Roughly a week into the new world, Presto had learned enough of the written language to read simple words. On this particular day, there were various quests posted on the guild’s board. Some involved monster hunting while others involved gathering herbs or even investigating strange places. There were also a few rather simple ones like babysitting or doing chores. The day before, his, Kara, Novella, and Navy’s guild rank had gone up. As a result, their cards were blue, meaning they were no longer beginners. They could now accept Blue Rank quests as well as Black Rank. Still, they couldn’t let their guard down. They could end up failing quests and, depending on what the mission was, it could spell death. They needed to keep it together.

“Northern... ruins... hunting quest... Mega... Slimes?” Presto read awkwardly. “Reward… eight… silver bits. That doesn’t sound too bad. How about this one?”

“No way,” the mares said.

The unison of their refusal to Presto by surprise. “Is something wrong?”

“The biggest problem for me is that they’re sticky and they smell atrocious,” Novella said with a look of disgust present on her face.

“And that’s when they’re alive!” Navy agreed.

“They also dissolve carrier belts and backpacks,” Kara said. “Those things aren’t cheap.”

“Fair enough,” Presto said. “So, no slimes.”

Navy then spotted another request. “Hey, here’s a good one,” she said. “A request to deliver a letter to the capital. Travel expenses covered... the reward is nine silver bits... What do you think?”

“Ooh, I like the sound of that,” Novella smiled. “Though, we can’t split that evenly between us.”

“Well, we can just spend the leftover amount on something for all four of us,” Presto said.

“It’s a possibility,” Novella nodded.

Presto went to confirm the details of the mission Navy pointed out. The one who posted the request was Seamster Sansworth. Wait, he thought. Could that be the same guy? He checked the address and sure enough, it said ‘Fashion King Seamster,’ on it. Huh, it is the same guy. “How long does it take to get to the capital from here?” he asked aloud.

“About five days by carriage,” Navy answered. “I think…”

That’s quite a ways off, Presto said internally. This is looking to be my first long journey since I arrived in this world. But, I always have the option to use [Gate] for the return trip, which isn’t so bad. Plus, if I visit the capital even once, I can use [Gate] to go back whenever I want. Of course, it’ll have to be within reason.

“Okay,” he said aloud. “Let’s go with that one. I met the stallion who posted that request.”

“Is that so?” Navy said. “Well, how about you, Kara?”

“Sounds good to me,” Kara said.

“Well, it’s unanimous,” Navy said as she ripped the request notice from the board and took it to the clerk. She returned shortly afterwards. “We’ll get the specifics from the stallion who posted the request.”

“Alright,” Presto nodded.

Soon, they made their way to Fashion King Seamster.

“It shouldn’t take us too long to get to his tailor shop,” Novella said.

It was at that point that a thought occurred to Presto. Wait, he said internally. How would carriages even work in this world? Is it like rickshaws? No, those wouldn’t be big enough for this party.

Presto was so distracted by his own curiosity that he did see the opening door before him until it was directly making contact with his face. “Oof!”*

“Oh, I beg your pardon,” said the familiar voice of Seamster.

“Huh?” Presto said. “Oh, hi, Seamster.”

“It’s been a while,” Seamster said. “How have you been?”

“Been doing alright, considering,” Presto said, rubbing his nose. “Sorry about your door. I was deep in thought and wasn’t paying attention.”

“Ah, I see,” Seamster said. “Oh, so what brings you my way?”

“We’re here in response to your guild request,” Presto explained.

“Ah, how wonderful!” Seamster said happily. “I was hoping someone would respond to my request soon.” He led them into a room at the back of the shop.

“So, here we are,” Navy smirked. “So, we were told you’d give us the specifics?”

“For this job,” Seamster explained. “I would like you to deliver a letter to Viscount Hoofrey in the capital. If you mention my name, he should know what it’s about. I would also like you to return with a response from the viscount.”

“Yes, sir,” Novella said politely. “Is it an urgent matter?”

“I wouldn’t exactly describe this as urgent,” Seamster said. “But, it would be problematic if it’s left for too long.” He then took the letter out of a small tube and placed it on the table. It was sealed with something like wax and bore some strange insignia. “Here you are.” He then placed a few gold bits on the table. “Also, here are your travel expenses. I might have included a little bit too much, but, you don’t have to return what’s left over. You may use the spare change to go sightseeing around the capital, if you’d like!”

“We’ll see what we can do,” Kara said. “Thank you.”

Upon receiving the letter and the money for their travel expenses, they went about preparing for their journey. Presto procured a carriage, Novella bought food for the trip (quite a bit for Kara), and Navy and Kara went to the inn to retrieve any items they’d need along the way. While getting the carriage, Presto noticed some strange creatures. They looked like ostriches, but, they were each the size of a horse from his old world and their heads were slightly bigger.

“Excuse me,” he asked the carriage dealer, who was a crimson earth stallion with a silver mane and tail, golden eyes, and a rather average build. “What are those creatures?”

“Never seen a mount bird before?” the dealer inquired.

“Uh… no,” Presto said. “I mean, I had read of them before, but, this is my first time seeing one face to face.” Presto wisely decided not to mention that he’s from a world where such creatures don’t exist.

With the preparations done, the party set off. Presto found the mount birds hard to control.

“I think I better take over this job,” Kara said. “I raised a few of these on the farm so I know how to tame and handle them.”

“Fine by me,” Presto said.

So, Kara took over and managed to humanely control the creatures. After going north a bit, they had left Stonewood and saw something unusual. A post that was dangling a fishing net far away from water. Even more unusual was the seafoam green earth mare with a mane and tail resembling seaweed and a look of angry defiance in her ocean blue eyes trapped inside the net. They gasped when they saw that what was inside was someone alive.

“We better help her out!” Presto said as he jumped out of the carriage, which was more like a cart than anything else since it had no roof, but, was still better than walking the whole way.

“Don’t worry!” Novella called to the captive mare. “We’ll get you out of there!”

Presto drew his katana and cut the rope holding the net up. This caused the contents of the net to spill out. Kara was able to catch the mare in her arms. She then gently put her down. The mare’s expression was that of surprise.

“Are you okay?” Navy asked.

“Why?” the mare asked.

“You just had that look of angry defiance on your face,” Navy said. “And we also wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt up there.”

“Ah meant,” the mare said in a Scottish accent. “Why did yer save a kelpie like me?”

“Well, you were in trouble,” Presto said. “It wouldn’t feel right to pass by anyone who was in trouble.”

“Even if mah race has a reputation fer lurin’ unsuspectin’ muckers ter a watery grave?” the mare asked.

“The biggest one around is a water bottle I’m carrying,” Presto said before taking out a glass bottle full of a clear liquid from his carrier belt. “I can’t possibly fit in that.”

“I have actually wanted to meet an actual kelpie,” Novella said. “Now it looks like I’m getting my chance to. We all are. My name is Novella. What’s yours?”

The kelpie was more interested in the water bottle Presto had. Presto noticed and he offered her a drink.

“Would you like the water?” he asked.

The kelpie took the bottle and downed it in three gulps.

