Chapter 1, Finale: Mangrove Olberg Parker

Two days after the incident.

In a bright and beautiful morning, Ciel and her Apprentices left Arbeau to turn in and complete her quest contract.

"Uh, Master, where exactly are we going?" Phiz asked. "We're outside the walls..."

"Qoruxia," Ciel replied.

"Where is that?" Waffle asked.

"It's an island country of winged Beastmen called Qoruxians. Their main line of business is adventuring. When we get there, you'll see seven Adventurer's Guilds throughout the island."

"I'm pretty sure you already guessed, Master, but we have never been outside. We're putting all our trust on you." Heg said.

"Oh, yep. We'll reach the country before it becomes nighttime. Look above you."

Ciel pointed upwards to the west. There were a number of large floating islands that revealed themselves with the absence of clouds.

"Woah, has that always been there?" Phiz asked.

"Right you are, Phiz. Arbeau's walls were too high for you to see beyond. The only way to see the islands from inside is through the Emperor's quarters."

They traversed the Kurmian Divide for hours, headed for the direction of Qoruxia. During those hours, Ciel's Apprentices asked her many questions regarding various things, like why the Divides were created.

Before they knew it, they were already near. It was the fourth hour in the afternoon.

In the horizon were boulders scattered everywhere. To their left was a particularly large one. They approached it. Ciel put her right hand on it and dragged it down. Due to her first Ability, it took a few seconds before activation, but runes have appeared on the stone.

"Everyone." Ciel said. "Hold onto me."

The Apprentices, not knowing why, simply obeyed. Phiz held onto her left arm, Heg to her right, and Waffle just hung onto Heg's arm. In a mere moment, they hovered from the ground.

"Woah?!"

"Behold, one of the entrances to Qoruxia. Since it's basically impossible to get there unless we have certain Abilities that allow us to, they scattered boulders around the vicinity of the Divide below their country, given activation runes to give us the gift of flight for a few minutes. Since you three haven't learned magic yet, you'll have to hold on. Be careful not to slip off, okay?"

"Master, isn't this a bit dangerous?!" Waffle asked.

"Oh, it's fine. I'll just catch anyone who slips off."

"Scary!"

Ciel ascended through the air and towards the island country. Her Apprentices flailed around and screamed in fear of their lives, but the wind made it so Ciel would not hear them.

Sadly, their first flight experience did not make for a good memory. They might just be traumatized. It also looks like Phiz is foaming through the mouth, but let us brush that fact aside.

They reached the gate in a matter of minutes. Ciel slowly descended and let her Apprentices go. Their knees were shivering intensely and cannot walk normally.

"So...solid ground?" Heg asked himself. He kneeled to the ground and hugged it. "I didn't think I'd miss the ground."

"We're alive, right? Please tell me we're alive." Waffle asked.

Phiz... was on the ground, laid on his back, looking like someone's hand is reaching out to him from a blinding light. He almost passed from terror.

"It's just a bit of a shock. Sorry about that," Ciel answered. "Anyway, welcome to Qoruxia."

The three of them eventually recovered, although slowly. They looked at everything in front of them as it was something new. Ciel just stood beside them as they caught the glances of the locals going in and out of the country.

"Woah... it's my first time seeing people from a winged race." Waffle said.

"I mean, some Entomorphs have wings, but that's true." Phiz replied. "They have bird wings, man! Bird wings!"

"Not to mention, look at those feet, guys!" Heg pointed fiercely at a guard's feet. "They have talons!"

"Uh... how may I help you humans...?"

It seems that they have fully recovered. They were in front of the gate when they made this small commotion. They drew the eyes of everyone in the vicinity and also made their exemplar uncomfortable.

Ciel ran to them and talked to the guard. "I'm sorry. It's their first time here."

"Ah, the Pennyworth. Welcome back. These three, uh... with you?"

"They are, yes. They're my Apprentices. We'll be here for a while as they learn magic from me."

"I see." the Qoruxian guard tipped his standard issue hat. "I hope that your stay here be a good one. Until the next time, I bid you four farewell."

"Farewell for now. Come on, you three, that's enough. We're going."

Ciel led them through the gate and into a large open area, where people are stopping by to take a rest by the beautiful fountain in the middle. The brick roads and rustic buildings made it look like they were not on a floating island, only that the clouds passing by were extremely near their heads.

"Wow, what a view." Heg said.

"Come along. We're going to my home."

"You live here?" Phiz asked. "How can you endure that flight from earlier?"

"You just get used to it. I'll train you guys on flight someday. To answer your first question, I'd say... partially. I purchased a home in some countries including here."

They came across a few acquaintances of Ciel along the way. They greeted her and she did likewise. She oriented Phiz, Heg, and Waffle about how things work in Qoruxia.

"I forgot to say, but this is Val'Umun City, home to two of the seven Adventurer's Guilds that I mentioned earlier."

"Where in the city are we, Master?" Waffle asked.

"We're currently in the Commons district. Don't worry, we're near. Just a bit more walking."

They took a left turn after arriving at an intersection and walked straight. An Adventurer's Guild was in view; a large dome-shaped building with decorated pillars that stood out like a sore thumb amongst the other buildings.

"Wow, it's huge..." Heg said.

"This is the Unison, the largest Guild of all seven. It also serves as an inn, for those looking for a place to stay the night."

