Wandering Agent

Melody of Mana Chapter 299 Homeward

“I cannot believe you left me here with no way to contact you and no way to get out!” I yelled at Justin as soon as he reappeared.

“I was gone for five minutes, why are all these alarms going off?” he replied with equal frustration.

“The kids arrived, followed closely by 'something' your system didn't tell me what, and then everything started ringing and turning red.”  I gave him a second to process that.  “Now I need to get up there a...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 13 Trains

Family trips for me had always been the same on Earth.  The insanity, the trips back and forth to make sure everything was ready, the final trip to the bathroom my father invariably took once everyone else was in the car, and me, sitting there once I was ready bored.  I was happy to see that this tradition continued in my new world as well.

Now that I was a bit older I wasn't carried around like I had been as a baby, but I still ended up woken at an unreasonable hou...

Elevation of Mana Chapter 84 Meeting

It would have been a struggle to get everything to Atal's palace, but I had magic and lifting things was for others now.  People gave me quite a lot of odd looks at the bundle of floating spears and the tool tied to my back as I picked my way through the streets, but it wasn't the oddest thing that had ever happened in Atal, so they let me be.

Though as I came to the gates where the guards to Atal's home were it occurred to me that it might just be that I was being follo...

Chapter 298 Atrium Battle

Omos

Our flight to the ruin was blessedly short, shields and trees covering our escape from the monster we'd clearly underestimated.  Even so as I ran beside my friends I could hear it smashing into the trees behind us, and hear the crash as it sent jets of water slamming into them.

“We need a plan,” I shouted, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Carapace is too hard, can't cut it,” Amara said from ahead of me, still carrying Illa.<...

Elevation of Mana Chapter 83 Weapons for a Monster

As Atie and Isha finished their stories I rose.  I was numb, cold.  How many of the people I knew were dead?  My parents?  Probably, Larus?  Ninden?  I didn't know if they were gone or not.  Perhaps some would find me, perhaps not.

“Ida, show these to where they can sleep please, I have work to do.”

“Wait, hold on,” Atie said, stepping in front of me.  “You look and smell like death.  You need to wash and...

Melody of Mana Chapter 297 Last Hurdle

Illa

This little village, Eratol, was really quite pleasant to look at.  It wasn't a bustling city, or an ancient monument by any standards, but it was quaint, homey.  I'd never lived in any of the villages back home, but I'd passed through from time to time, and it rather reminded me of them, mixed with a fair bit of a nature style magic.  Perhaps one day I'd retire in a place like this, when I was old and gray.

The village elder was so please...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 12 Forwards Once More

There were some things in this life that I never tired of, and one of those was spending time with grandpa.  He was endlessly excitable, loved making things, and generally treated me less like a small child.  The last was so important that it was painful as time went on and I had to relive education under tutors and teachers who really did view me as a troublesome youth.

“I can't believe it goes that well Percival my boy, and the design, odd, but inspiring,” gra...

Elevation of Mana Chapter 82 End of Elayatol

Isha

I laid back, thinking of what was soon to come.  As the years had passed I'd kept an eye on Elian's mother, waiting for the day when she would split, when I could see my friend once more.  Soon, it would be soon; already were white hairs starting to form, just a few, but enough for her to split, any day now she'd make that call, and I couldn't wait to see Elaya's face when she did.

Ever since the fire and the banishments the village had been sp...

Melody of Mana Chapter 296 Return to Eratol

I was all smiles as I watched the kids approach the little village I'd gone to so long ago.  Those folks I knew were good, and as long as at least one of them revealed that they were mine there shouldn't be any problems.  With that solved I could go to more important work, preparing the way.

The forest reminded me of that trip, of the time that I'd passed through, huddled against my friends as we hunted down a shadowy beast.  It wasn't fun, but in retrospect th...

Elevation of Mana Chapter 81 Crimson

I had a lead, but a lead was not an answer.  That crystal was the thing I needed, just the thing, and if I could get it right, and make it work like I wanted it to... Well the possibilities were nearly endless weren't they?

