Under the Light of the World at War: Early Chapter 60

I stretched as I waved my legs back and forth. I was hanging with my feet half off the roof, as I looked out over the city, but my mind wasn’t really on the view.

I’d finally managed to get Divine Strength to level 10. Not only did it give me an additional 13 strength now, more importantly, it had expanded a new skill.

Mental Strength.

Just like Divine Strength I could flow the Light into myself, and strengthen part of me.

[Divine Strength Lv 10 1/100] [Apprentice]

-[Mental Strength 1/10]

Instantly I understood its value.

Mental Strength increases the amount of Mana I could hold. 

That alone was valuable, but now I had to wonder what else the skill would unlock?

I grinned as I kicked my feet. 

The Light inside me was growing. With every additional skill, with every new spell, with every day I spent focusing on it, I felt stronger. The Sparks inside me were larger when I found them, and more common. 

I was getting closer to being a Paladin. I kicked my feet a bit more. “Todays a nice day.” I decided, even if when looking up I could see the shield hanging over our heads, slightly distorting the sunlight. 

Grunkle hadn’t been around this week. The King was apparently putting together a war council to determine how to best keep striking at the Trolls. 

I should ask him if there was anything else I could do to help. I could probably supply more Mana Gems for the Mages taking part? Or at least buff them before they left?

I had some spells that no one else really did. Although the Healing Hall did have another two pick up Inner Fire including Meniel. She’d been practically strutting when she figured out the spell. Hopefully more healers understanding it, would mean they could teach it better. 

But…

Papa’s advice ran through my head. I hadn’t exactly changed my entire schedule after his talk, but I did have to admit, it was probably wise to make some changes. 

I hummed some meaningless notes, that were probably some song from a lifetime ago. 

It was a nice day. It’d be a shame to just not enjoy it I guess.

—---

Finding a piece of wood that would work took a bit, I ended up stealing the top of a crate that was in the store room. I’d put it back, and there was nothing inside the old crate anymore anyways.

I had paints, and with a bit of work both sides of the square board were now properly painted. Gathering my equipment, I decided not to go full out. The armor stayed, but I grabbed my sword and shield, and of course the most important piece of all. 

The log book was hooked onto my belt through a chain that I ran through the book. The thin chain would hang the book at my side, so I could carry it around without needing to hold it the whole time.

Then I took the crate lid, and headed out.

I definitely got some odd looks, but that was fine I didn’t care if they thought I was weird after all!

I am weird!

But also very cool, and awesome!

Definitely.

I headed west through the city. I considered hanging around Kimi’s home. The villagers would at least recognize what I was doing, but that felt like being a coward a little bit. 

And Alah’Dorah was no coward!

On the west side of the city there was a massive park-like square, Falconwing Square was fairly busy. Lots of families dotted the area setting up picnics, or just enjoying the peaceful nature area.

After all, it’s not like just anyone could go through the gate anymore. 

I found a bench that wasn’t being used and set up. My Sign was set up facing outwards, and I settled onto the bench then waited.

I looked around wondering how long it would take. I was right on the main thoroughfare of the park, but I still thought I’d get some attention fairly quickly.

So I waited.

People walked by, looked at my sign, then at me, and laughed. Or just looked confused as they walked past. 

Either way none really stopped even as I waved at them.

I kicked my feet a bit, oh well. It was a nice day after all.

I eventually got hungry so I conjured some water and some muffins and sat and just had a quiet lunch.

The lack of any interest was a bit disappointing, but as I just rested against the bench… Maybe I had needed a bit of a break. Sure I was still using the time. Casting my buffs, and all, but, I leaned back and stared into the sky. 

It was peaceful here. 

When was the last time I hung out around nature? Probably since the march honestly. I hadn’t really thought about it, but I missed it. I missed the old tree house, the village, and the Eversong woods.

I missed home.

“Hey, those don’t look like crappy muffins.” I blinked and looked down. A boy smaller than me, maybe ten looked confused.

“Shush Ando’iel. Don’t be rude.”