“Ah, thank ye,” she said, wiping her lips. “Ah’m Aquamarine McCoral, in case yer wonderin’.”

“From your accent and surname,” Novella said. “Can I assume you’re from Trotland**?”

“Aye,” Aquamarine nodded. “Born n’ raised there.”

“From the way you drank that water,” Presto said. “You must be pretty dehydrated.”

“There’s only so long that ah can be without any water,” Aquamarine explained.

“We’re on our way to the nearby town of Trotton,” Novella said. “Perhaps you can have a bath at the inn we’ll be staying at there.”

“Well,” Aquamarine considered. “Alright. Since ya showed yer willin’ness tae help me, ah s’poose ah could.”

On the way to Trotton, Presto noticed a sash-like harness that Aquamarine was wearing and grew curious.

“Aquamarine,” he said. “If you don't mind me asking, what’s that slash-like harness around your waist?”

“Oh,” Aquamarine said. “Ah use it fer carryin’ mah weapon.” She reached back, seemingly into her hair, and pulled out what looked like a lyre modeled after the spearhead of a trident.

“Oh, wow!” Presto said in an astounded tone.

“Ah, so, you’re a bard,” Novella said.

“Ah’m also a lancer,” Aquamarine said as she pulled the pommel at the bottom of the lyre, which telescoped into the shaft of a trident.

“Incredible!” Novella said with amazement. “I read that kelpies typically have water magic. Is that true?”

“Aye, that actually is,” Aquamarine nodded. “Ah use mah lyre trident ter channel mah water spells.”

“Fascinating,” Novella said, adjusting her glasses. “Are you by any chance with the Adventurer’s Guild?”

“Nae,” Aquamarine said. “We dinae have guild branches in Trotland. The way our culture is, we dinae really need one.”

“Ah, I see,” Novella said.

“Your culture?” Presto asked.

“There’s nae cowards in Trotland,” Aquamarine said. “We’re trained ter fight as soon as we learn ter walk.”

“Ah, I see.” Presto said. “Good to know everyone has a way to protect themselves.”

It was sunset by the time they reached Trotton. A thought occurred to Presto.

“Can’t I just use [Gate] to travel back to Stonewood and spend the night at the Home-Away Hooves Inn?” he asked. “I can just cast it again tomorrow to return here, so it’s no big deal, right?”

“No way,” Kara said. “The nice things about a journey are visiting unfamiliar stores in unfamiliar towns before spending the night at an unfamiliar inn. That’s what traveling is all about!”

“Yeah,” Navy said. “Besides, even if we had no money, there were the travel expenses that had been given to us. We might as well use the money out of courtesy to the one who gave it to us in the first place.”

“Hmm, that makes sense,” Presto nodded.

With that settled, they checked into an inn before the sun set completely.

“Enjoy your stay,” said the innkeeper.

The party took the opportunity to stay in a slightly more upper-class place than the Home-Away Hooves. Navy and Kara got a double room all to themselves as did Novella and Aquamarine while Presto rented a small single room to himself.

“This is pretty luxurious,” Presto said to himself. “I probably would have never been able to afford a place like this back home.”

With their lodging sorted, the party tied up their cart and, with convincing from Kara’s belly, went to dinner.

“I don’t know about you,” Kara said, rubbing her belly. “But, I’d like to try those noodles the innkeeper said were served around these parts.”

“I don’t see why not,” Navy said.

“So, how do we get there?” Presto asked.

“May as well look around,” Aquamarine suggested.

No sooner had they started looking than they heard a scuffle. A crowd of onlookers had gathered around to see the commotion.

“What’s that?” Presto asked.

“I don’t know,” Novella said. “We should look into this.”

They pushed their way through the crowd to see a rather unusual mare surrounded by several thugs. The mare had a peach-like coat and heliotrope eyes. Her mane was blood red and cut just above her shoulders. She also wore fishnet fingerless gloves as well as fishnet tights. She wore a black dress that didn’t leave much to the imagination as it was clearly cut beneath her chest. Her wings were bat-like also with a scarlet ombre to them at the bottom while the tops resembled traditional pegasus wings. If one looked closely, they would notice small fangs in her mouth.***

****

“We’re here to show our thanks for that incident earlier, girlie!” said one thug.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “I don’t remember anything about an incident.”

“Quit playin’ dumb!” the thug said. “Don’t think you can get off safe after doin’ a number on our buddies like that!”

“Oh~ you guys must be friends of those stallions I turned over to the authorities earlier today,” she said. “That incident was entirely their fault. They shouldn’t have been going around drunk during the day like a bunch of idiots.”

“Shut yer yap!” another thug said. “Grab her!”

The mare nimbly dodged the attacks. She then proceeded to grab one stallion by the arm, swiveling him around, and then throwing him. He fainted in agony as his back was slammed on the ground.

“Come forth, Dark!” the mare said as a black aura pulsed from her hands. “I seek the lord of hounds: [Fenrir]!” From the mare’s shadow emerged a wolf about as large as a garbage truck. The thugs were a bit intimidated, but, this didn’t last long as the wolf faded from existence after a few seconds. The mare staggered a bit as her movements became sluggish. Kara could tell she was about to collapse due to hunger.

“She needs help!” Presto said to the others in his group. He then held out his hand, which radiated a yellow aura. “Come forth, Sand! Obstructing Dust Storm: [Blind Sand]!”

He said his incantation and channeled the spell at the thugs. Grains of sand flew from his hand into the eyes of one thug.

“Ah!” he exclaimed. “My eyes!”

While blinded, Presto hit the thug with a dropkick. The mare, who was slowly coming back to her senses, was surprised to see this newcomer jumping into the fray. However, she seemed to have judged that Presto wasn’t an enemy, so, she returned her attention to those before her.

“Aah, geez, why do you always have to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?!” Kara let out a bemused comment as she joined the fray with a swift but heavy gauntlet-clad punch. But, for all her complaining, she sure was smiling a lot.

It wasn’t long until the thugs were all flat on the ground. Half of them were beaten into the dirt by Kara. Presto was a bit terrified of her. The town guards soon arrived, so, Presto, his party, Aquamarine, and the new mare left the rest to them and left that area of town.

“Thanks,” the new mare said. “I owe you one. I’m Velvet Cupcake, daughter of Baron Chocolate Cupcake.”

“That thestral who earned the title of baron for his baking business?” Kara asked.

“That’s the one,” Velvet nodded.

“So, you’re a thestral?” Presto asked.

“Yep,” Velvet said. “Well, that’s only half true. My dad’s a thestral, my mom’s a pegasus.”

“Intriguing,” Presto nodded. “Oh, by the way, I’m Preston Howard. You can call me Presto.”

“Howard?” Velvet said. “As in the noble Howard family from Mareica?”

“I don’t believe I’m from that Howard family,” Presto said. “So, what happened back there? You became sluggish all of a sudden and that wolf vanished in seconds.”

“Well…” Velvet said. “I don’t have very high mana reserves, my unique brawling style burns through it quickly, and while it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, I dropped my travel funds a while back, so—” Before the hybrid mare could finish, a loud, ferocious growl erupted from her belly.

“Yep, that figures,” Kara said. “I face similar problems.”

