Wandering Agent

Chapter 82 Storm in The Junkyard Copse

We trudged through the paths until we finally came to our section. Said paths were actually very clean looking, and for some reason nothing seemed to bother us while we were on them. While that seemed a bit odd to me, others in the group didn't seem to think it was out of the norm, so I just went with it.

The area we'd been assigned was probably twenty acres total, in a triangular section. It spread out from the point we first arrived at and could only be described as dense. I looked to...

Chapter 81 Making a lamp and a group project

First of all, making a core once you have one is simple. There is literally a menu control for it. Once you've put that in you mostly just have to go through and build, which is both monumentally faster and easier than the initial core building. That whole process took me maybe two or three hours. Then I just had to place that onto the desk we used in class and form the item around it.

When I went to actually make my lamp most of the process should have been underwhelming. Since the sha...

Chapter 80 Starlight and silver spheres

My first healing class came by soon enough. I knew that the name of the teacher was Professor Londa, but little else. It was only once a week though so no big deal.

The classroom was one of those set up for more practical work, with tons and tons of room. I stood by with the other bard girls for my year, not that there were all that many of us and we chatted while waiting. Neither of them had opted to take any healing classes either, instead focusing on other subjects.

Soon enough...

Chapter 79 Selling the secret

The next few days of classes were fairly standard. Well, everyone was stressed as all getout, and there was only really one major point of conversation, but beyond that fairly normal. Magical Materials finally got to some really cool things. We started talking about the various parts of magical animals and how they could be used. Turns out most monsters where chock full of mana, and once you got their bodies you could use them for a whole bevy of different things. The fact that they had mana ...

Chapter 78 Emergency policies and core diving

We were all called down to the assembly, held in one of the larger halls of the building. Once everyone had arrived and found their places Dean Lorrae moved before the students. He looked over us, letting his eyes rove between our slightly concerned faces.

"There has been a declaration of war upon our kingdom by the so called Shadow Empire. We currently know little in the way of information beyond that, but I am told that diplomats are meeting to arrange the rules by which both sides wi...

Chapter 77 All across the kingdom

The ball went off without a hitch, there was dancing, a bit of light conversation, some refreshments. It was all in all rather nice. The little interaction between the dean and Professor Endel was a bit disconcerting, but there really was nothing I could do but wait till the next morning.

That evening Kala and I stayed up late and watched the fire burn down while we lightly chatted.  It reminded me of the times we'd had just before coming to school.  I missed Lucien briefly, w...

Chapter 76 Weather, and the dance

In the time before the dance my lessons really started to get interesting. Combat Magic particularly was moving on to a subject I hadn't even known existed yet. The ability to resist harmful magic. This we were told was an imperfect, but highly useful skill for every would-be battlemage.

It was much like hiding your aura, only in reverse. Rather than pulling your own strength out of your surroundings you had to try and flood them with a dense layer of your own power, one that stuck as c...

Chapter 75 Letters, decisions, and romance

I filed Dietrich's letter, as well as those from the boys I didn't know under T, or in my case F, for Fireplace, and got on to reading Troy's. It was fancy and floral and he had really rather nice calligraphy, surprisingly so for someone as into combat as he seemed to be, but I supposed that was likely part of a noble upbringing. I kept that for the moment, as while I didn't really know him all that well, he seemed like a genuinely decent guy.

It was unsurprising that most girls got mul...

Chapter 74 The Dean's office

I raced back to my dorm, heart pounding in my chest.  "Hello World"  Hello fucking world?  It was a joke, how was I even supposed to respond to that?  I had so many questions, they were rushing through my mind, and nobody to ask them to.

I stopped dead in the hallway.  There was nobody I could go to about this, nobody to even ask.  If my family were here it'd be worse, but even without... I just couldn't bring this up, it would make too many questions. &nbs...

Chapter 73 Core completion

My classes proceeded at an exhausting pace.  I was both exhausted and feeling like I was barely moving forward as winter came.  Each had it's ups and downs and each felt as if it was getting harder.

