Azura groaned. Knowing he intended to hire a guide did in fact not ease their minds. Since it had been rather clear that Roran was against him going on his own he had Cynthia gather everyone so he could give them all the details before Roran did. To his complete lack of surprise none of them were particularly happy with the plan. If anything he was more surprised by the fact Siara seemed almost as bothered as the others. He had got the impression that she thought of them more as teammates than friends, but maybe she just looked at friendship a little differently.
âI think we can manage missing a month or 2. We may not be learning anything from the teachers, but real experience also helps people get stronger.â He rolled his eyes. Katy was totally missing the point. While the skills they already had would improve tremendously, they wouldnât be learning anything new, and that was the major boon the academy provided.
âIâve been over this. Itâs not just about strength, but adaptability as well. Youâll get stronger in the wilds, but your growth will only be in the few areas that see use out there rather than in a lot of different scenarios. Here you guys will have tons of opportunities to grow in different ways, and trust me when I say that will be invaluable down the line.â He knew the time would come when he would really need their help, and when that time came he wanted them to be ready, or at least thatâs what he told them. Really it was more about them surviving. They probably wouldnât die on this trip, but what if they missed a lesson that might save them later? He still got to go to all the lessons even while away so he didnât have to worry about it.
âWhat about me? My skills are just burning everything away, so what does it matter whether Iâm here or there?â He considered it briefly. Lily did have a point; her powerset was rather simple, but he wouldnât go so far as saying she had nothing to gain from the school. Still if they absolutely refused to let him go alone Lily would be the least affected by missing 2 months. In terms of power anyways, she would regret her life decisions when the cram studying began.
âYour powers are simple now, but that 2nd year I fought was really good at water manipulation. So Iâm assuming there will be classes about elemental manipulation, and that would serve you really well. Youâre powerful now, but being able to shape your flames would be a major boon.â She scowled at him, but didnât seem to have a counter.
âForgetting that for a moment wonât Cynthia be unable to communicate with your copies? Didnât it cause some kind of resonance?â He shivered at the memory of that unfortunate discovery. Thankfully that wasnât how it worked, but he was glad Siara was contributing. He had been worried the group did something wrong that made her act distant, but that might just be how she was.
âNo. The resonance is caused by her connecting to a copy and me at the same time. My running theory is itâs because me and the copy are already linked in a sense. Shouldnât be an issue since I wonât be here for her to connect to.â Whatever the cause it wasnât an experience he was looking to go through again.
âI think thatâs probably our biggest concern. We might be able to talk to your copies, but you will be well out of range. Itâs not ideal that the only way weâll know if something happens to you is if you die and your copies disappear.â He actually didnât know for sure his copies would disappear if he died. He assumed they would, but there was no guarantee that was the case. So long as they had mana left they should stick around. Aside from being in a type 1 anti-magic field that is
âI can probably make a token of some kind. Have it change colors to match my current condition. Would that help?â Actually that was a pretty good idea. There is no way his friends would be able to get to him on time, but the mana from a dispersed copy might. That could definitely come in handy in a pinch.
âWhy are you so stubborn? Just take 1 of us with you. Iâd feel a lot better if at least 1 of us was watching your back.â Why was he so stubborn? He was pretty sure he had just met the pot to his kettle. Aside from that he was honestly surprised Katy had said 1 of them rather than at least her. It was good to see how much faith she had in their new friends. She had been so lonely when they first met, so it eased his heart a little to see her getting along with everyone.
âUnless 1 of you recently learned my unique magic or another spell that allows you to be in 2 places at once itâs just not feasible.â He knew that he was going to be leaving on his own. The odds they would be able to convince him to bring someone along werenât high, and they couldnât really force him to bring someone. Or at least he didnât think so. Of course he had a plan for if that was the case too. Just in case.
âHow about I go? I owe you a life debt, and my skills are in melee combat, and practical experience has been the most helpful for me anyway, and I donât have enough mana to perform a lot of the stuff they teach here. So it shouldn't affect me negatively.â That was a good point too. They learned plenty of combat tricks, but Luna hardly needed them so far, and from what he could tell as far as melee combat went while higher years were stronger and faster the difference in the skill level was nowhere near as vast as it was between 2 casters. At most they learned a couple different styles of fighting so they had more options. In some ways it was a weakness, since they had less options for growth, but on the flip side it involved a lot less multi-tasking and branching which meant melee specialists all tended to be very good at what they did. In terms of combat, they were some of the most efficient since enhancement really didnât take much mana. Plus they tended to be a lot faster and stronger since they didnât have to worry about saving mana for other spells, and enhancement was the only spell they really had to focus on training.
âIf anything Iâd rather call in the favor to have you help make sure no one comes along with me.â She winced and frowned. He was impressed that despite being very visibly displeased she stepped back and offered no further comment. Well she was true to her word so that was nice. Now he got rid of that debt he didnât want, and got someone to help him with keeping the rest of them here.