“So, why don’t you join us?” Presto offered. “We were about to head out for dinner ourselves and we have more than enough funds.”

“Okay,” Velvet said. “Though, can we go somewhere that serves meat?”

“I’m pretty sure the noodle shop we were headed to has meat options,” Novella said.

They soon found the noodle shop and Velvet was gleefully feasting on what looked like a pork bowl. The others enjoyed the dishes they ordered.

“I can see why this place would be a popular place for the locals,” Navy commented after swallowing a bite of her food. “Who would’ve guessed dried slime innards could make such good noodles?”*****

“For real,” Kara said.

“In Trotland,” Aquamarine said. “We make jams n’ jellies out o’ slimes.”

“You don’t say,” Presto said. “Does feeding them different fruits give the jams and jellies different flavors?”

“Aye,” Aquamarine said. “It doesnae have ter be fruit, either. Ya can use vegetables, cheese, meat, er if ya like, even fish!”

“Captivating,” Novella said. “Perhaps one day, should we ever visit Trotland, we would have to try these jams and jellies. Not the meat or fish ones, though.”

“Putting that to the side,” Presto said before turning his attention to Velvet. “What brings you here?”

“I’m on my way to meet someone at the capital,” Velvet said.

“I see,” Presto said. “We’re actually here to visit the capital, so, we’re going in the same direction.”

“Huh,” Velvet said, finishing her third bowl. “Small world.”

“Indeed,” Presto said. “So, I can see you’re a brawler.”

“Yep,” Velvet said. “I can also use wind and darkness magic.”

“That second part we saw, albeit briefly,” Novella said. “It must take a lot of mana just to summon that beast.”

“It does,” Velvet said before starting her fifth bowl. “I sometimes forget to monitor my mana.”

“It can be helpful if you traveled with those who can remind you of that,” Kara said. “Say, do you have a place to stay?”

“No,” Velvet said. “I figured I could fly there, but, I got tired getting this far.”

“Why don’t you stay in one of our rooms tonight?” Kara offered. “Or we book you a room for yourself?”

“Hmm,” Velvet said as she finished her eighth bowl. “Let’s go with that last option.”

It was then that Presto noticed how much Velvet had eaten as well as Kara. The latter had gone through ten bowls while Velvet had eight. Those two will eat us to bankruptcy! he said internally. I can only hope the staff doesn’t get too angry with us. Presto paid 110 copper bits for the meal. Each individual bowl cost five copper bits, which gave him a sense of relief.

“Boy, I’m feeling much better already,” Velvet smiled.

So, Presto used some of his own bits to book Velvet her own room.

That night, Presto did a bit of internet research on his smartstone.

“Aww,” he said. “I was hoping to see that movie. Well, since I’m technically still in the old world, I’ll be able to.” When he felt satisfied with what he read, he thought to himself, I wonder if I’ll always care about news from home. My time in this world’s been a lot more interesting. Then, he had an idea. He opened the notebook app on the smartstone and wrote down the noteworthy events of the day. When he was done, he placed his smartstone on the nightstand and went to bed.

Presto was awoken next morning by a knock at his door. He slowly got up and answered.

“Yes?” he said.

At the door was Novella, who had a book in one hand.

“We’re getting ready for breakfast before we leave,” the unicorn mare said.

“Oh, sure,” Presto said. “I’ll be right there. Thanks.”

After breakfast, Presto, his party, Aquamarine, and Velvet were in the cart. Aquamarine, having experience with mount birds herself, offered to take the reins. After leaving the town limits of Trotton, Novella spoke up.

“Presto,” she said. “I have a theory that I would like to test with you.”

“Yes?” he asked.

“You know that Kara’s brother can use a Mind spell called [Precision], right?” Novella asked.

“Yes, I’m aware,” Presto replied. “I keep forgetting to ask him how it works.”

“Try using it now,” Novella said.

“Well… alright,” he said, taking a deep breath. “[Precision]!” Nothing seemed to happen. “Uh, I don’t think it did anything.”

“Hmm,” Novella said with a nod. “Kara, can you explain to Presto how that spell works?”

“Sure,” Kara said. She cleared her throat. “Basically, it lets Judo spot weak spots on his opponents so he can make more precise strikes.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Presto said with a nod.

“Try using it now,” Novella said.

“Alright,” he said. “Though on what?”

“Try on me,” Navy said.

“Alright,” Presto said. He then focused his attention on Navy. “[Precision]!” This time, Presto saw a series of glowing lines highlighting Navy’s wing joints. “I-it worked! I can see glowing lines on Navy’s wing joints!”

“That’s what Judo says he sees when he uses that spell!” Kara said.

“So, it looks like your theory is right,” Presto said to Novella. “Wait, what’s the theory?”

“That you’re able to use any Aether or Mind spell as long as you know its name and understand its effect,” Novella said. “Since Aether and Mind spells are fundamentally similar, we only need to test a spell from one or the other.”

“I see,” he nodded.

“Since you’ve learned to read,” Novella said. “I’ve gotten you a spell book of Aether and Mind spells. This way, you can learn any potentially useful spells.”

“Ah, that is helpful,” Presto smiled. “Thank you.” He then took the book. On close observation, he noticed that it was about the size of a phone book. I know Amalthea enhanced my memory, but, how much? he said internally. I may as well memorize an encyclopedia. As he started reading, he found a large number of spells that didn’t seem to have any practical use. There was a spell that makes incense sticks burn longer, a spell that makes the color of tea more appealing, one that makes dogs more friendly, one that makes the hair of others all poofy, and one that always makes the stems in tea stand upright. Not much use for these, he thought to himself. Then, he found a spell that removed friction between the user’s target and the ground they were standing on. Hmm, this [Slip] spell might come in handy. Then, he found another spell that intrigued him. “This is an interesting one,” he said aloud.

“Which one?” Novella asked.

“It’s a Mind spell called [Aports],” Presto said. “It says that it lets the user summon small objects to their hand.”

“Ah, that is a good one,” Novella said. “It could come in handy.”

“The book says that the user has to have a clear mental image of the object in question,” Presto said. “I’ll give it a try.” After a deep breath, he focused his chant. “[Aports].” Nothing appeared in his hand. “Okay, so it seems I haven’t had a clear mental image.”

“What’d you try to use it on?” Navy asked.

“Well, I wanted to see how Aquamarine would react to discovering her weapon vanished,” Presto said.

“Perhaps that’s too big,” Velvet said. “It did say small objects, after all.”

“True,” Presto said. “Maybe the object has to be small enough that only one hand is needed to hold it. Let’s try again.” He took a deep breath and focused again. “[Aports].” This time, one of Velvet’s hair clips appeared in his hand.

Velvet felt the noticeable difference in her hair. She tapped her bangs gently and noticed the missing barrette.

“Looks like it worked,” Presto said.

“Indeed it did,” Novella nodded. “That spell’s quite convenient, but, also a bit terrifying.”

“True,” Presto said as it dawned on him that it could be used for pickpocketing. “So, I’ll have to use this spell when there’s a serious need for it.” He then had a thought occur to him. “I wonder if underwear would be a valid target.”

The mares wore confused expressions.