“But she’s eating them and not making faces!” He grumbled, and I looked at the muffin I’d been snacking on.

Then at the boy.

He wasn’t wearing super fancy clothes, nothing like mine. His mother looked a bit harried, but… They were walking through the park not in a rush. Probably doing the same thing I was. Just relaxing in the park to enjoy some nature.

“I make these myself. They aren’t really really tasty yet, but I can make them way better than the gross muffins. Want one?” I offered, and the boy looked hesitant, and his mother more so. I bit into my muffin sort of as an example, and even took a swig of water. 

“If you wouldn’t mind?” The woman asked after a moment, and I smiled.

“It’s an adventurer's job to help those around them!” I said confidently, feeling smug as I could finally show off how cool of an adventurer I was!

Considering I wasn’t doing anything else at the moment. I focused, and conjured one Muffin, and then another. 

They were expensive to make fancy like this, but if I focused really hard, I could make them much more edible. Once I had two, I offered them out.

“Compliments of the Adventurers Guild!” I said, and the mother’s lips twitched in amusement at my words, but the boy just tilted his head. 

“What’s an Adventurer’s Guild?”

“It’s this!” I explained, as the mother took the muffin and examined it, she seemed to sigh and then took a bite.

Then she blinked, and looked at it again.

“It’s good.”

“It’s better than the basic spell. I’ve been practicing it for a long time. I’ll get to the point of making yummy food eventually!” I declared, but I turned back to the boy even as he went from his mother to the Muffin in his hand. “See the Adventurers Guild is a loose coalition of those that want to help! We take on any task needed from people in exchange for a reward. You can hire an adventurer to weed your garden or slay a monster! We take on all jobs, as long as the pay is right.” I said with a wink at the boy.

“Weeding is chores.” The boy grumbled, and I scoffed 

“No, chores are important too, any task is a quest!”

“Its not a quest.”

“It is! Because whenever someone needs something done, an adventurer never hides from the quest! For us it might feel small, but for that person it’s important!”

“Oh she’s definitely right.” The mother said, although she wasn’t agreeing cause she actually thought I was right. “Every task is important. Especially the ones I tell you to do four times.”

“I said I would do it!” He whined looking at his mother, and reaching for his butt like he remembered being spanked.

She sent him a look.

“Saying you’ll do it, isn’t doing it. Well thank you Miss Adventuerer.”

“Sure! Share with your friends! The Adventurer Guild accepts any quest!”

She laughed and moved on, and the boy looked from the sign to me, and then hurried after his mother. 

Then it got quiet, and I kicked my legs. 

—--

“So you’ll do chores for spells?”

“Not chores, quests. But yes, I’ll do chores if the reward is accepted.” I said flatly. The Boy asking was definitely up to something. 

“So… You’ll clean out the stables?”

“If the pay is accepted, yes.”

“Alright, I have a spell to conjure foo-”

“Conjure Refreshments is something I already know.” I conjured some water right then and took a sip. 

“Aww come on, that's not fair.”

“It has to be a spell I don’t know.”

“What about Mana Bolt. It’s an-”

“I got that one already.” I said, shaking my head and the older boy instantly got irritated.

“Forget your stupid chores then!” He snapped at me and walked off. 

Whatever dude.

—--

“Why thank you.” The woman laughed, she hadn’t really needed my help, but well.

“It’s my pleasure.” I said, and then grinned at the trail of children. Following behind us. Just because we were in Silvermoon, just because the Trolls were at our gates, didn’t mean children didn’t need to go to school. 

I followed along helping the string of children each following like ducklings to the one in front of them. 

I’d had a gaggle of the students stop and try to talk to me, causing a bit of an issue, so instead I offered to help and was now being the brave adventurer walking the students back to their classroom.

“So that’s a real sword?”

“It’s a flaming sword even, yes.”

“Wooooh.” The children were fascinated by the fact I was a cool adventurer with a sword and shield.

