The Curious Woman

Gladius favored the mage with another faint smile, one that held not a shred of warmth or compassion – only the cold, ruthless amusement of a predator regarding its prey.

"First, you need to tell me what I need to know about getting into this city. As you can see, even with my power, I'm at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to waltzing through the front gates unimpeded."

It was a blunt truth that Gladius had no issue acknowledging. While he knew himself to be powerful enough to kill even greater mages that surpassed these Novice practitioners, and his recent battle against the Nascent Beast had only reinforced his confidence in the face of this Magical World's myriad perils, he was far from arrogant enough to simply barge into Emberstar without so much as a cursory plan.

Considering the sheer growth his capacities had undergone after absorbing the Spiritual Tree's energies, an endeavor that had elevated his might to levels he could scarcely fathom, it stood to reason that he should exercise prudent caution now that he was venturing into the heart of a sprawling metropolis filled with uniquely powerful individuals.

The mage hurriedly explained, his words tumbling forth in a frantic rush. "If you were to go in by yourself, the gate guards will take you to be identified and, in essence, marked down by the city's governing authority. Afterwards, common mortals without any background or affiliations will typically end up being captured by Dark Mages to be sold into slavery, or taken by some Noble Family's mage who simply wants to add more servants to their collection."

He swallowed thickly, his adam's apple bobbing as he continued. "I-I'm not sure how you can enter the city unimpeded, at least not as you are. Mages are...quite unwelcoming to those weaker than them, much less those without even a modicum of Mana to their name."

"I see..." Gladius rubbed his chin in deep thought, his mind rapidly weighing the various options that presented themselves.

His initial plans had aligned with either ambushing mages to take their gear and disguising himself as one of their ilk. 

But the glaring issue remained – there wasn't so much as a hint of Mana flowing through his body, no mystical energies to bolster his facade or justify his presumptuousness.

Another option would be to seek out a nearby town or settlement and plan his infiltration from there, as it seemed the smaller outlying regions were far more manageable than this sprawling urban behemoth. 

But that path also came with its own set of difficulties and potential pitfalls. 

After all, Gladius had no desire to go around indiscriminately slaughtering every mage that sought to take him into custody as some form of glorified slave or indentured servant.

Not out of any misguided sense of morality, of course – such trivialities held no true sway over him. Rather, there was always the chance that he could end up killing the wrong individual, someone whose death might inadvertently plunge him into a chaotic maelstrom of trouble and strife from which there would be no escape, no path forward towards his ultimate ambitions.

As Gladius pondered the merits and consequences of each potential course of action, his sword sense suddenly detected a localized eruption of Mana dozens of meters away, the mystical currents swirling and contorting in the unmistakable indication of some form of confrontation or intense utilization of the arcane arts.

Gladius's interest was piqued. With no clear, immediate path presenting itself as the obvious choice, he decided to take a chance and investigate this unexpected development. 

Before leaving, however, he cast one final glance towards the broken mage who had led him here.

There was no true point in keeping the man alive any longer – he was nothing but a liability now, one who could potentially ruin any plans 

Gladius sought to enact if given even the slightest opportunity to do so. A faint, ominous glow shimmered into existence around Gladius's form as his spirit sword manifested with nary a whisper of sound.

The phantasmal blade lashed out in a single, economical stroke, cleaving through the mage's neck and instantly separating head from shoulders in a shower of arterial spray. 

The man's expression was one of wary confusion in the final moments before oblivion claimed him, his mind unable to truly comprehend the impossible speeds at which Gladius's sword had moved to enact his execution.

Gladius turned his back on the lifeless corpse without a second thought, already lightly treading upon the invisible currents of the air itself as he rapidly closed the distance towards the source of the mystical disturbance at blinding speeds.

Soon enough, Gladius's enhanced gaze spotted a group in the distance, their forms becoming increasingly distinct as he drew nearer. 

It was a contingent of five mages, all of them wearing the same dazzling set of magical robes that bore a distinct, higher quality when compared to the attire of the Ember Forge or Gale Academy initiates he had previously encountered.

These robes were adorned with beautiful luminaries and stellar runes that almost seemed to glow with an inner light, some of the inscribed sigils possessing an almost magnetic shimmer that danced tantalizingly at the edge of perception. They appeared far more fantastical, more refined than the relatively plain garments of the other mages Gladius had met, hinting at a greater level of power and prestige.

Yet despite them all wearing the same ornate uniforms, four of the robed figures were currently surrounding a single, beautiful young woman whose own attire matched their elaborate designs. 

The four mages wore expressions of utter disdain and contempt, looking upon the woman as if she were the greatest fool to have ever blundered across their path.

As for the woman herself – despite being heavily outnumbered and clearly facing an overwhelming amount of outright hostility, her expression wasn't one of calm defiance or even a hint of fear. Instead, she appeared genuinely curious, observing the entire situation as if it were an intriguing scene rife with mysteries waiting to be unlocked, answers longing to be found.

Gladius had to admit, it was quite unusual to see someone respond to such deadly danger with open curiosity rather than the typical façade of composure one would expect from a mage. 

He drew a bit closer, expanding his sword sense outwards until he could finally make out the group's conversation amidst the crackle of mystical energies.

One of the four hostile mages, the tallest of the quartet whose aura exuded the most potent flow of Mana and thus marked him as the leader, spat out his words with a mixture of venom and cruel amusement.

"Dear little Arianna, finally on the ropes after all this running around, huh? What did you expect by becoming some contrarian mage? That we would all start seeing Common Mortals or Demi-Humans as anything less than the inferior beings they are? It's as laughable as wanting to go against Noble authority for some dumb, self-righteous spiel."

Arianna – for that was undoubtedly the woman's name – simply shook her head, her tone light and conversational despite the clear threat that hung heavy in the air.

"I thought my ideals would spread better than this, arouse more to come look for me and understand. But, oh well. I simply see no need to apply cruel methods to those weaker than us when they can provide helpful value and perspective in other ways. And there's the fact that Noble authority is quite restrictive when it comes to the progression and dissemination of magical knowledge. Magica is not a one-way street – the world itself is not some narrow, linear path to be trodden without deviation or exploration of the unknown."

"Ah! Shut the fuck up and save it for someone who actually cares about your delusional ramblings!" One of the other hostile mages spat out, his face twisted into a sneer of utter contempt. "All I hear is meaningless bullshit. Who are you to start trying to change the ways and customs that have been granted to us by the blood of our great Ancestors?"

Another mage chimed in with a derisive sneer, "Yeah. How about you stop being such a crazy bitch and obediently kneel down before Sir Starforge, hm? You can forget about being his Magical Servant at this point, but being branded as his actual slave is a far better position than the one you've put yourself in with all this asinine 'free thinking.'"

Arianna sighed, shooting looks of thinly-veiled pity toward her apparent enemies. "Words really aren't enough at times. I can't help but fear for the stagnation and close-mindedness of future generations..."

"Tch. All I hear is more meaningless bullshit." The leader sneered, his face contorting into a mask of rage. "Since you still want to resist and insist on spouting your delusional filth, we won't mind breaking you down a little bit first. Sir Starforge can simply put you back together again once you've been properly reminded of your place. Get ready!"

At his barked command, the leader and his trio of underlings all began channeling their Mana into the ornate foci of their staves, brilliant shimmers of ethereal light glistening forth from the runes etched into the arcane implements as their auras of power rapidly intensified.

At the same time, Arianna's eyes seemed to gleam with a brilliant inner light of their own, one that none of the hostile mages appeared to notice.