“Under-what now?” Velvet asked.

“Uh, let’s save that for another time,” Presto said before he could get too flustered. “Oh, you can have this back, Velvet.” Presto handed her hair clip back.

“Thanks,” Velvet said, clipping the barrette back into her hair.

The party passed through several small towns and before they knew it, three days had passed since the journey initially started. Presto checked his smartstone map and confirmed they were halfway there. After deflecting rather curious comments from Velvet and Aquamarine about his smartstone, Presto resumed his staring contest with the spell book. Through his efforts, he discovered another potentially useful spell.

“Here’s another interesting one,” he said. This piqued the mares’ curiosity.

“What is it?” Navy asked.

“A Mind spell that enhances the user’s senses,” Presto said. “I’ll try it out. [Long Sense].” Sure enough, Presto was able to see and hear up to a mile away. “It works.”

“What can you see or hear?” Novella asked softly, to ensure Presto’s own ears weren't hurt.

“You don’t have to be so quiet,” Presto said. “The book says the user can consciously adjust the sensitivity of the senses to avoid sensory overload.”

“Ah, I see,” Novella nodded.

Suddenly, Presto started sniffing. “Looks like it works on smell, too,” he said.

“Any good smells?” Velvet asked.

Presto sniffed a bit before answering. “There’s this very powerful smell,” he said. He then opened his eyes in shock. “It’s blood!”

“Blood?!” gasped the others.

Presto focused his sight to where the smell was coming from. “Aquamarine, there’s a group of ponies being attacked by monsters! Full speed ahead!”

“Aye!” Aquamarine said and they went faster.

Upon reaching the area, they saw armored ponies battling against anthropomorphic lizards in leather armor. The ponies were guarding a high-class carriage against the lizards, who proceeded to cut the ponies down one-by-one.

“Come forth, Fire!” Novella said as she drew her wand and aimed at the lizards. “Whirling Spiral: [Fire Storm]!” Suddenly, a tornado of fire burst to life in the center of the pack of lizards.

“Lizardkin,” Aquamarine said, drawing her weapon and extending it to trident mode.

“We can stop them!” Kara said. She quickly donned her gauntlets. “[Boost]!” Activating her Aether spell, she jumped out of the cart and delivered a powerful punch to one lizard’s head, which made a sickening crunch.

“Nice shot!” Navy smirked. She then drew her daggers and, with her natural speed, used them to slit the throats of each lizard she passed while Aquamarine performed thrust attacks on some that charged at her. All the while, Velvet readied her summoning spell.

“Come forth, Dark!” she said. “I seek the lord of hounds: [Fenrir]!” The large wolf from when she met the others in Trotton emerged from her shadow and began attacking scores of lizards at once while Velvet ate bread to gain more mana.

Presto found himself facing another lizard. “Time to test it out,” Presto said. “[Slip]!” All friction between the lizard’s feet and the ground vanished in an instant, which sent it into a backflip so ridiculous that it would’ve even been ruled out of a comedy show.

The Lizardkin were intimidated by this group, so they scrambled away as well as they could, considering the spell was still overcoming them. They made their way to a robed figure.

“Come forth, Dark!” the figure said in a masculine voice. “I seek a scalebound warrior: [Lizardkin]!” At his words, several more lizardkin came crawling out of the shadows around his hooves.

“Presto,” Novella said. “That’s summoning magic! These lizardkin are being summoned by that stallion in the robe!”

“Well, we’ll put a stop to that,” Presto nodded. “[Slip]!” Presto aimed his spell at the summoner.

The stallion in the robe stumbled in an embarrassing manner. Velvet saw an opportunity and reached one hand above her head.

“Strike true, Lightning!” she said. “Hundredspear Thunderclap: [Lightning Javelin]!” Three spears made entirely of lightning formed above her hand. After making a throwing motion towards the downed stallion, the spears were launched at him, electrocuting him on contact. The stallion fell lifelessly to the ground and not too long afterwards, the lizardkin that hadn’t been culled yet faded from existence. The ponies guarding the carriage were amazed.

“Looks like it’s over,” Presto said. “Everyone alright?”

“Well, we’re not dead,” Kara said, stretching. “So, I’d say, yes.”

“I sure am,” Navy said as she used a rag to wipe off the blood on her daggers.

“I’m alright as well,” Novella said.

One of the armored ponies made his way to Presto, dragging a leg behind him.

“Can I help you?” Presto asked.

“Thank you,” the pony said. “You saved us.”

“We just did what anyone would have done,” Presto said modestly. “What’s the casualty rate?”

“Of ten bodyguards,” the pony said. “Seven of us were killed. Dammit, if only we’d noticed sooner.”

Presto comforted the armored pony.

“S-Someone!” a small female voice called from in the carriage. “Is someone there? Joshua’s been hit!”

“We’re here!” Novella called. “We can help!”

Novella and Presto entered the carriage and saw a light pink unicorn filly with a blonde mane and tail and sap green eyes wearing a darker pink and red dress and white gloves sobbing near a dark gray earth stallion with a gray mane, tail, and mustache and amber eyes wearing a formal suit. The stallion had blood flowing from his chest as he wheezed in pain.

“Please help him!” the filly pleaded. “He was hit by an arrow!”

“Novella,” Presto said. “Can’t you use healing magic on him?”

“...I-I can’t,” Novella answered with a heavy heart. “The arrow must have snapped, and part of it is still lodged in the wound. If I heal him in this condition, the arrowhead will get stuck inside his body…” The mare started trembling with apology and regret. “E-Even that aside... my magic wouldn’t b-be effective on a wound this dire...!”

The filly was still crying, clutching onto the older stallion.

“Young miss…” the stallion said weakly.

“Joshua!!” the filly sobbed.

“I am afraid…” he said. “That we must part here... But please know... the days I spent with you... were among the happiest of my— ghh! Ack...!”

“No!” the filly sobbed sadly.

“Not today,” Presto said before grabbing the end of the arrow that broke off, comparing it to an unbroken arrow, and internalizing the image of the arrowhead of the unbroken arrow. He placed both arrows down and concentrated. “[Aports].” A bloodsoaked arrowhead that had clearly broken off appeared in Presto’s hand. Novella, seeing this, then put her healing magic to work. However, she was discouraged by the size of the wound.

“I don’t know if I can heal that,” Novella said.

“That’s okay,” Presto said. “You’ve been healing most of us so far. I’ll take this one.” He held his hand over the older stallion’s wound. “Come forth, Light!” he said as his horn emitted a white aura. “Soothing Comfort: [Cure Heal]!” As he cast the spell, the wound on the old stallion’s chest began to close itself until it looked as though the wound was never there in the first place. The stallion, whose name was Joshua, then inhaled deeply and exhaled deeply.

“...What is this?” he asked. “The pain... is receding? Whatever is happening, it... doesn’t hurt? It doesn’t hurt... I’m healed?”

“Joshua!” The filly said, the tears of sadness being replaced with tears of joy. “You’re all better!” She wrapped her arms around the stallion.

Presto gave a humble sigh of relief.

“Thank you so much,” said Joshua.