The classroom was actually just off the square, and as we entered the cooler room, that had the same cloth hangings at the doorway that seemed very popular in the capital, I took note the hangings had little hawkstriders all across them.

The walls were brightly lit, and everything was colorful.

Kimi would have loved this when we were little. Ma’Rika kept a good classroom, but it wasn’t cutesy like this. 

“Thank you.” The teacher offered as she turned to the class. “Okay everyone, let’s all get together in our groups!” She called out and the little elflings dashed around grabbing limbs of their friends as they grouped up.

“Would you like to stay? We’re going to have snack time and then a short nap.”

“Oh sure.” I shrugged, it was kinda interesting, and the woman smiled. As she brought her hands together and started conjuring.

Huh. She was skilled.

What appeared wasn’t a muffin like I expected, but instead a sort of bun, that was quite cute looking, but the sheen over the top of it was what caught my eye. She started passing them out, but her conjuration was a bit slow.

“Sorry it could take me a while.”

“Oh here, maybe this’ll help.” I dropped a Blessing of Wisdom on her, and she blinked for a moment half startled.

“What is… Oh. That’s interesting.”

“It’s called Blessing of Wisdom, it restores mana. You’re really good at Conjuration, I can only make this.” I brought my hands together and then when I finished, what popped was a muffin, the best I could do. The kids instantly reacted like I’d just thrown a live snack amongst them.

“Eewww! Noooo!”

“I don’t waaaant it!” They cried out and I jolted then laughed as I realized they were running from me like I was going to stuff it down their mouths.

“Unfortunately the children have to eat what they can at home.” She offered apologetically. “That is quite good, you haven’t conjured anything else?”

“I… Uh.. Well, I’ve modified the base spell refining it as much as I could to improve the flavor, these aren’t bad actually, but I don’t… How do you conjure that?” I asked, because her bun looked like it had sugar or syrup over the top of it.

It literally looked sweet.

“Oh, it’s a bit tricky… How about you help me get everyone settled, and I’ll show you during nap time?”

“Oh that would be amazing. Thank you.” I said happily, an adventurer accepted every task! I could definitely calm a group of kindergarteners!

I looked around at the evil faces of all the small children…

Perhaps a bit harder than I had thought.

—---

“They like you.” She whispered, and I just gave her a pleading look.

This was liking me!?

She smiled and with a few quick hands shifted the little brats that had been climbing all over me one moment, until she called out nap time, and then like a light they had all just flopped and…

I think they were pretending to sleep?

Either pretending or she’d dropped a sleep spell on the class…

I poked one of them and got a snore.

No, that was definitely a sleep spell.

“I didn’t even notice you cast a spell.

“Oh well when you cast the spell a few times a day for a few centuries you’ll get some tricks with it. I’m surprised you resisted, I expected to have to poke you awake.” She giggled, and I laughed lightly with her. 

I hadn’t noticed it at all, so I guess I got lucky. Climbing free I followed as she waved me over to her desk and she collapsed into it.

“I love them, but children have far more energy than my bones.” She told me, like she was sharing a secret. 

“My bones have lots of energy, but I feel worn out too.” I told her back, slipping into a chair she waved me at. The little children's chair was a bit small, but it held.

“Well I don’t usually teach older students, but I do appreciate all the help today. So let me show you some tricks with Conjure Refreshment. I wish they’d put out some more lessons for it, considering everyone is using it now.”

“Yeah, Grandma and I conjure food for the distribution, but I just make muffins.”

“Perhaps, but you certainly seem capable. You seem capable of making more than just the muffins, let me show you the trick, and we’ll see if you can pick it up?”

“Sure!”

El’Tela had never shown me a trick to make more than muffins! Then I realized she probably hadn’t told me on purpose just to see what I’d do, cause she was that kind of teacher.

Stupid Grandma, I want better tasting food too you know!?

It turned out not to be that hard. 

It wasn’t a spell refinement thing, but part of the conjuration itself, altering the requirements. 

Basically what I had been doing was taking the base spell and while leveling it, and spell refining it, focusing entirely on that original outline and trying to improve it to its maximum. 

