Chương 103: Friendly People Can Still Become Problems

By the time the carriage finally passed through Seraphina's outer gates, nobody looked particularly heroic anymore. Dust covered their clothes, Lucia was barely keeping her eyes open, Kart looked ready to sleep standing, and even Mellia's usual composure had deteriorated into exhausted silence. The enormous monster bones tied around the carriage attracted considerably more attention than the five people responsible for bringing them back.

Several passing mages stopped completely, staring at the remains while apparently trying to determine what kind of ordinary assignment could produce something that enormous. Sieghart understood their confusion perfectly because they had originally left the guild to eliminate giant bats inside an abandoned mine. Returning several days later with pieces of an undead creature large enough to swallow their carriage certainly required a few additional explanations.

Fortunately, most of those explanations belonged to Mellia because she had officially served as the party leader. Sieghart was perfectly happy allowing someone else to handle the paperwork while he concentrated on avoiding questions involving corrupted cores, Necromancy, and several extremely poor decisions. The moment they entered Lunar Arc headquarters, several guild workers immediately surrounded the carriage and began examining the recovered materials.

Another member instructed Mellia's group to report directly to Mira before anyone could bathe, change clothes, or disappear somewhere sufficiently comfortable. Mellia knocked twice before opening the door, and the group entered together to find Mira already seated behind her desk. Several stacks of papers surrounded the guild master, making her look as though she had spent their entire mission fighting enemies considerably more persistent than monsters.

Her eyes moved carefully across every member of the returning party, lingering just long enough on each person to confirm that there were no obvious injuries hidden beneath their damaged clothes. Only afterward did the tension around her shoulders relax slightly. The group gave a summary of the job and Sieghart confirmed a few things when asked. Mira's interest was clear, though.

"And the core?"

"Destroyed."

"All of it?" Mellia nodded without hesitation, completely unaware that several fragments had survived considerably longer than anyone believed. From her perspective, the answer was perfectly accurate because the broken remnants had possessed no known value and should have been destroyed or abandoned underground.

"The core shattered during our attacks. It was corrupted, so we followed standard procedure and left nothing usable behind." Sieghart kept his expression neutral while wondering whether Mira's telepathy produced any physical indication when she used it. He had never noticed one before, which unfortunately made that particular ability considerably less reassuring whenever he possessed secrets worth hiding.

Mira looked around the room once more before closing Mellia's written report and placing it beside the other documents. Whatever conclusions she reached about their answers remained hidden behind the same tired expression she normally wore during guild meetings.

"You handled a mission considerably more dangerous than the original classification suggested, recovered the stolen goods, captured the bandits, protected Bellhaven, and prevented what appears to have been an incomplete dungeon from becoming fully established." Hernan smiled almost immediately.

"So we're getting paid more?" Mira stared at him long enough that even Hernan seemed to realize his priorities might have been slightly questionable after hearing the guild master summarize everything they had nearly died accomplishing.

"That was your first thought?"

"It wasn't my first thought." Lucia turned toward him.

"It was absolutely your first thought."

"It was my third." Mellia covered part of her face with one hand while Mira released a long breath. Sieghart suddenly understood with unusual clarity why the guild master always looked exhausted despite spending less time fighting monsters than most field agents.

"Yes. The mission will be reevaluated, and the compensation will be adjusted accordingly. You will receive your shares once the recovered materials are appraised and the final report has been processed." Hernan looked immediately satisfied, but Mira continued before he could ask how much additional payment they should expect. Her expression became more serious as she examined the four teenage construct users who had originally been responsible for the mission.

"More importantly, all four of you made reasonable decisions under circumstances far beyond what I expected you to face. You adapted, cooperated, protected one another, and returned without losing anyone despite encountering threats well above the mission classification." The four teenagers became noticeably quieter after hearing that.

Even Hernan stopped thinking about money for several seconds, while Mellia straightened slightly and Lucia's exhausted expression softened after receiving recognition from someone they clearly respected.