My General Spellcasting was straightforward.  At this point we were mostly still covering the basic techniques.  General Bard was much the same.  We had another field trip to learn about ink, a process which didn't smell bad at all.  My non-magical classes were ...

The daily schedule

I keep getting questions on RR about how Alana's classes work.  I'm posting this there, but it's also here.  Here is her daily schedule, rather than just the list of classes.

Each (period) is roughly an hour and a half

Order and timing

Day 1

Magical Item Creation (Theoretical) 1 period

Magical Item Creation (Practical) 1 period

Lunch

Flute 1 period

Harp 1 period

Dinner

Magical Item Creation (Practical) 1 period 2021-12-02 01:14:27 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 72 Paper

We toured the paper shop as quickly as we could get the adults to take us through. I felt sick the entire time, as did everyone else. The owner I understood had simply built up a resistance, and of course our jerk of a professor knew not to breathe through his nose. There were magical items on the doors whenever the shop was active that served to push the air inside and down into the sewers. That was surprisingly well thought out compared to most uses of magic I saw.

The smell itself wa...

Chapter 71 Combat Spellcasting

Professor Endel decided that we all needed to be judged for his class before we did anything else. To that end he led us to the arena and had us ready for one on one fights.

The rules were fairly simple. We were to fight to disable, not to kill, so fire and other often lethal elements were banned, as well as going all out. We had to stay in the arena until one of us won. We were allowed a wooden weapon if we desired, and a strike from it was to be considered as if delivered for real. Mo...

Chapter 70 Dance

Over the next couple of days I got to go to several new classes.  Math and history were about what they sounded like.  I found the history lineup to be rather interesting, but the fact that the math we would be covering was shockingly basic was tiring.  Etiquette came next, and for the first day of that we simply had tea as the professor observed us, taking notes.  Professor Sasha taught etiquette and I really had no idea what to make of her.  She was from the wizard ...

Chapter 69 The core

The core was an interesting piece. Each line and orb I added expanded the crystal structure slightly and formed a web within it. I could see and feel these in ways that were rather unusual, and could tell that the whole thing was sort of impossibly complicated. I could also see where signals would run down each line and where the orbs met looked like a switch.

I was never all that into computers, but I'd had a friend who was, and between him and the insistence of the school librarians I...

Chapter 68 Classes

"The basics of runecraft.  Who can tell me what runes are?"  After waiting for a few seconds Professor Rooke pointed randomly at a boy near the front.

The lad looked nervous, but began.  "The runes are magical symbols which..."

He didn't get the whole answer out before Professor Rooke harshly answered "No.  You."  A finger went towards the next nearby student who paled.

"They're the symbols on magical items Professor.  I don't know much but ther...

First day of school Alana

Because she needs a snazzy new outfit.

Art by filthycasualart

Chapter 67 Arriving at the academy

I sat on my bed.  Today was the day, the day that I left The Sky, left Lucien and Lude.  I would even miss Eleanor, just a bit.  I had packed most of my things, not that there were many.  I'd made it to the bottom of my trunk.  There I found an old spindle, the same one I'd had with me all these years.  I nearly broke down at that but with some effort managed to keep myself together.  I rolled the little tool in my hand as I thought about it for awhile, smil...

Chapter 66 Clothes, clothes, and maids

I finally arrived to the uniform fitting. It was interesting in that I had no idea what our uniforms actually looked like. The shop I was going to was obvious, due to all of the carriages out front of it and the large number of important looking people wandering around. Sadly Kala had a different day for her fitting, so I was on my own for this little outing.

A few gave me looks as I walked past all of them and into the shop, right up to the counter.

"My name is Alana, I'm here fo...

Chapter 65 Meetings

"Alana, you're oversleeping, wake up or we'll be late to our meeting with Professor Rooke."  A voice sounded, causing me to sit bolt upright.

Normally I hated being awoken, but I'd had trouble sleeping last night after all the partying.  For once I was glad that Eleanor had bothered me.  As these thoughts passed through my head I rose, stumbling around for my dress and shoes.  If I was late I was sure to get chewed out, and that would be a horrid first impression to ...

