Chương 408: Second Chances

For a moment Damion thought Straus might shout 'never.' Thankfully, the knight finally seemed to admit defeat to himself.

"I yield," said Straus, throwing his sword down.

"Even if you hadn't trapped me with magic, you would have out lasted me. Either I am starting to feel my age, or you are stronger than you appear."

"I am strong for my Rank," Damion told him and then allowing his Ice Sword to unsummon.

"Mage Teft made sure I always trained my physical body, which has also accelerated my increase in magic power."

"That is what I used to tell new recruits too. The stronger the body, the more magic it can hold. I might not be a mage, but that principle is what has enabled me to reach A Rank."

"Well, now that we understand one another, how about you tell me about this place."

"Can you let me out first?" Straus asked. Being trapped in a hole was rather embarrassing and having the younger man who defeated him look down on him during their conversation would only make that feeling worse.

"Sure," Damion said, casting Manipulate Earth again to soften the dirt around the knight letting him climb out.

"Thanks. Let's see what's there to know. Minus the people and the higher natural mana density, this place is not so different from home."

"You haven't had any trouble with the locals?" asked Damion. Straus looked at Damion for a moment, the young man was fishing, that was sure, but how much did the young man actually know? Was the kid aware of where they truly were? Of the Alfar, goblins, the Iblis? Straus let out an audible sigh, he hated being at Mage Wells' mercy, best to make himself useful, least he finishes what was started a year ago.

"You are the first intelligent being I've come across in two months, but before then I was a guest of an Iblis by the name of Visneer. It took a while for them to learn our language, so I can't say much about what they talked about for my first few months here. But after that, they asked a lot of questions about the fight that brought me here."

"Just the fight?" questioned Damion.

"I think their desire lay more in the mage that sent me here. They wanted to know about the true mage that had exiled me. Since you exiled me, perhaps you can do me the favor of explaining what a true mage is. After the Iblis learned what they wanted from me, I was left on my own. There is a good chance they still don't know I left their city."

"Where is their city?"

"My question first," Straus countered.

"I want to know what a true mage is."

"I don't exactly have an instruction manual on the subject. My understanding is that a true mage is one that has not had their core crippled by the Mage Association."

"Excuse me?"

"Ah, I guess as a knight, you weren't privy to those particular secrets," Damion grinned, he was enjoying being the one in the know for once.

"The Iblis city?" If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Five or six days on foot that direction," Straus said, pointing towards a large mountain range.

"Well, I think it is that direction."

"The Mage Association's testing crystals push a person's affinity glyph into the core while it is still developing. If tested too early it results in a person not being able to be a mage at best, at worst it stops them from ever being able to accumulate mana."

"Why would the Mage Association do such a thing?" Straus asked in disbelief. He had been a Justiciar long enough to know when a person was lying even without a lie detection artifact, and he could tell Damion was speaking truthfully. Still, it was a difficult pill to swallow.

"You really think they would explain themselves to me?" laughed Damion.

"Not long after our last encounter they tried to kill me and frame the Crimson Order. Not to mention them trying to keep me out of Realm Breaches entirely."

"Your best guess then. It just doesn't make sense to me."

"From what Mage Teft and I were able to put together; they had three reasons. The first being that with the affinity glyph inside the core, it apparently becomes easier to learn magic seals, which seems to be the original intent. The other two reasons appear to be side effects that they took advantage of, and these two reasons go hand in hand, it allows them to limit the number of mages and by testing commoner children earlier and earlier, it let them prevent commoner mages from outnumbering the noble families."

"Those bastards. You mean to tell me that because I was tested as a young child, the Mage Association made it so I could never be a mage?"

"Yes. And they did so knowingly."

"How sure are you that Exile won't send us back to our world?"

"It's just a guess, but a good one."

"Can you open a Portal back? You have the Spatial affinity, right? You can cast Portal?"

"I tried that, seems to take more mana than I have at the moment."

"You think you just need to get stronger? Maybe you are right. If you go to the Iblis, you will get stronger, but they want something from you. What, I'm not clear on. But it seemed to be something with the cause of the Realm Breaches. From what I gathered; things have been getting worse for them since humans left this world."

"Well, I won't know what they want or if I can do it until I talk to them," Damion said, thinking of the seal Elicia had mentioned in their shared dream.

"Are you going to tell me where their city is for real now?" Straus smiled for a moment and then shook his head.

"I guess I couldn't fool you. That way," Straus pointed towards the forested region to the west of the mountains.

"Two- or three-days walk. Though you can probably fly there in less than one."

"Out of curiosity, what is on the other side of those mountains you pointed to before?"

"A cluster of S Rank Realm Breaches."

"Any S Rank Demonic Beasts?"

"No, the Iblis keep those in check. But I was betting on your curiosity getting the better of you."

"I thought you had given up trying to kill me?"

"You could beat me as an early B Rank. Now you are an upper B Rank and even though I have gotten stronger as well, I am no longer a match for you. Call it a last-ditch effort, since I figured you were going to kill me once I told you everything."

"Are you that eager to die?"

"No. But I know you aren't one to leave threats behind. A stance I completely understand."

"Are you still a threat?" Damion asked, causing Straus to think for a moment. There was nothing the knight could do to Damion. He was trapped here, unless Mage Wells decided to take him with him when the young man was strong enough to open a Portal back to Nerotath. Short of trying to ambush him, which likely would not go well for Straus, or convince the Iblis that Wells was a threat, there really was nothing he could do. A part of Damion's mind screamed to put an end to the man.

Snuff out any possible threat he might somehow pose in the future. But another part of him said no. If he had killed the man in a fight it would have been fine. But Damion had defeated the knight, and coldblooded murder did not sit well with him, even if the man deserved it.

"I suppose I'm not. Before I know it, you'll be able to treat me as an ant."

"I'm glad you have come to terms with that. And no, I'm not going to kill you. I won't gain anything by killing you and I'm not a bloodthirsty person. Besides, there might just be a use for you in the future that I haven't thought of yet. So, for now, be thankful for second chances."