"Good work."

"Thank you." Mira allowed the silence to remain for another moment before finally dismissing them, and the relief spreading across the teenagers was obvious. They had probably been thinking about beds, baths, and proper food since the carriage entered the city.

"You can go." Kart had already started turning toward the door when Mira spoke again, and Sieghart immediately knew what was coming from the brief shift in her attention. Apparently, escaping questions with everyone else had never actually been a realistic possibility.

"Sieg stays." Sieghart stopped moving and released a quiet sigh because protesting would only make the situation more suspicious. He stepped away from the others while Hernan looked between him and Mira with obvious curiosity about why the guild master wanted him separately. Mellia noticed Hernan's expression immediately and grabbed the back of his shirt before he could invent an excuse to remain nearby. Lucia followed while hiding another smile, and Kart simply continued toward the hallway without looking back.

"Come on."

"I wasn't doing anything."

"You were about to." The door closed behind them, leaving Sieghart alone with Mira and several uncomfortable questions he suspected were already approaching. He remained standing near the chair opposite her desk, preferring not to make himself comfortable before knowing how unpleasant the conversation might become. Mira studied him for several seconds, and Sieghart wondered whether she was merely thinking or quietly examining him with some form of telepathy.

The fact that he could not distinguish between those possibilities made every silence around her slightly more troublesome.

"You can sit."

"I've been sitting in a carriage most of the day."

"Then continue standing." Sieghart remained exactly where he was while Mira folded her hands together over the desk. Her expression suggested she was deciding how directly to approach whatever she actually wanted from him rather than merely continuing the official mission report.

"What did you think of the mission?" Sieghart considered several possible answers before deciding that most of them created unnecessary opportunities for additional questions. Troublesome was accurate, concise, and covered everything from bandits to undead monsters without mentioning the forbidden spell currently sitting inside his System.

"Troublesome." Mira waited for several seconds, apparently expecting the answer to continue, while Sieghart remained perfectly silent. When nothing else came, one of her eyebrows slowly rose in a way that communicated disappointment more effectively than words.

"That's it?"

"Pretty much."

"You fought bandits, discovered an abnormal monster migration, nearly became responsible for accelerating a dungeon's formation, fought an unfinished Dungeon Guardian, and returned carrying half its skeleton."

"Yes."

"And your assessment is troublesome." Sieghart nodded because the description remained completely accurate regardless of how much detail Mira added. From his perspective, summarizing several days of increasingly dangerous complications with one efficient word was simply good communication.

"It summarizes everything well enough." Mira stared at him long enough that Sieghart suspected she was reconsidering whether assigning him to missions with other people had actually accomplished anything socially useful. Eventually, however, she abandoned that subject and moved toward something more relevant.

"Did you learn anything?" Sieghart became considerably more cautious because that question could have several meanings, and one interpretation involved a new branch of forbidden magic he had absolutely no intention of discussing. He chose the safest possible interpretation before answering.

"Their fighting style was unusual."

"How?" Sieghart crossed his arms while thinking about the four construct users instead of the corrupted core. Their abilities had fascinated him because they relied upon prepared structures and instructions rather than controlling every movement directly through raw concentration.

"They rely on prepared constructs instead of creating everything directly from mana. Their frames handle movements that would normally require continuous concentration, so they can maintain complicated formations without personally directing every individual action." Mira nodded slowly, apparently satisfied that he had at least paid attention during the mission rather than treating the teenagers as convenient targets for support spells.

Her next question came immediately, suggesting she wanted to know whether observing them had produced practical results.

"And can you use that?"

"Not exactly." Sieghart briefly thought about the complicated frames, runes, moving components, and construction methods involved in their fighting styles. Simply watching the results had not magically given him the years of craftsmanship required to reproduce the mechanisms properly. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"I can't copy what they do without their equipment, and building those kinds of frames would probably require years of crafting experience I don't have. Still, some of the principles might be useful." Mira leaned forward slightly.

