Episode 4: Rising of the good things

Taro was now prepared to make the travel back home, a cloth bag carrying food, a dry coconut-like shell, that would have been split in two to make bowls, was turned into a water container hanged by string, his hat, and his cape

Sidra: also, one more thing I have to give you, hand this paper to sister Sunny, the old priestess, consider it your holy mandate

Taro: eazy

Sidra: may the goddess bless the next crossing of our roads

Taro: mai tha godes… blez (yeah this is too advanced for me)

Sidra smiled proudly upon hearing Taro’s attempt

Sidra: yes, may the goddess bless

Taro approached the northern gate, and he heard a familiar voice, it was Turt, standing with an older man, and a woman roughly Turt’s age

Turt: yeah, let's hurry before it gets late, did you bring the dried snacks? oh, who's that? what was his name again? Taro!, Where are you headed?

Taro: I go bak, uhh quezt paper

Turt: I see, well we’re also headed to the other town, lets band together

fully geared, now in what could be considered a party, Taro was feeling even more adventurer than yesterday. They all went on their way to the other town

older man: is he your friend?

Turt: I found him yesterday, he’s from the other town, I’ve seen him before there when I go visit, he’s a Transported

older man: does he speak the language?

Taro: yez, little

older man: ooh very nice, is that how people dress in your world?

Taro: uhhh, yez (it's easier to just say yes instead of explaining, besides, I don’t think he’ll ever know capes went out of fashion hundreds of years ago)

The trip back was much easier with a hat, water, and company to forget the passing of time. They all learned new things, Taro learned that the old man is Turt’s father-in-law, the lady is his fiancée, and that he’s usually traveling back and forth, reason why he has seen Taro before. They also encountered a patrol party that recognized and greeted both Taro and Turt. he was finally feeling like part of the community,

they arrived before the sun set. Taro was surprised nobody asked for breaks, and he would be embarrassed to be the one to slow them down

Turt: going home now Taro?

Taro: I go guild, quezt paper

Turt: alright man, be safe, also

he pulled him in and started whispering

Turt: thanks man, you made me look so interesting to my father-in-law

Taro: yez, but, I never forget (I promise you I will pay you for real one day)

Taro entered the guild office triumphantly, with way more stuff than he originally left with

guild secretary: would you look at that, it’s the prince from far away! my best forager has returned

Taro: Goomornin mazter, here, quezt paper

His welcome was warm and filled with questions. Taro was feeling very accomplished, his first adventure had gone very well despite the challenges, it had been a great day. All that was left was to return to the church and finally have a good rest. or that was the idea, until he arrived

sister Sunny: where in the name of the goddess have you been? you had me asking around for you and praying the whole day!

Taro: (that jerk didn’t tell her!!) quezt, other tawn

sister Sunny: with the permission of who? you can't just go around traveling like you’re not under my direct watch

Taro shyly handed her the note Sidra told him to, he didn’t know how to read, but he was sure it would at least distract her

sister Sunny: hmm? what is this? who wrote it? hmm, this is Sidra’s handwriting

she sighed and started reading the letter, the wrinkles on her forehead got less and less tense by the second

sister Sunny: I see now. I’m sorry Taro, I was just so worried for you, may we be blessed with better circumstances next time you plan on going out, so I can properly give you my blessing

Taro: sorrri, tank you (the note softened her instantly! what could Sidra have written that would be so powerful?)

what was written in the note reported on how things are going for Sidra on the other church, when she’ll be sent back, and a description of Taro’s circumstances, “he said to me that before coming here, he gave word to one of the priests, he was on a quest for the guild, and while here, he did all the holy tasks as if he wasn’t a tired guest. so, if for some reason, unbeknownst to the goddess’s grace, his journey inconveniences you, I beg of your mercy, for he was just following duty and went about it the best way he could”

back in his room, nothing fancy, but much more comfortable than yesterday, Taro was satisfied

Taro: (I really did it, my first adventure, my first traveling gear, I made a new friend, it was great, I can’t wait… for tomorrow…)

next day, Taro woke up refreshed, did his chores, and while he wanted to glare at the priest guy who didn’t follow on his word, things had gone well enough to not bother

priest guy: Taro, somebody’s looking for you

Taro: what yo want? I not truzt

priest guy: huh? whatever, go to the front door, some girl is looking for you

curiosity got a hold of him, he went outside expecting “some girl” to be probably Ari, instead he was met with the sight of a girl he had never seen before, short, wearing a cloak under the hot noon sun

