of requests on the request board in Dunbarton before. From that information he could conclude that bronze was the lowest rank, which followed in higher ranks by: Iron, Steel, Black, Silver, Gold, Mythril, Adamantite, and Runite. These were the existing 9 ranks in the Adventurer's Guild at the time being, and these three heroes that saved Axel from the black wolves were in the upper range of Mythril rank. There were probably ranks even higher than Runite, but this was beyond his scope of knowledge at the moment.

Axel once again bowed to each of the three heroes in a polite fashion, and returned to his bed to snuggle up a bit more to rest.

"Alright it's about time for the patient to rest. I know how exciting it is to have a new younger brother under your wings, but let's make sure he gets better first!" Dilys said as she clapped her hands to send them on their way.

Axel felt very sleepy after a short conversation with the three heroes, and fell asleep soon after.

...

The next morning, Axel got up and he had recovered completely. It seemed that Dilys' potions and treatments had worked quite well. Although it was extremely slow if compared to the original Mabinogi game, at least he was recovered and well. From observing Dilys' concocting potions the few times he had awoken throughout the day, he saw a vial that resembled a 30 HP Potion that most newbie players used in the game. Instead of giving Axel the potion to consume directly, she had diluted the potion with water at least 10 times over, and applied the diluted liquid on his wounds in his arms and legs. No wonder his healing speed had taken almost a week to heal up! He estimated that his total health points did not go above 40 points at his current status as a Level 3, and if he had drunk the 30 HP Potion in one gulp, he might have recovered immediately. However, this was the current level of civilization in this world of Mabinogi that he had reincarnated into. Even a 30 HP Potions were a rarity, so much to the point Dilys diluted it several times in order for Axel to use for recovery.

As he got up from his bed, he waved to Dilys and said,

"Well thanks for all your support these past couple of days! How much for the treatment?"

"Don't worry about the treatment fee for now! You'll be in town for couple of days right? Just bring me 90 gold before you leave town by then." replied Dilys.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to swing by later!" Axel said.

Waving goodbye, Axel walked out the clinic door and saw the blazing sun and lots of hens in the grass fields around. He inhaled a big current of air inside his lungs and gasped,

"Sure feels good to be outside again! Let's make our way to Ferghus to get my first good weapon in this world!"

Axel hiked south of the healer's house and passed two bridges to eventually reach where Ferghus' forge was. Up ahead he saw the man conducting his usual hillbilly idle pose singing country tunes and staring off in the distance. As he walked up to Ferghus, the man seemed to make a heavily creased face upon seeing Axel.

"Damn, how long you gonna keep me waiting for those gray fox furs!" yelled Ferghus.

"Well you never said a due date for when I need to give them to you. Sorry for the delay otherwise, I was gravely injured in the Field Boss Summoning a week ago." said Axel.

"Men don't make excuses! Oh well, pass over those furs." Ferghus sighed as he stomped into the back room to get something.

Axel thought to himself, "Damn he has a fiery temper. Could he be getting the dagger?"

The next moment Ferghus brought out a leather wrapped object and unwrapped it slowly and Axel's eyes started to roll slowly towards the weapon. His face seemed to stiff as a rock upon seeing it, as if it had betrayed his expectations.