"What kind?" Sieghart had already considered several possibilities during the return trip, especially after watching the constructs follow prepared commands without demanding constant attention. If Mana Runes could eventually store simple instructions, he might create spells capable of behaving with limited independence.

"Their constructs separate responsibilities between the caster and the frame. I might eventually imitate that principle with weapons, letting a construct perform simple predetermined actions instead of forcing me to control every movement personally." That possibility would require considerable experimentation, but it interested Sieghart far more than learning to manufacture physical frames from metal.

A Mana Sword capable of independently following a target would change Summoning Magic completely if he could discover the necessary structure.

"And?"

"The Telekinesis book helped." Mira looked genuinely surprised by that answer because Sieghart had spent several days complaining that the book had failed to produce the actual spell. Unfortunately, learning something useful and learning what he originally wanted were not necessarily the same thing.

"You still can't use Telekinesis."

"I know."

"Then how did it help?"

"I learned how to offer support from farther away." Sieghart explained how attempting Telekinesis had forced him to become more precise when extending mana beyond his immediate surroundings. That control had allowed him to use Protection and Muscle Reinforcement remotely, even though moving ordinary physical objects remained frustratingly beyond him.

The discovery had also revealed something far more important about White Magic because supporting companions during genuine danger produced progress that solitary practice never achieved. Sieghart still disliked that particular requirement, but ignoring it would not make the System change its rules. Mira listened quietly until he finished, then remained silent for several seconds while apparently thinking about what his answer implied.

Sieghart disliked that silence more than he probably should have, especially after everything he was currently hiding. Before Mira could decide what to ask next, Sieghart chose to redirect the conversation toward a question that had been bothering him since learning how strongly several of his magic paths depended upon other people.

"Do you know how quickly Seraphina became stronger?" Mira blinked, clearly not expecting the question to arrive immediately after a discussion about Telekinesis and construct users. Sieghart took that small reaction as evidence that he had successfully changed the direction of the conversation.

"What?"

"After she created the guild." Sieghart tried to keep his voice casual despite caring considerably more about the answer than he wanted Mira to realize. Any documented acceleration in Seraphina's progress could strengthen his suspicion that she once possessed something similar to his System.

"Did her growth suddenly accelerate?" Mira studied him carefully before answering, and Sieghart resisted the urge to explain further. Providing unnecessary context might reveal exactly why he cared about someone who had disappeared centuries before his birth.

"We don't have records detailed enough to answer that." Sieghart frowned slightly because that was considerably less useful than he had hoped. Historical accounts apparently cared more about legendary accomplishments than convenient measurements of how quickly a particular mage gained strength between individual stages of her life.

"Nothing?"

"Not about progression speed." Mira leaned backward while considering what information might still answer part of his question. Sieghart remained attentive because even incomplete records could reveal patterns if the same details appeared often enough across several different accounts.

"Most surviving accounts describe what she accomplished, where she traveled, which conflicts she prevented, and which institutions she helped establish. They don't record exactly how much stronger she became from one year to another." Sieghart found that disappointing but unsurprising. People writing legends rarely stopped to record useful statistics, especially when most of them probably had no understanding of whatever system Seraphina might or might not have possessed.

Mira remained silent for another moment before adding something, and the slight change in her expression immediately made Sieghart pay closer attention. Apparently, the historical records contained at least one pattern she considered worth mentioning.

"There is one thing we know." Sieghart looked directly at her without answering, allowing Mira to continue while his thoughts immediately began producing possibilities. If Seraphina possessed Infinite Mana, even a small behavioral similarity might provide another piece of evidence.

"She was rarely alone." That caught his attention immediately because the statement connected far too conveniently with everything he had recently discovered about his own progression. Sieghart tried not to react strongly, but Mira clearly noticed the brief change in his expression.

