The Ballad of Wentlas

Before leaving, Wentlas caught up with Althea.

"What happened during your granting?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. I was hoping you could tell me." She replies.

Wentlas looked around ensuring that no one was within earshot.

"Thea, you have to be careful. What happened in your granting is not normal. The mana ball did not dissipate like everyone previously thought. It embedded within you. You have absorbed amounts of mana that would have killed a regular person in an instant. Even a grant's mana reservoir is not designed to handle so much. Whatever you do, you must tell no one of what happened. It would also be a good idea to avoid using your powers in public until we know how this has affected your abilities. Let's meet again in three days to get to the bottom of this."

She nods and hurriedly runs to catch up to Bryce who walked ahead so the two could talk privately.

Wentlas' mind was filled with memories.

He was in the same adventuring party as Althea's parents. They grew up, trained in battle, received grants, and explored the world together. They have finally reached the heights of A rank when they decided to disband. He was heartbroken that they chose to return to Kauven to get married and settle down.

He remembers their sad goodbyes after he escorted them back.

But he was young and he hungered to see more of the world.

So he left after making sure that his friends have settled in their newly built home. How was he to know that just a couple of years after leaving, the beasts in the forest would run amok? How was he to know that without him, their battle strategy would have enough openings to prove fatal? They were not in prime shape, have only been using magic for daily tasks, and have sold most of their weaponry.

They were retired. He keeps telling himself.

A couple of years would be enough to dull your finetuned abilities. Enough to dull your battle senses. Crucial seconds were the difference between your death or that of the enemy's.

If only he had been there to organize the campaign. He would have been able to use his renowned variant Light magic for offense, to bestow buffs, and cast healing spells. They, along with many others, may not have died.

He was in the Demon Continent when he heard the news. There were only a handful of adventurer's guild locations in the Demon continent. This one was the furthest and the most dangerous location. He was returning from a solo campaign that had allowed him to reach S rank. He was now one of the most powerful people in the world. While checking in at the adventurer's guild, he receives the note. It was dated almost a year after their deaths. His face darkened as the air around him starts to crackle with Light energy.

The receptionist drops a pile of books as he unconsciously unleashes a wave of thick mana. The nearby adventurers succumb to the power and lose consciousness. Those with the fortitude to withstand struggle to breath.

The very next day, he leaves after refilling his supplies and getting new weaponry.

They never saw him again until 7 years later when he returned with the unmistakable air of someone who has reached the rarified rank SS. It may have been higher but who would have a magical instrument to measure that?!

He was spent. The long years of unending battle has worn him. He was no longer angry inside. The hunger to be the best and strongest has petered out of him. He has fulfilled his potential and impacted the world in ways few would ever know. He was now ready to go back to Kauven. Along the way, he demolished every single powerful beast he encountered.

"It shall never happen under my watch," he tells himself.

As he saw a glimpse of the city from a distance, he unknowingly smiles in relief.