“It closed the wound,” Presto said. “But, it didn’t replenish the lost blood. You may want to take it easy for a bit.”

“Yes, of course,” Joshua nodded respectfully.

While Joshua rested a bit, the armored ponies got to work burying the dead. The smallest one was insistent on burying one in particular himself. Presto learned that the first one to die was his older brother. Once they finished, they bowed their heads respectfully in a moment of silence.

Once the moment had passed, the little filly spoke up. “You have our gratitude, kind adventurers,” she said. “Not only did you risk your lives to save us from danger, but, you also brought Joshua from the brink of death.”

“Forgive the delayed introduction,” Joshua said. “I am Joshua Jenkins and I am honored to call myself a butler in service of good Duke Gallopena. The young filly before you is the Duke’s only daughter, Lady Millicent Angelina Gallopena II.”

“But,” the young filly said. “You can just call me ‘Millie’ for short.”

Presto noticed that the mares were bowing around him, confusing him. “What are you doing?”

“She’s a lady,” Novella explained. “The daughter of a duke. As such, she must be greeted properly with a bow.”

“Yeah,” Navy said. “Don’t you know what a duke is?”

“A nobleman?” Presto answered with a question.

“Exactly,” Kara said. “So, bow.”

“Duke and its female equivalent of duchess,” Novella explained. “Is the highest rank a noble can achieve. It can only be granted to those who share blood with the king.”

“The king?” Presto said.

“That’s right,” Millie said. “My father, Duke Archibald Roswald Gallopena, is the younger brother of his royal highness.”

“Oh~” Presto said. He then genuflected down on one knee in a respectful manner.

“That won’t be necessary,” Millie said. “If anything, I should be the one bowing to you. I owe you my life. Please stand.”

They stood up again.

“What’s a noble doing out here in the first place?” Presto asked.

“We were on our way back to the capital after visiting my grandmother,” Millie said. “Then, that mage attacked. Almost like he knew I was coming this way.”

“Coming from me,” Velvet said. “That’s creepy.”

“With the mage dead, we can’t get more information,” Presto said.

“Right,” Novella said. “What matters is that you’re safe.”

“What do you plan to do next?” Presto asked.

“Regarding that matter...” Joshua said in a somewhat apologetic tone. “Over half of the guards have been felled and if we are attacked again, I fear we may not be able to keep the young miss safe. Would you consider lending us your services as bodyguards? I shall see to it that you are paid adequately as soon as we reach the capital safely. Will you assist us?”

“I don’t see why not,” Presto said. “We’re headed for the capital anyway.”

“Aye,” Aquamarine said. “We’ll make sure ter keep ye safe.”

So, the two vehicles set off. The old cart trailed along behind Millie’s cart while two guards on mount birds were out in front leading the way. The remaining guard (a pegasus) had flown ahead to deliver a letter Millie had written explaining the situation to the duke’s family. Presto rode in the carriage as Millie’s personal bodyguard. As a battle mage and an alicorn, it was decided that this was the best possible position for him.

It kind of feels like I lucked out, Presto thought to himself.

“I don’t believe I caught your name,” Millie said to Presto.

“It’s Presto,” he said politely. “Presto Howard. Before you even ask, I don’t think I’m related to the noble Howard family from Mareica.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Presto,” Millie smiled. “If you don’t mind, could you tell me a story to pass the time?”

“You actually want me to?” Presto asked, somewhat surprised.

“Of course,” Millie said. “I love listening to stories.”

“Well, I’ve heard quite a few stories throughout my life,” Presto said. “Full disclosure, these are not experiences I personally had. Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s okay,” Millie nodded. “To me, secondhand stories are still stories.”

During the journey, Presto had told the young lady stories about stories such as the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Tortoise and the Hare, the Three Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and even Shrek. For a few of them, he removed any mention of humans and replaced them with terms that Millie would understand. The little filly was enthralled.

“My, what captivating stories,” Millie gasped happily.

“And some of them teach good life lessons,” Presto said. “Can you guess the lesson of the Tortoise and the Hare?”

“You had said yourself earlier,” Millie said. “Slow and steady wins the race.”

“Very good,” Presto said. “Would you like another one?”

“Yes, please,” Millie said.

“Hmm,” Presto said. “Long ago, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a widowed merchant who lived in a mansion in a city with his six sons and six daughters. All the daughters were beautiful, but the youngest, Belle, was the most gorgeous of them all.”

“Ooh~” Millie said in an intrigued tone.

“Belle’s name literally means beauty,” Presto said. “She was not only lovely, but, kind, well-read, and pure of heart. Her older sisters, in contrast, were cruel, selfish, vain, spoiled, and envious of Belle.”

“Oh, dear,” Millie gasped.

“One day,” Presto said. “The mansion burned down and the merchant’s ships were lost at sea and robbed by pirates. The merchant and his children were forced to live in a small cottage in the countryside and work for a living.”

“Oh, my,” Millie gasped.

“Belle,” Presto said. “Made a firm resolution to adjust to rural life with a cheerful disposition.”

“That’s good,” Millie smiled.

Presto found it strange telling stories of fantasy in a world where such things were commonplace, but, when he saw the pure innocent smile on Millie’s face, he was able to put those feelings aside. So, he continued on with the story.

“Ooh, we’re almost there! It’s the capital!” Millie said as she looked out the window later.

Presto looked out himself and in the distance, he could make out a white castle surrounded by tall walls, framed by a large waterfall behind it. That was the Royal Capital, Crestworth. Located on the bank of Lake Riverbrook, a large body of water that formed at the base of the waterfall, it was also known as the Lake Capital. Situated on the western part of the continent, the Kingdom of Marecia had a comfortable climate. That plus the fair rule of the reigning king made it a relatively peaceful country. The silk goods made in the Saddla region of Marecia were renowned as some of the highest quality in the world. They were light and soft, sturdy, and beautiful. The goods were popular among nobles and even the royal families of other countries, so the business was the pride of the kingdom, and supposedly an indispensable source of income.

“Whoa~” Presto gasped softly. As they got closer, the walls seemed to get larger. Imagine an iron fortress designed to keep any enemy out, but, made of brick and mortar and that should give you an idea. “Wow!”

Several soldiers were conducting inspections at the city gates before allowing people passage into the capital. However, the party was allowed in as soon as the guard caught a glimpse of Millie and Joshua’s faces. Presto had a feeling that the duke’s family crest on the side of the carriage played a part.

“The cart following us is allowed by special invitation,” Millie said to the guard.

“Understood, miss,” the guard saluted.

The carriage continued straight on toward the castle, crossing a stone bridge which spanned a large river below along the way. There was another checkpoint in the middle of the bridge, but the party rolled right on through once more.

“Beyond this point is the nobles’ residential district,” Joshua explained.’

“Interesting,” Presto nodded.

They traveled through a street filled with rows of beautiful buildings and arrived in front of a massive mansion. The walls around there were huge, too. When they finally pulled up in front of the entrance, five, then six soldiers slowly opened the very large, presumably heavy doors. Only now that they were directly in front of it did Presto recognize the crest on the door as being the same one on the side of the carriage. Presto could see that everything in the duke’s estate was huge.