"Seraphina traveled with companions for most of her documented life. Some were mages and some weren't. Several remained beside her for decades, even after Lunar Arc's earliest institutions became stable." Sieghart remained quiet while his thoughts immediately returned to the strange requirements surrounding his magic. Black Magic advanced through combat, White Magic required helping others, and Summoning Magic progressed more efficiently when his constructs served someone besides himself.

Arcane Magic remained uncertain, but Sieghart increasingly suspected that its progression condition would involve cooperation as well. The pattern had already become too consistent to dismiss comfortably, and Seraphina's history only made the possibility more irritating.

"Why are you asking?" Sieghart looked toward Mira while considering how much of his reasoning he could safely reveal. Admitting that he suspected Seraphina possessed Infinite Mana would immediately invite questions about why he had reached that conclusion and what similarities he had discovered. He could also mention the strange progression requirements, but doing so would reveal more information about his System than he wanted anyone to possess.

For now, keeping his suspicions private offered considerably more advantages than satisfying Mira's curiosity.

"Just curious." Mira's expression made it clear that she did not believe curiosity explained everything, but she fortunately chose not to press the issue. Instead, she looked toward the recently completed mission report and redirected the conversation again.

"Would you be interested in helping other guild groups?" Sieghart became silent because the question touched directly upon a problem he had been trying to avoid. His instincts preferred solitary training, yet several branches of his magic were clearly designed to punish exactly that preference. Working alone offered privacy, control, and fewer opportunities for other people to notice the unusual characteristics of his abilities.

Unfortunately, privacy did absolutely nothing for White Magic or Summoning Magic if their primary paths required meaningful cooperation. Sieghart mentally reviewed the possibilities while Mira allowed him enough time to think. Refusing every group assignment would protect his secrets, but it would also deliberately slow his progression when he needed strength more than comfort.

"I could help." Mira smiled slightly, apparently satisfied with the answer until Sieghart raised one finger. She immediately recognized the gesture and allowed her smile to disappear before he even stated the condition.

"But."

"Of course there's a but." Sieghart considered how ridiculous his next request would sound coming from someone physically younger than every member of Mellia's group. Unfortunately, reincarnation created several social complications that nobody else could reasonably understand.

"I'd rather not work with other kids." Mira stared at him without speaking, and Sieghart could practically see the contradiction forming inside her mind. From her perspective, the youngest person in the previous party had just complained about being assigned to children.

"You are ten."

"Really? I had forgotten."

"The four people you just worked with are older than you."

"Not that much."

"And you're calling them children."

"Yes." Mira closed her eyes briefly, and Sieghart suspected he had added another small amount to whatever invisible burden permanently exhausted the guild master. Unfortunately, he had no intention of withdrawing the request simply because it sounded absurd. Working beside teenagers constantly reminded Sieghart that everyone expected him to behave younger than they did.

Experienced adults would create other problems, but at least conversations with them might feel less like pretending he belonged naturally among adolescents.

"I'd rather help adult groups." Mira opened her eyes again.

"Experienced guild members?"

"Yes."

"People who might notice more about what you're doing?" Sieghart hesitated because that particular disadvantage had not been the focus of his reasoning. Experienced mages would probably recognize unusual behavior much faster than teenagers on their first distant assignment. Mira smiled faintly after noticing his hesitation, clearly pleased that she had found a flaw in his preference.

Sieghart immediately disliked that expression because it suggested she was already considering precisely the kind of assignment he wanted to avoid.

"I'll think about it." Sieghart sighed because adults rarely used that phrase when they genuinely intended to think about something. Usually, it meant they had already decided against your suggestion and simply wanted to postpone the disagreement.

"You definitely won't."

"I said I'll think about it." Mira waved toward the door while shaking her head slightly, apparently deciding that she had questioned him enough for one day. Sieghart was perfectly happy to end the conversation before she remembered something more dangerous to ask.