Before I could go forward with that plan though I had a number of problems.  These crystals were formed by huge quantities of magic in tiny spaces, but how huge?  How small a space?  How did I get them to do what I wanted, or form where...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 11 Six Years Later

There was a ringing hiss as steel slid along steel and time seemed to slow.  I angled my weapon turning my hand trying to close the line of attack as the point of the other pushed forward, ramming into my chest.  As the blow landed I felt my own connect, burying itself in the neck of my opponent.

“A tie isn't a win,” mother said, looking down to where we'd struck each other, the foils bent.

“No, but it's better than a loss,” I returned.

Melody of Mana Chapter 295 Peeping

Lena

Days passed as we made our way deeper and deeper into the interior of the elven lands.  For the most part we were avoiding settlements since our escort had left us, didn't want to get caught up and held in one again.  It was slow going, passing through the deep forests and back-roads, but we proceeded well.

As we went inland the monsters got fewer by the day.  There were even less signs of them, showing how most had been keeping near the c...

December

First allow me to begin with an apology.  I've been quite out of sorts for the past week do to personal reasons and am quite behind on where I'd like to be when it comes to chapters.  I'm going to try and make some of that up over the weekend and next week.

As for next month, while I generally try to keep things going through holidays I will be taking a few days off around Christmas this year.  Those will be on the 22nd, and the 25th, meaning we'll miss one cha...

Chapter 81 Conductor

Jina had all the bedside manner of a bag of angry bees, and her poor victim was crying by the time it was through.  I felt bad for the flirtatious girl, who'd come in hoping to get a tattoo and was leaving in incredible pain.

“You could have numbed her,” I pointed out after Sina found her way out.

“I could have,” she agreed.  “But as it stands she learned a valuable lesson, and I think you might have too.”

“And what wo...

Melody of Mana Chapter 294 Sharing and Caring

'Okay,' I thought to myself.  'When exactly did this happen?  How exactly? Why? What had I missed?'

One hour, they couldn't have had more than one hour out of my sight and suddenly Omos is hanging over little Lena like he wants to drag her off to the nearest closet for some 'alone time' and she's sitting there looking not only like she might be up for it, but that she's the cat who caught the canary.  Either I had to reveal myself to them and put this exercise ...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 10 Goblin Physician

Dr. Anton Parkov

“Extra, extra, read all about it, circus monsters escape, panic as wild beasts allowed to roam the street!” a boy shouted above me, his voice filtering down through the sewer grate.

Well, that seemed a bit much.  Certainly I'd freed myself and some of my fellows, and perhaps I'd allowed one or two of the other creatures from the circus to go as well as a distraction, but panic on the streets?  No, most people seemed to be doing ...

Elevation of Mana Chapter 80 Tattoos

Jina was giving me the quick and dirty, more like an information dump than formal training.  I was being shown everything precisely once, and then allowed to ask questions.  Either she didn't care if I actually got it, or she was hoping I didn't.  Though with my memory I could just replay all of this again if I did need a reminder.

That was one of the weird things about elven education, repetition wasn't really a thing.  You got shown what to do, and told ...

Melody of Mana Chapter 293 Suspicions and Frustrations

Lena

We'd only been settled into our room for a few hours when someone came by.  The maid's eyes flicked to the corners here and there, as if she was looking for something, a brief smile flashing across her face when she realized I was watching her.  Odd, very odd.

I was grateful for the hot bath, the light meal we'd been provided, and even the change of clothes someone had sent up.  None of it was top quality, but none of it was bad, and after...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 9 Circus

“Come one, come all!  See the greatest show in the world!  We have beasts from faraway lands, monsters to thrill and terrify and magics the likes off which you've never seen!  Step right up this way folks, right here for thrills and wonders galore!” the man announced before the series of tents, waving out to people.

Apparently mother's surprise was a circus which had just come to town.  I knew little about the various things they were advertising, but ...