Crown Prince Lief (As of Ch. 33 Into the DEPTHS)

Art courtesy of filthycasualart

Chapter 64 Announcements, parties, and letters

When I got to the room for passing candidates I found Kala waiting for me.  I was glad she passed even without me going to the extremes I'd done with Dras.  I would have if she'd wanted it, but that had never been requested.  We smiled at each other and I nearly fell into the chair beside her.

"How'd it go?"  She asked as I flopped down.

"Well, I'm wiped from all the mana I used, but very well, you?"

"I did good enough.  The written was kinda hard, b...

Chapter 63 Taking the exam

Fall came, and the studying became real.  It was either Kala or Dras or both at all times that I wasn't working.  Once I was a week out I took the time off to just study.  If I didn't get in I would be amazed, if I did I would be staying at The Sky.  As it stood Lucien accepted my leaving with little more than a chuckle and pat on the head.

On the night before Dras came down to join Kala and I.  We spent the evening relaxing again and chatting about whatever cam...

Chapter 62 Jackson's exit and exam registration

Spring rolled on into summer and one day Jackson made his exit.  He didn't say anything to me personally.  He was just there one day, and gone the next.  It was my understanding that he had some words with Lucien before his leaving, he did have to pay for his room and the like.  Lude joined me at the bar that evening after we both finished up for the night, she seemed unbothered.

"How're you tonight?" I asked, keeping an eye on her mood.

"I'm great.  How a...

Chapter 61 Cocktails and hangovers

Other than the influx of work, spring brought with it a host of things. Most importantly to me was the food. While it wasn't quite as good as summer food, that of the spring actually had some fresh ingredients. It was sad to say, but most of what we ate over the winter were stored products, or things made from them, and it really put a damper on my mood sometimes. The coming of spring though, that brought salad, sprigs of veggies, and even a few different fruits.

So it was one morning t...

Halloween Special

Far, far, to the south and west of the Kingdom of Bergond, on the continent of Elazia, in the country known at the Magocracy of Atal there was a small town. This town was known as Eratol and sat just to the north of a set of great ruins. Few dared enter those ruins but those who did passed through Eratol for their final resupply before their delve. Most who stopped by on their way in never returned again, their lives lost to the ancient place.

Preparations were made at a small home just...

Chapter 60 Winter passing

After a bit of time Eleanor and I managed to relax our relationship just a bit. She was still a bit of a pain, but didn't get into every inch of my business so long as I at least pretended to think she might have a point.

As the end of fall passed into winter the few people who were still coming to The Sky fell to almost none. Jackson was staying for the season, much to Lude's joy. He seemed to be spending more and more of his time with her, and she didn't mind since there was little to...

Chapter 59 Truce

I had gone to bed early after being woken up on my day off. This was not due to some contrition on my part, nor tiredness from lack of sleep. No, I was angry, I really, truly hated being awoken when there was no point to it. I even tied a string around my wrist so that I would remember when I inevitably woke up at early o'clock.

Upon my return to the world of the awake I looked about. Eleanor hadn't stirred yet and so I hummed a few different spells into existence. First came a bubble o...

Side chapter

I'm struggling with if I should write a chapter for one of the villains.  It would be very spoilery about the character and very off of the normal.  Far more violent and sexual than this story has been, but it just keeps bouncing around in my head and it's kinda irritating.  What do you guys think?  Poll finished.  You guys didn't want me to post it so I won't.  I'll send it out to people on discord if they want it though.  Thanks to everyone who voted, and ...

Chapter 58 The irritant

Eleanor seemed determined to be a pain in my neck. First she wanted us to stay in the same room, insisted upon it vehemently. Of course because I was currently working that meant I had to clean another room. I also had to go get all of my things and move them in, not that I actually owned all that much. Other than a few large pieces most of my possessions could fit in a carry-able bag.

She complained about the size of the room, how it wasn't large enough for people to live in long term....