The Unison was the first Guild to be built when the island was discovered by outsiders. It drastically boosted Qoruxia's economy and tourism by having adventurers visit their country, looking for high-paying quests and challenges. As time went by, the Unison had to branch out to different regions to control the adventurer population, and it worked wonders. Now, Qoruxia is currently the country with the largest number of Adventurer's Guilds, and the richest country after the former Safruth.

They entered through the double doors and revealed a bustling crowd. There were adventurers everywhere, eating and drinking with their own parties of varying races.

"Ah, Ms. Ciel! Welcome back!"

Someone called out to her from behind the counter to their right. It is a Contractor, going by the name Kolin Frore.

Contractors take care of the quests posted on the nearby bulletin board. They are in charge of safeguarding the quest giver's rewards, memorize the details, and see to it that the ones to accept the quest are given as much information as possible to help them clear it.

Contractors are mostly Qoruxians, but with the different races welcome to enter the country, there have been Contractors from different races now, like Elves, other species of Beastmen, Halflings, and the like.

"Ah, Kolin. I've completed the quest."

"Really? That's good to hear. Here's your reward~"

Kolin took out a large pouch from beneath the counter. It was bulging with coins and could barely be closed.

"Hey, isn't this quite a lot? Those are all gold coins..."

"Ah, the quest giver decided to increase the reward since it's supposed to be a difficult one, having to destroy an entire business and all that. So he wanted to make sure the adventurer is satisfied. It's a win-win, don't you think?"

"Well, this should help me tons. Give the quest giver my thanks when he stops by, okay?"

"Noted~" Kolin nodded. "Oh, by the way, who are these three? Did you finally form a party after all these years of working solo?"

"A-Ah, well, these three are my Apprentices. This one is Heg, this one's Phiz, and Waffle over here."

The three greeted Kolin. "Hello. Nice to meet you."

Kolin bowed in turn. "Yes, likewise."

"Well then, we're going off now. I'll be back for another quest someday."

"Ah—Ms. Ciel, please wait!"

Ciel ground to a halt. She looked at Kolin and asked why she stopped her.

"I forgot, but the quest giver also wanted to give this to anyone that completes it, which turns out to be you."

"You three, stay there for a bit. I'll be back soon."

"Okay."

Kolin pulled out a stone the size of her hand. It radiated a brilliant blue glow.

"This is..."

"Indeed, an enormous chunk of Azurite."

Azurite is a stone supercharged with Mana for more than a hundred years, which can only be found in small fragments deep below the mines of the Dead Man's Overhang, located in the far west of Safruth. It is extremely rare to come across such a gigantic piece, and now it is being given so casually to Ciel.

"Um, you should hide that immediately... There are lots of adventurers here that want easy money."

"Yeah, I probably should."

Ciel cast Void: Storage. A small portal materialized in front of Ciel, just large enough to fit her hand. She shoved the Azurite into the portal and it disappeared.

"Thanks. Until next time, then."

"A pleasure to have you! Please come again!"

Ciel waved goodbye and ordered her Apprentices to follow. "Come. We're going to my home."

The noise from the feasting adventurers immediately died out once they exited the Guild, and the peaceful chatter of the townsfolk filled the environment.

After more walking away from the Guild, Ciel and her Apprentices ended up in a rather barren part of the city. Not in the sense that it is completely empty, but in the sense that there were no people outside, making the large houses seem intimidating.

"We're here."

Before them was a large gate. How many gates have they passed now?

Beyond it was a vast courtyard with a fountain larger than the one in the Commons, and an insanely large mansion behind it.

"Wha—you bought this?!" Waffle asked, surprised.

"Yep. Fulfilled quest contracts and bought it using a a thousand gold coins."

"So expensive!" Heg shouted.

"Everything we need to get you three to start learning is in there. I'll also be assigning your rooms once we enter."

"Hm? Ah, Master! Welcome back!"

Someone from inside saw them walking through the courtyard. He had brown hair and green eyes, and a peculiar scar on his left cheek resembling a tree.

"Mangrove?!"

Mangrove Olberg Parker, a charismatic, happy-go-lucky person with many friends, and Ciel's first Apprentice. He studied under Ciel after being saved by her from a pack of Lycans one unfortunate night, and is now a well-respected Magus in many countries.

Mangrove's Ability is Bend Nature. He can control anything that is related to the concept of "nature". He has a high affinity for bending plant life. His name and his Ability being related is only a coincidence when he was born. His Ability is considered as the "superior type of spellcasting", because he can also harness the elements without the limiting Mana costs of magic.

"It's good to see you again, Master!" he said.

"Why are you here?" Ciel asked.

"Ah, well, it's a long story. But if you're willing to listen, we can take our time."

Heg asked Ciel. "Master, is he the one you were talking about earlier? While we were walking in the Divide?"

"Yeah. Everyone, this is Mangrove, my first Apprentice. Mangrove, these three are Waffle, Heg, and Phiz, from left to right."

"Hello." Phiz greeted.

"Nice to meet you three! Let's get along, yeah?" he said, flashing a radiant smile.

"Come, let's got in. Perfect timing for you to be here, Mangrove. I have something for you to do."

"Anything for Master~ What is it?"

"You're training these three along with me."

"Oh, it's my pleasure. When do we start?"

"Later, the seventh hour in the evening before dinner."

Ciel's Apprentices protested. "Too sudden!"