What I was shown was a different path. 

There was three parts to the conjuration spell. The base conjuration formation. The alteration description, and the number formation.

The spells base formula, the size, shape, and taste, and the number which was the output.

I’d only really been modifying the second part of the spell, and hadn’t even considered altering the actual base formula.

Basically at its core. To alter the shape and layout of the conjured item, you had to call for a slightly different elemental which was sort of a different spell, but not really.

Elementals liked forming shapes they were familiar with, so I was basically only calling on Muffin elementals.

Not that they were muffin elementals, that was silly, but Elementals that liked to be shaped into muffins…

All I had to do was call on a a different group of elementals to conjure the matter I needed into place.

Well that was what I took away from it, she described it more like teaching a child.

“Just change this part of the spell, so you are asking the elementals to make something else. You can’t expect them to know what you want unless you tell them!”

She showed me the formation she used to conjure her food, and with a bit of work.

The chiming noise of Conjuration echoed between my hands, and out popped not a muffin, but a Honey Bun. Coated in glistening sugary honey, or some syrup.

“A bit cold. Try to ask them to heat it up a bit first.” She offered with a wink, and well…

Either way I took a bite.

Sweet.

It was a bit dry, the bread wasn’t quite as fluffy as it should be. There was a slight grittiness to it. 

But it was tasty. Not just something you could eat without complaints, but actually tasty.

“Thank you.”

“Oh I didn’t do much, you had it all figured out already, you have a talent with Conjuration. A future Magistrix sits before me I think. Just remember to push the Convocation for more funds for education when you sit on it okay?” She said with a wink, that had me laughing out shifting into giggles which she matched.

—--

“Why didn’t you tell me what I was doing wrong this whole time!” I grumbled, slapping my palms on the table in front of El’Tela. “I was stuck making those muffins forever!”

“Hmm?”

“See?” I conjured a Honey Bun, and waved it in her face.

“Ah, I see, someone told you have to conjure something other than muffins I see.’

“Yes! I thought I was just… Not there yet or something?” I argued and El’Tela gave me a look that told me she thought I was an idiot.

I kinda felt like an idiot.

“I considered informing you… But you never asked, and you seemed dedicated to your own way.”

“That’s…. Ugh.” I flopped onto her couch and lay there for a while.

“Your conjuration… Hmm. I expect better from you. I can see the formation structure is off.”

“I… I’ll work on it.” I grumbled, and El’Tela sent me a smug look that told me she had expected me to do that from the start.

I sighed, slumping over. 

“I was improving the spell, I’m even pretty good at it… I can’t believe I didn’t know this.”

“You have an intuitive grasp of spells. This is good, but not every spell will whisper its secrets to you so easily. Every spell can do things beyond what you would expect. That is the wonder and benefit of the Arcane.” She said very pointedly at the end.

“Light Magic is better… Arcane is still cool though.”

“Hmm.”

‘So… If I just alter the spell formation like that to make a bun instead of a muffin… Does that mean I could conjure like… Other foods?”

“Yes you can alter the conjuration more. You have seen my own pastries.”

“No, I mean like… Meat? Cheese? Vegetables?”

“Yes, but not easily. Elementals do not like conjured food that isn’t sweets.”

“What?”

“I don’t know why. It’s simply an oddity. If you try to conjure sweets the Elementals will help. If you try to conjure something not a sweet they dislike it, and the spell is far more difficult.”

“Okay hang on. I know how to make muffins, and Buns now… How do I shift to even try something new? How do you experiment with that?” I asked sitting up and she sent me a look.

“You have all the tools you need, your spell refining skill is acceptable.” She said pointedly, and I shifted…

I think that was the first time she ever said one of my skills was acceptable.

I literally mastered Spell refining!

Ugh. 

Either way… There was a lot of food that didn’t exist here on Azeroth from back home. I’d kill for a pizza right now. Or Ramen! Oh actually that should be fairly easy. I just need to conjure noodles…

I hurried over to get some paper. I could totally do this.