“Whoa!” Presto gasped.

The carriage pulled up in front of the foyer and Millie opened the door with gusto.

“Please,” Millie said happily. “Come in.”

“Welcome back, young miss!” said a wall of maids who appeared and bowed their heads in unison.

Presto sat dumbstruck in the carriage until Joshua urged him to step out.

“Come along please,” Joshua said.

Presto felt out of place in that location. When they entered the foyer, a light red unicorn stallion with a golden mane, tail, and mustache and green eyes wearing a long open nobleman's robe, a white long cravat, a waistcoat, and trousers came running down the red carpeted staircase before them.

“Thank you!” he said. “Thank you for keeping my daughter safe!”

“Father!” Millie said as she made a beeline for the stallion.

The two embraced warmly.

“When that letter arrived,” the stallion said. “It felt as though my heart had stopped in my chest...”

Presto surmised that this stallion was Duke Archibald Gallopena, brother to the king. He had a strong body that told of his good health at a glance. But, despite his sturdiness, he had a gentle face which made him appear to be nothing but kind. Eventually, the duke parted from his embrace with Millie and made his way to Presto’s group.

“You are the adventurers who rescued my daughter, I gather,” he said. “You have my sincerest gratitude. Truly, thank you so much for all your help.” Presto was surprised when the duke bowed his head before him.

“Please, there’s no need to bow your head,” Presto insisted. “We only did what anyone would do in that situation!”

“I can tell you are quite modest,” said Archibald. “Nonetheless, I am grateful for your efforts all the same. No doubt you know already, but allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Archibald Roswald Gallopena.”

“I’m Presto Howard,” Presto said. “Before you even ask, I don’t think I’m related to the noble Howard family from Mareica.”

A bit later, Presto, his party, Aquamarine, Velvet, and the duke were out on the second floor terrace overlooking the garden, enjoying a cup of tea as Presto explained the situation.

“I see,” said Archibald after Presto finished. “So, you were already here to deliver a letter. Had you not accepted that request, Millie may very well be captured or worse by now. I’ll have to thank your client.”

“Do you have any idea who might’ve been behind the attack?” Presto asked.

“I almost wish I could say that I didn’t…” Archibald answered. “But, considering my position, I’m sure there’s no end to the list of sordid individuals who see me as a bother. There may even be some amongst the nobles who would seek to kidnap my daughter and use her as leverage against me to make me dance to their every whim.”

“My dad’s a thestral baron who sleeps all day,” Velvet said. “And even he’s not that corrupt.”

“That’s horrible,” Presto said with a disgusted tone.

“I’m back, Father. Sorry for the wait,” Millie said as she returned in a salmon dress with pale pink frills and in her mane was a headband fitted with a matching pale pink rose. It suited her very well.

“Have you spoken to Millicent?” Archibald asked the filly.

“I did,” Millie said. “I left out any mention that Joshua and I were attacked. I didn’t want to worry her.”

“Millicent?” Presto asked. “Would that by any chance be Millicent Angelina Gallopena I?”

“Yes,” Archibald confirmed. “She’s my wife. I’m sorry she couldn’t come out to meet you even though you came to our daughter’s rescue... She’s quite terribly blind, you see.”

“Blind?” Aquamarine asked.

“She came down with an illness five years ago…” Archibald explained. “The family physicians managed to save her life, but not her vision.” The duke let his gaze drop as he told the story. Millie noticed and placed her hand on top of his.

“...D-Did you try treating it with magic?” Novella asked.

Archibald’s answer was as follows: “I called out to practitioners of healing magic throughout the land, but... it was no use. They said that if it had been caused by a physical injury, then magic might have helped to some degree, but that it would have no effect on the after-effects of an illness.”

Needless to say, this made Presto feel rather powerless.

“If only grandfather were still alive,” Millie said in a small, regretful voice.

Upon noticing Presto’s curious expression, Archibald explained.

““My wife’s father…” he began. “Millie’s grandfather, that is, my father-in-law could use a very special kind of magic. He was able to cure any abnormality within the body, which earned him the title of Marquis from my father. The reason Millie originally left on a journey was to find out more about his magic and try to find a way to recreate it.”

“If we had grandfather’s magic,” Millie said. “We would be able to heal mother’s eyes. Even if we couldn’t use that magic, there was the possibility that knowing more about it would have allowed us to substitute it with a spell from a different school of magic. That was what I heard from the court magician, at least. Else, we could try to find someone who could use the same magic as grandfather...”

“She said that the possibility of that was very low indeed, Millie,” Archibald said. “His spell was of the Aether variety, which is a largely personalized magic. There are almost no two beings who can use the exact same Aether or Mind spell as each other. But, I’m sure there must be someone out there who can use a similar spell. I’ll definitely find that person, one way or another...”

The mares looked at each other before Novella spoke up. “You needn’t look any further than the alicorn sitting before you, Duke Gallopena.”

“Pardon?” Archibald said.

“During our time with Presto,” Novella said. “We’ve learned that he can use any Aether or Mind spell there is.”

This gave Millie hope. “Can you really cure my mother?” she asked Presto.

“Honestly,” Presto said. “I won’t be able to say either way without trying it out first. Though, it’ll help if I know the spell’s name and the details of what it does.”

“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Millie said. “I spent nearly a month at my grandmother’s learning as much as I could about the spell, hoping against hope that I could use it myself. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to, but, I can still tell you what I learned.”

So, Presto listened carefully as Millie explained the spell in detail.

“Oh my, do we have guests?” inquired the white unicorn mare seated within the bed of a room wearing a white long-sleeved blouse with a gold trim and a long pastel blue skirt. The mare in question looked like Millie, only older. The only difference apart from the coat color was that she had a light brown mane and tail in contrast to the blonde of her daughter. To compare her to a flower, she was less like a rose or a lily and more like a baby’s-breath. She was still young, too. Presto deduced that she probably wasn’t even thirty yet. But, he felt as though her youth only drew more attention to her blind eyes. Her lilac eyes were still open, but it felt like her gaze never quite settled on anything. It almost made one wonder exactly where those eyes were gazing into.

“My name is Presto Howard,” Presto said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Millicent.” Presto had learned that Millie was called as such to be distinguished from her mother, who was called Millicent.

“The pleasure is all mine,” the blind duchess said. “Darling, is this young man a friend of yours?”

“He is,” Archibald said. “He’s someone that looked out for Millie while she was on her journey... and upon hearing about your eyes, he said he would like to see what he could do.”

“My eyes?” Millicent said.

“Mother, please relax for a moment,” Millie said.

Presto placed his hand over Duchess Millicent’s eyes, his mind focused entirely on them as he cast the spell he learned earlier. “[Recovery].” A soft violet light glowed from the palm of his hand and into the duchess’ eyes. When the light faded, he pulled his hand away.

Millicent’s gaze wandered for a moment before gradually settling down. After blinking her eyelids a few times, she quietly turned to face in the direction of her husband and daughter.

“...I-I can... see?” she said. “Darling...! I can see!” Tears began to flow from the grateful duchess’ eyes.

“Millicent!”

“Mother!”

