Chapter 7: The Ranks of Magic Power

Chapter 7: The Ranks of Magic Power

The five heroes continue on their journey and are nearing the town of Flagron.

The heroes finally exit the deep forest and walk out into an open field of unmaintained grass and weeds. As they walk, Zeth turns his head to look at Sasha.

“I’m sorry for bringing this up again,” Zeth starts, “but just thinking about what you went through really grinds my gears. What your parents did and said to you is really messed up. Are they really followers of the Light Goddess?”

Sasha turns her head toward Zeth and nods. “Yes. They are absolutely devout followers of the Light Goddess.”

Zeth looks down at the ground with a frown. “How could they do those things while following the Light Goddess? Shouldn’t only good people be her followers? Wouldn’t bad people just follow the Dark Goddess instead? Just trying to think about it is making my head hurt.”

Emily places her hand up to her chin, narrowing her eyes. “Perhaps… following her to such a level… twisted their minds?”

Zeth turns his head to glance at Emily. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if I should say. I’m trying not to offend Sasha just in case she still feels attached to them…” Emily replies.

Sasha smiles just a bit. “It’s okay. They kicked me out. I won’t feel offended.”

With approval, Emily continues. “Okay. What I mean is that they were so devout in their following that anything they consider not worthy of the Light Goddess must be purged.”

Sasha frowns and looks downward, sadness overcoming her face. “…I could see that being the case.”

“It’s okay, Sasha,” Zeth says. “You’ll lead a better life without them bringing you down.”

***

A little bit later.

The five heroes arrive at the entrance of Flagron town. They all take notice of the many people moving about and everything has a high-quality feel to it. Every building they can see is well built and seemingly have a ‘new’ shine to them. The walking paths are well-paved, not even a hint of a crack. The town’s people are dressed in casual clothes and go about their days with happiness.

Emily darts her eyes around to take it all in. “Well, the people in this town seem more well off than the people I have seen in any other town.”

“That does seem so,” Sasha acknowledges. “Much better than having nothing but the dirty clothes I have on.”

Zeth nods. “Being in a prison for a year, I wouldn’t know how well off any towns are.”

“I wonder what has elevated their economy to the point it allows everything here to look so nice,” Joe says.

As they talk, a middle-aged man approaches them. The man wears a formal brown business suit, a brown top hat, and he has a bushy mustache.

Town Welcomer – Bob.

“That is because Flagron is home to the most famous magic clubs in all of Harmone,” Bob says in reply to Joe’s question.

“Who are you?” Zeth asks.

“My name is Bob and I’m the town welcomer,” Bob answers. “Basically, I greet visitors to the town.”

“So, what are these magic clubs?” Joe asks.

“I’m glad you asked!” Bob responds enthusiastically. “There are differing ranks of magic energy and strength, and there are clubs for each rank. Ranks are on a letter scale. The highest is A, and the lowest is H. If you want to know more about magic ranks, check the clubs.”

Zeth stares at Bob with intrigue. “Admittedly, I am interested, so we might as well check them out while we are here.”

Kurt shrugs. “I suppose that’s fair enough.”

He looks at the other three heroes. “What about you three?”

Sasha, Joe, and Emily nod in agreement.

“Nice,” Zeth says. “Let’s go check it out.”

They walk farther into Flagron, passing by many one and two-story buildings. Looking ahead, they see many others walking in the same direction who are wearing clothes suitable for adventuring.

“I reckon that if we follow those people, we will find the magic clubs,” Emily says.

Soon, they reach a part of town with tall buildings that have flashy lights displayed on them, forming the words “Magic Clubs.”

Joe glances at every building, his mouth agape in awe. “I have to say, these clubs look cool.”

As they take in the view of the clubs, someone approaches them. His bald head has not even a sign of hair left, and his body is fully toned and muscular. He appears to have been exercising as he is wearing green sleeveless workout clothes.

Magic Club Member – RAG

“Are you five interested in joining a magic club?” RAG asks with a hearty laugh.

“And who might you be?” Emily asks.

“They call me RAG,” He answers with a big grin.

Sasha raises an eyebrow. “RAG?”

RAG lets out another hearty laugh. “Not like a gym rag. It stands for Run And Gun. That just so happens to be how my magic works. Anyway, are you interested in joining a club?”

“How does one join?” Zeth asks.

RAG explains. “It’s simple, really. Just go into a club, and if you have no criminal background, you will be allowed to join. However, you can’t enter a club you are not strong enough to enter. For context, the ranks just follow the letters of the alphabet, with the highest rank being A-Rank. From there it goes downward to B to C to D to E to F to G, and finally the lowest rank, H-Rank. There are power sensors in the clubs to make sure you are joining the right club. Here, I have my own sensor with me.”

He pulls out a small rectangular electronic device and points it at Zeth.

“You are a G-Rank,” he states.

“Only a G-Rank?” Zeth says somewhat loudly, his eyes widening in surprise.

RAG points the device at the other heroes. “You are all an H-Rank. Though, all but the black-haired girl is a high H-Rank. She is a low H-Rank.”

“But surely we are stronger than that?” Zeth exclaims.

Once more, RAG lets out a hearty laugh. “Don’t worry. 95% of all known magic users in Harmone are an F-Rank or lower. Only 4% are an E-Rank, and only 1% are a D-Rank or higher. The grades are based on a standard from long ago when the all-time strongest human walked this country. I myself am a D-Rank. With proper training, you could make it this high too.”

“Just how big of a deal are these Magic Clubs?” Kurt asks with curiosity.

“That really depends on who you ask,” RAG states with a smile. “Personally, I really like the idea of seeing people of similar magic strengths getting to come together. It’s why I moved to this country.”

“What country are you from?” Emily asks.

“I come from the country of Mollen, which is located on the western continent. I know most migrants to Harmone are from the northern continent, but I just had to come here.”

Joe crosses his arms and nods with approval. “Nothing wrong with following your passions. That’s pretty cool, actually.”

“Anyway, I must be going now. Enjoy your time in Flagron! See ya!” RAG says as he starts walking in the opposite direction.

Zeth scratches his left cheek, seemingly staring off into space. “I wonder why he said the strongest human? It’s not like you are going to see a dog with magic.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter,” Kurt acknowledges, “but it’s getting late. Let’s find a hotel to stay in.”

Zeth glances at the others. “Right. And honestly, I don’t think I care too much about the clubs. I don’t want it to be my motivation for getting stronger.”

“Agreed,” Joe replies. “Maybe one day we can consider joining one, but we don’t have time for anything like that at the moment.”

***

Later that evening. The heroes find a hotel to stay in.

Zeth walks toward the bed in his hotel room and lies down on it. He turns off the light on the nightstand next to the bed. He looks up at the ceiling and yawns. “I’m exhausted. It’s nice to actually get to sleep in a nice, comfy bed for the first time in over a year.”

He closes his eyes and falls into a deep, restful sleep.

The heroes have learned about the ranks of magic, but also learned they have a long way to go to become the strongest.

Chapter 7 END

To Be Continued in Chapter 8: A Midnight Attack