Elevation of Mana Chapter 79 Magical Materials

Ida was working out wonderfully.  I'd put her onto the fabric project I'd given up on a couple of years ago, the work being just a bit out of my wheelhouse.  Perhaps she'd have better luck with it, and if nothing else I might get a bit more material to work with from her.  My own attempts had been successful, in a certain light, in that I'd managed to make a bit of rough cloth, but wildly failing in another because of the sheer amount of mana I'd had to waste doing it.  Sp...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 8 Serious Talks

My mother found me once more in the sword training room, sitting quietly and looking at the many different medals.  I'd been coming here when I could over the past month or so, though with how all the staff were keeping an eye on me that was getting to be a pain.

Of note was that whenever I disappeared Sinea was sent to check the back corridors and niches.  Not where the family was supposed to be, because her clothing was generally unacceptable to be presented 'in p...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 7 Wander

I had a whole new house, and new place to explore, oh the hours of fun.  Well, maybe an hour before mother realized I was missing and sent up an alarm to all staff and everyone else, but some time to look around at least.  It was almost like nobody wanted me wandering about on my own, an idea which I could never truly get behind after having been unable to walk for months.

So I moved through the house, it wasn't hard.  I could sense people so much more easily, ...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 6 Arrival

It had been a long, long trip, but I'd finally managed to get away from my mother and her friends.  That didn't mean I was alone of course, rather that I was now in the care of my omnipresent nanny, and her very unhappy daughter.  I honestly couldn't blame little Kaylee, this trip had been awful, the boat heaving for the majority of it.

Now though we were nearly done, the port slowly approaching before us.  We had time, plenty of time, but I was finally getting...

Chapter 292 Subtle Advice

Alana

I followed the kids in, but I was more than a bit worried.  These people's needs weren't the children's, and what the children wanted was certainly not what the protectors of this city did.  At minimum I anticipated that they'd try to delay my students so they might extract some extra mana or something from them, to power the city wards. If things went truly wrong they might try to press gang them all into the city's protections, in a back-line position of cou...

Chapter 291 City

Rodrick Penumbra

Moving next to Veska I reached for her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

“First live one we've seen in days,” I commented as I looked down at the dead crab.  It was true, but the thing was bigger than I'd expected.

“Yeah, the numbers are definitely thinning out the further inland we get,” she responded.

“And someone's killing them.”

“Good to see some of the elves are carryin...

Elevation of Mana Chapter 78 Ida

Ida

I prepared to tell my story, one I'd already told many times.  It wasn't so much that I minded, just that it was personal.  Even then, I sort of wanted this Justin to know.  He was a bit odd, but seemed to be genuinely kind, at least so far, and I didn't want him to think badly of me.

“There's not much too it.  A few decades ago there was a rebellion in a couple of the villages against Atal's rule,” I began.

“Oh,...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 5 Setting Off

I had once posited that my mother hated 'The Season' and now I knew that that was not only true, but that I fervently agreed.  Everyone had been in an absolute state for the past week, things being packed, things being left, what went where, when, and how.  She as the woman of the house was bearing the brunt of it, and was clearly straining under the pressure.

From conversations I got a light layout of the itinerary.  We'd be taking carriages to the local train...

Chapter 290 Children Change

Illa

“Battle mages,” I declared as we looked over the dead crabs.  “At least one, probably more than one by the destruction.”

“But they didn't come to say anything to us?” Omos asked, I could only shrug in response.

“Smells good though,” Amara commented.  I hated to agree with her, but there was a roasted crab smell that was absolutely lovely.

“I don't know, their diet is throwing me off wanting to...

Machinist of Mana Chapter 4 Grandparents

My grandmother and I sat across from each other at the small table, engaged in her game.  Upon the table between us there was a small piece of cake, beside it two small forks.  The game went thus, first she would take a small bite, only large enough to fit on the fork, then I would repeat the process.  If the piece of cake should be too large and fall, it was lost, if I should display any particularly bad behavior, the whole thing was taken.

She had enough magi...

Elevation of Mana Chapter 77 Delivery

Getting all the scrap Atal had made from my work together and beginning to melt it down had been a beast of a chore.  I was sad to see my work broken, but even sadder to hear that I'd be giving up more of it soon.  He'd demanded me to make him another of the ball throwers, and since I'd proved that I could I couldn't well deny him.  At least it would be easy enough to do, not like I had to remake the molds or anything.

“Visitors,” announced Chien as he came...