The three of them clung to each other and started crying. Finally seeing her husband and daughter for the first time in half a decade, Duchess Millicent smiled brightly through her tears. She simply continued gazing at their faces through tear-stained eyes. The faces of her beloved family. Joshua, who had been quietly watching the scene from nearby, turned his face upward and began sniffling as well. The other mares were also shedding tears at the beautiful scene as well. While Presto felt moved by the scene as well, he was under so much pressure to make sure it worked right that he was more relieved than anything else. Though, he wisely kept that to himself.

“I am greatly indebted to you,” said Archibald later in the parlor. Millie was still in her mother’s room with her. “Really, you have no idea what this all means to me. You not only saved my daughter, but you even cured my wife... Thank you, thank you so much.” He began bowing to Presto again.

“Please, don’t mention it,” Presto said. “Millie’s safe and your wife’s cured. I’m just glad everything’s alright now.”

“No,” Archibald said. “I cannot possibly leave it at that. I really must show you the appropriate level of gratitude. Joshua, bring it over.”

“Of course, sir,” Joshua said as he carried over a silver tray with several objects laid out on it.

“First of all, take this,” Archibald said. “It’s your reward for saving my daughter. As well as escorting her home safely.” Joshua handed Presto a bag that Presto assumed had money in it. “You should find forty platinum bits within.”

The mares reacted as if they couldn’t believe what they heard.

“Is that a lot?” Presto asked.

“Platinum’s the denomination above gold,” Kara said while bringing a cup of tea nervously to her mouth.

“Yeah,” Navy said. “Just one platinum bit’s worth a hundred gold ones.”

“100 gold bits?!” Presto said before doing some calculations.

From his time in that world, he’d learned that there were different types of bits with different values. The base unit was the tin bit, which he equated to one cent. A hundred tin bits equaled a copper bit (which he equated to a dollar), a hundred coppers equaled a bronze bit ($100), a hundred bronze equaled a silver bit ($10,000), a hundred silver equaled a gold bit ($1,000,000), and now, a hundred gold equaled a platinum bit ($100,000,000). He then multiplied that by 40.

And today’s final jackpot is, Presto said internally. $4,000,000,000?!

“W-Wait, I can’t accept this!” Presto said. “That’s way too much!”

“Don’t say that, please, just accept it,” Archibald said. “If you plan to make a living as adventurers, you’ll need equipment to keep you alive and for that, you’ll need money.”

Presto hated to admit it, but he couldn’t argue with that logic. That aside, he could tell the duke wouldn’t let up unless he accepted the reward.

“Okay…” Presto said, not even trying to hide his reluctance.

“In addition,” Archibald said. “I would like to give each of you one of these.” He lined up six medals with lanyards on the table in front of him.

Each medal had a diameter of about an inch. The medals’ design featured a shield in the center with a pair of knights facing each other on either side, presenting their swords. Presto thought there was something familiar about them.

“They’re medals featuring my family crest,” Archibald explained. “With this, you will be able to pass through any checkpoint with relative ease and you will also be able to use facilities normally exclusive to nobles. Should anything ever happen, they will act as guarantee that my family will provide support to you. They are a form of identification, I suppose.”

Presto learned that such medals were normally given out to the family’s exclusive merchants or other such important figures. Each of the medals had the individual names of the party members carved into them and a single word, which meant there could be no duplicates made. This was to make sure they were never abused if lost. Presto’s word was “Tranquility,” Kara’s was “Fervor,” Navy’s was “Vigilance,” Novella’s was “Philanthropy,” Aquamarine’s was “Valor,” and Velvet’s was “Sincerity.” Presto felt these would be useful as it meant he could visit Millie more easily. Though he figured that in an emergency, he could bypass the checkpoints with [Gate] anyway since he’d been to her place at least once already.

When it was time to leave, Millicent and Millie saw them off in the foyer.

“Come back and visit!” Millie said as the party got in their cart.

The party waved goodbye until Millie was out of sight.

“Now, we can deliver this letter to Viscount Hoofrey,” Presto said.

“That’s who you’re delivering to?” Velvet said. “Viscount Hoofrey?”

“You know him?” Kara asked.

“He’s the reason I was going to the capital,” Velvet explained. “He helped out my dad years before.”

When they arrived, they saw that while the viscount’s home was small compared to the duke's, it was still a grand place, clearly rich with history. They mentioned Seamster’s name at the front gate and were let in. They soon met the viscount himself, a dark blue earth stallion with an auburn mane, tail, and goatee and crimson eyes wearing what looked like a martial arts gi. Even with how baggy it was, Presto could tell he was quite muscular.

“My name is Willard Gaylord Hoofrey,” the stallion introduced himself. “Are you the messengers that Seamster sent?”

“We are,” Presto said while handing over the tube containing Seamster’s letter. “We’re here to deliver this letter to you upon his request. We were also asked to receive a response from you to take back with us.”

The viscount took it and removed the wax seal with a knife before reading the contents.

“Wait right here,” Willard said. “I shall write a reply.” After he spoke, the viscount left the room. As he left, a maid entered the room and made tea for the party. “Sorry to have kept you,” he said as he returned with a sealed letter in hand. “Alright, please give this to Seamster. Also, hold on a moment. Before you go...” As he handed Presto the letter, his gaze shifted to Velvet. “I’ve been wondering since I first laid eyes on you... Have we... No, I don’t think we’ve ever met before. Still... What is your name?”

“Velvet Cupcake,” Velvet responded. “Daughter of Chocolate Cupcake.”

“Ah, so, the dozer managed to have a daughter,” the viscount said with a broad smile as he looked her over. “Yep. There’s no mistaking it. Fangs aside, you’re the spitting image of Vanilla. I’m just glad you take your looks from your mother and not your old man!”

“So, do you know Velvet or…” Presto asked.

“Chocolate and I went to school together,” Willard explained. “He slept through the classes, but he managed to get better grades than me and tutored me. It’s thanks to him that I made it to viscount.”

“My dad said you were the most skilled brawler he’d ever seen,” Velvet said.

“That so?” Willard asked.

Velvet nodded. “He even said that if I were to meet you,” she continued. “I should try brawling against you.”

“Did he now?” the viscount asked. “Well, if you are up to it, I would like to see what you can do.”

The viscount’s garden had a dojo in it. Upon entering, Presto couldn’t contain his surprise. It resembled the Japanese-style dojo that his grandfather trained him in.

Whoa, he said internally. This makes me think of home.

“This building was designed by our martial arts master,” Willard explained. “And was built by my father. It was designed to have a Jockeypan aesthetic, as you can see.”

“It’s just like the one my dad has at home,” Velvet said nostalgically. “So, shall we brawl?”

“Before we do,” Willard said. “Pick the leather gloves that suit you best. They’re lined up by the size of their padding.”

Velvet looked them over. She then found a pair of gloves that suited her.

“Do any of you know healing magic?” Willard asked.

“I do,” Novella said.

“Same,” Presto added.

“Then, there’ll be no need to hold back,” Willard said. “Come at me with all you have. But, no magic if you can use it.”

The others sat at the edge of the dojo so they wouldn’t interfere with the fight. Presto was struck by an idea and took out his smartstone.