"Go rest." Sieghart accepted the dismissal immediately and left the office before Mira could change her mind. The halls of Lunar Arc felt unusually peaceful after several days spent surrounded by arguments, monster noises, collapsing tunnels, and Hernan's constant commentary. Several guild members passed him carrying books, tools, enchanted materials, and portions of the monster remains his group had recovered.

Nobody stopped him or asked additional questions, which Sieghart considered one of the best developments of the entire day. Once he reached his room beneath the guild, Sieghart closed the door behind himself and crossed toward the bed without bothering to remove his boots. He fell backward across the mattress and stared silently at the ceiling. His body wanted sleep immediately, but his mind unfortunately remained far too active after the conversation with Mira.

Seraphina's companions, his own System, Necromancy, and the strange Dungeon Guardian all competed for attention at once. Seraphina had possessed companions throughout most of her documented life, but that detail proved absolutely nothing by itself. Plenty of powerful people traveled in groups because exploring dangerous places alone was an excellent method for dying somewhere inconvenient.

Still, the possibility remained irritatingly attractive because his own progression requirements increasingly pushed him toward cooperation. If Seraphina had experienced the same restrictions, surrounding herself with reliable companions would have been the most logical response. More importantly, he needed to prevent other people from reaching the same conclusion too quickly.

If similarities between his abilities and Seraphina's became obvious, Lunar Arc members might eventually decide that he represented some kind of successor. Perhaps Seraphina truly had possessed Infinite Mana, or perhaps her abilities had worked through an entirely different mechanism. Sieghart preferred leaving every possibility uncertain until he understood enough to decide whether revealing the truth benefited him.

Uncertainty created protection because people struggled to prepare against something they could not properly define. If nobody knew whether Sieghart represented Seraphina's successor, they could not confidently build plans around that assumption. Certainty would be considerably more dangerous because it allowed recruitment, manipulation, political pressure, isolation, or even elimination to become rational strategies.

Powerful families had already shown Sieghart what people did when they believed someone possessed value worth controlling. Mira seemed friendly, and more importantly, she had repeatedly helped him when she gained nothing obvious from doing so. She provided shelter, books, training, work, and protection while giving Sieghart considerably more freedom than his own family ever had. For now, Sieghart genuinely considered Mira an ally, and the same applied to Ronan and much of Lunar Arc.

None of that meant he intended to surrender every secret simply because their relationship currently benefited both sides. People changed with time, and circumstances changed even faster. Someone who sincerely wanted to protect him today might decide several years later that restricting his freedom was necessary for Lunar Arc, Seraphina, humanity, or some other supposedly greater purpose. Sieghart did not believe Mira was secretly planning against him, and he had no evidence suggesting otherwise.

Remaining cautious simply meant refusing to assume that present intentions guaranteed future behavior regardless of what new information appeared. For that reason, some secrets would remain his alone until revealing them became necessary. Necromancy certainly belonged on that list, and his suspicions regarding Seraphina would remain there until he possessed something considerably stronger than historical similarities.

Sieghart eventually raised one hand toward a small object resting on his desk and attempted Telekinesis again, mostly because failing at something familiar sounded more relaxing than thinking about legendary mages, corrupted cores, and future betrayals. The object remained perfectly still despite several seconds of concentration, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the enormous amount of Mentality and mana available to Sieghart.

Apparently, some mysteries remained completely unaffected by how many additional problems he discovered elsewhere. He allowed his hand to fall back onto the bed and closed his eyes, deciding that he had accomplished enough thinking for one day. Unfortunately, his first proper guild mission had given him considerably more questions than answers.

He had learned how to support companions from a distance, discovered new progression requirements, unlocked a spell he never intended to use, and gained another reason to wonder whether Seraphina's history might somehow be connected to his own power. For a mission that had originally involved killing oversized bats inside an abandoned mine, the number of future problems created by the experience seemed almost impressive. Sieghart suspected Mira would still find some way to assign him another one.