âHey, you never gave a counterpoint to Lunaâs argument. Why canât she go with you?â It wasnât unexpected for one of them to catch on to that, especially since it was Katy. She had been with him for a long time, and knew a lot of his tactics for this kind of thing. Still he had been hoping to stall a bit longer to think it through. Honestly Luna had made a very good point, and he was considering that bringing her along may actually be better for her in the long run, but that wasnât something he wanted to commit too without having thought it through completely hence why he would default to his original plan until he gave it some thought.
âIf he doesnât want us to go, then we should trust that he can handle it on his own.â He raised his brow in surprise. His friends all turned towards Luna in surprise. She was clearly unhappy, but she had apparently taken this life debt even more seriously than heâd expected. He thought she would just stay out of the argument for the time being, but she was actively supporting his side. Even if she was clearly unhappy about it. Which of course made him feel really guilty for using the favor like he had.
He didnât want to force her to do something she was that unhappy with, but on the other hand they would all be upset with him anyway, what was a little more. He debated on whether getting their hopes up by saying he was considering it would be a good idea or not. He decided it would be better if they were relieved he changed his mind rather than disappointed he didnât. Even if that meant more trouble heâd have to deal with. âI can handle myself out there you know. Besides Iâll still have the ability to make 2 copies, so Iâll always have someone other than the guide watching my back. It will be me still, but same idea right? Besides, don't forget Reign is coming along, and heâs more powerful than any of us at the moment.â
âCan you confidently say Reign wonât ditch you if he finds something interesting?â He held in a wince. He hadnât expected a question that pinpoint from Lily. The dragon would never stay gone for long, but it didnât take long if he got into a really dangerous situation. Even then he had his copies, and a short range teleport skill now so it wasnât like he didnât have options when it came to running away if he got in over his head. Plus he had done extensive research on the kind of monsters that would be found along the way.
âI can confidently say even if Reign disappears for a few minutes I can handle myself for at least that long.â He could tell his friends werenât satisfied with that answer, and it wasnât like he didnât understand. He wouldnât be too pleased if one of them was traveling on their own either. Out there all it takes is 1 mistake, and you can end up dead in all kinds of horrible ways. He intended to have a guide, but they wouldnât know them, and thus wouldnât really have any faith in said guide.
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âFine. Since you wonât let us come along, could you at least take a couple of our familiars with you? Since familiars come in way too many varieties for there to really be any classes we learn about and practice with our familiars in our own time anyway, so itâs not like weâll have any trouble with classes as a result.â He hummed. There wasnât really any risk in that. If anything the familiars didnât really learn at the school anyway. Experience was their only teacher so the trip would almost definitely be good for them.
âSure, if some of you want to lend me your familiars thatâs fine with me.âCaelum would make a good scout, much more willing than Reign, and Gaia would make everything easier with her ability to make any medicinal plants or any fruits or veggies that he needed so long as she was supplied the energy she needed for it.
Siara patted gaia. He hadnât even noticed the little moss creature until then. Gaia must have been in Siaraâs bag. âWell it was my idea so I guess you can take Gaia. She prefers it out in the wild anyway, so she would probably enjoy her time out there. Maybe even get to eat some new plants so she can grow and become that type too.â Hopefully this would go a long way in easing their concerns. As far as he could tell the familiars bond worked a lot like his link to his copies. They wouldnât be able to communicate anymore over the distance, but they would know the familiar was safe, and the general direction they were in.
âThank you I appreciate that, I already know sheâs going to be super helpful.â He scratched the currently tiny moss giant as he had seen Siara doing many times. He hoped Roran offered Caelum, because it would be a little awkward to ask given that the biggest reason he wanted the bird to come along is so the others couldnât use Caelum to catch up with him now that theyâd have a way to track his general location.
âIâd offer to have Argent come along, but heâs not super fast and he hasnât quite gotten a hold of manipulating his size yet.â He chuckled. He had been pretty amused when he had learned the serpentâs name. When Siara had made a comment about their familiarâs being their children he made a joke about whether that meant he and Cynthia were married. He had thought it was pretty funny, but Roran and Siara were the only ones who laughed.
âNo worries, Argent is definitely pretty tough, but Iâm kind of a mobile fighter so he wouldnât really be a good fighting partner for me anyway.â Katy would definitely offer Phantasma which he had mixed feelings about. The umbral cat would be a major asset, but Katy was also the only one on their team that regularly used her familiar in fights. Then again it wouldnât be good to let Katy get too dependent on her familiar. Lots of pros and cons to look at for that one.
âTo be honest I didnât actually expect us to reach a compromise. Itâs not quite the same as having one of us along, but having Phantasma along with you will definitely make me feel more comfortable. She can help you when you inevitably get in over your head.â He rolled his eyes. He knew Katy was right in a sense. Phantasma would certainly be helpful for getting out of any situations he didnât want to be in. Her name was kind of a mouthful though. He wondered if she would respond to Phanta.
âI am truly honored by the faith you have in me.â Sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit, but it certainly served to get a point across. Not that Katy cared simply responding with a smug smirk and flipping him off. He chuckled good naturedly. Lilyâs familiar was obviously a no go, and Lunaâs hadnât hatched yet which made the last one Roran. Roran rarely needed help from his familiar, so there shouldnât be an issue with having Caelum help him on his journey. At least assuming Roran didnât intend to make sure they could follow him. Not that it would help if they didnât leave immediately they would be grounded at the halfway point same as him.