Taro: …goomornin?

cloaked girl: h-hello um, mister Ta-Ta-Ta-Taro? I uhm...

she seemed to struggle with the language just as much as him, Taro started to wonder if she was a Transported as well, he tried to communicate in his original language, but that, as usual, didn’t work

cloaked girl: huh? I umm, sorry, I’m not used to… talking

she seemed to be having a rough time, she was starting to visibly sweat, could be the sun, could be her nervousness

Taro: want… come in?

they sat on a nice cool place in the church’s yard, her sweating decreased

cloaked girl: I was… worried, you always go on the foraging quest, but ye-yesterday you were gone, and I was just w-wondering

Taro: (ahh, she has probably seen me going back and forth daily, I guess I really did become sort of iconic)

cloaked girl: I also s-s-saw you struggling with mana enhancement near the forest, I thought I’d help you as umm thanks for your support

Taro: (wait a minute, how does she know that?!, did she see me screaming like a super Saiyan?!... and what does she mean by support?) su-port?

cloaked girl: yes, you have helped me, a lot… n-nobody used to take my quests before, so I never had materials. I s-s-sent you letters to express my thanks, I’m the one who wrote them

Taro: (so she’s the one requesting the materials, though I don't think I have ever seen her before at the guild. Wait, what letters? the papers that priest guy used to give me? I thought he was just trying to make fun of me!) I not know… read

cloaked girl: ah! I'm so sorry, I didn't know that! I’m so so sorry

Taro: it ok, I tank you, for lerers

cloaked girl: hehe, you’re a nice person. I was honestly s-s-scared to come, but it was just dumb little me worrying too much again. as I was saying, I want to thank you, so I’ll teach you how to mana enhance, that way, we b-b-b-both help e-each other

Taro: mana enha, hard, can't do

cloaked girl: don’t worry, I a-also struggled to learn, so I know what it feels, b-but now I can make things like this, so it is possib-ble

a bird descended on her shoulder, a bird made of leaves, makeshift eyes and string

Taro: the burd! (the spirit that I saw the other day! so that's a shikigami?)

cloaked girl: y-yes, I ma–made it m-m-myself, sorry, I stutter so much. I'm just so e-excited, about mana control.

Taro: with burd, yo zee, me?

cloaked girl: yes!, it’s a form of ancient mana control called visual projection! And-and! so-sorry, I get carried away, we have to start with the basics first

her enthusiasm was contagious, despite her creepy stalking activities, Taro was thrilled to learn mana control from someone capable of literal arcane magic

Nagye: oh s-sorry I forgot to introduce myself m-mister Taro, my name is Nagye

Taro: nize–meet yo, Nagye

they sat on the grass and adopted a position of meditation

Nagye: first you need to um, relax and-and, try to find something warm in your belly, b-but with your eyes closed

Taro was both excited and nervous that his attempt at learning how to feel mana would end in failure again, he tensed up, and to Nagye, it was visible he could not relax easily

Nagye: d-don’t worry, I came prepared f-for this

she grabbed a little decorated glass jar from her pocket, and as soon as she tapped it, Taro felt an interesting sensation

Taro: (woah, what was that?, I felt a tingle run up my spine, what a nice sound)

she passed her finger along the edge of the glass, making a relaxing and surprisingly audible sound, Taro was getting visibly relaxed

Nagye: this is a trick I-I um I learned from a book; it helped me a lot too. now try to find the warm thing in your belly

Taro, now more relaxed, was laser focused on Nagye’s instructions, he started forgetting about all other sensations, and in a world of pure black, he found something, a warmth unlike anything he had felt before, it felt both like fire and refreshing like water

Taro: (the… the warmth, it's real, I feel it!) I feel… it

Nagye: you learn ve-very fast, that is the mana reservoir, magicians have theorized that umm, well, n-never mind, that warmth grows when you breathe in and shrinks when you breathe out, try to feel it. a-also, when you practice, try to um, make the ball grow, d-don’t breathe harder though, just try to f-feel it

her words were true, Taro could feel the ball of warmth shifting to the rhythm of his breath

Taro: (I can't believe it; I'm feeling the mana! I'm really on my way to becoming a wizard!)

They spent the rest of the day practicing.