Present Day
Year 1446, Yoid Calendar
*
It was past midnight when I exited the graveyard. There were still some people here and there, and I stayed out of their line of vision, as someone walking alone late at night would be suspicious. I went a roundabout way towards the inn and walked into a dim alley.
I stopped and turned around, "Are you going to come out?"
I heard some shuffling, and then a young man walked out from the shadows. He looked like a typical twenty year old, his physical features average, with brown hair and eyes, clothed in casual black attire.
He smiled brightly, "I'm surprised you noticed me! Since when?"
I put on a pondering expression, "I guess three turns back?"
It was a lie, as I noticed his aura before he did mine and followed me.
He showed surprise, and I asked, "Do you need something?"
He smiled again and shook his head, "No, no. I was just surprised to find a fellow Awakened in Narfolt. Pardon me for following, that was rude of me."
He had intentionally let out his aura from time to time as he followed me, so I decided to be friendly, "It's okay, and I was surprised too. My name is Jason, can you tell me yours?"
He breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks for forgiving me. The name's Gary. I'm currently heading towards Nova Academy to check it out. What about you?"
I laughed, "Haha! What a coincidence, me too. How long have you been in Narfolt?"
"Oh, I just arrived a few hours ago. I was checking the Adventurer's Guild and that's where I saw you walking past the street. I'm impressed you noticed me, but you've still got a bit to go before reaching the great me!" he winked.
He continued sagely, "But fret not, you're still young and got time. I'm assuming you're a rogue Awakened too?"
Rogue Awakened were people who did not belong to a noble family, and there were a lot of them. Getting your hands on a high-grade stone depended on two factors- luck and coins.
The ones who got it through coins were the majority, and although they were expensive, they were not impossible to get for well-to-do merchants or workers.
Seeing how I had no escorts, he must have assumed I was a rogue Awakened.
I answered, "Yeah, I got lucky."
I did not elaborate, as doing so would only bring suspicions.
Gary laughed, "Hey~, when are you planning on leaving? We could go together, you know."
I pondered, "I don't know. I was thinking maybe tomorrow evening. Won't I be a bother to you?"
Gary waved his hand, "Not at all, and we 'Rogues' need to stick together. God, that word is detestable. Moreover, I heard that some noble families keep people like us from reaching the Academies, and although I don't know if that's the case with Nova Academy, it's better to be safe in numbers, right?"
I noticed the meaning in his last sentence and nodded, "Agreed, I've also heard about that. From what you said, you're not alone?"
He grinned, "Yup! I already came across another Awakened on the way here, she's currently staying at an inn. So, how about it? You in?"
Gary emphasized the 'she' as if that made his offer one that could not be refused, and he put his hand forward. I looked down, extended mine, and shook it.
Gary took it a step further and hugged me, "To Brotherhood! Do you drink? Let's celebrate tonight. Oh right, you look kind of young. Hmm, how about this? I buy the booze, and we drink it at my place."
'He seems genuine.'
I nodded, "Sure, let's go."
*
Gary bought alcohol from a nearby tavern, and we walked toward the inn where he stayed. The inn was much posher than mine.
We walked through the door and reception and headed up to the third floor. Gary knocked on a door and shouted, "Charlotte, open up! We've got a guest here."
The door opened to reveal a pretty red-headed girl rubbing her eyes, "You think I didn't notice?"
Charlotte looked at me, and her eyes widened. Gary teased, "Hey~, don't tell me you've already fallen before I even introduced him?"
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Charlotte's expression changed to annoyance, then she brought down Gary's head and put him in a headlock, showing her chiseled forearms, "Argh! Can't....brea...the.."
Gary struggled but couldn't get out, and Charlotte did not let go, "I dare you to say something like that again!" then she looked at me, "Hi. My name's Charlotte. What's yours?"
I ignored the dying Gary and smiled, "My name's Jason, and I'm seventeen years old."
Charlotte let go of Gary, letting him crumple down to the floor while coughing and trying to breathe, looking extremely pale. Charlotte extended her hand, "I'm nineteen years old, and it's nice to meet you. I hope we get along together."
'An Augmenter?'
I shook her hand, "Likewise."
Augmenters were people who could manipulate their mana to get explosive growth in their physical prowess. They were strong, durable, and fast. Even newbie Augmenters were able to crush rocks with their bare hands.
Gary wobbly got up with his hair looking like it had gone through a typhoon. He glared at Charlotte, but then acted like a frightened puppy when she glanced at him.
*Cough*
Gary coughed fakely, "Anyway, Jason is also checking out the Nova Academy. So, I invited him to come with us. I propose that we drink till our bladders burst! Come."
We went inside the room. It was pretty big for an inn, having two king-sized beds and two separate washrooms. Gary arranged the chairs and placed the drinks with some snacks on a table.
We sat around the table, and Gary popped open a bottle and drank it raw. I also opened a bottle, followed by Charlotte.
Gary shouted once again, "Cheers! To Brotherhood! To my first step towards my aim of having a harem of sworn brothers!"
I looked at Charlotte, and she pretended to look at the wall as if she found it particularly interesting.
'Gary is kind of weird.'
*
The night went by quickly. Surprisingly, Gary was quite the lightweight, and he passed out after a few drinks after rambling on about his dreams and aspirations.
He talked about how he came upon a newly formed high-rank stone while exploring the forest near his village when he was fifteen years old, and bet it all on becoming Awakened.
Surprisingly, he succeeded. Maybe it was luck, or his physical body was sturdier than it looked due to his previous lifestyle of working hard in the fields.
Whatever it was, he helped his village as much as he could, especially his family. Then he left to 'climb to the top and get a harem of sworn brothers.'
Most importantly, he talked about his Attribute. He was an Elementalist, an attribute that allowed him to manifest his mana into different elements like fire, wind, water, and more.
They were also able to manipulate the natural elements to a limited extent. But they were further divided into their affinity with particular elements, and Gary's was water and wind.
Charlotte, while wild and boisterous, was surprisingly tight-lipped and did not talk about anything of importance. I could make some conjectures from what I learned through her quirks and personality but did not arrive at a concrete conclusion.
I talked with Charlotte for a couple of hours before leaving. The topics ranged from the politics of the Empire to pets and animals, and even subjects like our likes and dislikes.
She was friendly, they both were.
I went back to the inn where I stayed, took a bath, and got my suitcases. I walked down to the reception and met Nancy. I told her I was checking out and left.
She said things about wanting to have met my father and some other subjects. It was of no importance.
Initially, I had also chosen Nancy as a candidate for an experiment. She was someone I was supposed to have painted right before leaving the city of Narfolt.
Alas, I had no time to do that, as I feared that leaving late would make me unable to tag along with Gary and Charlotte.
I had not expected to meet an Awakened so soon after leaving the estate. It was always something that I put off for the future, but meeting them was a pleasant coincidence.
I did not aim to make any Awakened into art before I started training, but as my strength grew, so did my appetite.
They were young and even on the off-chance that they surpassed me, the gap could not be much. Another purpose was that we had the possibility of picking up even more people, which might be a double-edged sword. But it was one I was willing to wield.
I went towards their inn with the two suitcases in hand. Gary must have also woken up by now. I wanted to forge at least a semblance of friendship with them first. This was not something I did for sentimental values.
After all, some emotions could only be brought out by someone close to you.
****