“What are you doing?” Novella asked in confusion.

“I just had a bit of an idea and I wanted to see how it would play out,” he explained. As he did, Kara took on the role of the referee and took her place between the fighters.

After confirming they were fully ready, she signaled the start.

“Battle… start!”

As Kara’s voice rang throughout the dojo, Velvet dashed toward the viscount with the speed of a bullet. He caught the first punch in his hand and neatly deflected it, repeating the process for all attacks that followed. Velvet momentarily backed away and attempted to adjust her breathing. However, despite the golden opportunity, the viscount didn’t attack her. Instead, he just watched her movements. Facing one another, they closed in on each other as if drawing an inward spiral. Little by little, the distance between them shrunk until it reached a point that summoned another exchange of gloved fists… leading to another chain of vicious blows. However, Velvet was the only one attacking while Willard showed no signs of going on the offensive.

“I see…” the viscount panted. “That’s how it is, huh? Well, how about this?” He shifted his right fist to a lower position and Velvet fixed her aim and breathed as her shoulders moved up and down in quick succession. It was apparent that she was running out of stamina. “Your brawling skills are proper. I would even go as far as to call them exemplary as I don’t see a single wasted movement. It’s just like my old master taught me.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Velvet asked.

“Not in the least,” the viscount said. “However, you don’t have anything beyond that level.”

“Wha–?!” Velvet started before Willard shifted his left fist into an overhead position and displayed his first act of aggression.

“En garde!” He took a step forward and, before anyone noticed, quickly leaped and closed the distance between him and Velvet. The fist he held above his head quickly went down toward her head. Velvet responded by positioning her arms above her head. However, the next moment, she fell to the ground with an unsatisfying sound. She could be heard moaning as she placed her hands on her belly.

“That’s enough!” called Kara.

“I advise against moving too much,” cautioned Willard. “The strike may have caused internal bleeding.” He then looked to Presto and Novella. “Okay, come heal her.”

Presto and Novella obliged and went to heal Velvet. They each placed a hand on her belly and cast a healing spell. At first, Velvet was writhing in pain. Sooner than later, likely due to the fading pain, her expression turned calm.

“Hah,” she said with relief. “I feel better now.” She gave a sincere bow to Willard. “Thanks for your guidance.”

“Of course,” said the viscount. “Your brawling style has no real dark side to it. You mix feints and actual attacks, charge and back away when needed... It’s both fierce and open-ended. However, a proper manner of brawling like yours doesn’t break the limits of dojo training. Now, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. After all, true strength differs from one to another.” His sharp eyes pierced Velvet. “What do you seek from your brawling style?” Velvet didn’t really have an answer. “That is the first thing you must learn. Then, you will find your true path. And when you do, feel free to come back to me.” With those words as his last, the viscount left the dojo.

“Hey, well…” Navy said during the cart ride out of the estate, trying to be supportive. “You shouldn’t mind it too much! Battles are all about luck. If you lost, you were probably bound to lose anyway!”

“Och!” Aquamarine said sarcastically. “Vera helpful words, lass!”

Navy chuckled sheepishly, realizing what she had said. “I’m not the best at these types of things.”

“So, what’ll you do from here, Velvet?” Kara asked. “We’re headed back to Stonewood.”

“Stonewood?” Velvet asked. “My father’s estate is there!”

“Do you want to join us,” Presto asked. “It would make sense if you wanted to visit your father.”

“Ah’m thinkin’ o’ joinin’ yer party,” Aquamarine said to Presto. “Yer the first ter show me kindness n’ ah feel this would be a good way ter repay it.”

“I see no objections to that,” Presto said. “So, I think the Guild will allow it.”

“I kind of envy adventurers,” Velvet sighed. “You have the freedom to make your own decisions and go places for quests while my freedom’s limited. Not only that, but, you make an honest living while I’m being handed money I didn’t earn myself.”

“Who says you can’t be an adventurer?” Novella said. “We’ve seen the way you fight and have no doubt you’re capable.”

“Yeah,” Velvet said. “But, my mana reserves are pretty low. My only other skill is baking.”

“Well, how about that?” Navy said. “We have a kirin friend who owns a bakery. She’s the only staff, so, maybe she can hire you to work part-time.”

“You’d do that?” Velvet asked.

“Of course,” Navy said.

“And hey,” Kara added. “If I’m injured, sick, or otherwise unable to go on a mission, you can fill in for me.”

“Boy, that would be great,” Velvet smiled.

“Presto,” Novella said. “What exactly were you doing at the dojo?”

“Oh, filming the match,” Presto answered nonchalantly.

The mares all made confused faces.

“Film-ming?” Kara asked. “What’s that?”

“It’ll be easier just to show you,” Presto said as he took out his smartstone, brought up the match he recorded, and played it for Velvet.

“Wh-What is this?!” Velvet exclaimed. “Ah! W-Wait! That’s me! And the viscount! Kara’s there, too!”

“I can’t believe it!” Kara gasped. “Is my butt really that big? I honestly thought it was bigger.”

“What the hell is this?!” Navy said. “They’re moving, but, they’re right here! How’s this happening?!”

“Maybe if you’d all calm down for a second,” Presto said. “I can explain better.”

The trio did take some time to calm down.

I’ll need to put this in terms they can understand, Presto thought. “This is…” he explained aloud. “Sort of like my personal Mind spell that allows the recording of events so you can see them again later. I used it to record your match.”

“Oh, I see,” Velvet said. “So, why did you do this?”

“Just for the sake of experimenting,” Presto explained.

“So, what’s the spell called?” Navy asked.

“Uh,” Presto said. “Smartstone, I guess?”

“Interesting,” Kara said.

Velvet took the smartstone and gazed intently at the screen. Soon enough, she got to the part where she was defeated.

“Hmm,” Velvet said. “I’m going to have to work on my defense. My belly’s not as big as Kara’s, so, it can’t take as much punishment.” The recording showed that while Velvet blocked the attack from the viscount’s left fist, she forgot about the right fist, which struck her in the belly. “Ah, I see. That’s what happened. With both my arms occupied blocking my head, my belly was open to attack. Now, I understand what he meant when he said my brawling style has no dark side.”

“So, that should be something to consider,” Presto said. “Sometimes, you don’t wait for openings in your enemy, but, create them yourself.” Velvet nodded in understanding. “Feeling better?”

“Much better actually,” Velvet answered. She gave the smartstone back to Presto, who put it back in his carrier belt. “I made my decision. I’ll be your backup brawler!”

“That’s the spirit,” Kara said.

“Let’s look for a guild branch while we’re here,” Novella suggested. “That way, Aquamarine and Velvet can register.”

“Good idea,” Presto nodded. Then, he thought to himself, I may not deserve these powers, but, if I’m helping others by using them, who cares?

End of chapter.

Author's Note

Here's the next chapter to compensate for being late with the Nine Elements chapter last week.

*Running gag: Presto gets distracted by his own curiosity and bumps into something because he lost track of the world around him.

**This world's Scotland.

***Character by Kitsulestia.

****Art by Blake.

*****Idea from Delicious in Dungeon.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas for future chapters? Y'all know the drill by now.