19 Ch 19: Last Training Mission
--- Ten Years Later ---
Baldeur was laying in the back of a wagon as it was making its way down an undeveloped road. With him in the wagon were a number of potted saplings.
They were unique to the world they were in. The fruit they produced were shaped like bananas but had a consistency and flavor closer to a pear.
It was a simple guard mission for an owner of a farm tower back in the City of Gates. It wasn't the usual fair for the Zeerous Trade Company but they had a few rookies that needed experience.
Baldeur was one of three rookies on this mission. Their leader was a tall heavily bearded man named Chetan. He had Laksulm as a Source.
The other rookies were a young man with two Sources, Qi and Anodular named Jin. And a young woman named Aisling, she also had two Sources, Anodular and Infernius.
This might give the impression that those with multiple Sources were more common than they are. The Trade Company had over 30 new recruits over the past year and the three of them were the only multi Sources users among them.
This was the final test for the threes before being moved from probationary status to full time. What also made this mission unique was that this world had Mana and Psychic as Sources.
Only Baldeur would be able to fully regenerate his Mana Source while they were in this world.
All Sources except for Laksulm could be stored as Source energy in their bodies to be used over time. Part of this mission was for them to get used to being on worlds where they had to ration their energy.
There were items that could store extra energy but the energy often felt processed and until you got the feel for it, the energy was harder to use.
The other minor exception to this was Divinus and Infernius. Strong devotion from people could be refined into Divinus and strong emotions could be refined into Infernius. They weren't very effective methods but that was why angels and demons could be found in worlds even if they didn't have their respective Sources.
Now that didn't mean that their Laksulm leader would be useless. Since that Source was the best at crafting, he had an arsenal of enchanted items that he would be able to use if necessary.
As to why they were in a world with Mana when Baldeur had Mana as Source was simple. It was difficult to accommodate all their varied Sources. Simple missions to use as tests didn't happen all the time. And Volundr wasn't concerned with him passing any tests.
The Master of the branch had kept a close eye on him over the past decade and was more than happy with the results he was seeing.
"I think we should switch places. You've had enough time in the wagon Baldeur." Aisling said.
She was walking on one side of the wagon, while Jin was on the other side.
"Yawn. But I'm still so tired." Baldeur teased.
"You've been sleeping most of this mission. It's only fair that someone else gets a turn." Aisling didn't really care about being fair, she was just tired of Baldeur slacking off.
She was aware of his special position within the Trade Company. When she was brought in as a trainee two years ago, she found out this guy had been one for eight years by that point.
Being brought in to train with a major power before 18 was already a big deal for someone with her background, but finding out there was someone that had been brought in younger than her made her a little jealous.
If he didn't always seem to be slacking off while also getting praised from the rest of the staff, she probably would have let go of the jealousy. But in her eyes he was a lazy bum that was coasting on having three Sources.
"There is room for two you know." Baldeur gave her a sly smile.
"Hmph, I'm not one of your tavern wenches that will just jump on you if you look my way." Aisling said.
"So I have to do more than look. Got you." Baldeur retorted
Aisling started to turn red but before she could retort Baldeur sat up and thrust his hand towards her. An icy wind swept passed her.
She was about to cuss him out when she saw the arrow that he had pushed off course.
The arrow turned around in the air and shot towards her again. Her eyes turned red as a wrathful fire destroyed the weapon.
Around them over a dozen people stepped out from the underbrush. While they looked like they might be bandits, they were all giving off a hatful aura and held themselves as skilled professionals.
Baldeur was upset that he hadn't sensed them early. He then spotted a worn out woman among them that was putting out an intense Psychic dampening field. Her skills were impressive for a low tier world like this even though it was clear she was at her limit.
"Don't get cocky and make sure they don't harm the merchandise." Chetan said as he pulled out a silver rod that split into four at the end.
He would only intervene if he felt his trainees were in real danger.
'Blessed Winds and Earth form to my will and hamper not my allies. Harm shall not come to use: Arcane Protection.' With one hand Baldeur made a few gestures and in the other hand he clenched a piece of raw iron.
A blue glow surrounded his allies that would act as unobtrusive barriers against attacks.
Jin was already making his moves, getting up close to a few that were close together. With a Qi empowered punch, one of the stronger attackers was sent flying. As Jin's foot landed on the ground Anodular spread through the ground causing the soil to soften.
Those around him lost their footing and he was able to throw a few normal punches and kicks to take them out.
Aisling's wrathful fire didn't die down and raced through the air as it torched more projectiles. The fire began to take on beastial shapes that held the aspect of the Hunt.
Baldeur was reminded that he needed to make sure he didn't take his teasing of her too far; her most powerful sin was wrath and her best aspect of nature was the Wild Hunt.
Leaving the different sides to his companions, Baldeur focused on those coming from behind. Several had active spells to enhance their physical abilities and there was a ranged Mage behind them providing cover fire.
A dirge in the heptatonic scale started to come from Baldeur, putting fear into his enemies. While around him the temperature dropped and ice shards formed in the air.
With the flick of his wrist the ice shards shot out among the attackers. Many of them took the attack head on, relying on their Mana shields to protect them. That was a mistake as the Shards of Winter spread wherever they hit.
It didn't take long before most of them were either incapacitated or running.
Chetan only helped a little with those attacking from the front.
The team was ready to go when the woman who had been hiding the bandits with her abilities started to talk.
"Why do you have to come here? Why can't you just stay where you came from?" She said.
"Lady, we're just merchants. Like any others." Baldeur responded.
"Ha. Your kind has taken so much from us, while also polluting our lands with foul magic. We won't stop until you and that gate are wiped from our world." She began to build up an absurd amount of power. They could tell she intended to blow herself up along with them.
But before she could, she bent over coughing up blood. Chetan had his four pointed wand directed at her.
"Sorry but it's just business." He said as she fell over dead, bleeding from every orifice.
Baldeur sighed at the loss of life. It turned out they weren't simple bandits but fanatics. Their attitude wasn't uncommon on newer connected worlds.
People coming through with strange powers and inserting themselves in the politics and economics of their world had to be terrifying for them.
Unfortunately, their objections weren't going to stop the City of Gates from coming to make what gains they could.
"Come on, a real sun irritates my skin." Chetan pulled on the reins and the wagon began forward again.
Baldeur hopped out and walked on the side the Aisling was guarding. She took the hint and jumped into the wagon to rest.
Before she laid her head down she mumbled a thanks.
"Sorry, what was that?" Baldeur teased.
She didn't repeat herself and just gave him a wrathful glare.