âWell it would probably be best if you had some form of healer with you. Heâs not as good as Cynthia, but he can at least help with small injuries.â Roran pet the sun bird that had shrunk to fit on his shoulder and had flown in to land there after Roran had started talking. He sighed in relief. Roran had probably waited so long to respond to decide whether it would be better for him to have a healer or for them to have a way to follow him. Roran must have actually done some research on Worldâs End, and knew that following him wouldnât really help anyone anyway.
âI appreciate the help guys, and I really appreciate that even with the familiarâs coming along it canât be easy for you guys to stay behind, but trust me in the long run youâll see that it was the right decision.â With all that set and decided he was pretty much ready to go. He had originally planned to leave a little later, but the sooner he left the sooner he was done. Besides that the classes were getting progressively more advanced, and the longer he put it back the more risk that a class would happen that might get his copies dispelled.
There had been some other preparations he had wanted to make, but the familiars coming along would make them redundant anyway. âI really hope you know what you're doing. The pool of rebirth is dangerous. I donât doubt youâll make it there, but I worry you might not make it out.â Once again he was grateful for Cynthiaâs tact in not sharing that thought with everyone. He shared the worry, but a small part of him thought it might be better that way. The part of him that was spiteful enough to consider disobeying his father regardless of the consequences. As usual he buried that part of himself. His sister deserved better than to be abandoned to their fatherâs whims simply so he could spite their father.
âDonât worry, I have no intention of dying. Besides, I wouldn't go if I didnât think I could do it. Even Iâm not so reckless that Iâd do something I didnât think I could survive for something like this.â It was true too. Ultimately heâd gain a power boost from this which was nice, but the only reason to do it was to spite his father. He wouldnât do something he wasnât confident he could handle for something like that. That being said there was no guarantee it would work, but he could at least send a copy into the pool first to see if it would be fatal for him. Or at least he hoped he could. He didnât know how exactly the pool worked, so there would be no guarantees.
âWhen do you plan on leaving?â Lily asked him with her earlier concerned expression having softened a lot after he agreed to take the familiars. He decided this moment alone was more than enough to prove his father wrong. Friends were not a liability. Even if they hadnât leant him the familiars in support just the fact that they cared enough to show concern like that was enough to give him a pretty major morale boost, and even his father knew morale was an extremely important factor in a battle of any kind. Although his father usually took that as a reason to crush the spirit of his opponents rather than boost his allies.
âWell with everything ready like this Iâm thinking it will be pretty soon. Iâm thinking Wednesday in the morning before classes. That will give us some time for our see you laters, and should give Reign good flying conditions to work with on our way to Lake Spire.â He carefully chose not to say goodbyes. Even if it meant the same thing, making it sound final was not a good way to help ease the tension he could tell they were still holding.
âIf nothing else itâs been kind of nice watching you scramble between classes like the rest of us lately. Even if it was just your copies going.â Katy said, easing some of her tension. He chuckled again. He got the feeling his copies were going to be getting a lot of crap after he left. He had not been subtle about his smugness about having a ton of free time thanks to his copies being able to go to classes too. With only 2 of him present at the school instead of 5 that was going to come back to bite him. Not that heâd really know until he absorbed the memories anyway. As much as he knew that was going to suck.
âI know right! I canât even begin to speak on how annoying it was when Iâd rush into a class and he was just casually sitting there after I had just left a class that he was casually walking out of.â Lily definitely wasnât the only one he had done that to. He hid his smile with his hand. He would never tell them he purposefully chose class times so he could see the looks on their faces when he did that. He even attended some closes twice. Not that heâd ever tell them that either.
âOr when he was just sitting in the hallway reading a book and eating lunch. There is absolutely no reason for him to be in that hallway other than to piss people off by flaunting how convenient his power is.â Katy knew him well, but he couldnât say he regretted it. It was just so funny watching people get angry, but not have enough time to do anything about it. He imagined his copies were going to have to deal with a lot of payback from his friends and some of the other students while he was away.
âAt least that wasnât as bad as when he would bring the food into class and distract everyone else with it. One time he brought a barbecued liaris. It smelled so good I could barely focus. He didnât even share.â Luna pouted. He was a little surprised that the normally polite Luna was jumping on the bandwagon, but given he had just made her try and help him convince the others to let him go alone he figured he deserved it. Besides he kind of deserved it anyway, he had after all done all of those things.
âWhat?! I was hungry, and I canât exactly have my copies eat for me.â Just because he had done it as a prank doesnât mean he wasnât going to at least offer a token resistance. He had originally intended to share, but her pouting face had just been too funny. Was he a little twisted? Probably, but he thought considering how he was raised he came out pretty well. Not even considering his other trauma. He regretted that line of thought as soon as it came. He fought to at least outwardly maintain his jovial mood. With the trip happening soon off his chest he couldnât use that as an excuse for his somber contemplations anymore.